Women's History Month

As nurses, midwives, and herbalists, women have filled the role of healer throughout history. Unfortunately, women having knowledge was something (and sometimes still is) frowned upon. Knowing about herbal remedies, well that meant running the risk of being accused of witchcraft. Even goddesses in Ancient Greece.

 Kate Hodges Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology's Fiercest  Females 

begins with Hecate, patron of midwives and healers, and how her reputation was blackened by those who were uncomfortable with the concept of women having healing powers.

Agnodice, one of the featured "rebel ladies: in Brazen by Pénélope Bagieu, was rather

unhappy with Ancient Greece's laws against women learning or practicing medicine and ran off to Egypt to learn. When she came home to Greece, Agnodice, undeterred by the laws, disguised herself as a man, and quickly gained the reputation as the "go-to OB-GYN".

The 2022 Women's History theme, “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” is both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.  - https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/#:~:text=The%202022%20Women's%20History%20theme,healing%20and%20hope%20throughout%20history.

The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women--and Women to Medicine by Nimura, Janice P.

"The vivid biography of two pioneering sisters who, together, became America's first female doctors and transformed New York's medical establishment by creating a hospital by and for women. Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for greatness beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity won her the acceptance of the all-male medical establishment and in 1849 she became the first woman in America to receive a medical degree. But Elizabeth's story is incomplete without her often forgotten sister, Emily, the third woman in America to receive a medical degree. Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies and enduring partnership, Nimura presents a story of both trial and triumph: Together the sisters' founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women. Both sisters were tenacious and visionary; they were also judgmental, uncompromising, and occasionally misogynistic--their convictions as 19th-century women often contradicted their ambitions. From Bristol, England, to the new cities of antebellum America, this work of rich history follows the sister doctors as they transform the nineteenth-century medical establishment and, in turn, our contemporary one"-- Provided by publisher.

WHO SAYS WOMEN CAN'T BE DOCTORS? : The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell. by Stone, Tanya Lee.                                                                  An introduction to the life and achievements of the first American female doctor describes the limited career prospects available to women in the early nineteenth-century, the opposition Blackwell faced while pursuing a medical education, and her pioneering medical career that opened doors for future generations of women

Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Campbell, Olivia. 

Documents the true stories of three pioneering women who defied Victorian-era boundaries to become the first women doctors, discussing how they banded together to support each other and advocate for women's health in a male-dominated field.

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-- and the World by Swaby, Rachel "Covering Nobel Prize winners and major innovators, as well as lesser-known but hugely significant scientists who influence our every day, Rachel Swaby's ... profiles span centuries of courageous thinkers and illustrate how each one's ideas developed, from their first moment of scientific engagement through the research and discovery for which they're best known"--Page 4 of cover.

The Lady's Handbook For Her Mysterious Illness : A Memoir by Ramey, Sarah
"The funny, defiant memoir of Sarah Ramey's years-long battle with a mysterious illness that doctors thought was all in her head--but wasn't. A revelation and an inspiration for millions of women whose legitimate health complaints are ignored. In her darkly funny and courageous memoir, Sarah Ramey recounts the decade-long saga of how a seemingly minor illness in her senior year of college turned into a prolonged and elusive condition that destroyed her health but that doctors couldn't diagnose or treat. Worse, as they failed to cure her, they hinted that her problems were all in her head. The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness is a memoir with a mission: to help the millions of (mostly) women who suffer from unnamed or misunderstood conditions: autoimmune illnesses like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, chronic pain, and many more. Sarah's pursuit of a diagnosis and cure for her own mysterious illness becomes a page-turning medical mystery that reveals a newly emerging understanding of modern illnesses as ecological in nature. Her book will open eyes, change lives, and ultimately change medicine"-- Provided by publisher.

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Maggs, Sam

"Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology organizations--all to show the many ways the geeky girls of today can help to build the future,"--Amazon.com.

Letter to a Young Female Physician: Notes from a Medical Life by Koven, Suzanne

"A poignant, funny, personal exploration of authenticity in work and life by a woman doctor. In 2017, Dr. Suzanne Koven published an essay describing the challenges faced by women doctors, including her own personal struggle with "imposter syndrome"-a long-held, secret belief that she was not smart enough or good enough to be a "real" doctor. Accessed nearly 300,000 times by readers around the world, Koven's "Letter to a Young Female Physician" has evolved into a work that reflects on her career in medicine, in which women still encounter sexism, pay inequity, and harassment. Koven tells engaging stories about her pregnancy during a grueling residency in the AIDS era; the illnesses of her son and parents during which her roles as a doctor, mother, and daughter converged; and the twilight of her career during the COVID-19 pandemic. Letter to a Young Female Physician offers an indelible eyewitness account from a doctor, mother, wife, daughter, teacher, and writer that will encourage readers to embrace their own imperfect selves"--. Provided by publisher.

The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care by Boyer, Anne

"A fresh, fierce, and timely meditation on data, pain, time, and the limited capacity of literature to comprehend life and death in a sensate and vulnerable body." -- Provided by publisher.

Tooth and Nail:The Making of a Female Fight Doctor by Dahl, Linda

Chronicles the coming of age of a surgeon in New York City and her experiences as one of the only female ringside doctors for the New York State Athletic Commission.

The Doctor With An Eye For Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Mosca, Julia Finley

"As a girl coming of age during the Civil Rights Movement, Patricia Bath made it her mission to become a doctor. When obstacles like racism, poverty, and sexism threatened this goal, she persevered--brightening the world with a game-changing treatment for blindness!"--Inside book jacket.

Maria Montessori by Sánchez Vegara, Ma Isabel

"Maria grew up in Italy at a time when girls didn't receive an equal education to boys. But Maria's mother was supportive of her dreams, and Maria went on to study medicine. She later became an early years expert - founding schools with her revolutionary educational theories and changing the lives of many children. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the educator's life" -- Publisher.