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The Doctor
The Doctor: A Novel | Patricia Duncker
1 post | 1 read | 1 to read
So begins The Doctor, a provocative, illuminating novel based on a true story about a brilliant female physician who is compelled to live as a man under the name James Miranda Barry. Patricia Duncker traces Barry's incredible life over the course of five decades and across three continents, from his cross-dressing child genius days to medical school in Edinburgh, Scotland; from his glorious career as a military surgeon to his adventures as a celebrated duelist and social figure known throughout the world. This richly inventive and entertaining tale of dark family secrets, adultery, and colonial history is a transforming contemplation on the substance of gender, the power of will, and an unforgettable portrait of a brilliant mind.
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Jas16
The Doctor: A Novel | Patricia Duncker
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Mehso-so

This novel is a fictional account of the life of James Miranda Barry, a doctor who had been a girl but lived as a man in the 1800s and was not what I had hoped it would be. The author focuses on the lack of choices a woman at the time had but I never got a sense of who Barry was or what he wanted. I think I should read one of his biographies instead. #mustacheonthecover #booked2021

charl08 I read one of the biographies but I'm not sure I ever got a sense of what JMB wanted - had to be so careful to preserve the mask. 3y
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