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My Name Is Mary Sutter: A Novel by Robin…
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My Name Is Mary Sutter: A Novel (edition 2011)

by Robin Oliveira (Author)

Series: Mary Sutter (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,2499516,697 (3.79)94
Another serendipitous thrift store find, MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER (2010) was Robin Oliveira's first novel, which is hard to believe, because it is so perfect, and so good! The title character is a young midwife (trained by her widowed mother) in 1860s Albany who longs to be a surgeon, but her application to the local medical school is rejected because she is a woman, and James Blevens, the young local doctor, refuses to take her on as an apprentice for the same reason. She is also secretly in love with Thomas, the recently orphaned young man next door, but he is enamored with her much prettier twin sister, Jenny. Then the Civil War intervenes, changing everything, as Thomas quickly marries (and impregnates) Jenny, enlists in the Union Army and departs, as do Dr Blevens and Mary's younger brother, Christian. Bereft and restless, Mary soon answers a call (from Dorothea Dix) for nurses in Washington, D.C., where she quickly becomes caught up in the confusion and madness of the War, and also manages to apprentice herself to the much older, widowed Dr William Stipp. Many historical figures play minor roles in Mary's story - Generals McClellan, Winfield Scott and orhers. Surgeons Letterman and Tripler; and, of course, President Lincoln, and his young secretary, John Hay. The author expertly weaves these persons into Mary Sutter's horrific baptism by fire in the horrific conditions of hastily assembled and ill-equipped hospitals in D..C., and then the filthy, primitive field hospitals near the battlefields of Manassas, Fairfax, and Antietam, strewn with thousands of dead and wounded soldiers from both sides of the conflict. After Antietam, Mary returns home, but her story continues a few years after the war in a heartwarming Epilogue.

I absolutely loved this book, and was sorry to see it end. But then I Googled the author and happily discovered that she has written a sequel called WINTER SISTERS. Time permitting, I will try to read that one too. This one? A worthy addition to the growing genre of War Lit. Bravo, Ms Oliveira. My very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER ( )
  TimBazzett | Dec 19, 2023 |
Showing 1-25 of 95 (next | show all)
I started out really liking this book, but I got bogged down at times with all of the explanations of the battles in the Civil War. I did not appreciate the language used by the women. ( )
  tinabuchanan | Nov 13, 2024 |
At 20 in 1860, Mary Sutter is a respected midwife, but aspires to be a surgeon. Repeatedly rejected by medical schools and surgeons for apprenticeships she heads off to Washington to offer her services to the war effort. Too young to be considered for Dorothea Dix's new corps of nurses she canvases hospitals looking to assist. Finally a desperate doctor, William Stipp, takes her on. Over the next 2 years she becomes more competent and exhausted. She is admired and loved by 2 doctors drawn to her spirit almost against their will. Mary is indomitable and vulnerable, torn between her aspirations and her family's need. The book is a picture of the War's human destruction. It shows the awful state of medicine, the efforts made by well meaning doctors, the deprivations and incompetency of decision makers, and the impact of all of it on human life. I highly recommend this story to historical fiction readers. ( )
  Linda-C1 | Sep 26, 2024 |
I read that this is this author's first novel. It's about an ambitious young woman who finds love and fulfillment while amputating limbs during the Civil War.
Mary Sutter is actually aa midwife...a really good one...but she is ambitious and wants what at that time considered "above her station". Actually, it's above her sexuality. You have to remember that this is the mid 1800's and our Mary dared to desire to be a doctor. The 19th-cetunry's ideas of a woman's "place" will never consider or allow this. When the nation becomes divided in bloody conflict, Mary sees and seizes the opportunity to learn the art of medicine while trying to escape from the pain of the man she loves marrying her more conventionally lady-like twin sister, Jenny. The book had many elements that made the historical fiction compelling, but there are issues with the pacing and the dialogue from the very beginning. The story's opening features an expectant mother exhausted and whose life is endangered by a difficult delivery. This should have provided a dramatic way of showing Mary’s expertise and dedication to her trade...the midwife that she had been trained to be, instead, both the stories author portrays Mary to show a total lack of interest in the woman’s state and none of the abilities that Mary was trained for. Mary carries on a lengthy and aggressive dialog with the attending physician...the very man she is determined to make her mentor...the man she hopes can help her be trained as a doctor. The author diffuses this tense, life and death scene with other lengthy passages that have nothing to do with the drama she has just introduced into the storyline. The rest of the story is similarly like this, making what began as an interesting concept...disappointing. The author does seem to have investigated the social, military and medical history of that period, but what was put on paper didn't seem to reflect that much as the story seemed to drag a lot. It was an interesting subject...a fairly good heroine... but it would have benefited from a better execution. ( )
  Carol420 | Jul 15, 2024 |
This book is the tale of a young midwife who wants to become a surgeon and gets her training on the battlefields of the Civil War. I found the story confusing at the start, as if I had been dropped into the middle of a movie that I had missed the first half hour. The characters were a little hazy - as if the author took for granted that we knew what was in her mind. The ending seemed rather abrupt. Nevertheless, the story held my interest. ( )
  bschweiger | Feb 4, 2024 |
Another serendipitous thrift store find, MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER (2010) was Robin Oliveira's first novel, which is hard to believe, because it is so perfect, and so good! The title character is a young midwife (trained by her widowed mother) in 1860s Albany who longs to be a surgeon, but her application to the local medical school is rejected because she is a woman, and James Blevens, the young local doctor, refuses to take her on as an apprentice for the same reason. She is also secretly in love with Thomas, the recently orphaned young man next door, but he is enamored with her much prettier twin sister, Jenny. Then the Civil War intervenes, changing everything, as Thomas quickly marries (and impregnates) Jenny, enlists in the Union Army and departs, as do Dr Blevens and Mary's younger brother, Christian. Bereft and restless, Mary soon answers a call (from Dorothea Dix) for nurses in Washington, D.C., where she quickly becomes caught up in the confusion and madness of the War, and also manages to apprentice herself to the much older, widowed Dr William Stipp. Many historical figures play minor roles in Mary's story - Generals McClellan, Winfield Scott and orhers. Surgeons Letterman and Tripler; and, of course, President Lincoln, and his young secretary, John Hay. The author expertly weaves these persons into Mary Sutter's horrific baptism by fire in the horrific conditions of hastily assembled and ill-equipped hospitals in D..C., and then the filthy, primitive field hospitals near the battlefields of Manassas, Fairfax, and Antietam, strewn with thousands of dead and wounded soldiers from both sides of the conflict. After Antietam, Mary returns home, but her story continues a few years after the war in a heartwarming Epilogue.

