The Excellent Doctor Blackwell: The Life of the First Woman Physician

Written by Julia Boyd

Narrated by Corrie James

When British-born Elizabeth Blackwell earned her medical degree in America in 1849 there was an international outcry. Few at the time would have disagreed with the actress Fanny Kemble's remark-"What, trust a woman doctor-never!"

Yet by the time Dr. Blackwell died in 1910 there were hundreds of women practicing medicine on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks in no small part to her courage and determination. Using a treasure trove of primary sources, the book reveals how Elizabeth Blackwell's pioneering efforts helped to fundamentally change the status of women in the West.

The Excellent Doctor Blackwell tells a remarkable story, taking in the women's rights movement, the American Civil War, and Elizabeth's personal tragedy, with a fascinating cast of characters, from Abraham Lincoln to Florence Nightingale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jan 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798765005521

Julia Boyd

Julia Boyd is the author of Travelers in the Third Reich: The Rise of Fascism through the Eyes of Everyday People. Her previous books include A Dance with the Dragon: The Vanished World of Peking's Foreign Colony; The Excellent Doctor Blackwell: The Life of the First Woman Physician; and Hannah Riddell: An Englishwoman in Japan. As the widow of a former diplomat, she lived in Germany from 1977 to 1981. She now lives in London.