Customer Reviews

Pioneer Doctor: The Story of a Woman's Work

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The beginning of this book is simply wonderful. Informative, intriguing, and well written. Sadly, the book then turns into a guide of the suffragette movement. While I believe that women such as Dr. Babcock paved the way for the rewards the women of today (such as myself) have, I didn't want a book on women's lib. I wanted a book on the trials of becoming a doctor, the way medical issues were treated, what medicines were used, all of this in her life time. The first and middle of the book did so and was building up to a superb ending until........
If you are looking for a true medical journal from one of the first female doctors this only partially fills the bill.

This is the story of one woman's persistence and success against social norms that limited women's role in society in the western US during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Not only was this woman a doctor when there were very few women doctors, she also participated in the womens' suffrage movement in Montana and lived through many social changes in that state.

As the only doctor in a frontier mining town she saw many hard situations and some of the most poignant stories are about her attempts to help and care for the town prostitutes. When the mining boom died in that area, she moved to Helena to open another medical practice and there she joined the sufferage movement.

The book is written in a very readable narrative style and includes information from her personal records and interviews with personal friends and family.

I read this book in just a few hours. Makes quick and easy reading. The material is very well written and very interesting. I recommend for anyone interested in "old west" and/or women's studies.

Congratulations to Mari Grana for writing an excellent biography about her grandmother,Dr. Molly. It uncovered many fascinating facts and episodes in Montana history. It was so good, in fact, that I dressed the part and presented an hour-long book report to my book club. I was so convincing as Dr. Molly that many people are now calling me by that name. I am a native Montanan and have lived in Whitefish all of my adult life, so it was especially interesting to find that Dr. Molly saved many lives in Whitefish during the flu epidemic of 1918. Thank you to the author for giving me many hours of enjoyment.