I absolutely loved this book, and was sorry to see it end. But then I Googled the author and happily discovered that she has written a sequel called WINTER SISTERS. Time permitting, I will try to read that one too. This one? A worthy addition to the growing genre of War Lit. Bravo, Ms Oliveira. My very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER ( )
  TimBazzett | Dec 19, 2023 |
Set during the Civil War, Mary is determined to be a female surgeon, no matter how much she's turned away from apprenticeship or medical school. Quite a bit set in DC and northern Virginia, and interesting to me because of the locales that I knew - such as why there are no old trees in Alexandria - they were all clear cut to make the union forts to protect DC. Very gory accounts of what she and Dr. Stipp had to do for amputations, and how far away antibiotics and other healing methods were. It's a miracle that anyone survived any injury. ( )
  nancynova | Jul 23, 2022 |
A great tale of strong women, medicine and the Civil War.

Mary Sutter lives in Albany with her family, her mother being a sought after mid-wife in the community. As Mary grows-up she begins to follow her mother to appointments and births and begins to love the work. Her twin sister Jenny, not so much. But Mary had higher aspirations and searched for a Surgeon to apprentice with, or a Medical School that will admit her. Neither materializes and with the the outbreak of the Civil War, Mary eyes Washington as the place she may be able to follow her calling.

Robin Oliveira writes with passion and color. This book won the James Joyce First Novel Fellowship for a work-in-progress. She mixed fictional characters with real people(among those in this novel, Lincoln, Clara Barton, Dorthea Dix and of course all those names of Generals we know from that time period).

There is a sequel to this book Winter Sisters, which I read last year, before I knew it was # 2 in the series. Both can be read as stand-alone, but I am glad I went back to learn about the younger Mary. ( )
  JBroda | Sep 24, 2021 |
An excellent captivating read capturing the struggle women who wanted to serve faced. Plus all the characters come alive and add dimension to the plot. The author did her research, even if Mary Sutter was not a real person but a composition of 11 women who did become doctors during this time period.
  Carrieida | Jul 11, 2021 |
At nineteen Mary Sutter, the daughter of a midwife, is a knowledgeable midwife herself. She wants to become a surgeon but living in the mid 19th century no medical school will accept her nor can she find a surgeon who will train her. The best she can do to further her medical education is to acquire and study all of the most recent medical publications including Grey's Anatomy.

