Where the Light Enters
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4.4 • 16 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the international bestselling author of The Gilded Hour comes Sara Donati's enthralling epic about two trailblazing female doctors in nineteenth-century New York
Obstetrician Dr. Sophie Savard returns home to the achingly familiar rhythms of Manhattan in the early spring of 1884 to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. With the help of Dr. Anna Savard, her dearest friend, cousin, and fellow physician she plans to continue her work aiding the disadvantaged women society would rather forget.
As Sophie sets out to construct a new life for herself, Anna's husband, Detective-Sergeant Jack Mezzanotte calls on them both to consult on two new cases: the wife of a prominent banker has disappeared into thin air, and the corpse of a young woman is found with baffling wounds that suggest a killer is on the loose. In New York it seems that the advancement of women has brought out the worst in some men. Unable to ignore the plight of New York's less fortunate, these intrepid cousins draw on all resources to protect their patients.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Donati (The Gilded Hour) captivates in this story of two female physicians in 1884 New York. This narrative encompasses half a year in the lives of wealthy cousins, Anna Savard Mezzanotte, a surgeon, and Sophie Savard Verhoeven, an obstetrician, who are forced to battle misogynistic attitudes about women becoming doctors. Sophie must also endure prejudice against her race; she's black, white, and Native American. On top of the challenges they face, both women are also involved in searching for an apparent medical practitioner who murders women requesting abortions. Anna's husband, Jack, is a police detective investigating the serial crimes, and both women contribute with their professional observations of the victims. Although appearances suggest that the perpetrator might be a religious male doctor who is righteously punishing women, the truth may be more complicated. The number of interwoven relationships among all characters is occasionally distracting, but this is offset by exceptional characterizations. Elegant prose, entrancing era descriptions, and occasional bits of wit add to the impact. This is a riveting medical mystery.
