The Doctor's Wife

Joseph Stein #1

by Myra Hargrave McIlvain

Amelia expects great adventure in the new land of Texas, but her dreams are shattered when her employer abandons her in Galveston.

The sudden proposal of the ship's handsome physician seems too good to be true; is Doctor Stein really the man she imagines? Settling with him in the German migrant camp on the Texas coast only feeds her sense of failure.

Amelia’s secret life is masked by the couple’s growing prosperity and her successful operation of Stein’s mercantile store. But after a buying trip to New Orleans opens a whole new chapter of personal fulfillment for her, she begins her path towards becoming an independent woman.

A story of personal growth, hardship and courage, THE DOCTOR'S WIFE is the first book in Myra Hargrave McIlvain's series of historical novels, set in mid-19th century Texas.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Romance, Fiction, Ebooks, American History

550 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

Myra Hargrave McIlvain, a sixth-generation Texan, is a teller of Texas tales. Whether she shares the stories in her books, lectures, or newsletter, she aims to make the Texas story alive. She has freelanced as a writer of Texas historical markers and written articles for newspapers nationwide and for magazines such as Texas Highways. She has published twelve books—all Texas stories. Her most recent, The Knotted Ring, is the story of a young woman, pregnant with her slave lover's baby, who is forced to marry a man headed to Texas for a Spanish land grant. McIlvain lives in Austin with her husband, Stroud. She enjoys the company of a houseful of great grands.

Reviews

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Historical Fiction read as a nice blend of non-fiction and novel and completely pulls you into the past. This story is from the heart of the German immigrant’s experience in Texas. The main character, Amelia is a young woman who leaves Germany to be the tutor to a child. Due to circumstances beyond her control she enters a life that she is not prepared for but somehow manages to thrive. Without giving away too much, the author is able to deal with a subject matter that was part of life in the late 1800’s but hidden behind closed doors. Her delicate and realistic dealings of what her characters are experiencing kept me reading late into the night. I could not go to sleep until I found out what Amelia was going to do.
I chose to read this book for the pure joy of reading and I was not disappointed.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF
I get it history is a fun subject to read in a story form. This story was not for me. No hope at all. The MC had such a hard time and it just kept getting worse. Nothing she did or was done to her brought her joy. I know there is hard times in our life but to have her life so hard just made for a bad story for me. I also didn’t get into the story it was more being told the hardships instead of living them out with the characters. It felt like the author wanted to push subjects on us to see how hard life was. The thing that got me was there was no hope, no one she talked to about anything she suffered alone. It was to much sadness for me. The gay husband could have at least tried to help her to understand but all he did was work come home and go to sleep. Nothing about this story was worth all the heartache. I got 48% and put it down forever.

[Beverly Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book along with the Stein house too. It kept guessing about some of the people. I thought it represents true life and life problems. I'm sure the problems in that era were same as many problems we have today. Good representation of health issues in that era of time. Good job Myra.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical, Heart-breaking, Helpful, but Hard!

Hard? Hard to understand - hard to accept the pain of loss, the pain of deceit, and the pain of immigration and growth as new land is developed. 1800's - Was it all that different from today? Oh yes - death was imminent, hospitals were rare and graveyards were full, but people still hurt as they do today.

This was my first read by this author. She knows her work and researched well.

[Jenni Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my sort of read

Not a bad book, just not my kind of read. I know it's historical but it was pretty miserable. I was expecting it to be based on history but a bit more story.

[Tim Mcnutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

This book kept me interested from beginning to end. I laughed, I cried, and I felt a committed love between two friends. Read this book and see if you don't feel the same.

[E.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and this book was no exception.
I had no knowledge about immigration in Texas and the whole historical background back then.
The exceptional author manages through the story of a young teacher named Amelia, to take the reader through a roller coaster of emotions and let them dive into the struggles and hard life that the protagonist tries to overcome.
I totally recommend this book.

[Jean Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read by Texan author Myra Hargrave McIlvain and it did not disappoint.

