Bradshaw, Gillian - The Beacon at Alexandria

[oyceter]

In order to escape marriage with a man she detests, Charis dresses as a eunuch and goes to Alexandria to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. Assorted things happen (aka, I am too tired to summarize more plot).

I read this largely because I was looking for a quiet, deep romance, and I ended up so enthralled by the medicine that the eventual romance was a bit of a letdown in the end.

Normally, I'd run from books where the rebellious daughter dresses as a man or escapes a horrific marriage, not because I don't support that sort of thing, but because it's so often done badly, with anvils everywhere and anachronistic attitudes.

Granted, I don't know anything at all about the period, so I can't say if the attitudes are anachronistic or not, but they felt more realistic than other things I've read. Also, I like that while Charis is different and brave, she isn't the dreaded "spunky." Mostly I love her because she loves medicine so much, and that passion shone through everything she did. And while she managed to win many people over in an unconventional role, Bradshaw wrote it such that I could see that people were being won over by Charis' skill and her dedication, and that her skill and her dedication were not amazingly perfect.

It's the same thrill of happiness that I get while watching someone do something they really love; I may not love it, but their enthusiasm is infectious.

There were some elements I didn't like so much -- the rival doctor whose hatred for Charis drives him to villainy, the love story (ironically), Charis' growing fame.

But it was the medicine that won me over, and now I wish I knew more about Charis' oft-quoted and much-loved Hippocrates.

ETA:
cofax7's review
rilina's review

Comments

[cofax7]

Yay!

I hope you saw my long post about this a few months ago? I was surprised by how much I still liked it, although I agree, the romance wasn't the strongest part of it.

[oyceter]

Oh that's right! I meant to go back and read that after I'd finished the book, thanks for the reminder!

[minnow1212.livejournal.com]

Yay, Charis!

[oyceter]

Very much so!

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

That sounds really good. I love reading about historical medicine.

[oyceter]

It's quite good, actually.

And now I'm following up by reading Mary Roach's Stiffs, in which I get another view of medicine!

[oursin.livejournal.com]

You might like Helen King, Hippocrates' Women: Reading the Female Body in Ancient Greece (she's also written more generally on Greek and Roman medicine, health in antiquity, etc).

[oyceter]

Ooo, thanks for the rec!