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The Excellent Doctor Blackwell: The life of the first woman physician
When British-born Elizabeth Blackwell earned her medical degree in America in 1849 there was an international outcry. Few at the time would have disagreed with the actress Fanny Kemble's remark - "What, trust a woman doctor - never!"
Yet by the time Dr Blackwell died in 1910 there were hundreds of women practising medicine on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks in no small part to her courage and determination.
This is a remarkable story, and one by no means confined to medicine. It embraces slavery, the women's rights movement, the American Civil War and Elizabeth's personal tragedy (she lost an eye in Paris) - as well as a fascinating cast of characters from Abraham Lincoln to Florence Nightingale.
Using a treasure trove of primary sources, the book reveals how Elizabeth Blackwell's pioneering efforts helped to fundamentally change the status of women in the West.
'Julia Boyd resists the temptation to turn Blackwell into one of those old-fashioned feminist icons of the 1970s... the result is thorough and, above all, thoughtful.' - The Guardian
'One can only hope that this excellent biography of an excellent doctor will help garner Blackwell the renown she has always deserved.' - New England Journal of Medicine
'Julia Boyd's superb biography reveals B as a complex, tenacious and often frustrating character whose extraordinary single-mindedness changed our world.' - Victorian Geek
13 hours and 16 minutes
Yet by the time Dr Blackwell died in 1910 there were hundreds of women practising medicine on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks in no small part to her courage and determination.
This is a remarkable story, and one by no means confined to medicine. It embraces slavery, the women's rights movement, the American Civil War and Elizabeth's personal tragedy (she lost an eye in Paris) - as well as a fascinating cast of characters from Abraham Lincoln to Florence Nightingale.
Using a treasure trove of primary sources, the book reveals how Elizabeth Blackwell's pioneering efforts helped to fundamentally change the status of women in the West.
'Julia Boyd resists the temptation to turn Blackwell into one of those old-fashioned feminist icons of the 1970s... the result is thorough and, above all, thoughtful.' - The Guardian
'One can only hope that this excellent biography of an excellent doctor will help garner Blackwell the renown she has always deserved.' - New England Journal of Medicine
'Julia Boyd's superb biography reveals B as a complex, tenacious and often frustrating character whose extraordinary single-mindedness changed our world.' - Victorian Geek
13 hours and 16 minutes
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2005
500 people are currently reading
605 people want to read
About the author
Julia Boyd
17 books79 followersJulia Boyd is the author of A Dance with the Dragon: The Vanished World of Peking's Foreign Colony, The Excellent Doctor Blackwell: The Life of the First Woman Physician and Hannah Riddell: An Englishwoman in Japan. An experienced researcher, she has scoured archives all over the world to find original material for her books. As the wife of a former diplomat, she lived in Germany from 1977 to 1981. A former trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, she now lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 28, 2019
Wonderfully researched account of the life of the first female physician, whose interest in practicing medicine was far less than her interest in social reform--a reform that was perhaps on too high a moral ground for the average person.
October 22, 2016
An admirable work about an admirable woman.
In her attempt to show the world that women can do as well as men, Elizabeth Blackwell became the world’s first female doctor and thus opened the path for future generations.
It’s a remarkable tale of someone who was clearly difficult and obstinate, but shows how a determined girl can get what she wants if she sticks at it.
It also paints a very good portrait of the precarious fortunes of the middle classes in the late 1800’s. The story of the struggles her family went through to survive in America, is as intriguing as her own story.
The author has done a splendid job of research and shows a great understanding of human nature in her portrayal of not only Dr Blackwell but of all the characters involved.
It’s written with charm and wit when dealing with the extraordinary life of the protagonist, but when dealing with all the feminist and medical political matters – which are all an important part of the story – the hand becomes slightly heavy. Then that could be because it’s aimed at an academic audience.
A fascinating read all the same.
In her attempt to show the world that women can do as well as men, Elizabeth Blackwell became the world’s first female doctor and thus opened the path for future generations.
It’s a remarkable tale of someone who was clearly difficult and obstinate, but shows how a determined girl can get what she wants if she sticks at it.
It also paints a very good portrait of the precarious fortunes of the middle classes in the late 1800’s. The story of the struggles her family went through to survive in America, is as intriguing as her own story.
The author has done a splendid job of research and shows a great understanding of human nature in her portrayal of not only Dr Blackwell but of all the characters involved.
It’s written with charm and wit when dealing with the extraordinary life of the protagonist, but when dealing with all the feminist and medical political matters – which are all an important part of the story – the hand becomes slightly heavy. Then that could be because it’s aimed at an academic audience.
A fascinating read all the same.
October 12, 2018
Fascinating biography of a woman in many ways admirable and in equally many ways annoying. Her ambition, determination, and focus, which allowed her to force herself into membership in a reluctant medical establishment, are remarkable. But her selfishness and self-righteousness render her largely unlikeable.
Want to read
March 14, 2021
January 5, 2022
I was so glad to finally finish this book! It took me two months after I stopped reading it and read four other books in the time between when I started the book and when I finished it. I found it difficult to follow the timeline and the many characters who appeared and reappeared throughout. It was often boring and repetitious in much of the description. I didn't like Elizabeth Blackwell most of the time, though I did admire her determination. She overcame great odds to become a doctor, though she didn't like treating patients. She spent her life living on other people's money and being dependent on their largesse, which didn't seem to bother her at all. I found her lack of support for science surprising and unattractive due to her chosen career. Rather than using her fame as the first woman doctor to help patients, she used it for personal fame, She was against vaccination, believing that sanitation could prevent and cure illness. As an unmarried and presumably virgin woman, she decided that immoral behavior was responsible for illness. She was very concerned about the immoral sexual behavor of others which I found off based on her lack of experience. Her treatment of others was often uncaring and selfish. It's a relief to finally be done with this book and its un-excellent heroine.
August 25, 2021
Probably 3.5 stars as it’s always harder to read non-fiction. Dr Blackwell lived in Victorian times and actually knew Florence Nightingale although their views about the role of women in Medicine could not have been more different. This was the first women to attend Medical school and I knew so little about her. He uphill battle was VERY challenging. Loads of admiration for blazing a trail.
June 27, 2022
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to qualify as a doctor. For a young Englishwoman with neither money nor connections this was an extraordinary feat. After graduating from Geneva Medical College in New York in 1849 (The male students thought her application was a hoax) she had to battle constantly with poverty and prejudice. Yet while Blackwell fought tenaciously for the right of women to be doctors – over which she clashed with Florence Nightingale – she was a critic of the growing feminist movement. Her career spanned the Atlantic. After falling and love and losing an eye in Paris, she went on to study at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, practise medicine in New York City, found the first hospital staffed entirely by women doctors, launch a female medical college and become the first woman on the British Medical Register. It was she who inspired Elizabeth Garrett Anderson to become Britain’s first woman doctor. On her return to England, where she spent the last forty years of her life, Blackwell shocked society – all the more so because she was unmarried – by addressing such taboo subjects as venereal disease and prostitution and publishing a guide for parents on sex education. Involved in everything from anti-slavery to psychic research, and acquainted with everyone from Abraham Lincoln to George Elitot, Blackwell was feisty, intelligent and brave. Julia Boyd draws on a rich archive to uncover the life of this complex, controversial and passionate woman whose vision and guts in the face of enormous odds changed social history.
Julia Boyd resists the temptation to turn Blackwell into one of those old-fashioned feminist icons of the 1970s, but neither does she punish her for not being particularly pretty, clever or even nice. Instead Boyd tells a sober story into which she folds the history of medicine, the tone and temper of religious non-conformity and, most importantly, the differences in context between the US and Britain. The result is thorough and, above all, thoughtful
Julia Boyd resists the temptation to turn Blackwell into one of those old-fashioned feminist icons of the 1970s, but neither does she punish her for not being particularly pretty, clever or even nice. Instead Boyd tells a sober story into which she folds the history of medicine, the tone and temper of religious non-conformity and, most importantly, the differences in context between the US and Britain. The result is thorough and, above all, thoughtful
June 9, 2023
When I was in grade school, I was the president of our class book club because I bought and read the most books from the Weekly Reader Book Club. One of those books was a child's biography of the first woman doctor, Elizabeth Blackwell. The story I discovered in that book stuck with me and added to my delight in reading about strong female role models. "The Excellent Doctor Blackwell" expands that story that I read as a child and fills in the gaps in this remarkable woman's life. She was not simply a brave girl who challenged society and the medical community to fight her way through the medical education system of the time and be recognized as a full-fledged doctor, but she was also a complicated woman who was not as interested in medicine as she was in a woman's right to practice it. Raised in a large, unconventional family and friends with some of the most avant-garde thinkers of the Victorian age, she shunned the larger groups of Suffragettes who were fighting for women's equality with men in all areas of life. Strongly spiritual, she wanted women doctors to present a gentler side of the profession and not become a pale version of male doctors. Her studies took her to France and England, where she had been born and eventually died. While she was not the simple heroine portrayed in my grade school book, she was a fascinating woman who blazed a trail for women in medicine that still resonates today.
