My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira is an epic historical novel about a brilliant young woman’s struggle to become a doctor during the American Civil War.
Mary Sutter, a brilliant young midwife, dreams of proving herself as capable as any man. But medical schools refuse to teach women. So when her heart is broken, she heads to Washington DC to tend the Civil War wounded. Assisted and encouraged by two surgeons, who both fall for her, and ignoring requests to return home to help her twin sister give birth, Mary pursues her dream of becoming a surgeon and saving lives – no matter the cost to herself or those she loves and no matter the harrowing conditions she has yet to face.
A brilliant portrait of an unforgettable heroine and a powerful evocation of trauma in the aftermath of battle, My Name is Mary Sutter is an utterly original story of one woman proving she is a match for any man.
‘[Mary Sutter’s] pluck will win you over within pages. A debut as confident as its heroine, it’s a sweeping love story’Daily Mail
‘This heroine is truly heroic’ The Times
‘Mary Sutter is a satisfyingly complex character; a tempestuous mixture of touching vulnerability and courageous single-mindedness’ Marie Claire
Robin Oliveira received an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and was awarded the James Jones First Novel Fellowship for a work-in-progress for My Name is Mary Sutter. She lives in Seattle, Washington.
