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Say Anarcha: A Young Woman, a Devious Surgeon, and the Harrowing Birth of Modern Women's Health
A compelling reckoning with the birth of women’s health that illuminates the sacrifices of a young woman who changed the world only to be forgotten by it—until now
For more than a century, Dr. J. Marion Sims was hailed as the “father of modern gynecology.” He founded a hospital in New York City and had a profitable career treating gentry and royalty in Europe, becoming one of the world’s first celebrity surgeons. Statues were built in his honor, but he wasn’t the hero he had made himself appear to be.
Sims’s greatest medical claim was the result of several years of experimental surgeries—without anesthesia—on a young enslaved woman known as Anarcha; his so-called cure for obstetric fistula forever altered the path of women’s health.
One medical text after another hailed Anarcha as the embodiment of the pivotal role that Sims played in the history of surgery. Decades later, a groundswell of women objecting to Sims’s legacy celebrated Anarcha as the “mother of gynecology.” Little was known about the woman herself. The written record would have us believe Anarcha disappeared; she did not.
Through tenacious research, J. C. Hallman has unearthed the first evidence of Anarcha’s life that did not come from Sims’s suspect reports. Hallman reveals that after helping to spark a patient-centered model of care that continues to improve women’s lives today, Anarcha lived on as a midwife, nurse, and “doctor woman.”
Say Anarcha excavates history, deconstructing the biographical smoke screen of a surgeon who has falsely been enshrined as a medical pioneer and bringing forth a heroic Black woman to her rightful place at the center of the creation story of modern women’s health care.
For more than a century, Dr. J. Marion Sims was hailed as the “father of modern gynecology.” He founded a hospital in New York City and had a profitable career treating gentry and royalty in Europe, becoming one of the world’s first celebrity surgeons. Statues were built in his honor, but he wasn’t the hero he had made himself appear to be.
Sims’s greatest medical claim was the result of several years of experimental surgeries—without anesthesia—on a young enslaved woman known as Anarcha; his so-called cure for obstetric fistula forever altered the path of women’s health.
One medical text after another hailed Anarcha as the embodiment of the pivotal role that Sims played in the history of surgery. Decades later, a groundswell of women objecting to Sims’s legacy celebrated Anarcha as the “mother of gynecology.” Little was known about the woman herself. The written record would have us believe Anarcha disappeared; she did not.
Through tenacious research, J. C. Hallman has unearthed the first evidence of Anarcha’s life that did not come from Sims’s suspect reports. Hallman reveals that after helping to spark a patient-centered model of care that continues to improve women’s lives today, Anarcha lived on as a midwife, nurse, and “doctor woman.”
Say Anarcha excavates history, deconstructing the biographical smoke screen of a surgeon who has falsely been enshrined as a medical pioneer and bringing forth a heroic Black woman to her rightful place at the center of the creation story of modern women’s health care.
431 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2023
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About the author
J.C. Hallman
11 books70 followersI'm the author of seven books, most recently SAY ANARCHA: A Young Woman, a Devious Surgeon, and the Harrowing Birth of Modern Women's Health.
I enjoy talking to readers, for book clubs and 1:1s. Find me at https://www.skolay.com/writers/jc-hal...
I enjoy talking to readers, for book clubs and 1:1s. Find me at https://www.skolay.com/writers/jc-hal...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
January 22, 2024
("Sisterly Resistance" by Jules Arthur, 2019)
If this book were fiction, it would belong on a horror shelf. It's perhaps one of the most difficult books I've read, with its descriptions of the extreme torture and suffering inflicted upon enslaved women in the name of medicine. It's an incredibly important book too, in what it brings to light.
The painting above is the artist's rendering of Lucy, Betsey, and Anarcha, three enslaved women who were experimented on by "the father of gynecology", James Marion Sims.
Anaracha was subjected to at least 30 surgeries, the majority of which she had no anaesthesia for. After a difficult birth she, like many women at the time, developed a vaginal fistula, which is a hole in the vagina to another organ. In Anaracha's case, she had two - one opening to her bladder and the other to her rectum.
Dr. Sims (I hate calling him "doctor") was not in the medical profession because he had compassion and wanted to help people. Rather, like many doctors at the time, he simply wanted glory for himself by discovering diseases and cures.
In order to develop his fistula surgery, he experimented on enslaved women who had no say in the matter. His disregard for their suffering and their personhood is typical of whites and those they deemed beneath them. Sims experimented upon these women as we still experiment on lab animals, though with perhaps even less compassion and awareness of the agony inflicted.
Not much is known about Anarcha and thus the book is mainly about Sims. This infuriated me because I wanted to know about Anarcha, not that monster. As it was, the author invented details about Anarcha in order to bring her to life. Like many enslaved people, she was all but erased from history. She survived in Sims' notes, and those of other medical men.
It's obvious the author did extensive research for this book, attempting to paint an accurate picture of Anarcha, how she would have lived, what she might have thought as she endured the unendurable. I am grateful for his bringing her into the light after she lay buried and forgotten by the world for so many years.
It is Anarcha we are indebted to for being "the mother of gynecology". Sims might have been the forerunner in the treatment of fistula but his surgeries failed as often as they succeeded and in Anarcha's case, she was never cured, despite those 30-some surgeries.
Anarcha, along with Lucy and Betsey, learned to nurse other women suffering from this disease. They cared for them, both Black and white, with the compassion and kindness that was never shown to them by Sims.
Yet it is Sims who is remembered and heralded, Sims who had a statue built in his honor.
This book is mostly well-written, though I felt there were too many details about the white doctors (though, again, not much is known about Anarcha, and it's important to show what she endured and why and how callous and even evil those men were). Also, the author's overuse of conjunctions was annoying.
For instance, "Anarcha and Rachel and Anna and Mary, and Priscilla and Susannah Westcott" and "castor oil or bluemas or calomel, or camphor". Drove me nuts. Just add commas already. It can add emphasis to write like that but only when it's done sparingly. Too much and it makes for shoddy writing.
I'm so glad I read this book because I had never heard of Anarcha prior to it. She is an important historical figure, one we are indebted to.
Say her name.
September 24, 2024
******************You may consider some of what I have to say as SPOILERS (I don't', but you might) ******************
Wow! So much to say about this book. Really feeling conflicted. On the one hand, we’ve got this terribly tragic history of a narcissist doctor chasing fame and glory by blatantly and cruelly experimenting on women without their consent, mostly because they were slaves, who by the way often found themselves at his mercy because of all the many times they’d been raped. On the other hand, I have to acknowledge that modern gynecology is what it is because of these medically unethical atrocities. I suppose that’s how it often is - progress at the expense of those without a choice.
I was shocked to learn some of the procedures Dr. Simms was trying to do, like clitorectomy to “solve” women’s masturbation, angered that he even suggested slicing women’s tongues to keep them from talking so much, etc. What really made me upset is that he had so little interest in gynecology and then decided to exploit women in order to achieve professional stature.
Eye opening, informative, and emotionally disruptive.
Wow! So much to say about this book. Really feeling conflicted. On the one hand, we’ve got this terribly tragic history of a narcissist doctor chasing fame and glory by blatantly and cruelly experimenting on women without their consent, mostly because they were slaves, who by the way often found themselves at his mercy because of all the many times they’d been raped. On the other hand, I have to acknowledge that modern gynecology is what it is because of these medically unethical atrocities. I suppose that’s how it often is - progress at the expense of those without a choice.
I was shocked to learn some of the procedures Dr. Simms was trying to do, like clitorectomy to “solve” women’s masturbation, angered that he even suggested slicing women’s tongues to keep them from talking so much, etc. What really made me upset is that he had so little interest in gynecology and then decided to exploit women in order to achieve professional stature.
Eye opening, informative, and emotionally disruptive.
March 18, 2023
I read a lot of fictional horror, but the real horrors in the world are the things people do to each other. After reading Say Anarcha, I'm almost speechless. Fortunately, author J.C. Hallman found the words because this is an important part of the history of racism, patriarchy, surgery, and women's rights. Thankfully, the afterword is hopeful, or I'd finish this book really depressed.
Dr. Sims did experimental surgery for fistula on enslaved women. He didn't make any attempt at anesthesia beyond telling the suffering women that they'd be punished if they cried or screamed. Anarcha had 30 or more experimental operations, with no painkillers. All the operations failed. Never-the-less, Dr. Sims wrote articles and gave speeches claiming success. HIs ultimate goal wasn't curing as much as it was getting wealthy off of rich white women who also needed surgery for fistula. (Fistula is the tearing of the vagina during difficult pregnancies allowing feces and urine to escape through the birth canal.)
