Amanda Skenandore

Historical fiction circa 1900 about a discredited American female doctor who finds that her only option is to join a traveling medicine show.

Tucia Hatherley, once the top student in her medical school class, killed a patient during surgery while the attending physician looked on, berating and humiliating her. She had been barely tolerated during her studies and this surgical mistake ended her hopes and career dreams. Suffering from a sort of post traumatic stress as well as trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), Tucia has few options for employment. Add in the fact that she has a young son with Down Syndrome, Tucia is in debt with no where to turn. Then, in desperation, she falls in with Hugh Horn (Huey) who is the dubious owner of a group of rag tag performers in a group called The Amazing Adolphus And his Traveling Medicine Company. They travel about the country doing their show, dispensing fake potions and tonics, and leave the area before they get caught hawking those dubious cures. Since Tucia has a medical license, Huey puts her to work as a quasi medical assistant, mind reader, and fortune teller. She longs to escape, but is indentured. Then, they make it to Galveston right before the great hurricane.

OK, this was all very interesting about the medicine shows and such, but it went on far too long only getting to Galveston and the natural disaster at about 80% in the book. I picked this novel because I wanted to hear about Tucia practicing medicine during the hurricane. Honestly, Tucia (where in the world did the author find that name?) was mostly an annoying mess with all her panic attacks and hair pulling that was just overdone. It was hard to believe she would ever get herself together and actually be productive. The other characters in the book were exactly the odd bunch that one imagines would be found in a circus - the giant, the Native American, the tinker, the cripple, etc. All with hearts of gold of course. Stereotypes. The description of the hurricane coming so far into the book was too little too late. I expected the neatly wrapped ending. But, overall, just disappointed as this was not the book I had expected.

I listened to the audiobook while also reading along in the e-book — both provided by the publishers. The narrator was OK but the accents and many different voices proved a bit much for a single person to voice. If you are looking for a novel about heroism during a historic natural disaster, this might not be the one to pick.… (more)

Tucia is a female doctor not practicing medicine due to an incident in the operating room. She finds herself down on her luck and needs a way to take care of herself and her disabled son Toby. She becomes involved with a Traveling Medicine show and is forced to push fake medical cures on people which goes against her medical training. Along the way she meets a great cast of characters. You have to get quite a way through the book until you get to the Galveston Hurricane, but it is well worth the wait. This is a well written book. I couldn't put this one down. You will really enjoy this one.… (more)

Thank you to the author for this book which I won from her website email.

I don't think I've ever read a book about medicine traveling shows nor a woman or a doctor in 1900 traveling with one. Tucia was a single mother of a disabled son and a former doctor and in debt. She didn't trust Huey at first but needed her debt paid off so she went with him. To me, he seemed like a shyster and I think she did too.

What a cast of characters. A German giantess, a bowlegged musician, an indentured Creek poet, an Indian, etc. I was enthralled with the performances and as I got to know them, like Tucia, I began to like them even more. She also was a performer and didn't like it but what could she do, it was part of her “contract” with Huey.

I found this medicine show very interesting with the different places they set up and of course the people she interacted with there and the backstories of their lives before. It was not an easy life that's for sure.

Almost at the end when they were in Galveston, TX, a huge hurricane hit and it was chaos and thankfully Tucia was there to help others in need the way she always wanted to be as a doctor.… (more)

historical-novel, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, PTSD, medical-doctor, physical-attack, misogyny, friends, friendship, frustration, triggers, hucksters, unpleasant-boss, trauma, travel, family-by-choice, family-history, family*****

From medical school in Chicago with double trauma and shame, to having a young son with physical limitations, to being deep in debt and fired from a sweat shop, to reluctantly joining a travelling medicine show. Her PTSD has taken the form of Trichotillomania and Hemophobia. Despite having an MD license, she has no desire to ever do a surgical procedure again but is roped into sham performances to sell snake oil/nostrums. She becomes friends with the other nonstandard people working for the charlatan as they travel onward with the eventual destination of Galveston just before the historic hurricane. Well written with just the sort of characters and behaviors you'd expect. I really enjoyed the story and the well researched history.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley.Thank you!
Pub Date 21 May 2024… (more)