Set in the 19th century, the first few chapters of the book look at a young couple starting out in life and we soon move on to finding out about their two daughters, Ally and May. Their mother Elizabeth makes a priority of the poor/destitute women she works with and cares for, over and above the physical and emotional needs of her own daughters. Their father doesn't seem to have much of a voice in the girls' upbringing. In pursuit of her own interests, Elizabeth determines that her daughter Ally become one of the first female doctors in the country (set against a backdrop of the early suffragette movement).
The subject matter was fascinating - medical history at a time of social upheaval. The characters were thought provoking - one compliant overachieving daughter, one rule breaking daughter, an artist father and an abusive mother. Whilst we all read the book and we all enjoyed the book, it wasn't likeable - it was hard to warm to Ally's character. The appalling treatment of women was a stark reminder of how far we have traveled in this country at least.
Here's the author in action, talking about her work:
Other titles discussed:
The Iceberg by Marianne Coutts
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Next time:
The Bees by Laline Paull
Tuesday 7th July 2015