October 30, 2020
In the mid-1800s, Elizabeth Blackwell was one of the first women to study medicine and become a doctor. She earned her medical degree in America in 1849 and wanted to set up her own teaching hospital. Of course, both the British and the American establishment were in the main horrified by Blackwell's ambitions.
Dr Blackwell was a very conflicted character; she wanted to break out of the usual life paths for a woman in the 1840s, and she was adamantly against slavery, but didn't support the burgeoning feminist movement. She was one of those who worked against getting the contentious UK Contagious Diseases Act 1864 repealed as it put the blame for sexually transmitted infections onto the sex workers and let the men off scot free, but she had very traditional views on marriage. As you read the book, she is equal parts inspirational and frustrating.
I would recommend this book if you are interested in learning not only about Dr Blackwell, but also what life was like for women who wanted to live outside what society dictated in the 19th century.
Dr Blackwell was a very conflicted character; she wanted to break out of the usual life paths for a woman in the 1840s, and she was adamantly against slavery, but didn't support the burgeoning feminist movement. She was one of those who worked against getting the contentious UK Contagious Diseases Act 1864 repealed as it put the blame for sexually transmitted infections onto the sex workers and let the men off scot free, but she had very traditional views on marriage. As you read the book, she is equal parts inspirational and frustrating.
I would recommend this book if you are interested in learning not only about Dr Blackwell, but also what life was like for women who wanted to live outside what society dictated in the 19th century.
March 26, 2012
There is a reason you probably have never heard of Elizabeth Blackwell. She spent over half her life in England and died there. She spurned the suffragist movement, despite having other family members involved. She lost out on being in charge of the Civil War female nursing staff to the better politically connected Dorothea Dix. She alienated most of her female medical peers, including Florence Nightingale, the first British female physician - Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and her own physician sister and one-time partner in practice, Emily Blackwell. She rejected germ theory,vaccination and other leading scientific discoveries, instead believing that disease resulted from immoral behavior. She practiced medicine intermittently for only about 20 years, quitting to focus instead on being a moral and social reformer. All these things made her likely to be written out of certain histories. There is no doubt that she broke the barrier and made it possible for other women to follow, I just find it personally disappointing that she didn't really accept the science and switched to moralizing instead. I have a strong suspician that I would not have liked Elizabeth Blackwell.
This well-researched book delved into Elizabeth's life from her birth to her death and burial, included many quotes from her own writings and letters, and had a section of photos of the subject, her family, and her famous connections. Some parts I found interesting: the description of the family's move to Cincinnati, 19th century medical school practices, Elizabeth's seemingly constant connections to the movers and shakers of the day, and her obvious desplays of egotism. Overall this was a dry read, at times seeming as much like 19th century prose as the documents being quoted.
This well-researched book delved into Elizabeth's life from her birth to her death and burial, included many quotes from her own writings and letters, and had a section of photos of the subject, her family, and her famous connections. Some parts I found interesting: the description of the family's move to Cincinnati, 19th century medical school practices, Elizabeth's seemingly constant connections to the movers and shakers of the day, and her obvious desplays of egotism. Overall this was a dry read, at times seeming as much like 19th century prose as the documents being quoted.
September 27, 2021
I thought the author did a great job in presenting a very complex individual fairly and thoughtfully. I did not find the subject very inspiring. The contradictions of her beliefs versus science were off putting as well as her total inability to persuaded by anyone else's ideas. Always working for the improvement of the "HUMAN RACE" while lacking all empathy for the individuals that compose that totality made her an unempathetic human being. I suppose it was more my own preconceptions of the first female M.D. were so wide of the mark but I felt that it was ego more than calling that drove her to strive to be the pioneer she became. She certainly felt entitled to tell those around her what was best, in her opinion, to do. From her family to associates in her many endeavors she imposed her will yet it always enabled what was best for herself. From dissuading a sister from a relationship so that she would be a free housekeeper to urging another one to study medicine so she would have a work assistant to adopting a child specifically to be a permanent servant all was so selfish that I was often appalled when reading of it. The author did an excellent job of presenting Dr. Blackwell within the context of her background and milieu with skill and even handedness. I just found the lady somewhat less than deserving of the recognition one would expect from so notable a pioneer. I finished the book some what glad that she had been mostly forgotten when so many of her contemporaries were well known.
