Content: G (minor arguments, c-section mentioned, main character spends her life disguised as a man)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE; MS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Margaret wanted more than living at home caring for her mother, so when the chance came, she reinvented herself in the guise of a man and enrolled in medical school in Edinburgh. For the next 50 years, Dr. Barry pursued a career as surgeon - battling against society’s perception of him as just a boy, keeping most people at arms-length, having only few close friends, and always dealing with politics in the towns and military units in which he was placed. While a few may have suspected, it wasn’t until Dr. Barry’s death that their secret was revealed.
Williamson manages to avoid any pronouncement about whether Dr. Barry was just disguised as a male, or whether they were transgender. The author had to create dialogue and embellish a bit to flesh out the few details known of Barry’s life; thus, this is fiction, rather than a biography. Regardless of Barry’s origins, they are important for performing the first successful C-section - both mother and baby survived despite the non-existence of anesthesia. The illustrations make the book feel very young.
Dr. Barry is from Scotland.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment