Bold Women of Medicine

July 15, 2017
Latta has gathered together brief biographies of 21 "bold women of medicine."Among the subjects are the expected, such as white medical pioneers Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Clara Barton. But there are many who are less well-known, including America's first two African-American female physicians, Rebecca Lee Crumpler and Rebecca Cole (covered jointly in one chapter), and a determined white Australian physician, Catherine Hamlin, who spent years treating women in Ethiopia who were crippled by obstetrical injuries. White nurse Mary Carson Breckinridge brought modern obstetrical service and nursing care to rural Kentucky and founded the Frontier Nursing Service. The chapter covering black Somaliland nurse midwife Edna Adan Ismail describes her efforts to combat female genital mutilation. Each chapter concludes with a few sources to provide more information. Sidebars provide additional detail on a variety of related topics. A foreword by a recently minted osteopathic physician contributes little. The uninspired narrative style features a tedious, mostly subject/predicate sentence structure that seems intended for a much younger audience than teens. It stands in sharp contrast to the inspirational subject matter. Many of the women defied the cultural expectations of their time to perform valuable work. Photographs of most are included. Endnotes are meticulous, but the index was not available for review. An extensive bibliography rounds out this uneven effort. Likely to appeal mostly to readers who have a strong interest in the medical field. (Collective biography. 12-18)

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September 1, 2017

Gr 7 Up-Latta makes adventurous women relatable by sharing their triumphs and challenges, such as illnesses, sexism, depression, or frustrations over politics. Latta's focus is global, highlighting Somaliland Republic's Edna Adan Ismail, who educated individuals against female genital mutilation; Jeri Nelson, who operated on herself while working in Antarctica; and physical therapist Adele Levine's work with traumatic brain injuries and amputees. Certain patterns emerge as motivating factors in these individual's stories: a personal connection to health care, a drive to do more, or a desire to create social or political change. At the end of each entry, there are a few websites listed where readers can find more information. Some may wonder why certain figures, such as Margaret Sanger, were omitted, but the text only covers accredited physicians, not nurses or health care advocates. This could be used as a stand-alone collected biography, but each chapter does build on the one before. The book could be utilized within a larger context in social studies or history units, illustrating how factors such as the rise of the middle class, the Industrial Revolution, and societal reforms impacted women in medicine. VERDICT A read packed with brief yet thought-provoking stories of fearless women in medicine. Ideal for high school students or those interested in a similar career path.-Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL

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