The Surgeon's Daughter

Written by Audrey Blake

Narrated by Susan Lyons

Women's work is a matter of life and death. Nora Beady, the only female student at a prestigious medical school in Bologna, is a rarity. In the 19th century women are expected to remain at home and raise children, so her unconventional, indelicate ambitions to become a licensed surgeon offend the men around her. Under constant scrutiny, Nora's successes are taken for granted; her mistakes used as proof that women aren't suited to the field.

Everything changes when she allies herself with Magdalena Morenco, the sole female doctor on staff. Together the two women develop a groundbreaking surgery: the Cesarean section. It's a highly dangerous procedure and the research is grueling, but even worse is the vitriolic response from men. Most don't trust the findings of women, and many can choose to deny their wives medical care.

Already facing resistance on all sides, Nora is shaken when she meets a patient who will die without the surgery. If the procedure is successful, her work could change the world. But a failure could cost everything: precious lives, Nora's career, and the role women will be allowed to play in medicine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781980091486

Audrey Blake

AUDREY BLAKE has a split personality— because she is the creative alter ego of Regina Sirois and Jaima Fixsen, two authors who met online in a survivor style writing contest. They live 1500 miles apart, but both are prairie girls: Jaima hails from Alberta, Canada, and Regina from the wheatfields of Kansas. Both are addicted to history, words, and stories of redoubtable women, and agree that their friendship, better and longer lasting than any other prize, is proof that good things happen in this random, crazy universe.

Reviews for The Surgeon's Daughter

[Rhonda Cooley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome, well told story. It made me laugh and cry. Nora's character is developed very well. Excellent work! I've discovered a new favorite author after reading this book.

[Ann G Miller-Sobel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good, some parts slow. Sad that regardless of a woman’s talents we can’t get any further all these years later.

[Jacqui Richardson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I really just can't listen to this woman's voice! Will look elsewhere for the book

[Allison Wugalter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good sequel, maybe even better than the first book. I think it was a bit better written. I saw other reviews that didn't like the narrator's voice. I admit when it first started I was momentarily unsure but as the book went on I thought she did very well with all of the Italian names and places and phrases and I especially loved when she did the Scottish accents.

[LibbyLintonSellers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this and the first book in the series,The Girl in his Shadow” very much. A great historical fiction duo. HOWEVER if you are squeamish these may not be for you as they deal with surgery before anesthesia and are quite graphic but if you can get past that I think you will learn a lot of what women went through to be allowed to practice medicine and become surgeons.

[Elana ( Louise Ann) Cohn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A well told blend of the English 19th century woman’s struggle to be granted recognition for their intelligence , on the background of radical new emerging medical procedures.

[Benita Dilley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sequel to The Girl in His Shadow, the focus of the June 2022 worldwide public library Big Read