Anarcha and the other enslaved women learned to assist during the surgeries and proved to be better at providing aftercare than the doctors. What did they get for their heroism and hard work? Nothing but being sent back to plantations to be overworked and unpaid. Plus, Sims pretended he didn't know Anarcha because he didn't want the rich women to know his surgeries on her failed. How's that for gratitude to the woman he experimented on more than 30 times?
This book also includes a lot about the history of the times. Included are biographies of the various surgeons. Much of the thoughts and feelings of Anarch are conjecture because her history before and after her surgeries wasn't recorded. Though she was a fine doctor herself to the enslaved on the plantations, and to the white families in the big house, she was never taught to read or write. Anarcha delivered countless babies and had a deep knowledge of medicinal herbs from the forests.
As I mentioned, if it wasn't for the optimistic afterword about the care of fistula today, this is an emotionally difficult book to read. There is horrible abuse of the enslaved, very sexist treatment of all women, and the descriptions of experimental and cruel surgeries on women and animals.
It's an important story, though. I learned much about the history of slavery, medicine, and attitudes of the past. Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt publishers for allowing me to read and review Say Anarcha.
Dr. Sims did experimental surgery for fistula on enslaved women. He didn't make any attempt at anesthesia beyond telling the suffering women that they'd be punished if they cried or screamed. Anarcha had 30 or more experimental operations, with no painkillers. All the operations failed. Never-the-less, Dr. Sims wrote articles and gave speeches claiming success. HIs ultimate goal wasn't curing as much as it was getting wealthy off of rich white women who also needed surgery for fistula. (Fistula is the tearing of the vagina during difficult pregnancies allowing feces and urine to escape through the birth canal.)
Anarcha and the other enslaved women learned to assist during the surgeries and proved to be better at providing aftercare than the doctors. What did they get for their heroism and hard work? Nothing but being sent back to plantations to be overworked and unpaid. Plus, Sims pretended he didn't know Anarcha because he didn't want the rich women to know his surgeries on her failed. How's that for gratitude to the woman he experimented on more than 30 times?
This book also includes a lot about the history of the times. Included are biographies of the various surgeons. Much of the thoughts and feelings of Anarch are conjecture because her history before and after her surgeries wasn't recorded. Though she was a fine doctor herself to the enslaved on the plantations, and to the white families in the big house, she was never taught to read or write. Anarcha delivered countless babies and had a deep knowledge of medicinal herbs from the forests.
As I mentioned, if it wasn't for the optimistic afterword about the care of fistula today, this is an emotionally difficult book to read. There is horrible abuse of the enslaved, very sexist treatment of all women, and the descriptions of experimental and cruel surgeries on women and animals.
It's an important story, though. I learned much about the history of slavery, medicine, and attitudes of the past. Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt publishers for allowing me to read and review Say Anarcha.
June 8, 2023
10 Stars!
I am an African American woman. After reading the blurb that revealed this novel would investigate Dr. Sims’s medical experimentation on enslaved women - I knew this would be a difficult but necessary and essential read. I was familiar “enough” with Dr. Sim’s work, after all, he was heralded in the medical field for his gynecological work; but methods and ethics were called into question and criticized to the point that his NYC statue was removed amid the controversial findings. No doubt this book would not be an easy read – I’d have to center my chi, prepare my heart, adjust my mindset, and say a prayer for the ancestors before diving into what would be no doubt some emotionally challenging and horrendous revelations.
The author delivers a page-turning narrative that alternates Anarcha’s story with Sims’. Early chapters chronicle his mediocre beginnings and struggles to pursue medicine to prove himself worthy of a love interest, a quest for fame and fortune as a credible practitioner of medicine. Anarcha’s story is largely imagined, but plausible, as the understudy of an enslaved “doctoring woman”/midwife who happened to be an expert herbalist. The experimental techniques and surgical practices were gruesome (honestly, many were nothing short of trial and error – torture resulting in a lifetime of pain, suffering, and humiliation) and far from today’s recommended and proven practices of modern medicine.
I admire J.C. Hallman’s dedication to finding Anarcha - his perseverance led to the discovery of her beginnings, her travels, her acquaintances, family, and final resting place. I loved how he balanced her life with that of Sims’ and methodically, logically dispelled Sim’s false claims revealing his duplicitous and deceitful nature.
Well done and award-worthy! Recommended reading to history buffs!
Thanks to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.
I am an African American woman. After reading the blurb that revealed this novel would investigate Dr. Sims’s medical experimentation on enslaved women - I knew this would be a difficult but necessary and essential read. I was familiar “enough” with Dr. Sim’s work, after all, he was heralded in the medical field for his gynecological work; but methods and ethics were called into question and criticized to the point that his NYC statue was removed amid the controversial findings. No doubt this book would not be an easy read – I’d have to center my chi, prepare my heart, adjust my mindset, and say a prayer for the ancestors before diving into what would be no doubt some emotionally challenging and horrendous revelations.
The author delivers a page-turning narrative that alternates Anarcha’s story with Sims’. Early chapters chronicle his mediocre beginnings and struggles to pursue medicine to prove himself worthy of a love interest, a quest for fame and fortune as a credible practitioner of medicine. Anarcha’s story is largely imagined, but plausible, as the understudy of an enslaved “doctoring woman”/midwife who happened to be an expert herbalist. The experimental techniques and surgical practices were gruesome (honestly, many were nothing short of trial and error – torture resulting in a lifetime of pain, suffering, and humiliation) and far from today’s recommended and proven practices of modern medicine.
I admire J.C. Hallman’s dedication to finding Anarcha - his perseverance led to the discovery of her beginnings, her travels, her acquaintances, family, and final resting place. I loved how he balanced her life with that of Sims’ and methodically, logically dispelled Sim’s false claims revealing his duplicitous and deceitful nature.
Well done and award-worthy! Recommended reading to history buffs!
Thanks to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.
August 10, 2024
This book revisits the history contained in most medical texts about the birth of modern gynecology. It does this by exploring the previously ignored role of the women who helped make it happen and by also exposing the selfish motives of the man who claimed the credit.
Thus this book is a two part biography of (1) J. Marion Sims who beginning in 1846 began development of surgical techniques to cure obstetric fistula caused by obstructed labour, and of (2) Anarcha who was one of the slave women on whom a long series of experimental vaginal surgeries were performed without anesthesia.
Of course there was plenty of documentation for a biography about Sims since he published journal articles, wrote letters, was covered by newspaper articles, and wrote his own biography. Writing a biography of Anarcha was more of a challenge. The lives of slaves don’t leave much of a record upon which to base a biography. However, the author after much research has pieced together a work of speculative nonfiction that he believes to be a probable story of Anarcha's life.
Soon Sims had two more patients—also slaves—named Betsy and Lucy who were in need of the same surgery. Surgery was quite primitive in those days, and things like clamps, sutures, and speculums needed to be developed on an experimental basis. There were multiple surgeries—it is believed Anarcha endured over thirty surgeries over her life time. As described in this book the three women became skilled at nursing and supporting each other through their multiple recoveries from these surgical experiments. Later in life Anarcha became known as a midwife and medicine woman because of her exposure to the realm of healthcare.
The book follows Sims as he moves from Montgomery, AL to New York City where he hoped to develop name recognition and a lucrative medical practice. Much of this part of the story is about the conflicts among medical professionals and their efforts to differentiate themselves from charlatans—there’s not much difference viewed from today’s perspective.
This book provides a satisfying response to the protestors in New York City who in August 2017 demanded that the statue of Sims that was then in Central Park be removed. The title of this book is taken from one of the chants from that protest, “Say her name, Anarcha!”
There is a long Afterword at the end of the book about modern conditions and the fact that there is a high rate of obstetric fistula occurrence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently some of the most qualified fistula surgeons in the world today are African.
Thus this book is a two part biography of (1) J. Marion Sims who beginning in 1846 began development of surgical techniques to cure obstetric fistula caused by obstructed labour, and of (2) Anarcha who was one of the slave women on whom a long series of experimental vaginal surgeries were performed without anesthesia.
Of course there was plenty of documentation for a biography about Sims since he published journal articles, wrote letters, was covered by newspaper articles, and wrote his own biography. Writing a biography of Anarcha was more of a challenge. The lives of slaves don’t leave much of a record upon which to base a biography. However, the author after much research has pieced together a work of speculative nonfiction that he believes to be a probable story of Anarcha's life.
