The Mysterious Life of Dr Barry: A Surgeon Unlike Any Other
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By Lisa Williamson
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1800. London. Margaret Anne Bulkley desperately wants to be a surgeon – but only men can train as doctors.
Fifty years later, Dr James Barry is famous, serving as Inspector General of Hospitals throughout the British Empire. A brilliant surgeon, bold reformer and prickly individual known for his fierce temper, he fought a duel in South Africa and clashed with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea.
But Dr Barry has a secret that he is determined no one should ever learn…
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It was fiction and I loved it because of the tension it made me feel
A short, pacy and to the point account of the life of Dr James Barry who was the first female to qualify as a doctor but who lived life as a man. Whether or not he was transgender (as we now understand the term) or whether she was living as a man so that she could lead a fulfilling life - we don’t know. An extraordinary tale of courage either way.