June 30, 2021
A tiresome but great woman!
This is a difficult read, not because it isn't well written, it is, but because of its subject. As a medical pioneer, Elizabeth Blackwell was a truly remarkable woman but it is awfully hard to like her.
It doesn't do to look at the past with the eyes of today but many of her opinions and beliefs for me at least, are hard to stomach. I am glad that I have read this book and can recommend it to anyone interested in the advancement of women in the 19th century.
This is a difficult read, not because it isn't well written, it is, but because of its subject. As a medical pioneer, Elizabeth Blackwell was a truly remarkable woman but it is awfully hard to like her.
It doesn't do to look at the past with the eyes of today but many of her opinions and beliefs for me at least, are hard to stomach. I am glad that I have read this book and can recommend it to anyone interested in the advancement of women in the 19th century.
September 26, 2023
3.5 stars
An interesting biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, a contemporary of the much better known Florence Nightingale with whom she was very much at odds. Miss Blackwell was the first qualified woman doctor and lifelong champion of social reform.
Strangely enough, she was never particularly attracted to medicine but considered it a good starting point in her campaign to empower women, fighting tooth and nail to earn her degree against all odds. Her true crusade in life was to foster an ideal society, i.e. “perfecting the intellectual, physical and especially moral development of the human race”.
The following passage very well describes her character and attitude :
“I have no turn for benevolences, I feel neither love nor pity for men, for individuals. They may starve, cut each others’ throats or perform any other gentle diversion suitable to the age without any attempt to stop them on my part for their own sake. But I have boundless love and faith in Man, and will work for the race day and night.”
All her life she followed her own path, never wavering, never doubting, always convinced of being right and not holding back on criticism of different viewpoints. She was not above using her family and friends for her own purposes and had a very strange and often selfish relationship with Kitty, her adopted servant/ companion/”daughter” even though “Motherhood” was her womanly ideal. She refused to join the suffragette movement because of their lack of high moral standards and their anti-man stance. She refused to blame men for the inequality between the sexes and felt that until women were reformed and perfectly educated in every way her ideal society could not be achieved. On the other hand, she was fair enough to demand that “men follow the same moral code as women”.
She was a deeply religious (Unitarian) woman and when she had to decide between scientific development and Christianity, she would always choose the latter. She promoted hygiene, fresh air, exercise and of course morality and was very much set against surgery, vaccination, germ theory, contraception etc. for interfering with God’s will, earning the ire of later women doctors for her rigid stance. She insisted on her opinions against evidence to the contrary, going as far as fabricating evidence to prove her point of view. She had a big heart for animals and for her the greatest evil of science were vivisection and experiments performed on animals.
She was not the easiest person to get along with and made her fair share of enemies but she also formed deep life-long (usually not entirely disinterested) friendships. Earnest young men seemed to be particularly drawn to her and vice-versa.
What I found most remarkable about Miss Blackwell was her constancy (one might also call it obstinacy) and incredible energy. She moved again and again between the US and England and between England and the continent, suffering terribly from seasickness, half-blind after an infection during her youth, mostly living on a shoestring in rented accommodation. She took everything in her stride, remained undaunted and kept her passion and enthusiasm alive until her dying days.
The book is quite long, sometimes repetitive and a bit dry. It’s at times difficult to remember who is who in the huge cast of characters between family, friends, supporters, adversaries, etc. etc. but it is definitely a worthwhile read, not only as a biography but also as an overview of the advance of medicine in the 19th century in Europe and America.
An interesting biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, a contemporary of the much better known Florence Nightingale with whom she was very much at odds. Miss Blackwell was the first qualified woman doctor and lifelong champion of social reform.
Strangely enough, she was never particularly attracted to medicine but considered it a good starting point in her campaign to empower women, fighting tooth and nail to earn her degree against all odds. Her true crusade in life was to foster an ideal society, i.e. “perfecting the intellectual, physical and especially moral development of the human race”.
