Domina

A powerful book about early medical practices and medicines and one woman's desire to become one of the first few female doctors in the 1800's, when both males and females would cross the street avoiding her in her determination to enter this field. She could not share conversations, meals and the like during her school years, after finally eliminating her first name on a medical school application gained entrance. This was an era when women held back from being attended by a male doctor due to modesty (and doctors even had longer stethoscopes to not get too close to a woman!) Even a woman doctor's diploma had to be specially made. Many deaths were caused by women holding back a necessary medical exam. And here arrives Dr. Samantha Hargrave to show them "her stuff"!! Dr. Samantha Hargrave persists and this novel covers two continents, many friends and one special man who captures her heart. She loves, she loses, she fights with unbelievable ambition and energy to beat the odds in her determination to be a doctor. You'll find yourself unable to put this book down, all the while learning just how far we've come, and how fortunate we are now and will be in the future. If you like a novel about spirited women...this is Domina.

An apparently well-researched overview of the developments of late-19th-century medicine, wrapped in a quasi-romantic feminist story. I picked this up in the swap-library at my office, and it was just a stroke of good fortune because I happened to be writing a book myself set in 1880, in which one of the characters was a woman doctor. This novel is an engaging read and a good starting point from which to delve into Victorian life and medicine. Since I've been doing deeper research I've found that most of the character's demi-lectures on medical progress were accurate as well as interesting. Of course, it's also an early-eighties epic melodrama; there's plenty of tragedy and sweeping romance: mysterious benefactors and lost loves and the typical disadvantaged childhood to overcome. The romance subplot is occasionally overwrought, when the hero declares his love and the music swells and they fall into each other's arms--it's a tad out-of-step with the tone of the rest of the book, but mercifully those moments are kept to a minimum. It's not a great book, but it's good, and I liked it enough I figure I'll read it again.

I first read this in high school and fell in love with the epic nature -- it has the multi-continent travels, the whole-hearted passion for life and love, and all the "girl-power" a teenage girls craves! I would have kept it on my shelf for sentimental reasons alone, but having re-read it as an adult, I love it for more reasons than that. The idea of triumph over tragedy and healing is so touching -- even more so now that I have few life-scars myself! Worth the investment of time and any suspension of disbelief required to dive into Samantha Hargrave's heart and life. In my top 10!

this book is awesome... it combines historical fiction with romance... it's almost as though you're there at the turn of the 20th century experiencing life back then through our herione's eyes... it's action packed and very moving... i love how realistic the descriptions are... the most amazing part of the book is the details about the state of medical knowledge back then, which was very crude, to say the least... if you're out for a great, inspiring read, pick this book up, you won't be disappointed...

Can't believe this book is out of print. Have just found it on someones bookshelf, and was anxious to read it after having read Virgins of Paradise. I loved this book. Barbara Wood's female characters are strong and yet constantly feminine. I particularly enjoy the way in which Ms Wood entwines such rich historical content and topics into her stories. I am impressed by the extensive research she must undertake.