My Name Is Mary Sutter (Oliveira)

Book Reviews
The Civil War offers a 20-year-old midwife, who dreams of becoming a doctor, the medical experience she craves...in this rich debut that takes readers from a small upstate New York doctor's office to a Union hospital overflowing with the wounded and dying.... The focus on often horrific medicine and the women who practiced it against all odds makes for compelling reading.
Publishers Weekly


Despite her skill as a midwife, Mary Sutter cannot overcome the obstacle that bars her from further medical training: her gender. The Civil War changes everything. After her brother enlists in the Union Army, Mary follows him from Albany to Washington, DC, to volunteer as a nurse.... This well-written and compelling debut will engage all readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in the Civil War. —Kathy Piehl, Minnestoa State Univ. Lib., Mankato
Library Journal


Oliveira’s graceful, assured portrayal of a courageous woman shines through in her outstanding debut novel. Mary Sutter’s expert midwifery skills are renowned throughout Albany, New York, in 1861, yet she yearns for more.... Oliveira has a firm grasp on the finer details of the era and lets readers form their own judgments about the painful decisions made by her appealingly vulnerable characters. [An] impressive historical epic. —Sarah Johnson
Booklist