I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

This book was based on the true story of James Miranda Barry, who was actually a man, a fact that wasn't discovered until her death. I honestly can't believe this is the author's debut novel. It's so well thought out, well researched, and just overall an amazing story about what drove women to disguise themselves as men and the pros and cons of that.

This novel was based on the real life of Dr. James Miranda Steuart Barry who was born in Cork, Ireland 1789.
Barry was born female, but due to family hardships/poverty …and the female population not being allowed to study and go to college.. he disguised his self as a male to further himself.
While stationed later on at The Cape in Africa,,he performed the first cesarean section by a European in Africa where both mother and child survived.
In this novel his name is Jonathan Miranda Perry .. I don’t know how many of the details of this fictional account are true to fact but it was very interesting.

Dr. James Miranda Barry was born in 1789 in Cork, Ireland.

Dr. James Miranda Barry was born female, and named Margaret. But Margaret was tutored by family friends and she had shown to have a brilliant mind. But what can a woman in 18th Century Ireland do? To pursue an education, Margaret begins to change her identity to become James. She attends Edinburgh University (forbidden to women) to earn a medical degree. Although she has practiced how to walk, stand, and talk as a male, and she binds her chest, she still gets some unwanted attention from others because her small frame. Despite her intellect, her teachers, and later those she works with, think s/he is too young to be as accomplished as s/he is.

Despite her small frame and the secret she hides, Dr. Barry is not one to back down from an argument or from attempting to right wrongs. Her biggest concern is the (lack of) treatment and medical care for slaves. She gets a station as physician in Cape Town where she is befriended by the governor.

Dr. Barry and the governor (who learns her true identity) become romantically involved, but despite their best attempts to keep it a secret, rumors begin to fly, and those rumors are of a homosexual relationship. Their lives get even more complicated when Dr. Barry is pregnant and must make some difficult decisions.

This is the second historical fiction novel of a woman doctor having to hide her identity or skills that I've read in the past few months. The similarities are obvious - strong, smart women who are driven to study and practice medicine but must hide either their skills or their identity to succeed.

But what is different with The Cape Doctor is that Dr. Barry constantly flirts with danger by her aggressive personality. Rather than blending in and quietly working away in the background, Dr. Barry challenges and pushes the men in power.

She is not genteel and I must admit to a male reader bias - I was looking for 'signs' of feminine behavior (personality - not biology). I did not find her 'likeable' and I frankly don't know if it's because she didn't conform to an expectation, or if she was just not a likeable person.

But while I didn't care for the character of Dr. Barry, I did find the journey fascinating and engaging, and that this is based on an actual person and events is both sad (that women have been [and still are] treated this way, and empowering that some have been determined enough to find ways to work with their skills and knowledge despite the obstacles in their path.

Looking for a good book? The Cape Doctor by E.J. Levy is a historical fiction novel based on true events of a woman who becomes a doctor in the late 18th/early 19th century. It is very well written and provides an intriguing story, though we never feel as though we get 'close' to the protagonist.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The writing here is excellent, and I feel that the time period and the life of Dr. Barry were superbly researched. This is a feminist novel: how would our world be improved if women were historically allowed to follow their passions? It took risking her life, and giving up so much, to achieve what she did. We should learn from these mistakes - it wasn't that long ago! - and empower our women and girls around the world. The story that Levy composed for the semi-fictional Dr. Perry is heartbreaking at all stops, but we need to read about such heartbreak so that we do not lose focus and move backward. I recommend this book.

The Cape Doctor by E.J. Levy was just such an amazing book. I love a good historical fiction book and I'm was really pleased to read something not about Elizabethan England for a change.

This one tells the story of the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry and what a remarkable life it was. A woman, who due to the times and her gender, was not allowed to be a doctor. Rather than just abide by the rules of her society at the time, she instead decided to live her life as a man in order to follow her dreams. Just amazing if you really think about it.

I'm not going to get into figuring out if Dr. James Miranda Barry was trans or not, as I don't really feel it's my place to weigh in. I can say that when I was reading the book, I didn't read it with the lens that she was transgender, but I don't see anything wrong with it if she is. Either way, her story is remarkable, and E.J. Levy's tale is a great introduction to this absolutely fascinating person.