Amelia sails to Galveston, Texas, hoping for adventure and a new life far from her home in Germany. Almost immediately, her employer abandons her, and she is forced to work as a chambermaid in a local hotel. But a handsome doctor, whom she’d met aboard ship proposes to her. He prepares her for a rough life in the new port city of Indian Point on Matagorda Bay, but she accepts, willing to face the hardship for the chance of a better life.

Dr. Stein was truthful about the state of the town, little more than a refugee camp with dozens of families living in tents despite the winter’s cold. The temperature is not the only chill in the air and her marriage remains unconsummated, leaving her lonely and confused. Setting aside her feelings, she stands beside Dr. Stein as they build a prosperous life together, opening a mercantile store as well as his medical practice. Still, she longs for love …

The Doctor’s Wife is set in the 1840s-1850s in Texas, just after it became the 28th US state, after giving up its independence. This is a fascinating time in Texas/American history. The US immediately declared war on Mexico and the border between the two countries was reset and officially became the Rio Grande River.

As in the story, hundreds of German immigrants were pouring into Texas, promised land that turned out to be in Comanche Territory. They eventually settled in the Texas Hill Country, founding the towns of New Braunfels, Fredericksburg and many more.

I really enjoyed learning more about this time period and McIlvain does a great job laying out the history of the day. Full of descriptions of daily life, the hardships and the joys of life on the Texas Coast, it made the characters come to life. When Amelia travels to New Orleans to buy for her store, the author treats us to life in the Crescent City. The author doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of slavery and the brutality of life in the 19th century.

Amelia is a wonderful character, and I grew attached to her as she slowly understands her husband and accepts the state of their marriage, while also finding love on her own terms.

The book is part of a three-part series, and I look forward to reading more about Amelia and her family.

I highly recommend this book and all of author Myra Hargrave McIlvain’s books. This was a five-star read for me!

[Jnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doctor's Wife, published in 2016 is actually the prequel to her book, The Stein House, which was published in 2013. I wish I had read them in chronological order. That being said, both of these books are great reading them in either order. I found that the writing itself in this second book was a bit better than the earlier written book. I think this story flowed more easily.

If you're a fan of Texas History you'll enjoy reading about the struggles of the people who founded the settlement of Indian Point

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Myra McIlvain give a series of lectures on some Texas towns. She is indeed a wonderful storyteller.
This book is set in Indianola. Growing up in Houston with relatives in Galveston, I especially loved the story setting near Matagorda Bay. I can just picture the buildings and all the activities. I also loved Amelia's trip to New Orleans.
If you love Texas history, you will love this book of the little known town of Indianola.

[Janet Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew from the get-go that he was gay. I really wanted her to leave from the beginning but especially when she met Al. Was disappointed that Al did not come to her and marry her. Didn't care for the end of the story.

[Mary E Trimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Doctor’s Wife by Myra Hargrave Mcllvain, Book 1 of “A German Family Saga,” mostly takes place in Indian Point, which later becomes Indianola, Texas. The story begins in 1845.

In Germany, Amelia Anton has been hired as a private tutor to a young child. Aboard ship bound for America, the little boy dies of yellow fever, and the mother dies shortly after they reach Galveston. Her employer abandons her in Galveston, telling her he obtained a job for her as a chambermaid at the hotel where they were staying. It’s grim work, emptying chamber pots and cleaning up after guests.

When a handsome physician proposes marriage, she accepts, anticipating a better life than what she has so far experienced in this new land. Doctor Joseph Stein’s destination is Indian Point, a newly formed German migrant camp located along the shore of Matagorda Bay, Texas. Upon arrival they find people desperate to get out of the harsh elements. Most are living in tents, sleeping on molding mattresses, with no decent food to sustain them. The residents had been deceived, lured into coming to a rich land, full of opportunities. Instead they find themselves in an unsheltered bay, with scarce food and endless rain.

Amelia and Doctor Stein are able to stay in a small cabin, which also doubles as his clinic. He treats people suffering from typhoid, cholera, meningitis, and those who suffer from hopelessness with the dire situation that plagues the settlement. Gradually the town’s situation improves, supplies begin to arrive, and the town slowly builds.

But there is something missing in Amelia’s life. She remains a maiden, a virgin. Try as she might, her husband is unresponsive. He is an excellent doctor, well thought of. He is kind and provides for her. They eventually build a store that Amelia manages, with the doctor’s medical practice upstairs. But, although they share a bed, their marriage remains unfulfilled.

As the store thrives, Amelia is encouraged to go to New Orleans to purchase goods to meet the needs of the growing community, a transformative trip that changes how she lives the rest of her life.

I found this first book of “A German Family Saga” series engaging. It’s hard to imagine the hardships our forefathers endured. I loved the section of the novel where Amelia goes to New Orleans, a city I’ve visited several times. One visit was when I served with the Red Cross in late August, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone. That trip was grim, but previous trips were lovely....and lively. The author does a good job of developing a story of struggling people, and showing that adversity can be overcome, or at least tolerated. I recommend this novel, especially to those who love history.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the latter half of the nintenth century, there was a mass immigration of Germans to Indian Point, Texas. These people could not have chosen a better place to settle. The settlement was ripe for sea trade and for people passing to California or other points on the map. The town was a trading center. The people lived for each other. As Time passed, the site expanded. Those in trade raked in the money as did those who worked the wharf and those who ran boarding houses and those who sold lumber. The book carefully laid out the growth of Indian Point which was near to Corpus Christie.

Our main characters lived through yellow fever and massive storms. Yet they prevailed. A young doctor married the main character without telling her he was homosexual. For five years she lay by this man without marital congress. Her friends were like rabbits, and it broke her heart. She made a buying trip to New Orleans where she met a man with whom she fluttered the window curtains. She was impregnated, but the child was still born. She never left her husband or the life she built in the trade business.

Reader, you might like this personal touch. My mother does not like to read but loves to hear about the action in my reads. The 'no action` became the action she liked to hear in this book. It took five nights to read the book, so for five nights I told her that the doctor and his wife had not done IT yet! We were equally unhappy with the doctor.

The book needed a little editing, but the author did an incredible job of moving the storyline.

Thank you, Ms Macilvain, for a good read.

[Bev Walkling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book that detailed the history of German immigrants who came to Texas lured by the promise of free land. Life was not as promised. Conditions were poor and many died. Amelia had been a German immigrant hired as a nanny for a wealthy family. When the child and his mother died, she was given no choice but to work as a housekeeper in the hotel where they had been staying. Soon though, she was approached and offered marriage by the doctor from their ship. They went to take care of the sick and the dying but something was wrong and innocent as she was, Amelia knew her husband didn't love her the way a husband should.

This was a sad book to read. It touched on subjects that were important to the time but difficult, things like slavery, drunkenness, death at childbirth, homosexualiry and more. I felt it was impeccably researched, but so sad, and then it just ended. It leads into a series which I'm sure will be well done, but will it be as sad and as much hard living?

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a disappointing end to a long-drawn-out book. I liked this book but felt I slogged through some parts and had it been shorter, I think I would have liked it much more.

I felt for Amelia, what a cruel thing to unknowingly walk into. It would have been one thing if our doctor was straight up with her and she entered into her situation with eyes wide open. But to trick and cheat her is messed up.

Oh, I know her life could have been much, much worse. Despite everything; she was leading a fairly decent life, but when you expect and want...... and then for her to see that things may happen AGAIN. Too much!

My opinion is pretty staunch when it comes to marriages; but in this one instance I can admit, I wanted more for her. I wish things had turned out differently.

I did enjoy learning about the town. I will not be continuing with the series.

[PAMpublish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This full length novel is well-written and researched depicting the horrendous conditions of mostly German immigrants promised a fulfilling future upon their arrival in Texas. Amelia, who was abandoned as a nanny, when the wife and child died during their journey is asked by a handsome doctor to marry him. Although well-revered, he kept secrets despite helping the community to thrive, making good economic decisions. Amelia also must make a plan for her future when other options open for her. An all around excellent novel for those who relish learning of the historical background of early life in Texas.

[Elizabeth Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

The MC made the best of a difficult marriage. She showed maturity and compassion in the way she protected his reputation in the community. She had her own reputation to protect as well and she did it all with dignity. The couple worked together despite the deep divide between them. The depth of both of their loneliness was sad and left the reader hopeless for them. In this era of time though, perhaps there were so many circumstances where life just gave you no choice but to make the best out of what you were given. I was ready for the book to end by the last couple chapters.

[Juliette Lauber · Rating 4 out of 5]

McIlvain’s beautifully written historical novel is a fascinating and poignant story about the German elite’s immigration program to Texas in the mid 19th century. Young Amelia’s Anton’s story captivated me from the moment her ship entered the precarious waters of Galveston. The characters are perfectly drawn into the period and with the author’s meticulous attention to detail, the story comes alive on the page. McIlvain is a consummate storyteller. You’ll love this book!

[Nadine Bourgault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine leaving the only home you have ever known for adventure, then being abandoned in a strange new country. Along comes a Dr. who proposes, and whisks you away to another strange area. Is he really what he seems? Women are not listened to, and are meant to keep the home fires burning. Pretense is everything.
i could feel the frustration in the main character. It makes you think about what you might do in a similar situation in the same time.

[Stasia Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good but disappointing

I didn't know it was two books. It was long and then came to what I thought was an ending, there was a second book.
The story was full of the building of an America town in the early 1800s.
The characters were wonderful. The growth of the town and the people was an adventure.
But I would warn a reader to plan on buying two books.
It's disappointing to expect an end and then get tricked into having to purchase another book, just to complete the story.

[Mary Dales · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Easy and Interesting Read

Very much enjoyed this book- looking forward to the next in the saga.
Being a fan of historical fiction- I learned much of the early settlers to Texas - had no idea of the German immigrants. Touched on some interesting topics rare to stories of the era - ie homosexuality and how it affected those involved as it was taboo. Chronicled how small port towns evolved and the how the slave trade flourished there. Looking forward to book 2!

[Sandra Linebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only read if you're ready for a great book!!

This is the first novel I've read by Myra mail a in but it won't be the last. The main character, Amelia, travels from Germany to Texas to begin life there with her employers and their son as his tutor. Amelia discovers that life has lots of ups and downs. Read her very interesting story and I'll bet you will be eagerly looking to read the next in the series.

[Laura Patten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Storyteller

This book was a delight to read. The characters were well developed and the storyline moved at a good pace. The yearning for a happy ending for the main character was resisted to accomplish a strong character instead. Appreciated the Texan historical content also.

[Philomena Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling page turner

I thoroughly enjoyed this enthralling book. It was such a good read that I finished it in one sitting. It combined the history of German migration to America, making it a great read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in history combined with a little romance. I cannot wait to read the sequel Stein House

[Sharon Andres · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing story. So interesting to ‘walk’ with the people who lived in the mid 1800’s through this story. I never would have guessed that so much was available to people with money back then, some of them lived well. Still so sad that so little was available medical-wise. A lovely read!

[Margaret Caissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an interesting story and historically accurate. However, the misery was over done. It was too sad !! Amelia was so sad and when she finally had a baby it died. That was just too much!! She deserved some happiness. Her whole life was miserable except for a short 2 weeks. While we understand it was hard times. There was no need to make it so hopeless!!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

The Doctor's Wife is a tale of adventure, fortune, and heartache. The well-developed characters take you through the history of coastal Texas in the 1800s while drawing you into their lives. Great historical fiction book!

[Crystal Mary Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing from beginning to end. There is so much of interest resonating from the pages. I felt like I was in Amelia's body, living each day and sacrifice with her. What a story and so believable. I can't wait to read the second book. DON'T miss this, it's incredible.

[Holly]

It would have been a great book if not for the elephant secret in the room, which wasn’t revealed until later, but we could all guess. While the book was likely very historically accurate, I did not like the secret and the misery it caused.

[Thomas Rosenthal · Rating 4 out of 5]

History that draws the reader in.

An imaginative story of human nature, sexuality and secrets told with less tension than real characters would have experienced. However, it opens the reader’s mind to frontier life in nineteenth century costal Texas.