Customer Reviews

Elena, Woman of Courage: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho

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Ah, the good old days! Doctors made house calls, rode on horseback to remote areas, and stayed up all night with ailing patients if necessary, bringing patients and family members needed care, comfort, and relief. Although I know there have been tremendous medical advances since the 1920's, such as the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, sometimes I yearn for the days when doctors traveled to the homes of their patients, long before the days of health insurance and co-pays, crowded offices, congested hospitals, and confusing and costly medical bills.

However, the good old days really weren't so good for female doctors in the 1920's.

In the fifth and final book of this series by Linda Weaver Clarke, Elena, Woman of Courage: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho, the story focuses on the new doctor in town, Elena Yeates, who makes house calls, and also has an office for medical exams. She's seeking acceptance in the conservative western town of Paris, Idaho, in 1925. While Melinda Roberts wishes to switch from her old doctor to the new, female doctor, the menfolk are quite reluctant to. Elena is scoffed at and taunted, particularly by Mr. Anderson, who calls her a witch doctor and an old maid, because she's twenty-six, unmarried, and the wrong sex to be a doctor, and the other men are quite skeptical of her. That is, except for one. In the continuation of this historical fiction series, the Roberts' son, John, a "confirmed bachelor", is entranced by the new woman in town, who just happens to be the new doctor.

"As the men conversed, John watched Elena's every move and tried thinking of a way to get to know her. He had seldom been interested in a woman beyond the dance floor. He claimed to love the life of a bachelor and was too busy to court a woman, but for some reason, this woman fascinated him. There was only one problem; she did not seem to be interested in him."
~Elena, Woman of Courage, Linda Weaver Clarke

John feigns an illness and goes to see this lovely, half-Mexican, woman doctor with bobbed hair (a hairstyle some called disgraceful at the time) because of his interest in her. This story features members of the Roberts family and has many of the same elements I enjoyed in the author's previous books; it introduces a strong, independent protagonist, Dr. Elena Yeates, and includes an ardent romance between John and Elena. These books are enjoyable to read, and although they're wholesome, they're never boring. Linda Weaver Clarke is outstanding at presenting the characters' thoughts, especially when it comes to romance, and she captures the highs and lows of romantic life rather adeptly. The author also pays close attention to historical accuracy, enabling readers to learn about U.S. history in her novels. This book discusses the first female doctor in the U.S., Elizabeth Blackwell, who graduated at the top of her class in 1849, and set up her own clinic in NY because hospitals didn't hire women until years later. I enjoyed this story of adventure and romance set in the wild west, but I'm a bit saddened because this is the last book in the series, although the Author's Notes at the back of the book mentions that there's another series in the works.

Synopsis:
When a woman settles into a strict conservative town as the newest doctor, a slew of problems begin to arise. The town is not ready for a female doctor, let alone one so strong and independent. Elena Yeates, the town's newest doctor, must struggle to prove herself in this western town, while keeping her composure, poise, and femininity. As she fights to prove herself, the town's most eligible bachelor finds it a challenge to see if he can win her heart.

With the the 1920's rise of woman's rights, this novel gives you great insight at the struggles women had to go through, all the while watching a young love blossom!!

Review:

This is book 5, the final book, of the Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho. I have loved this series from the start and hate to see it end, but I look forward to Linda's new series!

This story centers around John, middle child of Melinda and Gilbert Roberts, and Elena, the new town doctor. The chemistry between these two can be seen throughout the book by all the joking and kidding around they do with one another. Each are afraid to commit to the relationship until they each realize they can't go on without the other.

I enjoyed the time frame in history that the story is told, where women's rights were expanding all over the country. Elena's character was challenged by the men in town to prove herself as a 'real' doctor. Even Gilbert, the patriarch, had to overcome his opinion of being 'uncomfortable' in seeing a woman doctor. Other 'challenging' events occur in the story too (a thief that was stealing 'women's undergarments' and a lost child), where Elena must prove that women have some of the same abilities of men to conquer and accomplish goals. She uses her independence to win over John 'the life long bachelor' of the town. I like seeing the strong parental presence that Melinda and Gilbert have in John's life. They don't crowd or pressure him, but instead work with him to see both sides of any situation.

Linda Weaver Clarke is an amazing author who writes amazingly visual and descriptive books, without the story getting too wordy!! The story is full of daily chores, picnics, dances and dangerous events, which makes the book easy to read (and end way to fast for me!!)

"Elena, Woman of Courage" is an amazing journey of visual reading that will take you to the lands of Idaho and transport you in to the surroundings of the story. You feel you are living the life of the characters, who feel like you're own family members, as you get to know each characters flaws and strengths. The love of a man and woman is only as strong as the bond and life they share together!


Reviewed at Allison's Attic Blog