Name: Cindy Lieberman's review of The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura
Item: The Doctors Blackwell
Rating: 3
Author: Cindy Lieberman

Janice P. Nimura

The world recoiled at the notion of a woman doctor, yet Elizabeth Blackwell persisted--in 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an MD. Her achievement made her an icon--"I am convinced that a new & nobler era is dawning, for Medicine," she wrote--but her sister Emily, eternally eclipsed, was the more brilliant physician. Together they founded the first hospital staffed entirely by women, in New York City. Both sisters were tenacious and visionary, but their convictions did not always align with the emergence of women's rights--or with each other. "Doubt is disease," Elizabeth insisted. They prevailed against fierce resistance from the male establishment, moving among Britain, France, and America during a tumultuous time of scientific discovery and civil war. This major new biography celebrates two complicated pioneers who exploded the limits of possibility. As Elizabeth predicted, "a hundred years hence, women will not be what they are now."

How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine

The Doctors Blackwell

Andra Gabriela

Cindy Lieberman

Two young women who are very important in my life attend Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary School, so I wanted to read this to learn more about the woman for whom their school was named. 

The good: Elizabeth Blackwell was a very determined, headstrong, and confident person. Born into a family of strong abolitionists, education was prized above all else. She persisted in the face of societal pressure and the many obstacles in her path. She felt she was equal to any boy or man in intellect, so why should she be denied the same access to a title (Doctor) and achievement. Through her efforts and those of her sister, the two of them forged a path for colleges of medicine in the US to start accepting female students. She and her sister also provided no- and low-cost healthcare for poor families when they were able. 

The bad: Elizabeth was a mostly self-centered and self-important person who didn’t much like nurses. She actually didn’t like medicine much and was not all that interested in helping people as much as gaining recognition for her academic achievements. When she went to Paris to continue her studies, she was highly offended that the only medical education she was eligible for was in labor and delivery. 

The strange: Elizabeth had a glass eye due to a medical incident (read the book to find out how!). She was born in England, became a naturalized American citizen, and ended her days back in England. She was from a family of 11 children. She decided that marriage and medicine would not mix for her, so she never married but she grew lonely and “adopted” an orphan girl whom she raised as her companion/helpmate. She instructed the girl, Kitty, to address her as Doctor.

Thanks to Doctor Blackwell’s diaries and research into the time period, the author does a good job of describing the time and place in interesting detail. However, it’s no page turner. Audiobook at 1.75x speed helped me make quick work of it.

Andra Gabriela &
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura

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Andra Gabriela &The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura

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Join the club

Andra Gabriela &
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura