First Summer Reading Choices

Our book selections for our first book of the summer are provided by Jen. Your choices are:


Doc, by Mary Doria Russell


Bones that Float: A Story of Adopting Cambodia, by Kari Grady Grossman

A Dog's Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron

Oxygen, A Novel, by Carol Cassella


Please send your vote to me at kzmclain@comcast.net by Sunday, June 3.

"I Want To Be a Surgeon"

This initial review of My Name is Mary Sutter is from Bec:

My Name is Mary Sutter was not my first choice of the books suggested, but I did think it sounded interesting and I looked forward to reading it. I’m glad it was chosen, because I really enjoyed it.

One reason I didn’t pick it was that I’ve read quite a few books set during the Civil War. That period in American history isn’t one I’m especially interested in, and I wasn’t sure whether I would find it easy to engage in the story. But, this was a different perspective of that war, in several ways.

For one thing, I liked that much of it took place right where I live, in Northern Virginia and Washington. Manassas, Fairfax Court House, Centerville, etc., are all places I’ve visited or driven past many times, and, of course I’m familiar with many of the spots mentioned in D.C. I’m always fascinated with what a small and un-lovely place Washington was at that time. So, the setting helped me get interested, because I learned a lot about what was going on in the city. I had no idea, for example, that many of the government buildings and hotels were turned into medical facilities.

I also enjoyed the focus on medicine and especially on the fact that the protagonist was a woman trying to establish herself in the medical field. I wasn’t surprised at the brutal descriptions of the wounds and sicknesses caused by the war. I was surprised that there were doctors and other medical people trying to do research to find out how some of the problems could be lessened.

In other words, I liked the book because it wasn’t what I expected from a “Civil War Novel.”

Mary Sutter was a good character. I could identify with her frustration at being shut out from a profession that she knew she would love and could excel in. Her persistence was almost comical, but it’s probably the only way she could have broken into that good old boys’ club. It was nice, but probably not realistic, that some of the doctors accepted her pretty quickly. On the other hand, considering the conditions, perhaps their desperation would have helped Mary break down the barriers. I found the depiction of Dorothea Dix very surprising! She’s always painted as someone quite saintly, but she certainly had some character defects in this book.

The character that bothered me the most was Mary’s mother. So many times in the book she didn’t give Mary the support she needed. Her attitude was that Mary was very strong, so she could take care of herself. Mary was strong, but everyone needs support, and Mary didn’t always get it from her mother. When Mary failed to save Jenny, she felt a lot of guilt. The fact that her mother not only didn’t help her get over it, but actually made Mary feel even guiltier was, for me, unforgiveable.

Finally, I liked the book because it was so well written. I read it quickly, and, in fact, had trouble putting it down. It wasn’t a page-turner in the usual sense, but I cared a lot about Mary and always wanted to find out how her life would turn out. And, can I just say that I like the happy ending! Good for you, Mary!

I would recommend this book to just about anyone. The female protagonist, the setting, and the medical plot thread all set it apart from most other books written about the Civil War period.

My question to everyone is this: What, if anything, surprised you?