… her story as recounted here is a combination of extensive, direct evidence of her existence presented in concert with certainties, probabilities, inferences, informed speculation, and guesswork. It is, to my mind, the most likely story of Anarcha's life, but it is not the only possible story that lurks behind Sim's veil of obfuscations and half-truths, a deceitful fiction that has stood as factual history for almost two centuries.In an oft repeated story, Anarcha is credited as being the first patient on whom Sims performed the surgical repair. Examining her condition he had at first decided to send her back to her “owner” as inoperable, but at that moment an accident victim was brought to Sims, and the condition of the accident victim reminded him of a technique for correcting an inverted uterus. It was a technique that would allow access for surgery. So instead of sending Anarcha home he decided to ask her to stay and he would try his idea on her.
Soon Sims had two more patients—also slaves—named Betsy and Lucy who were in need of the same surgery. Surgery was quite primitive in those days, and things like clamps, sutures, and speculums needed to be developed on an experimental basis. There were multiple surgeries—it is believed Anarcha endured over thirty surgeries over her life time. As described in this book the three women became skilled at nursing and supporting each other through their multiple recoveries from these surgical experiments. Later in life Anarcha became known as a midwife and medicine woman because of her exposure to the realm of healthcare.
The book follows Sims as he moves from Montgomery, AL to New York City where he hoped to develop name recognition and a lucrative medical practice. Much of this part of the story is about the conflicts among medical professionals and their efforts to differentiate themselves from charlatans—there’s not much difference viewed from today’s perspective.
This book provides a satisfying response to the protestors in New York City who in August 2017 demanded that the statue of Sims that was then in Central Park be removed. The title of this book is taken from one of the chants from that protest, “Say her name, Anarcha!”
There is a long Afterword at the end of the book about modern conditions and the fact that there is a high rate of obstetric fistula occurrence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently some of the most qualified fistula surgeons in the world today are African.
April 28, 2023
My thoughts stand in some contradiction to other early reviews. The effort of Hallman to present an alternative view to the gynecological work done by J. Marion Sims and others is important, just as showing the impact on a specific individual, Anarcha, of repeated, uninformed and ill advised procedures could be. Black slaves were by far the most victimized of a man’s desire for fame and attention, but the book clearly demonstrates the both racist and misogynistic views that many “doctors”, prevalently white men, had during the time the events in this book take place. Slaves suffered the most from the experimentation that took place, but women of all races and backgrounds were experimented on. Readers should be cautioned that descriptions can be very graphic for those that do not have a medical background, and those that do have a medical background will also likely be horrified by the nature in which these women were treated. The book sends important messages about the history of healthcare and the real people that suffered as a result, many times unnecessarily. These are problems addressed by the book. The book itself also has problematic issues that have nothing to do with its primary focus. Hallman at times has a difficult time staying on task, creating an unnecessarily long book with a narrative that goes off topic and can sometimes go back and forth in time depending on who and what the current focus is. There is way too much attention given to astronomical events, to the Maury family, to events of the Civil War and almost the last tenth of book is dedicated to an afterward about fistula in more modern day Africa. None of these are bad, and some would be interesting as separate studies, but it is too much unnecessary content on top of the intertwined lives of Anarcha and Sims. Hallman states at the beginning that the book is speculative nonfiction, which means that the reader needs to keep this in mind every time emotions and motives are presumed. And while he states that the sources are so extensive that the reader should go out to a website to see them, trimming back unrelated content and providing at least a select biography of more major sources (with a direction to the complete list) would have been nice as a reader. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 18, 2024
There's so much in this book that doesn't belong in this book. Why include information on astronomy and war history? It detracted from the stories of Anarcha and Sims, which is why every reader is picking up the book to begin with. I have a problem with the way the author fictionalized the interior monologues of both Anarcha and Sims. And the writing was just tedious. I am very interested in this subject and was very much looking forward to this book, but it is a huge disappointment.
December 28, 2023
Review to come.
May 12, 2023
TW: slavery, rape, enslaved women treated like baby-making machines, graphic descriptions of medical problems, white male supremacists.
Thank you, Henry Holt & Company and LibraryThing, for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Excellent writing on a disturbing part of U. S. history.
In the introduction, the author describes this book as speculative nonfiction--meaning there is only so much information about Anarcha, so it's not all absolute certainties. She's not someone like Oscar Wilde, who left plenty of writing, including letters and manuscripts. With that in mind, it makes sense that this is speculative. Some historians might disapprove, but I like how the author imagines what Anarcha was thinking in certain situations.
A shower of meteors in 1833, when Anarcha was seven years old, helps set the stage. It was a bizarre occurrence that people didn't understand at the time. The book describes what life was like for slaves in Alabama.
We follow the doctor J. Marion Simms through his childhood and youth. As a student, he--like his buddies--was a mediocre white male. He was also small, unremarkable, and an unimpressive student. He wanted to become a doctor... because he wanted to impress the local doctor's daughter and marry her... but his father owed the same (wealthy) doctor money and disapproved.
I could write "WTF" in the margins on every page. Of course this book is profoundly disturbing.
It's one thing to read a brief statement or briefly hear on a podcast that J. Marion Sims, long touted as "the father of modern gynecology" tortured Black women slaves by experimenting on them without anesthetic. That's what I had read/heard before reading this book. This of course goes into details. Whether you're reading about everyday slave life or about white male doctors and how they treat female patients, WTF.
Anarcha and Sims met while he was treating patients for malaria and she worked as his assistant. They met nine months later, and she was a patient--the overseer raped her and she became pregnant and had fistula. Sims soon examined two more patients, Betsey and Lucy, who also had fistula.
Before long, he expanded the Negro Hospital and was using it for his fistula experiments on ten Black women who were slaves. Not long after that, Anarcha learned that Dr. Nathan Harris bought her and the other women with fistula. Most slavers didn't want slaves who had fistula.
The book consistently shows Sims wanting to be rich and famous--attempting to cure fistula was less about compassion for women and more about his own ambition. He gives me the impression that he has a Napoleon complex. Originally he wanted to avoid gynecology, but circumstances led him to experimenting on Black slaves who had fistula.
Some readers might think the book repetitive at times, but that’s only because it gives multiple perspectives in the same situations.
Dr. Nathan Bozeman--in 1878 described as "the greatest gynecologist in the world"--joined Sims's practice in Alabama and figured out Sims's quirks and flaws... and suspected him of spreading false rumors about his cure for fistula. Bozeman became his partner in 1853 and figured out Sims was deceitful about his alleged cure and also that he didn't give another doctor credit for inventing the sutures he was using.
Not long after that falling out and Bozeman moving to Europe, Sims got approval and board members and opened a Women’s Hospital in NYC.
I'm glad the Blackwell sisters are mentioned quite a bit. Sims didn't respect them (because... sexist) and didn't let Elizabeth Blackwell have a high position in his Women’s Hospital, because he insisted in having male doctors. The Blackwells ended up starting their own hospital for women--which the ever-entitled Sims resented, accusing them of taking patients away from him.
An awful lot of women died after Sims operated on them. He even performed clitoredectomies--surgically removing the clitoris.
There's a large cast of characters. I even learned new things about Abraham Lincoln. The journalist Mary Booth is brilliant, and I'd read a biography about her.
Sims and his fellow (white male) gynecologists working at the Women’s Hospital in NYC are cringy with disrespect toward women. The patronizing attitude toward the Board of Lady Managers combines with Sims's dodgy approach to medicine--experimenting on women, practicing clitoredectomies, cutting up patirnts too much, and killing off patients with alarming frequency. I realize this book is set in the nineteenth century, but it justifies my belief that cisgender men should not be gynecologists.
Dr. Sims was, in short, an ambitious and deceitful white male supremacist--a Confederate, no less--with, as the saying goes, the confidence of a mediocre white male. He was really into controlling women. He owned slaves and operated on slaves without regard for their pain and comfort. Many of his contemporaries disapproved of his methods--for instance, accusing him of cutting up women too much (a valid complaint). Fortunately, people have generally stopped praising him, and the statue of him was torn down.
He never even cured Anarcha of fistula, despite his smug claims--including public claims--to the contrary. At least she did escape slavery at the end of the war and found peace... but she walked with a cane and had the horrible symptoms of fistula to the end.
Before reading this book, I only knew of fistula as something that happens because of genital mutilation. Prolonged labor can also cause it--and children being married off and impregnated too young certainly doesn't help. The book has an excellent Afterword that covers hopeful fistula treatments--especially in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda--in the 20th and 21st century. It covers the founding of Joy Village, a sanctuary (that I've previously heard of) for women who have been shunned for having fistula.
Read next: Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell. Mediocre by Ijeoma Oluo. The Horrors of the Half-Known Life: Male Attitudes Toward Women and Sexuality in 19th Century America by G. J. Barker-Benfield.
