e-Audio, 12:02:37
Narrated by: Amanda Stribling
Release Date: May 25, 2024
Published by: HighBridge
Read from: June 2-7, 2024
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
Content Warning: Panic Attacks/Disorders, Death, Medical trauma, Addiction, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Rape, Drug Use
For Readers Interested In: Historical Fiction, AdultCaught in the great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, a female doctor who’s joined a traveling medicine show to support her disabled son is forced to weather the storm and its aftermath in a town hostile to the troupe’s unconventional ways but desperate for their help.
Readers of Ellen Marie Wiseman, Sandra Dallas, and Sara Donati will be captivated by this story of medical historical fiction by Amanda Skenandore, registered nurse and acclaimed author of The Nurse’s Secret and The Second Life of Mirielle West.
Once a trailblazer in the field of medicine, Dr. Tucia Hatherley hasn’t touched a scalpel or stethoscope since she made a fatal mistake in the operating theater. Instead, she works in a corset factory, striving to earn enough to support her disabled son. When even that livelihood is threatened, Tucia is left with one option—to join a wily, charismatic showman named Huey and become part of his traveling medicine show.
Her medical license lends the show a pretense of credibility, but the cures and tonics Tucia is forced to peddle are little more than purgatives and bathwater. Loathing the duplicity, even as she finds uneasy kinship with the other misfit performers, Tucia vows to leave as soon as her debts are paid and start a new life with her son—if Huey will ever let her go.
When the show reaches Galveston, Texas, Tucia tries to break free from Huey, only to be pulled even deeper into his schemes. But there is a far greater reckoning ahead, as a September storm becomes a devastating hurricane that will decimate the Gulf Coast—and challenge Tucia to recover her belief in medicine, in the goodness of others—and in herself.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was a HUGE let down. I saw Galveston and I was already thinking like hell yeah! But when it came down to it, it didn’t come to play until like 70% or something and that annoyed me so bad lol
Ok so for the historical aspect, I thought it was pretty good. The way people acted toward an educated woman just ugh I mean it’s still very much the same, but reading about this happening in the 1900’s just made me stick to my stomach. And all because she was a doctor. And the people that “helped” her along the way were also terrible. This time instead of disliking every adult in a book, I hated all of the men in the book. With the exception of like one.
Ok so the setting was my main reason of wanting to read this. Especially since it was set during 1900. I knew that meant the Great Galveston hurricane was coming and I thought it was going to be filled with some heart stopping times before the hurricane and during it, but I didn’t get any of that. First off they didn’t get to Galveston until like 70% and even though they talked about some Galveston staples (like Murdoch’s) she barely mentioned the way the air smelled and the way the beaches were, etc. I don’t really understand the way it has Galveston in the title and the synopsis starts with the 1900 storm when it’s only there for the climax of the story.
And because it was only there for the climax of the story, it felt hella weird because there was no like build up or anything. It came out of nowhere. And even tho I know that’s how people were back then because we didn’t have any like Dopplers that we do now, it just didn’t seem like they had any sense of urgency. Like even when the rain and stuff started coming and they realized it was more than just a little rain, it was still like meh to me. Maybe because I was jaded that I sat through that whole book waiting for them to get to Galveston, but I don’t doubt that others that were also waiting for that same thing would also be mad.
The circus and it’s members was cool, but it felt I thought it was out of place. Why? Because again, the synopsis made it seem like this was about something completely different. And when it started giving all the back stories of all the circus people, it just seemed weird. I can’t lie to you, I had no idea where this was going.
I do wish the conditions that she and her son had were more explored tho. The amount of times it was mentioned in this book alone should have warranted a better explanation than what we got. It just felt a bit weird to not know. Even if they had to make guesses on what it was based on the time it was. Idk, besides the way the evil ass men were in this book, it never felt like this book was historical.
This wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I read this book to give my opinion for an adult program selection. Come back in a year and see if they pick it lmao
Overall, I give this
