I am grateful for the opportunity to listen to this book on NetGalley. The performer reminds me of Ingrid Bergman and did a beautiful job.

I don’t know if it is my background in nursing that connected me to this story, or just really good storytelling. For instance the patient suffering from tetanus had me equally fascinated and horrified.

I think the best way to express how much I like a book is to immediately search for other titles by the author. I had no idea there was a prequel to this story when I started this book. This is certainly a stand alone book, but I am looking forward to listening to the origins of these trailblazing characters and have already purchased the audiobook The Girl in His Shadow.

When I began this audiobook I was slightly sceptical. I found the narrator's tone a little off-putting at first but quicker than I could have imagined the story hooked me in.

The story of Eleanora and her struggles to qualify as a doctor at the prestigious and ancient university of Bologna is a gripping one. The red city of Northern Italy is vividly drawn and Blake's description create a real sense of place with porticoed streets, shady palazzos and the openness of the fields and plains of the Emilia Romagna. Eleanora herself is vividly drawn as are the various detailed and forensic descriptions of Victorian medical practice which are gruesome but incredibly powerful, The descriptions of the ravages of tetanus and diphtheria in particular made me eternally grateful for vaccines and modern medicine in general!

Parallel to Eleanora's story is that of her fiancé Daniel who is practicing in London against the backdrop of toxic management at Bart's hospital and the ever rising awareness of new methods which the modern reader knows will go on to revolutionise medicine in the next 100 years.

Audrey Blake has written a slice of feminist history with a difference that is both gripping and incredibly informative. Her chracters are fleshed out and engaging, the story is gripping and the blood and guts quotient admirably high. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes their romantic sweeping epics with just a little more of a scalpel's edge!

This was a really interesting historical fiction book about one woman's quest to become a physician and her role helping with the birth and teaching of caesarean section surgeries. Set mainly in 19th century Bologna, Nora Beady is the only female student at a prestigious medical school. She has to compete against her peers and all the men who think she doesn't belong or should just be a nurse. Perfect for fans of books like The doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura. I did find the story dragged a bit and I wasn't overly invested in Nora's personal relationships. That said, I found the history of Caesarean section surgery very fascinating and not something I've seen in fiction much or at all before. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance listening copy!

This was such an interesting historical fiction. I enjoyed that there were two perspectives that we jump back and forth between. I liked the visual of a man in an man's world, but still struggling with doing things the way he wants. Then we have a woman trying to make her way in a man's world. I loved the jump back and forth between these two. The story was great, and I would recommend it for historical fiction fans, and people that are interested in medical history.

What a wonderful story of a woman's foray into the medical field. I enjoyed Nora's tenacity and intelligence. I appreciated learning the old medical terms. I listened to the audio book and liked the narration and pacing. I'll definitely recommend this book to my friends!

Nora Beady just wants to be a surgeon/doctor. Unfortunately for her she is a female well ahead of her time. She has been studying since her guardian, a famous, eccentric surgeon took her in as a child. Now she must leave her home in Britain where she is not allowed to study to pursue a degree in Bologna, Italy. Italy is more lenient with who can get their degree but this does not mean she will be welcomed with open arms. She must fight sexism and unfair treatment to persevere to try to reach her goal of a medical diploma with hopes that Britain will recognize it. Back home her guardian and her love interest, Daniel, are left to fight their own battles against a tyrannical hospital director.
Beyond the historical fiction element of the book is a bit of a romance. The long-distance relationship between Nora and Daniel is one you can't help but root for to succeed despite the miles between them.

While a slower-paced book I did overall enjoy this read. I thought it a fascinating look at the obstacles the women of that time faced trying to break glass ceilings. It also has storylines revolving around early cesarean sections that were interesting from those interested in the medical aspect of these reads.

I would recommend this to fans of STEM related historical fiction novels. I did enjoy the narration as a whole but at some points there were some audible mouth noises from the narrator which weren't as enjoyable so if those really bother you I would recommend sticking to the physical or ebook.

I wanted to really like this one, however I was somewhat bored while listening to the audiobook. It was a slow burn and I ended up giving up at about 50%. The idea of women unable to study medicine and cesarean sections occurring in the early years seemed great. I love the idea of women who challenge the man’s world, but I was uninterested in this story. Perhaps I wasn’t in the right mind frame this time. I may pick it up again later and try again.