Listen to: "Napoleon" by Ani DiFranco.
Thank you, Henry Holt & Company and LibraryThing, for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Excellent writing on a disturbing part of U. S. history.
In the introduction, the author describes this book as speculative nonfiction--meaning there is only so much information about Anarcha, so it's not all absolute certainties. She's not someone like Oscar Wilde, who left plenty of writing, including letters and manuscripts. With that in mind, it makes sense that this is speculative. Some historians might disapprove, but I like how the author imagines what Anarcha was thinking in certain situations.
A shower of meteors in 1833, when Anarcha was seven years old, helps set the stage. It was a bizarre occurrence that people didn't understand at the time. The book describes what life was like for slaves in Alabama.
We follow the doctor J. Marion Simms through his childhood and youth. As a student, he--like his buddies--was a mediocre white male. He was also small, unremarkable, and an unimpressive student. He wanted to become a doctor... because he wanted to impress the local doctor's daughter and marry her... but his father owed the same (wealthy) doctor money and disapproved.
I could write "WTF" in the margins on every page. Of course this book is profoundly disturbing.
It's one thing to read a brief statement or briefly hear on a podcast that J. Marion Sims, long touted as "the father of modern gynecology" tortured Black women slaves by experimenting on them without anesthetic. That's what I had read/heard before reading this book. This of course goes into details. Whether you're reading about everyday slave life or about white male doctors and how they treat female patients, WTF.
Anarcha and Sims met while he was treating patients for malaria and she worked as his assistant. They met nine months later, and she was a patient--the overseer raped her and she became pregnant and had fistula. Sims soon examined two more patients, Betsey and Lucy, who also had fistula.
Before long, he expanded the Negro Hospital and was using it for his fistula experiments on ten Black women who were slaves. Not long after that, Anarcha learned that Dr. Nathan Harris bought her and the other women with fistula. Most slavers didn't want slaves who had fistula.
The book consistently shows Sims wanting to be rich and famous--attempting to cure fistula was less about compassion for women and more about his own ambition. He gives me the impression that he has a Napoleon complex. Originally he wanted to avoid gynecology, but circumstances led him to experimenting on Black slaves who had fistula.
Some readers might think the book repetitive at times, but that’s only because it gives multiple perspectives in the same situations.
Dr. Nathan Bozeman--in 1878 described as "the greatest gynecologist in the world"--joined Sims's practice in Alabama and figured out Sims's quirks and flaws... and suspected him of spreading false rumors about his cure for fistula. Bozeman became his partner in 1853 and figured out Sims was deceitful about his alleged cure and also that he didn't give another doctor credit for inventing the sutures he was using.
Not long after that falling out and Bozeman moving to Europe, Sims got approval and board members and opened a Women’s Hospital in NYC.
I'm glad the Blackwell sisters are mentioned quite a bit. Sims didn't respect them (because... sexist) and didn't let Elizabeth Blackwell have a high position in his Women’s Hospital, because he insisted in having male doctors. The Blackwells ended up starting their own hospital for women--which the ever-entitled Sims resented, accusing them of taking patients away from him.
An awful lot of women died after Sims operated on them. He even performed clitoredectomies--surgically removing the clitoris.
There's a large cast of characters. I even learned new things about Abraham Lincoln. The journalist Mary Booth is brilliant, and I'd read a biography about her.
Sims and his fellow (white male) gynecologists working at the Women’s Hospital in NYC are cringy with disrespect toward women. The patronizing attitude toward the Board of Lady Managers combines with Sims's dodgy approach to medicine--experimenting on women, practicing clitoredectomies, cutting up patirnts too much, and killing off patients with alarming frequency. I realize this book is set in the nineteenth century, but it justifies my belief that cisgender men should not be gynecologists.
Dr. Sims was, in short, an ambitious and deceitful white male supremacist--a Confederate, no less--with, as the saying goes, the confidence of a mediocre white male. He was really into controlling women. He owned slaves and operated on slaves without regard for their pain and comfort. Many of his contemporaries disapproved of his methods--for instance, accusing him of cutting up women too much (a valid complaint). Fortunately, people have generally stopped praising him, and the statue of him was torn down.
He never even cured Anarcha of fistula, despite his smug claims--including public claims--to the contrary. At least she did escape slavery at the end of the war and found peace... but she walked with a cane and had the horrible symptoms of fistula to the end.
Before reading this book, I only knew of fistula as something that happens because of genital mutilation. Prolonged labor can also cause it--and children being married off and impregnated too young certainly doesn't help. The book has an excellent Afterword that covers hopeful fistula treatments--especially in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda--in the 20th and 21st century. It covers the founding of Joy Village, a sanctuary (that I've previously heard of) for women who have been shunned for having fistula.
Read next: Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell. Mediocre by Ijeoma Oluo. The Horrors of the Half-Known Life: Male Attitudes Toward Women and Sexuality in 19th Century America by G. J. Barker-Benfield.
Listen to: "Napoleon" by Ani DiFranco.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
This is not written by a historian. The author provides no citations for any of his asserted facts. He obviously fictionalizes the interior dialogue of enslaved people, but he just as often plagiarizes the FWP Slave Narratives collection. Plagiarism is its own issue (I have read and taught the Narratives for almost 30 years—I recognize many that he’s copied verbatim without quotation marks or notes), but by using the Narratives without qualification, he glosses over the very real differences in slavery from plantation to plantation. There was no monolithic experience in American slavery. Each plantation was, to some extent, a small kingdom with a planter claiming a military past ruling over both enslaved and family. One cannot generalize from the Narratives and preserve historical accuracy. But accuracy does not seem to be this author’s intent.
I really want to know if what he alleges is fact, speculation, or inferred from parallel texts. I’m interested in the subject. But, this book is not going to give the reader honest history, or even history at all. In fact, this mish mash of history, fiction, and plagiarism hurts the centering of Anarcha in her own story. Since we don’t know which parts are facts and fiction, we don’t know if any of it is true. The author sets himself up as the omnipotent voice of narration but drifts beyond being just the narrator; the author is claiming omnipotence in his revelation of “facts,” asking readers to passively accept his words as revealed truth, which they are very much not. This would have been much better a pure fiction without the pretense. This book in no way rescues Anarcha’s story. I really wanted to learn about this woman so pivotal in women’s history of medicine, but she’s not in here. Instead, the reader is left with speculation from an author who shies away from describing in depth the vesicovaginal fistula that Anarcha suffered from and who came recently to studying American slavery.
Historians are specialists who spend most of their lives learning about specific subjects. That’s why we are experts. It’s nearly impossible to achieve any real historical understanding (not to mention expertise)—especially is a topic so important, individuated, and multifaceted as chattel slavery—by selective and undirected reading. His list of citations (not included in the book) is infinitely more interesting and useful than the questionable narrative herein. What’s dangerous about this book is apparently schools are using the book as if it were monographic history. SMDH.
I really want to know if what he alleges is fact, speculation, or inferred from parallel texts. I’m interested in the subject. But, this book is not going to give the reader honest history, or even history at all. In fact, this mish mash of history, fiction, and plagiarism hurts the centering of Anarcha in her own story. Since we don’t know which parts are facts and fiction, we don’t know if any of it is true. The author sets himself up as the omnipotent voice of narration but drifts beyond being just the narrator; the author is claiming omnipotence in his revelation of “facts,” asking readers to passively accept his words as revealed truth, which they are very much not. This would have been much better a pure fiction without the pretense. This book in no way rescues Anarcha’s story. I really wanted to learn about this woman so pivotal in women’s history of medicine, but she’s not in here. Instead, the reader is left with speculation from an author who shies away from describing in depth the vesicovaginal fistula that Anarcha suffered from and who came recently to studying American slavery.
Historians are specialists who spend most of their lives learning about specific subjects. That’s why we are experts. It’s nearly impossible to achieve any real historical understanding (not to mention expertise)—especially is a topic so important, individuated, and multifaceted as chattel slavery—by selective and undirected reading. His list of citations (not included in the book) is infinitely more interesting and useful than the questionable narrative herein. What’s dangerous about this book is apparently schools are using the book as if it were monographic history. SMDH.
August 11, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up to three because of the value of the subject matter. I forced myself to finish this book because the story of Anarcha and the role of enslaved women in the story of gynecological practices in the US is important. But dear god what a hot mess this book is. The excessive reliance on astronomical metaphor and the endless digressions into the lives of people only tangentially related to the core subjects of the book made what could have been a fascinating book anything but. The author is clearly passionate about their subject, but that passion could have benefited from some dispassionate editing.
