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Feb. 11th, 2023 07:09 pmThe Doctors Blackwell by Janice Nimura
Biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, famously the first woman to receive a medical degree, and her younger sister Emily Blackwell, who followed her sister into the profession. Does a really good job of capturing the complexity of both of their contributions to society.
I was left with two major thoughts:
A) I really want Yuletide-y fic about the Blackwells that mashes them up with 19th century genre novels. Elizabeth meets Dr. Moreau, in particular. There's something about Nimura's depiction of Dr. Elizabeth that makes me feel like that would be a really compelling take on her, pushing the limits of medical practice. Also Steampunk Dr. Emily Blackwell, Ace Surgeon would be great.
B) It's so hard to reconcile the significance of the medical advances of the 19th century with how far beyond them we've gotten. What does it mean to hail Elizabeth Blackwell as the first accredited female doctor when she didn't subscribe to the germ theory? Is there room in our pantheon of pioneering women also for the first accredited female doctor who did subscribe to the germ theory? Nimura does a great job of bringing out this ambiguity about her legacy, while recognizing the places where the Blackwells' legacy really was for lasting and positive.
Biography of Elizabeth Blackwell, famously the first woman to receive a medical degree, and her younger sister Emily Blackwell, who followed her sister into the profession. Does a really good job of capturing the complexity of both of their contributions to society.
I was left with two major thoughts:
A) I really want Yuletide-y fic about the Blackwells that mashes them up with 19th century genre novels. Elizabeth meets Dr. Moreau, in particular. There's something about Nimura's depiction of Dr. Elizabeth that makes me feel like that would be a really compelling take on her, pushing the limits of medical practice. Also Steampunk Dr. Emily Blackwell, Ace Surgeon would be great.
B) It's so hard to reconcile the significance of the medical advances of the 19th century with how far beyond them we've gotten. What does it mean to hail Elizabeth Blackwell as the first accredited female doctor when she didn't subscribe to the germ theory? Is there room in our pantheon of pioneering women also for the first accredited female doctor who did subscribe to the germ theory? Nimura does a great job of bringing out this ambiguity about her legacy, while recognizing the places where the Blackwells' legacy really was for lasting and positive.