When her brother and brother-in-law enlist in the Union Army in 1861, she goes to Washington City to offer her services as a nurse. Sutter is thrown into the most grossly overcrowded, understaffed and least equipped hospital in the city, initially doing the most menial work. She eventually catches the attention of two doctors who recognize her ability and out of desperation begin to train her. Strong will and more knowledge will lead Mary to carnage on the battlefields, personal heartbreak, and deep friendships.

In Mary, Oliveira has created a strong character who recognizes and stoically faces all of the prejudices against women at the time. She has also written a realistic history of Civil War battles and the experiences of those involved. ( )
  clue | Sep 2, 2020 |
Descriptive, emotional novel of Civil War midwife wanting to be surgeon. Beautiful love story, too. Not sex, but true deep love. Gore, proximity to DC, best practices for surgeries not yet known, true to life characters. ( )
  bereanna | Apr 26, 2020 |
I was very impressed by this book. While reading it, it was obvious that Ms. Oliveira had really done her research. After just checking out her webpage at http://www.robinoliveira.com/behind-the-story.php, I am even more impressed with the amount of research she performed. This was her first book and was quite an undertaking with the level or historical information she included.

Very well written. At some times difficult to read based on the subject matter. It reminded me that we are so spoiled in this generation. There are so many before us who have truly lived through immense hardships.

I personally think this would make a wonderful movie and I look forward to any future novels that Ms. Oliveira may write. ( )
  Beth_German | Mar 28, 2020 |
For such a promising premise, this book falls flat.

The book begins during pre-Civil War when the threat of the pending war is permeating everyone’s lives. Mary Sutter is a mid-wife, same as her mother, who has the ambitions of becoming a surgeon. Will she or won’t she?

The satisfying elements in this book includes the portrayal of American Civil War brutalities and its complete lack of decent medical care including the numerous amputations, and Mary Sutter’s work ethnics. The distracting elements are the love triangle between Mary and her twin sister that needlessly thread into the storyline even though they are in separate locations (get over it already!) and the inclusion of President Lincoln into the story, adding false gravitas to a story that turned out to be only a hair above chick lit. SMH.

This is possibly a three-star book but minus half a star, especially for the Lincoln passages.

Some quotes:

On grief:
“No one ever told her that grief was a leveling of all emotion, that life would stretch before you, colorless and endless, devoid of any hope.”

On slavery:
“Their slaves’ skin might be black, but it was not as black as the souls who might enslave them.”

On injured soldiers:
“This thirst is not thirst. This pain is not pain. This world is not being rent in two.
That howling is only a whisper. That screech is just a murmur. That explosion is nothing but a sigh. That musket fire is but a rustle.
I am not here. We are not here. Armies are not here. The country is not depending on this moment.
Battles are conversations. An exchange. A dialogue.
None of this is true.” ( )
1 vote varwenea | Apr 29, 2019 |
Mary Sutter wants to be a surgeon more than anything. Instead she is working as a midwife which is acceptable in her day and age - the civil war period in the United States.

Mary is a very strong character even though she has some very serious insecurities as a woman due to being rejected by a man she thinks she loves. She feels inferior to her much prettier twin sister. Through the course of the story, we see Mary handle her fears and face her perceived weaknesses.