April 3, 2023
This was an extraordinary book! It was a set of stories about individuals and how they fit into an important time in history. It was a guided path through the painful past of women’s health in the US and beyond. I learned so much about people and events that I didn’t know about. It taught me, while drawing me in with the humanness of the people that were the center of the book. It reminded me over and over about how the world today reflects the events of the past.
The stories were three-dimensional and drew me in: I felt like I was present with the people, seeing them and observing their experiences. The life of Anarcha, Ankey, Annacay was revealed plainly, thoroughly and sympathetically. The writing allowed me the opportunity to try to understand her experience in a way that would be difficult to do through a recitation of history. The story of J. Marion Sims was also laid out clearly and fairly, showing motivations and impact, intended and otherwise. There were so many others who wove in and out of their inter-connected story.
The author’s care, curiosity and attention to detail were visible throughout. I experienced as I read the book how invested he was in sharing the story and all he has learned on his journey of writing it. Full disclosure that a long-time friend of mine is the author’s sister. Having read his prior books, I know he’s a talented writer, but wow this was another level.
Highly recommend
The stories were three-dimensional and drew me in: I felt like I was present with the people, seeing them and observing their experiences. The life of Anarcha, Ankey, Annacay was revealed plainly, thoroughly and sympathetically. The writing allowed me the opportunity to try to understand her experience in a way that would be difficult to do through a recitation of history. The story of J. Marion Sims was also laid out clearly and fairly, showing motivations and impact, intended and otherwise. There were so many others who wove in and out of their inter-connected story.
The author’s care, curiosity and attention to detail were visible throughout. I experienced as I read the book how invested he was in sharing the story and all he has learned on his journey of writing it. Full disclosure that a long-time friend of mine is the author’s sister. Having read his prior books, I know he’s a talented writer, but wow this was another level.
Highly recommend
June 7, 2023
“Say Anarcha” is a vivid, meticulously detailed book gathering starred reviews and high critical praise by every major outlet, a book that deserves its place not only in the histories of investigatory journalism and creative nonfiction, but in the annals of historical justice as well.
Hallman’s feat of genius here goes beyond the usual, by bringing us into the minds of those living the myriad horrors of the nineteenth century, which he could only do after reading the entirety of the “Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938,” which accounts for the first person narratives of 2300 enslaved people, and by doing copious research that led him from Alabama to Africa, from fistula clinics to anti-statue ceremonies to stuffy rooms stacked with hand-written ledgers untouched for over a century. It was an idea, that became a Harper’s article, that became a life mission.
A must-read.
Hallman’s feat of genius here goes beyond the usual, by bringing us into the minds of those living the myriad horrors of the nineteenth century, which he could only do after reading the entirety of the “Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938,” which accounts for the first person narratives of 2300 enslaved people, and by doing copious research that led him from Alabama to Africa, from fistula clinics to anti-statue ceremonies to stuffy rooms stacked with hand-written ledgers untouched for over a century. It was an idea, that became a Harper’s article, that became a life mission.
A must-read.
did-not-finish
March 27, 2024DNF around 125 pages. I really WANTED to finish this book, because it's such a fascinating and important topic.....but alas, it wasn't for me. The author should definitely be applauded for the amount of research that went into the book, and for really helping to bring Anarcha's story into the light....but unfortunately there were some storytelling choices made that made me unable to finish it. The author took too many asides writing about historical people who were only slightly related the the main story, or going on and on about celestial events. The book could have easily been 1/4 shorter if this was tightened up. It took me about 6 days to read this far, so it felt unnecessarily dense.
I also found the "speculative non-fiction" to be a bit...weird. Like, the information in the book is based on historical documents and interviews, but then the author embellishes stuff here and there as it pleases him. Yes, it's definitely SPECULATIVE non-fiction, as the author discloses on the "sources" page. However, the average reader may not realize what the means going forward. It basically means the author can fill in the gaps by just...making it up. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. For example, one part that made me cringe was this:
Anarcha [an enslaved woman] met one of the servants at Montgomery Hall, or Alfred or Frederick or Bill, or she grew friendly with Dr. Sims' Burnett or Allen, and it was then that she learned what it meant for a man to be with a woman. They stole moments. They stole moments the way that slaves stole waffles and chickens, and now she knew what it was like to hold a man, because it was the first time her hands were not bound.
This feels strange to me, to set this scene that Anarcha and her paramour "stole moments" and that this was the first time she knew what it was like to hold a man......but then leave the speculation of WHICH man entirely vague except to suggest 6 different possibilities. Because...we don't know. Which means we also don't know if they "stole moments" together or if she was finally enjoying consensual relations. It feels like it would have been more honest storytelling to just say, "At some point Anarcha evidently found a new lover, because she was soon pregnant again." If you want to embellish it, then you could say something like, "That may have been the first time that Anarcha knew what it was like to be held tenderly, instead of against her will..." Something like that. The point is that instead of making stuff up, it's fine to just acknowledge that some stuff is unknown, and use words like "maybe" or "perhaps". It's fine to SPECULATE on what really happened, but to write it as factual just feels uncomfortable to me.
But honestly, the part that I had the hardest time with and ultimately made me quit this book was THE WRITING. Generally it was fine, but there were times where I felt like one sentence didn't flow into the next in a way that made sense. It was like I had to pause and extrapolate the meaning or read between the lines....Argh, I can't explain it, and of course I didn't take note of an example. What I DID take note of was the run-on sentences. These were SO BAD in places that I had to wonder if the author even had an editor.
Example:
Dr. Sims had told the cursed women that it was possible for them to have babies, and in fact after the first experiments he didn't discourage them from having babies so long as they didn't all have babies at the same time, because what the experiments were supposed to prove was that a cursed woman could become a cured woman who returned to her plantation to have more babies for herself and her master."
One sentence like that by itself isn't too bad, but it was immediately followed by:
Dr. Sims' first experiments did not succeed, and sometimes they went horribly wrong, but something he came close to a cure, and when it he did, it was a chance to see what happened when a partially cured woman gave birth, whether her hole would open up again."
Hmmm....that was immediately followed by the paragraph about Anarcha's unknown lover and their stolen moments, so I was already feeling my skeptical eyebrow arching. And then on the very NEXT page was this behemoth:
Dr. Harris owned a plantation and slaves in Lowndes County, he owned property and more slaves in Autauga County, and he owned property and slaves in Montgomery too, and because he had medical training like Dr. Sims he took pity on the cursed women whose masters didn't want them anymore, so he bought them all even though they were worthless, and that was why Anarcha's baby would go to Lowndes County or Autuaga County, and when the time came and Anarcha's baby arrived--this time the baby was a large boy, but nature took a true course--she was permitted to let the baby suck for five days and then the nameless baby was sent to Autuaga County to be raised by slaves that belonged to the young woman who was now Dr. Harris' wife."
Phew, that's quite the sentence. It was kind of the last straw to me because I was getting more and more annoyed by how many run-on sentences there were in this book.
Also, there was a line where a speculum was described as a "cold tongue" sliding inside of her, and that skeeved me out...so much. It was especially ick since the woman in question was an enslaved woman suffering from a horrific medical condition where urine and feces were leaking out of her vagina.....That's definitely not the time to use tongue imagery.
It's tough, because flipping ahead in the book I see parts that look really interesting and that I want to learn about....but I'm just impatient with the tangents and the uneven writing. I'll probably go find another documentary or article to learn more about the rest of Anarcha's life, rather than push through this book. What I would really like to see an engaging historical fiction book based on Anarcha, written by a woman of color.
(Lastly, I noticed that the author has a tendency to comment defensively on negative reviews for his book.....which is pretty tactless. Just accept that not everyone is going to like your book.)
I also found the "speculative non-fiction" to be a bit...weird. Like, the information in the book is based on historical documents and interviews, but then the author embellishes stuff here and there as it pleases him. Yes, it's definitely SPECULATIVE non-fiction, as the author discloses on the "sources" page. However, the average reader may not realize what the means going forward. It basically means the author can fill in the gaps by just...making it up. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. For example, one part that made me cringe was this:
Anarcha [an enslaved woman] met one of the servants at Montgomery Hall, or Alfred or Frederick or Bill, or she grew friendly with Dr. Sims' Burnett or Allen, and it was then that she learned what it meant for a man to be with a woman. They stole moments. They stole moments the way that slaves stole waffles and chickens, and now she knew what it was like to hold a man, because it was the first time her hands were not bound.