The following passage very well describes her character and attitude :
“I have no turn for benevolences, I feel neither love nor pity for men, for individuals. They may starve, cut each others’ throats or perform any other gentle diversion suitable to the age without any attempt to stop them on my part for their own sake. But I have boundless love and faith in Man, and will work for the race day and night.”
All her life she followed her own path, never wavering, never doubting, always convinced of being right and not holding back on criticism of different viewpoints. She was not above using her family and friends for her own purposes and had a very strange and often selfish relationship with Kitty, her adopted servant/ companion/”daughter” even though “Motherhood” was her womanly ideal. She refused to join the suffragette movement because of their lack of high moral standards and their anti-man stance. She refused to blame men for the inequality between the sexes and felt that until women were reformed and perfectly educated in every way her ideal society could not be achieved. On the other hand, she was fair enough to demand that “men follow the same moral code as women”.
She was a deeply religious (Unitarian) woman and when she had to decide between scientific development and Christianity, she would always choose the latter. She promoted hygiene, fresh air, exercise and of course morality and was very much set against surgery, vaccination, germ theory, contraception etc. for interfering with God’s will, earning the ire of later women doctors for her rigid stance. She insisted on her opinions against evidence to the contrary, going as far as fabricating evidence to prove her point of view. She had a big heart for animals and for her the greatest evil of science were vivisection and experiments performed on animals.
She was not the easiest person to get along with and made her fair share of enemies but she also formed deep life-long (usually not entirely disinterested) friendships. Earnest young men seemed to be particularly drawn to her and vice-versa.
What I found most remarkable about Miss Blackwell was her constancy (one might also call it obstinacy) and incredible energy. She moved again and again between the US and England and between England and the continent, suffering terribly from seasickness, half-blind after an infection during her youth, mostly living on a shoestring in rented accommodation. She took everything in her stride, remained undaunted and kept her passion and enthusiasm alive until her dying days.
The book is quite long, sometimes repetitive and a bit dry. It’s at times difficult to remember who is who in the huge cast of characters between family, friends, supporters, adversaries, etc. etc. but it is definitely a worthwhile read, not only as a biography but also as an overview of the advance of medicine in the 19th century in Europe and America.
June 9, 2023
I picked up this book because I really knew very little of Blackwell, but for the brief bullet-point found in various history books stating she was the first woman physician. After completing this book, I can say I learned a mammoth amount of facts about her, none of which endeared her to me. If I was able to meet her in person (which is impossible), I seriously doubt I would enjoy her company or conversely that she would enjoy mine!
This book was well-researched with footnote upon footnote and I appreciated that the author did her homework. Non-fiction should be based on solid research and this book was. However, after pushing through this book page upon page, I felt the book to be the most uninteresting, tedious, and repetitious biography I have read in the last ten years. I’ll acknowledge that my lower opinion was probably influence by the fact; I recently finished reading a sterling, very interesting, and well-written biography, which made the differences very stark.
Elizabeth didn’t seem altruistic in choosing to become a doctor, rather it appeared to be purely an expedient choice, as she felt it to be the best way to earn a living and make her mark. Even at that, she did very little caring for patients, but was more interested in pursuit of the grand scheme. She was always soliciting money from others to allow her to chase her latest medical idea, clinic, school, or hospital. She frequently would target people in an effort to get close to them, not for true friendship, but to use them for her purposes. She and many of her family members seemed interpersonally challenged and although they were very much into “family,” they treated and acted rather un-family-like to family members.
This book was helpful in showing the challenges faced by women of the time. It also showed the socio-economic struggles faced by individuals and families. I am sure I will be benefitted by the various helpful facts brought to light by the book, but the bottom line for me is this book was not an interesting read. I forced myself to finish the book, but IMO even though Blackwell was unlikeable and unlovable, this book could have been far more interesting and compelling. Reviews are subjective, so this book may be just what you are looking for in a biography.
This book was well-researched with footnote upon footnote and I appreciated that the author did her homework. Non-fiction should be based on solid research and this book was. However, after pushing through this book page upon page, I felt the book to be the most uninteresting, tedious, and repetitious biography I have read in the last ten years. I’ll acknowledge that my lower opinion was probably influence by the fact; I recently finished reading a sterling, very interesting, and well-written biography, which made the differences very stark.
