My Name Is Mary Sutter

I don't remember now why I picked up this book.  Maybe it was the cover that grabbed me ... 

"A COURAGEOUS EPIC"

 "A FEARLESS HEROINE" 

"A CAPTIVATING LOVE STORY"

Sometimes, with as slow a start as I found this book to have, I won't continue reading.  It was only that I was drawn to the characters and the subject matter straight away that kept my interest piqued.  Set during the American Civil War,  this is a story about a seemingly impossible dream.  As a woman, Mary's desire to be a surgeon sees doors closed at every turn.   A determined and persistent woman, Mary doesn't give up.  The story is about her struggle to achieve.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the love story part of this book is captivating.  For most of the book, I was questioning who it was that she was supposedly in love with.  It's not until the very end of the book that I found my question answered.  

There was plenty of heartache and loss but it's set in war time so I suppose that is to be expected.   There was blood and guts, again ... par for the course in the books setting. I found the times where the generals were talking with President Lincoln to be a bit boring and am not above admitting that I skimmed those pages.  Though, my guess would be that I did that for maybe five or six pages total.  And I'm a good 'skim' reader, I got the gist of what was going on. 

Overall, I would say that I enjoyed the book and am glad that I read it.  It certainly made me thankful to be a woman now, and not then ....