This feels strange to me, to set this scene that Anarcha and her paramour "stole moments" and that this was the first time she knew what it was like to hold a man......but then leave the speculation of WHICH man entirely vague except to suggest 6 different possibilities. Because...we don't know. Which means we also don't know if they "stole moments" together or if she was finally enjoying consensual relations. It feels like it would have been more honest storytelling to just say, "At some point Anarcha evidently found a new lover, because she was soon pregnant again." If you want to embellish it, then you could say something like, "That may have been the first time that Anarcha knew what it was like to be held tenderly, instead of against her will..." Something like that. The point is that instead of making stuff up, it's fine to just acknowledge that some stuff is unknown, and use words like "maybe" or "perhaps". It's fine to SPECULATE on what really happened, but to write it as factual just feels uncomfortable to me.
But honestly, the part that I had the hardest time with and ultimately made me quit this book was THE WRITING. Generally it was fine, but there were times where I felt like one sentence didn't flow into the next in a way that made sense. It was like I had to pause and extrapolate the meaning or read between the lines....Argh, I can't explain it, and of course I didn't take note of an example. What I DID take note of was the run-on sentences. These were SO BAD in places that I had to wonder if the author even had an editor.
Example:
Dr. Sims had told the cursed women that it was possible for them to have babies, and in fact after the first experiments he didn't discourage them from having babies so long as they didn't all have babies at the same time, because what the experiments were supposed to prove was that a cursed woman could become a cured woman who returned to her plantation to have more babies for herself and her master."
One sentence like that by itself isn't too bad, but it was immediately followed by:
Dr. Sims' first experiments did not succeed, and sometimes they went horribly wrong, but something he came close to a cure, and when it he did, it was a chance to see what happened when a partially cured woman gave birth, whether her hole would open up again."
Hmmm....that was immediately followed by the paragraph about Anarcha's unknown lover and their stolen moments, so I was already feeling my skeptical eyebrow arching. And then on the very NEXT page was this behemoth:
Dr. Harris owned a plantation and slaves in Lowndes County, he owned property and more slaves in Autauga County, and he owned property and slaves in Montgomery too, and because he had medical training like Dr. Sims he took pity on the cursed women whose masters didn't want them anymore, so he bought them all even though they were worthless, and that was why Anarcha's baby would go to Lowndes County or Autuaga County, and when the time came and Anarcha's baby arrived--this time the baby was a large boy, but nature took a true course--she was permitted to let the baby suck for five days and then the nameless baby was sent to Autuaga County to be raised by slaves that belonged to the young woman who was now Dr. Harris' wife."
Phew, that's quite the sentence. It was kind of the last straw to me because I was getting more and more annoyed by how many run-on sentences there were in this book.
Also, there was a line where a speculum was described as a "cold tongue" sliding inside of her, and that skeeved me out...so much. It was especially ick since the woman in question was an enslaved woman suffering from a horrific medical condition where urine and feces were leaking out of her vagina.....That's definitely not the time to use tongue imagery.
It's tough, because flipping ahead in the book I see parts that look really interesting and that I want to learn about....but I'm just impatient with the tangents and the uneven writing. I'll probably go find another documentary or article to learn more about the rest of Anarcha's life, rather than push through this book. What I would really like to see an engaging historical fiction book based on Anarcha, written by a woman of color.
(Lastly, I noticed that the author has a tendency to comment defensively on negative reviews for his book.....which is pretty tactless. Just accept that not everyone is going to like your book.)
August 10, 2023
The pages of history are often filled with tales of heroism, innovation, and progress. Yet, sometimes, they also harbor the unsung stories of those whose sacrifices paved the way for change, even if they themselves have been forgotten by time.
Say Anarcha: A Young Woman, a Devious Surgeon, and the Harrowing Birth of Modern Women’s Health, penned by J.C. Hallman, is a compelling literary journey that uncovers one such narrative. Nestled within the pages of this book is the tale of Anarcha, a young enslaved woman whose legacy was concealed, and the nefarious Dr. J. Marion Sims, a man who redefined the path of women’s health while tarnishing his own legacy.
Say Anarcha y J.C. Hallman
The Historical Background
In a society where historical accounts are often dominated by male voices and perspectives, “Say Anarcha” seeks to illuminate the forgotten history of women and their struggles, particularly those of Black women. The book delves into the life of Dr. J. Marion Sims, a figure heralded for over a century as the “father of modern gynecology.” Sims’s contributions to medical history were once celebrated, with statues erected in his honor, yet the book peels away the layers of his facade, revealing the darker truths beneath.
A Dark Path to Recognition
Dr. Sims’s reputation was built upon a series of experimental surgeries, conducted without anesthesia, on a young enslaved woman named Anarcha. These procedures, aimed at addressing obstetric fistula, left Anarcha enduring unimaginable pain and suffering. The book meticulously chronicles the more than 30 surgeries she underwent, all without the solace of painkillers. These operations were marked by failure, yet Sims boldly claimed success through articles and speeches, perpetuating his own image of a hero.
However, Sims’s true motivations were far from noble. His ultimate goal was not just medical advancement but financial gain. He capitalized on the pain of both Anarcha and other enslaved women, seeking wealth from wealthy white women in need of similar surgeries. This exploitative pursuit serves as a stark reminder of the intersection between racism, sexism, and the medical field during that era.
Anarcha’s Triumphs and Tribulations
Through the words of Hallman, Anarcha’s story is resurrected from the shadows of history. She emerges as a figure of strength and resilience, enduring unimaginable hardship for the sake of medical progress. Anarcha’s journey, although rooted in pain, is a testament to the fortitude of women throughout history who bore the brunt of medical experimentation and societal oppression. While Sims garnered accolades and statues, Anarcha’s story remained shrouded, buried beneath layers of time and prejudice.
Confronting the Horrors of the Past
As Hallman guides readers through the intricacies of history, he fearlessly confronts the horrors of the past. The book does not shy away from highlighting the egregious mistreatment and abuse endured by enslaved women. The surgeries on Anarcha, devoid of anesthesia, mirror the broader disregard for the physical and emotional well-being of women, especially those who were marginalized due to race and social status. It serves as a poignant reminder of the lengths to which the medical community once went, all while disregarding the humanity of their subjects.
A Nuanced Narrative
While Say Anarcha undoubtedly stands as a powerful narrative, it is not without its nuances. The book occasionally strays from its central focus, digressing into topics that, while intriguing on their own, somewhat disrupt the narrative flow. Lengthy discussions of astronomical events and family histories, while interesting, can dilute the book’s primary purpose.
Additionally, the transition between past and present was jarring. A more seamless integration of this shift could have allowed for a smoother reading experience. Yet, in the midst of these distractions, Anarcha’s story remains a shining light, a beacon of perseverance and courage in the face of unimaginable odds.
Read more at A Pen and a Page
Say Anarcha: A Young Woman, a Devious Surgeon, and the Harrowing Birth of Modern Women’s Health, penned by J.C. Hallman, is a compelling literary journey that uncovers one such narrative. Nestled within the pages of this book is the tale of Anarcha, a young enslaved woman whose legacy was concealed, and the nefarious Dr. J. Marion Sims, a man who redefined the path of women’s health while tarnishing his own legacy.
Say Anarcha y J.C. Hallman
The Historical Background
In a society where historical accounts are often dominated by male voices and perspectives, “Say Anarcha” seeks to illuminate the forgotten history of women and their struggles, particularly those of Black women. The book delves into the life of Dr. J. Marion Sims, a figure heralded for over a century as the “father of modern gynecology.” Sims’s contributions to medical history were once celebrated, with statues erected in his honor, yet the book peels away the layers of his facade, revealing the darker truths beneath.
A Dark Path to Recognition
Dr. Sims’s reputation was built upon a series of experimental surgeries, conducted without anesthesia, on a young enslaved woman named Anarcha. These procedures, aimed at addressing obstetric fistula, left Anarcha enduring unimaginable pain and suffering. The book meticulously chronicles the more than 30 surgeries she underwent, all without the solace of painkillers. These operations were marked by failure, yet Sims boldly claimed success through articles and speeches, perpetuating his own image of a hero.
However, Sims’s true motivations were far from noble. His ultimate goal was not just medical advancement but financial gain. He capitalized on the pain of both Anarcha and other enslaved women, seeking wealth from wealthy white women in need of similar surgeries. This exploitative pursuit serves as a stark reminder of the intersection between racism, sexism, and the medical field during that era.
Anarcha’s Triumphs and Tribulations
Through the words of Hallman, Anarcha’s story is resurrected from the shadows of history. She emerges as a figure of strength and resilience, enduring unimaginable hardship for the sake of medical progress. Anarcha’s journey, although rooted in pain, is a testament to the fortitude of women throughout history who bore the brunt of medical experimentation and societal oppression. While Sims garnered accolades and statues, Anarcha’s story remained shrouded, buried beneath layers of time and prejudice.