Nora is a young woman in the 1850s from England who was raised by a famous surgeon. He taught her all his surgical skills, but she was still unable to obtain a medical degree in England. She traveled to the University of Bologna where she trained under Dr. Marenko learning how to perform a C section.

As a female in medicine, I wanted to love this book more, but it was just sort of a slow drag for me. Some historical fiction fans may enjoy it more. I appreciate this story and a woman’s plight to enter the field of medicine. I just wish it were more exciting.

I would love to tell Nora that my graduating medical school class was over 50 percent women. It’s pioneering women such as herself that paved the way so that is one part of the story I definitely appreciated.

This is a book one must read to see how far women have come and medicine. Set in the 19th century Nora Beady flees to Bologna to fulfill her dream of becoming a surgeon. England will not allow Nora to learn and Bologna does accept women applicants, but Nora suffers many problems as the only women in the school. She has to work twice as hard to prove herself.
The story swings back and forth between England, with her love and a fellow doctor Daniel, her guardian Horace a brilliant surgeon and her mentor. To Bologna with her struggles to get respect and earn her license as a surgeon. The discovering the benefits of ether and trying to find ways to cure and repair the body. Very interesting and a learning experience this story does bring. Amazing how groundbreaking the time was.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheSurgeonsDaughter

Nora Beatty was an orphan raised by a brilliant surgeon and spinster in London. He taught her everything a good surgeon should know and she taught her how to be a lady. Unfortunately the rest of London wasn’t prepared for a lady surgeon. With Nora and her fiancé, had to do an emergency midnight surgery and she successfully came up with a new way to do the surgery the males in London were prepared for it and called it a scandal. This is why she found herself in Bologna Italy going to medical school. Unfortunately the men in Italy were not happy to have her either and the only female doctor on staff didn’t seem to like her that much either. Norwood Proisto in health to affect a new surgery called a C-section and even help another student with this confidence. This book was so good and so well done and although I thought it was long, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s definitely in my top 10 favorite historical fiction books. I was given this book by Nat Gally and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammar or punctuation errors as I am blind and dictate my review, but all opinions are definitely my own.

What a fun, and slightly long read. I really enjoyed the intellect that this book had to offer. My preference with historical fiction is that the story follows actual people and uses their stories as a skeleton for what the author portrays. This is not that. The characters are purely imagined. The author does do a good job of creating realistic surroundings that could’ve happened in the past.

The Surgeons Daughter follows a brave young woman named E Beady aka Nora. Nora is the surrogate daughter of the renowned surgeon Dr Horace Cook. From a young age, Dr Cook, taught Nora how to tend to patients. He taught her techniques that only doctors should know, only men should know. When other surgeons in the area learned that Dr. Cook has trained his ward, Nora is sent to Italy to become an official Doctor.
Although critical of her, the Italians are more excepting of a female doctor. The novel follows her training, her trials and life as a student of medicine. While training, Nora gets to assist with a new form of obstetrics, a C-section. No one in England had ever attempted such an unnatural surgery, and here she was assisting with one. England often saw birth as women’s work, with the exception of a complication. Nora knew this, and knew that her new knowledge could help the women back home. England would have to accept her as a doctor.

The author switches between characters in England and Italy in the chapters. It takes a moment for the reader to get used to the switch, but it’s helpful to know both sides of what is going on with Nora‘s home and schooling. This switch helps the audience see everything that Nora is feeling, and what her family is going through with her gone. It also does a good job of framing how much more progressive and accepting the Italians are versus the English. This book does a good job of showing the importance of feminism in a patriarchal world.

With England not allowing women to practice medicine during the 19th century Nora Beady takes her medical studies to Bologna, Italy, where women are barely tolerated.

Nora befriends Dr. Magdalena Morenco, the only female on staff in the University Hospital, who has quite a prickly personality. Although it is not an easy journey for her, Nora, with determination and hard work, is able to receive her medical degree just short of jumping through hoops to do so.

This author duo has created a wonderfully captivating historical novel that has plenty of details and you can tell much research was done for this presentation. While it takes us on an arduous adventure with Nora to secure a medical degree, it also has us see Daniel, her physician beau, waiting for her back in England, as he goes through the hardships of trying to maintain a home & clinic for them along with her mentor and guardian, Dr. Croft.

The narration by Susan Lyons was superb allowing for an easy flow to the auditory enjoyment.

