The Surgeon's Daughter

Audrey Blake

May 2022 · RB Media · Narrated by Susan Lyons

About this audiobook

Women's work is a matter of life and death. Nora Beady, the only female student at a prestigious medical school in Bologna, is a rarity. In the 19th century women are expected to remain at home and raise children, so her unconventional, indelicate ambitions to become a licensed surgeon offend the men around her. Under constant scrutiny, Nora's successes are taken for granted; her mistakes used as proof that women aren't suited to the field.

Everything changes when she allies herself with Magdalena Morenco, the sole female doctor on staff. Together the two women develop a groundbreaking surgery: the Cesarean section. It's a highly dangerous procedure and the research is grueling, but even worse is the vitriolic response from men. Most don't trust the findings of women, and many can choose to deny their wives medical care.

Already facing resistance on all sides, Nora is shaken when she meets a patient who will die without the surgery. If the procedure is successful, her work could change the world. But a failure could cost everything: precious lives, Nora's career, and the role women will be allowed to play in medicine.

Ratings and reviews

Nora Beatty was an orphan raised by a brilliant surgeon and spinster in London. He taught her everything a good surgeon should know and she taught her how to be a lady. Unfortunately the rest of London wasn’t prepared for a lady surgeon. With Nora and her fiancé, had to do an emergency midnight surgery and she successfully came up with a new way to do the surgery the males in London were prepared for it and called it a scandal. This is why she found herself in Bologna Italy going to medical school. Unfortunately the men in Italy were not happy to have her either and the only female doctor on staff didn’t seem to like her that much either. Norwood Proisto in health to affect a new surgery called a C-section and even help another student with this confidence. This book was so good and so well done and although I thought it was long, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s definitely in my top 10 favorite historical fiction books. I was given this book by Nat Gally and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammar or punctuation errors as I am blind and dictate my review, but all opinions are definitely my own.