Confronting the Horrors of the Past
As Hallman guides readers through the intricacies of history, he fearlessly confronts the horrors of the past. The book does not shy away from highlighting the egregious mistreatment and abuse endured by enslaved women. The surgeries on Anarcha, devoid of anesthesia, mirror the broader disregard for the physical and emotional well-being of women, especially those who were marginalized due to race and social status. It serves as a poignant reminder of the lengths to which the medical community once went, all while disregarding the humanity of their subjects.
A Nuanced Narrative
While Say Anarcha undoubtedly stands as a powerful narrative, it is not without its nuances. The book occasionally strays from its central focus, digressing into topics that, while intriguing on their own, somewhat disrupt the narrative flow. Lengthy discussions of astronomical events and family histories, while interesting, can dilute the book’s primary purpose.
Additionally, the transition between past and present was jarring. A more seamless integration of this shift could have allowed for a smoother reading experience. Yet, in the midst of these distractions, Anarcha’s story remains a shining light, a beacon of perseverance and courage in the face of unimaginable odds.
Read more at A Pen and a Page
December 24, 2024
An incredibly powerful book. Everyone should read it. The history we learned in school was totally whitewashed.
August 14, 2023
Say Anarcha: A Young Woman, A Devious Surgeon, and the Harrowing Birth of Modern Women's Health is an extensively detailed and researched dual biography of Dr. J. Marion Sims who was at one point known as the father of gynecology and one of the enslaved woman he experimented on Anarcha.
Anarcha was more than just a victim, she was knowledgeable of the medical uses of plants, served as a midwife and nurse at several of the locations she was enslaved and was a mother and wife. Sims, meanwhile, is presented as a man of poor origins who sought fame and fortune in the medical field often by questionable means. He tried and failed to find a cure of infant lockjaw, before coming across obstetric fistula, typically caused by prolonged labor. The methods to treat this condition came at the expense of enslaved women who he was able to 'borrow' to practice on before developing treatment methods. For these, he gave his own name and developed specialized equipment. Following his brief meeting with PT Barnum, Sims worked to shape public opinion to his benefit as an expert in gynecology. However, his named method was not as successful as he claimed, and Anarcha lived with his failure.
Say Anarcha chronologically journeys through both Sims and Anarcha's life, from their separate births, through their first chance meeting and the rest of their lives. Frequently with the metaphor that begins the book, that of shooting or falling stars. Anarcha was always on Sims periphery of awareness.
This book is clear evidence of the need for medical ethics and consent and the protection of the disadvantaged from experimentation. As the author states, considerations of Sims "ha[s] become intertwined with broader reevaluations of white supremacy in American history." Indeed, as Hallman shows, Sims frequently did not have the backing or respect of his medical peers. He was technically very capable but his procedures and desperation for fame often clouded his judgement and needlessly killed.
Since his learning of Anarcha in 2015, Hallman has worked to disseminate Anarcha's name and place her knowledge and experience in the medical historical record. One can explore more of the resources Hallman found and used at: AnarchaArchive.com
A deeply researched work of medical history that all medical practitioners should read.
I received a free digital version of this Ebook via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
Anarcha was more than just a victim, she was knowledgeable of the medical uses of plants, served as a midwife and nurse at several of the locations she was enslaved and was a mother and wife. Sims, meanwhile, is presented as a man of poor origins who sought fame and fortune in the medical field often by questionable means. He tried and failed to find a cure of infant lockjaw, before coming across obstetric fistula, typically caused by prolonged labor. The methods to treat this condition came at the expense of enslaved women who he was able to 'borrow' to practice on before developing treatment methods. For these, he gave his own name and developed specialized equipment. Following his brief meeting with PT Barnum, Sims worked to shape public opinion to his benefit as an expert in gynecology. However, his named method was not as successful as he claimed, and Anarcha lived with his failure.
Say Anarcha chronologically journeys through both Sims and Anarcha's life, from their separate births, through their first chance meeting and the rest of their lives. Frequently with the metaphor that begins the book, that of shooting or falling stars. Anarcha was always on Sims periphery of awareness.
This book is clear evidence of the need for medical ethics and consent and the protection of the disadvantaged from experimentation. As the author states, considerations of Sims "ha[s] become intertwined with broader reevaluations of white supremacy in American history." Indeed, as Hallman shows, Sims frequently did not have the backing or respect of his medical peers. He was technically very capable but his procedures and desperation for fame often clouded his judgement and needlessly killed.
Since his learning of Anarcha in 2015, Hallman has worked to disseminate Anarcha's name and place her knowledge and experience in the medical historical record. One can explore more of the resources Hallman found and used at: AnarchaArchive.com
A deeply researched work of medical history that all medical practitioners should read.
I received a free digital version of this Ebook via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
November 24, 2025
Fabulous read. Honestly, when I first bought this @ The Regulator (best bookshop in Durham, plugging now so I can get an endorsement when I make it big on GR), I thought it was going to be the kind of book that just sat on the shelf until I guilted myself into trudging through it. But, J.C. Hallman did an incredibly job piecing Anarcha's story together and weaving in her narrative with the broader history of gynecology and biography of Sims. It blows my mind to think of the legacy that surrounded him in recent decades, when even during his time, fellow physicians and experts agreed that his work was ethically unsound and most of his surgeries incredibly experimental and dangerous. The fact that he was expelled from his own hospital, but then still named president of the American Medical Association just a year later seems so odd. His story is unnerving. The persistence of his "genius" is even more upsetting. My favorite part of the book was honestly the afterword, which I considered skipping. It detailed the progress of gynecological care throughout third-world countries and how villages with no access to modern medical supplies or techniques have come up with their own methods of treating fistula and other maladies that almost mirror those of first-world countries. It also talked about how care providers in Nigeria and Uganda had to fight against the same tale of Sims occurring in these areas. Women are so desperate for treatment and some doctors so hungry for experience and innovation, that third-world countries are a breeding ground for ungrounded experimental surgeries and the abuse of medical advice and power for the benefit of individual doctors. I have so many questions for J.C. Hallman, regarding his years-long investigation into Sims and Anarcha, as well as how much creative liberty he took with some pieces of the book. But mostly, I would like to meet him and shake his hand for such an outstanding book and for telling the story of a woman so important and integral to the foundations of women's health in America, but who has been so ignored. And not only did he just tell the story, but he presented it in a way that make readers want to learn more and understand the gravity of what she and so many other women went through. I emphasize again, fabulous read.
December 5, 2025
I appreciate the author for sharing Anarchas story with respect and reverance. This book stirred a range of emotions within me throughout my reading experience. As someone who cherishes knowledge, it’s undoubtedly a book I’ll treasure. The book cleverly unravels the truth behind decades of misinformation, miscalculations, mischief, and outright lies. Grief and shock were frequent companions during my reading. Initially, I felt disappointed and disbelief, but I had no choice but to believe what was right in front of me. It’s a shame that J. Sims’ years of torture and experiments resulted in nothing but pain and suffering for his victims. After reading this book, I’m left to wonder if I’ve chosen the right word to describe his victims. Remarkably, 1/5 of his work was being practiced at the end of his career, yet it remained unaffected, vanished, or was debunked. Worse still, he likely took more credit for other doctors’ work than for his own mistakes. He prioritized publicity over the lives he had altered for the worse or ended. This book is a must read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2023
If I had read this as a text book instead of listening to the audio as I did, I would have described myself as reading it “wide eyed”, because through its speculative (albeit based on thorough research) historical narrative it opened my horrified eyes to events about which I was ignorant and the quite desperate way of things in the 19th century.
I’m left feeling shook due to my now deeper understanding of how an ethics-devoid mediocre man like Sims masked a lifetime of mostly failures with bluster and an over-inflated sense of self- importance as he trumpeted his great success to the world with zero empathy or acknowledgment for women and in particular Anarcha and the other slave women he cruelly experimented on. This solid portrait of the way of life for slaves and medical development in the 1800s is a must-read ‘eye-opener’ even if you listen to it as an audiobook.
I’m left feeling shook due to my now deeper understanding of how an ethics-devoid mediocre man like Sims masked a lifetime of mostly failures with bluster and an over-inflated sense of self- importance as he trumpeted his great success to the world with zero empathy or acknowledgment for women and in particular Anarcha and the other slave women he cruelly experimented on. This solid portrait of the way of life for slaves and medical development in the 1800s is a must-read ‘eye-opener’ even if you listen to it as an audiobook.