This is an interesting historical novel and I read this as a selection for my local book club. ( )
  sdbookhound | Mar 17, 2019 |
The things these people of the Civil War endured is beyond heroic. The environments and elements they dealt with everyday, thinking after three months the war would be won and they’d all go back home to their families as if nothing major happened. ( )
  Chelz286 | Aug 26, 2018 |
Excellent Civil War book told from a strong woman's perspective. Mary was raised a to be a midwife but wanted to be a surgeon - unheard of at this time. Even with the war wounded flooding the nation's capitol women were not wanted. Mary defies everyone and pitches in, learning as she goes. Lincoln, John Hay, Dorothea Dix and others make appearances. This is a well researched, well written, gripping novel with strong female characters. ( )
  Rdra1962 | Aug 1, 2018 |
The book has well-developed characters and a strong plot that unquestionably drive it to a somewhat predictable conclusion. The character of Mary Sutter is so powerful for a female of the Civil War era. There are numerous love stories woven through the novel, but not all of them are man-woman. For example, there is a strong love story between the main Character Mary, and the medical field. The book appears to be well-researched so as to be believable. I highly recommend this book for those who love historical fiction. ( )
  RetiredProf | Jun 19, 2018 |
Intense and good. Not for the squeamish. Not only are there graphic descriptions of war casualties, but even childbirth has its fatal bleedouts.
Mary learns midwifery from her mother, who comes from a long line of midwives. The ability to project calm and to keep rational in the midst of stressful situations is one of her assets. She really wants to know more: why & how does the body act as it does? But women are not allowed to study medicine. She takes the initiative, as the Civil War begins, of traveling to a Washington DC "hospital" (formerly a fleabag hotel). Even tho they are understaffed, she is only allowed some nursing & housekeeping tasks until the night the surgeon needs assistance with an amputation.
I am horrified by the dangerous remedies & unsanitary conditions & surprised anyone survives. As the war progresses, we learn of research attempts to learn how to improve survival, the impetus for studying bacterial causes of diseases.
As a nurse, I was most engrossed in the medical aspect of this novel. However there was a good amount of emotional/family drama. Also Oliviera did in depth historical research for this book and it shows. There are cameo appearances of Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, Abraham Lincoln & various military men. I'll leave that for other reviewers to praise. ( )
  juniperSun | Mar 29, 2018 |
The reviews and the actual book cover were much better than the book itself. I felt like the story was as much about Lincoln and his Generals as it was about Mary.


It was OK, but I really didn't think that it is anything to rave about. ( )
  PamV | Mar 27, 2018 |
I found this very fascinating. Mary Sutter is a very strong woman who was determined to be a doctor when women were not "equipped" to hold such a difficult job. Well worth the read. ( )
  MHanover10 | Feb 4, 2018 |
Writing not terrific, but the story is a page turner.. ( )
  TMLibrary | Sep 30, 2017 |
This is the perfect book for someone to read who is interested in medicine, women's history and the Civil War. Robin Oliveira. I have read many book in both areas but not in the same book. The story is fictional but all the details about the history of medicine and status of women are true. I happened to be in a great of pain on the day I started it! I went to ER and was admitted for about four days. I am so glad that I took this book with me. I had discussions about the book with nurses, technicians and a social worker, all five of them now want to read this book.

The author is a master at writing, I never got bored or confused. I was glued to book in one particular scene when a young man's leg had to be amputated. The Mary Sutter character was so determined to learn, learn, learn. She had already mastered being a midwife and dreamed of being a surgeon.

I am so thrilled with this book that I am already searching out more books about women in the Civil War. I would not change a word in this book. I am definitely a fan of Robin Oliveira now. ( )
  Carolee888 | Sep 8, 2017 |
Nice historical about a young single woman named Mary Sutter, who has legendary skills as a midwife but secretly yearns to become a surgeon. Mary goes to local surgeon James Blevens and asks to become an apprentice. Unfortunately Blevens is eager to go to the war and rejects her request, devestating Mary. Then a potential beau is stolen by her prettier twin sister Jenny. Mary reads about a call for nurses in Washington DC on the same day she learns Jenny is expecting a child, and runs away in pain to join the cause. The story mostly focuses on Mary's experiences nursing and learning medicine during the war. I have to admit the flow of the story wasn't real great. I enjoyed the storyline, but think it would have been much better if the book had been broken up between two or three books in a series. The storyline focused so much on the war period that the ending seemed very rushed. But overall I really liked the book and the characters were realistic. I just wished I could have spent a little more time with each of them. Three and a half stars. ( )
  dorie.craig | Jun 22, 2017 |
An impassioned Civil War-era novel of a brilliant young New York midwife with surgeon aspirations. Despite facing endless challenges and naysayers in her struggle to expand her knowledge of medicine, Mary defies the odds and those that oppose her, but not without countless hardships and losses along the way. A rich and detailed historic novel with often graphic and realistic depictions of childbirth and brutal battlefield amputations. Oliveira has written an unforgettable story of female resilience, early medicine, and the devastating outcomes of the Civil War. ( )
  GennaC | May 9, 2017 |
I enjoyed this story but could have done with a little less of the civil war itself. The war plays a large part of the storyline but there could have been less history without taking away from the main story. ( )
  lynnski723 | Dec 31, 2016 |
A very different perspective on the American Civil War, and an ambitious and talented young woman. I listened to this and enjoyed it a lot, will search out other books by this author. 4.5 stars. ( )
  Andrew-theQM | Jun 20, 2016 |
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