This extremely interesting historical novel with extensive research is a credit to Audrey Blake.

My thanks to #NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for this ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Pub date: 5/10/22
Genre: historical fiction, women in STEM
In one sentence: Nora Beady is a surgeon, whether society likes it or not, and meeting a female patient in need of a c-section will change her life forever.

I love books about women in STEM - this one reminded me a lot of Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict, which I also loved. The beginning is a bit slow-paced, but the action revs up in the last 25% of the book. Nora was a wonderful MC - I loved seeing her struggle and persevere at medical school in Bologna. The reader also gets the perspective of Daniel, Nora's surgeon beloved back in London - these two are made for each other.

If you like historical fiction with a heavy helping of science, I'd recommend this one! Both text and audio are winners in my book. Narrator Susan Lyons did a great job capturing both Nora and Daniel's perspectives.

Bonus: this book is actually a sequel, but it works well as a standalone. Book one is The Girl in His Shadow, and I plan to read it soon!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my ARC and Recorded Books for my ALC (both on NetGalley).
Posted to Goodreads and Instagram 5/8/22.

I listened to this audiobook on the road yesterday. I was completely drawn into the story. I finished it in one listen. As a nurse I was fascinated with the medical history throughout and as a woman I was drawn into the love story. This was my first book by this author and I just can’t wait to read more.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ability to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! It was captivating. It hooked me from the very first chapter and kept me hooked.

Before I started reading this, I was unaware that it was the second book in a series. That being said, you needn’t read the first book to understand the story in this one. The story has a dual timeline and follows Nora Beady who is attempting to earn her medical degree in Bologna at a time when women were not welcomed readily into medicine. It also follows her beau, Daniel through the trials and tribulations of being an early surgeon in London. I really enjoyed listening to the descriptions of the medicine and surgeries being performed and how they were the pioneer to some procedures that are readily done today. It’s hard to believe that these surgeries were performed with out anesthesia in some cases, without sterilizing instruments, taking universal precautions, etc.

As a medical professional myself, the history of medicine and how far we’ve come is fascinating. I would’ve enjoyed hearing more of the details regarding other surgeries and cases in the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading any other stories about these characters.

I received this book as an ARC audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

History brought to life! This book is a fascinating look into one woman's journey to become a surgeon. It is full of politics, heartbreak, and triumph. Once I started I struggled to put it down! I highly recommend!

I loved this audio book. This is the first time reading a book by Audrey Blake and it will not be the last. The book is about the pioneer women surgeons and how men surgeons did not want women in their surgery center. An C- section was unheard of. The male doctors thought it was too much risk to do. It was better to lose the baby than both mother and baby. Nora Beady watched and joined her fathers practice. When it came time for her to go to med school she wanted to break all the barriers for women and incorporate the ceasearn section for pregnant women having babies who for many reasons cannot have it naturally. Loved it

Grey's Anatomy in the 1840s.
Nora going through the ending of her schooling and dealing with sexism
Daniel pining away in London while watching his mentor deteriorate
Its very delightful

3.5

Whenever we think that women are oppressed, we need to read something that points out quite aptly the struggle women who came before us. It's the nineteenth century where being a doctor is a man's work. Women are considered too weak, too needy, and can't see things of an indelicate nature.

One of the professions that women were banned from was that of becoming a doctor. However, in The Surgeon’s Daughter, we find a young woman, Nora Beady, who so desires this position. Nowhere in England will allow her to train so Nora's off to Bologna University in Italy since they allow women.

Her desire is to be a surgeon and one can imagine the barriers that are in place to stop her, from fellow students (all men) to teachers and others.

She is assigned to Magdalana Morenco a well known woman doctor, really the only one, and initially their relationship is tenuous at best. She needs to prove herself and as she moves forward to her desire Together the women use ether, a new way to deter pain and also Caesarean sections, a very dangerous procedure at the time. These methods were considered experimental and the men felt these practices to be barbaric, opposing change in most forms. The men threw invectives, while keeping their very wives away from medical attention they needed.

As they ladies, persevered, one had to wonder about how they could in an environment that seemed to want them to fail.

This was a fine story, a bit too lengthy, but once again pointing to the old world thought that women only belonged in the home catering to the whims of men.

I enjoyed the story that showed strength and perseverance in following the path you desire.

Thank you to Audrey Blake, and NetGalley for the audio version, narrated by Susan Lyons, of this story.