September 3, 2023
Excellent book that draws from the stories of multiple enslaved Americans as well as Anarcha—a woman that was used by southerner Dr. Marion Simms in his attempt to perfect a surgery for vaginal fistulas and bring wealth and renown to himself. The author casts a wide net over medical practices of the early 19th century and life in general for enslaved Americans. The book will make you wince as well as cheer for Anarcha and the other young women that manage to survive as they seek to overcome obstacles that are hard to imagine. The end of the book is hopeful as it addresses modern day fistula surgeries and cultural causes in Africa.
July 6, 2023
Wow!! An incredible and highly-detailed telling of Anarcha Jackson and Dr. Marion Sims’s stories. Highly recommend for anyone continuing to learn about (and actively dismantling) the white supremacist nature engrained in ALL aspects of this country and its history.
August 14, 2023
Someone told me this book was not for the faint of heart. But I am so very glad I read it! It is very well written and is an absolute must read. The youtube channel Anarcha Archive and online archive are really cool too.
December 21, 2023
Exhaustively researched and extremely well written, Say Anarcha reminds us of the horrors of slavery, including the use of enslaved women for the practice of experimental surgery. Author J. C. Hallman debunks the myth of J. Marion Sims, the self aggrandizing surgeon who claimed to have cured fistula and to have invented various instruments utilized in the related surgical procedures. Hallman, utilizing what limited written history there is of Anarcha’s life, and from there thoughtfully speculating as to her life, gives agency to Anarcha’s story and to her contributions to the development of obstetrics and gynecology.
A fascinating and important book, particularly at this time in history when various elected government officials are preaching purposeful ignorance of our nation’s history of slavery.
A fascinating and important book, particularly at this time in history when various elected government officials are preaching purposeful ignorance of our nation’s history of slavery.
January 29, 2023
SAY ANARCHA is a powerful and necessary corrective to the erasures of history, as well as a gripping and, at times, very beautiful and poetic read. The book’s form—a “speculative biography” of a sort of ghost—Anarcha—who was also an extraordinary enslaved woman whose story can only be found in traces—is fascinating and perfectly suited to the subject matter. The book also connects to contemporary inequalities in Black women’s access to healthcare in important ways.
June 6, 2023
"Say Anarcha" offers a fresh and captivating perspective on the life of Dr. J. Marion Sims and his contributions to modern gynecology. J.C. Hallman delves into the lives of three slaves—Anarcha, Ankey, and Annacay—and their harrowing experiences as subjects of Sims' experiments in the name of medical advancement. Through this book, readers gain valuable historical insights into the lives of these three women, shedding light on their stories that were tragically overlooked due to the prevailing devaluation of slaves and their narratives.
One of the notable strengths of this book is its ability to bring forth historical details about Dr. Sims, revealing a somewhat ordinary existence behind his medical achievements. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that much of the information about Anarcha, Ankey, and Annacay presented is speculative, given the historical marginalization of slaves and the lack of importance attributed to their stories. Despite this limitation, "Say Anarcha" holds significant value for researchers and individuals striving to center Black women in their work, offering a meaningful contribution to this important goal.
Also, this book delves into HEAVY topics, providing explicit accounts of the horrific abuses endured by slaves. Consequently, it may prove challenging for some readers. However, "Say Anarcha" serves as a crucial narrative for those interested in the fields of medicine, public health, and history, as well as anyone with a general curiosity about our collective past.
Overall, "Say Anarcha" presents an engaging exploration of Dr. J. Marion Sims' life and his impact on modern gynecology, while shedding light on the often-ignored stories of Anarcha, Ankey, and Annacay. Although some information remains speculative due to the historical circumstances, this book is a significant asset for those seeking to center Black women's experiences and contributions. Its weighty content makes it a necessary read for individuals interested in the fields of medicine, public health, and history, as well as those curious about the United States dark past.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt publishers for providing me with this digital e-arc in response for my review. I will certainly return to this book for my own academic research.
One of the notable strengths of this book is its ability to bring forth historical details about Dr. Sims, revealing a somewhat ordinary existence behind his medical achievements. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that much of the information about Anarcha, Ankey, and Annacay presented is speculative, given the historical marginalization of slaves and the lack of importance attributed to their stories. Despite this limitation, "Say Anarcha" holds significant value for researchers and individuals striving to center Black women in their work, offering a meaningful contribution to this important goal.
Also, this book delves into HEAVY topics, providing explicit accounts of the horrific abuses endured by slaves. Consequently, it may prove challenging for some readers. However, "Say Anarcha" serves as a crucial narrative for those interested in the fields of medicine, public health, and history, as well as anyone with a general curiosity about our collective past.
Overall, "Say Anarcha" presents an engaging exploration of Dr. J. Marion Sims' life and his impact on modern gynecology, while shedding light on the often-ignored stories of Anarcha, Ankey, and Annacay. Although some information remains speculative due to the historical circumstances, this book is a significant asset for those seeking to center Black women's experiences and contributions. Its weighty content makes it a necessary read for individuals interested in the fields of medicine, public health, and history, as well as those curious about the United States dark past.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt publishers for providing me with this digital e-arc in response for my review. I will certainly return to this book for my own academic research.
October 10, 2023
Say Anarcha is an in-depth, informative look at the horrific way female slaves were used and abused for gynecological research in order to further the white male doctors’ careers and reputations.
Anarcha was one such Black slave whose torturous treatments helped a white doctor advance. We learn what she endured, the ways she suffered, and how she went on to help women like herself.
The content is, of course, uncomfortable, as well as graphic. It forces us to acknowledge a whole different kind of medical history, one lightyears apart from that of the honorable doctors and scientists working to ease suffering in any sort of humane fashion.
I did feel the story occasionally lost its way, mired in too much extraneous detail, especially in the final third. Still, an important read that should be taught in all medical schools, if not also history classes.
I listened to this one audio, and the narration is fantastic. At the end, the narrator reads the list of slaves involved in the story, in a part of history of which they’d been forced to participate but were then left out of for far too long. Something about hearing all those names held me literally frozen in place. A powerful few moments.
*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free download!*
Anarcha was one such Black slave whose torturous treatments helped a white doctor advance. We learn what she endured, the ways she suffered, and how she went on to help women like herself.
The content is, of course, uncomfortable, as well as graphic. It forces us to acknowledge a whole different kind of medical history, one lightyears apart from that of the honorable doctors and scientists working to ease suffering in any sort of humane fashion.
I did feel the story occasionally lost its way, mired in too much extraneous detail, especially in the final third. Still, an important read that should be taught in all medical schools, if not also history classes.
I listened to this one audio, and the narration is fantastic. At the end, the narrator reads the list of slaves involved in the story, in a part of history of which they’d been forced to participate but were then left out of for far too long. Something about hearing all those names held me literally frozen in place. A powerful few moments.
*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free download!*
April 2, 2023
Such an amazing story about Anarcha a slave that gave so much and Dr. Sims who took too much for women's health.
This one goes through both versions of the history of women's health in the 1800's. This was the start of medical ethics and regulation. I liked reading about a lot of these things. I struggled with how each chapter jumped between the voices. Normally I like that style, but here I never could tell who's story was being told until a little in and it was sometimes difficult to follow with the overlapping stories being told from each perspective.
I would have liked to get more into who Anarcha was, but I also understand that it is hard to rebuild all of this from the little information that is left behind.
I actually won this one in one of the giveaways.
This one goes through both versions of the history of women's health in the 1800's. This was the start of medical ethics and regulation. I liked reading about a lot of these things. I struggled with how each chapter jumped between the voices. Normally I like that style, but here I never could tell who's story was being told until a little in and it was sometimes difficult to follow with the overlapping stories being told from each perspective.
I would have liked to get more into who Anarcha was, but I also understand that it is hard to rebuild all of this from the little information that is left behind.
I actually won this one in one of the giveaways.
March 23, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up. Wow! This story is both horrific and fascinating. It is an in-depth look at racial and gender-based disparities in the history of medicine. As a medical professional I really appreciated this author’s in-depth explanation of procedures and the various gynecological conditions discussed. I do wonder how this would come across to someone without a medical background, but I don’t often find descriptions that are so well-researched when not written by a physician. I had never given a second thought to “Sims” with regard to positioning or tools, and this book was eye-opening. Anarcha’s story is so important, and I’m glad to know it now. This book was EXTREMELY well-researched. My only problem was that there were times when it was difficult to keep up with all of the timelines and names, and several times I had to look back to figure out who we were talking about. Overall, a great and important read!
***I received an ARC from Henry Holt & Co.
***I received an ARC from Henry Holt & Co.
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