Elizabeth didn’t seem altruistic in choosing to become a doctor, rather it appeared to be purely an expedient choice, as she felt it to be the best way to earn a living and make her mark. Even at that, she did very little caring for patients, but was more interested in pursuit of the grand scheme. She was always soliciting money from others to allow her to chase her latest medical idea, clinic, school, or hospital. She frequently would target people in an effort to get close to them, not for true friendship, but to use them for her purposes. She and many of her family members seemed interpersonally challenged and although they were very much into “family,” they treated and acted rather un-family-like to family members.
This book was helpful in showing the challenges faced by women of the time. It also showed the socio-economic struggles faced by individuals and families. I am sure I will be benefitted by the various helpful facts brought to light by the book, but the bottom line for me is this book was not an interesting read. I forced myself to finish the book, but IMO even though Blackwell was unlikeable and unlovable, this book could have been far more interesting and compelling. Reviews are subjective, so this book may be just what you are looking for in a biography.
July 4, 2019
On 25 January 1849, Punch responded to an event that took place in upstate New York with a rhyme about 'excellent Miss Blackwell!'. On that day, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first modern woman to earn a degree from a recognised medical college. For an immigrant Englishwoman with neither money nor connections this was no mean achievement. But Elizabeth was a determined woman, who did not flinch from difficult issues. As a 'doctress', she addressed taboo subjects such as venereal disease, prostitution and masturbation. Deciding early on not to get married, she still sought a family and in 1854 adopted an orphan. Yet, despite her own achievements and close friendships with many of the leaders of the Suffragist movement, she discouraged her own daughter's ambitions. Conversely, her friendship with Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, inspired Anderson to become England's first woman doctor. With friends such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Charles Kingsley, George Eliot and an argumentative relationship with Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Blackwell was one of the foremost women of her time. controversial and pioneering woman doctor whose vision and sheer guts in the face of enormous odds changed social history.
September 5, 2024
This book's title suggests that it would be respectful. Instead, the whole thing is just tongue in cheek insults and side eye dismissal and none of it suggests excellence, in fact they literally suggest as much elsewhere. It makes her sound like she was equivocating with men who agreed women shouldn't be doctors, when in fact she was obviously pushing against everyone who didn't want her to make it. That the struggles she went through are still relevant today all these years later is just pathetic and a testament to how some people are literally stunted and literally cannot learn. That's truly embarrassing to not learn after centuries have passed. To the female doctors that save lives today, thank you for your work and this trailblazer deserved a better biography.
This book also believes that males inherently are out of control of their bodies and women must be sacrificed to its lust. If that were true, we should just treat men like animals and not respect them at all. If they want respect, they need to have control of their bodies, and women shouldn't be sacrificed to that lust.
This book also believes that males inherently are out of control of their bodies and women must be sacrificed to its lust. If that were true, we should just treat men like animals and not respect them at all. If they want respect, they need to have control of their bodies, and women shouldn't be sacrificed to that lust.
April 27, 2021
This was a very thorough and interesting biography of a woman I previously knew little about. I found the well-researched story was nicely enriched with supplemental material about the social, scientific and political climate of Blackwell’s times. It was surprising to learn that Elizabeth was opposed to most aspects of the women’s rights movement that took place at the same time and near the very place where she fought so hard to be trained and certified as a doctor equal to her male contemporaries. I struggled with conflicting admiration of her pluck and abhorrence of her rejection of science over religious fervor. While she was often not as forward-thinking as I would have expected, (rejecting germ theory, opposing birth control beyond abstinence, stating that women belonged in the home and hadn’t earned equality), the author does a nice job of putting this all in context. Especially towards the end, the narrative was rather dry, but overall, I was glad I read the book.
April 6, 2021
Sounded kind of like a spoiled brat or a rich spoiled lady who thought money grew on trees and someone else would always pay her bills. Made a lot of noise to be allowed to attend med school but didn’t really like it all that much. Like she was in it to either prove something to other people, ie how smart, progressive, right she was or for the attention she got. Once the attention moved on she flew into another scheme to get her back in the limelight. She may have be first female dr but she wasn’t a good representation of one. Good book tho, that was able to bring this all to light. Wish it had a picture or two. Wanted to know how she looked and her clinics.
February 10, 2022
This is the first of this kind of book I have read. I found it really interesting to learn about this female trailblazer. The struggles endured; the obstacles overcome and determination needed to prise open a door - to something we now take for granted; Female doctors & surgeons. Also the personal side of her character was well researched showing the very human side of Elizabeth in her generation.
The book is written in an informational way, with little exploration of the emotional impact of her life on her readers. I found the final pages, about her final years and particularly her visit to America without actually visiting the clinic she had founded very moving.
The book is written in an informational way, with little exploration of the emotional impact of her life on her readers. I found the final pages, about her final years and particularly her visit to America without actually visiting the clinic she had founded very moving.
March 1, 2021
Social reformist
I have to admit that this work disappointed me because it actually had very little truly about medicine; it is definitely centered around social issues. There was no discussion of really the practice of medicine and despite the increase in science in these times, it was sad her denial of science. Yes, this was a different time and place; still, one of the greatest surprises is how Dr Blackwell just took off many times for six months to travel. What about her patients?
I have to admit that this work disappointed me because it actually had very little truly about medicine; it is definitely centered around social issues. There was no discussion of really the practice of medicine and despite the increase in science in these times, it was sad her denial of science. Yes, this was a different time and place; still, one of the greatest surprises is how Dr Blackwell just took off many times for six months to travel. What about her patients?
July 15, 2021
A hero for us all
An incredible book about an incredible woman. The author teaches us all her history and accomplishments and let's us get to know Blackwell as a woman and a human. The Doctor was a complicated wonderful brave person and truly a hero for us all. A good read and a keeper for the shelf!
An incredible book about an incredible woman. The author teaches us all her history and accomplishments and let's us get to know Blackwell as a woman and a human. The Doctor was a complicated wonderful brave person and truly a hero for us all. A good read and a keeper for the shelf!
November 16, 2021
Interesting life of an important trailblazer in medicine. I definitely disagree with some of her lifelong views, but it's undeniable she made the path easier for other women who wanted to practice medicine. I'd be interested to read more about the Blackwell family from the perspectives of some of her siblings.
May 1, 2023
Aside from being a fairly dull book, Elizabeth Blackwell is such an unlikable woman. She wanted to be recognized as the first woman MD, but really had no interest in the practice of medicine,let alone her patients! She was never a collaborator— it was her way or no way— and while she was a contemporary of many women determined to better the fate and rights of women, she always managed to alienate them. She also did her best to limit the lives of her family members. Clearly, EB under impressed this reader!
May 18, 2021
Fascinating women
The doctors and other women of this book are fascinating and unsung. I was glad to learn of them. The book itself fails, in my opinion, to bring them to life on the page. It’s still worth reading to celebrate their existence.
The doctors and other women of this book are fascinating and unsung. I was glad to learn of them. The book itself fails, in my opinion, to bring them to life on the page. It’s still worth reading to celebrate their existence.
August 26, 2023
Doctor
This is the story and life of Elizabeth Blackwell, a genius who endured to earn a medical degree. She was the first but not last to accomplish this honor. It is a good story.
This is the story and life of Elizabeth Blackwell, a genius who endured to earn a medical degree. She was the first but not last to accomplish this honor. It is a good story.
June 26, 2021
Great book
Dr Blackwell was well ahead of her time. A real buffet of great characters, highly recommended. Extremely informative, really enjoyed this read.
Dr Blackwell was well ahead of her time. A real buffet of great characters, highly recommended. Extremely informative, really enjoyed this read.
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June 26, 2021Amazing woman
June 5, 2023
DNF. This book would have to be the most boring book I've ever read. With the topic being what it is, it should have been fantastic, but not so.
October 21, 2014
I went from admiring the woman to loathing her, to admiring her, depending on which part of the book I was reading. Pioneer in becoming the first woman to graduate medical school - admired. Pioneer in the importance of sanitation, fresh air, exercise - admired. Consistently wrong on so many other things - oh no, Elizabeth! NO! She was so scattered and wrong that she could not make the impacts that she might have made. In some ways she was SO NASTY! Her moral code was so strict and wrong that it was hard to keep up any admiration. And her family was such an odd bunch, it was hard to relate to. Who adopts a child for the express purpose of raising a servant? Who DOES THAT???? She just lost me there.
Still, a pretty fascinating read.
Still, a pretty fascinating read.
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July 4, 2016Meticulously researched and full of interesting anecdotes, this book is both scholarly and very readable. Inspired by the simple event of a female patient wanting to be seen by a female doctor, Dr. Blackwell's story of professional emancipation is no less relevant today as women continue to seek equality in the workplace. The book covers all sorts of other historical topics like slavery and deportation and provides insights into nineteenth century society on both sides of the Atlantic. An enjoyable, well-written book.
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