A young woman is made to be the provider for her and her mother. The only problem is, she is a woman at the wrong time. There is no money for schools and she can’t simply get a career. Her father leaves the two ladies and they move from Cork, Ireland to England. During this time a scholar decides to invest i. Her education. They get so far that the next step is university but woman can’t attend.. This is when this young lady becomes a man to train as a doctor.. At first Perry struggles with the loss of her femininity but loves the freedom of being a man. Perry does very well at school and becomes a Dr in Cape Town. Dr Perry thrives, does wonderful work and has made a real place in life for himself. He has been able to stay away from Romance but while in Cape Town, Perry falls in love and tells her secret. She fails in love with the Cape Governor and they enjoy a brief relationship, that is private. But when rumors start and they are accused of being in a homosexual relationship.. things must chain. after all the governor is a married man, it is illegal to be in a homosexual relationship and he could stand to lose his job. EJ Levy does a wonderful job of telling this story. It has such heart and you can empathize with both characters. Just trying to live a normal life shouldn’t be this hard and yet Perry is forced to make impossible decisions.. This story was well written, the characters were very interesting and over all this was a very surprising read for me. I really did enjoy it..

absolutely loved this story. I’ve read the “true story” in numerous essays, blogs and I often mentioned her in my Women’s Studies lectures. The repetition of what she endured to live her life as a man free from the restraints placed on women is mentioned repeatedly. Why? Because it was on her mind every single day! I’m so grateful someone wrote this story with the dignity and respect that they deserved. One of the more powerful and evocative thoughts was that practicing medicine wasn’t her first love but it was “the liberty of my mind”. Sigh. How many hundreds of years and sacrifices have women made to obtain her liberty, education and respected professions like Drs? This is a well written book based off of a true life story. Starting in poverty in County Cork Ireland to London to Edinburgh, to the Cape and back to London. Atmospheric in descriptions which put in a different time and place. Solidly researched and beautifully told Historical Fiction serves as a reminder of “You’ve come a long way”. I loved the reimagining of what it would take to transform yourself in the 1800s into a man, go to college, establish multiple practices while constantly living under the threat of exposure. Dr. Barry was an incredibly well respected if not short tempered doctor and he deserves to be remembered as such. Thank you #NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book.

This was a beautiful story that pulled at my heart in the best ways. What a lovely story! I loved the main character, and I was able to connect and become completely invested in their story! This is a great book for any reader that enjoys historical fiction about a real person!

So from the description of the book and the cover I had high hopes for this book.. The book is based on the real life of James Miranda Barry.. In the book Margaret Brackley transforms into Dr. Johnathan Mirandus Perry. The story follows the transformation and trials that the good Dr. Perry runs into during his/her lifetime. The differences between the treatment of men and women is discussed. While the story is one that is very interesting, at times this book was slow, and repepitive in its ideas. Some characters were well developed while others were left in the dark. Sometimes the language used just seemed out of place. Over all iit was an alright story, but not one that I would go back and read. It is possible that I would recommend it to someone that does know the true story of Dr. James Miranda Barry to see how it rates. It has prompted to do more research on Dr. Barry.

This book took me a bit to actually get into, but once I did I finished it quickly. The story was fascinating and overall a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Cape Doctor.

I've never heard of Dr. James Miranda Barry before and after I read The Cape Doctor, I Googled Dr. Barry. Absolutely fascinating!

This was an well written fictionalized account of how a young woman, in order to make a better life for herself, took on the identity of a man, in order to receive a good education, become a well respected doctor and live out his/her years but at what cost?

This is an ideal book to read, more so now when gender and sexuality are ever changing and malleable.

The life of Dr. Barry bring to the forefront the themes of sexuality and identity; in giving up her femininity, she discovers her powers as a man, what men are expected of in society and professional circles, how women and men both influence their stereotypes of each other; how men and women are forced to live up to the ideals society and peers expect of them.

The writing is good, but the tone is quite dry, like reading an autobiography and sometimes my attention waned.

If you love biographies, including ones based on a true story or a fictionalized retelling, give The Cape Doctor a try.

Love the cover!

Take your time with this truly mesmerizing debut novel based upon the life of a woman living her life as a man who pioneered medical breakthroughs as a result of the privilege gained by claiming their place in the world of men. As you might notice, I’m struggling with pronouns, sometimes using feminine and sometimes switching to a broader non-gendered their. This novel is based on the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry, an individual born and raised as a female who overcame the limitations imposed on their life simply due to gender. Due to the passage of time and the culture of Barry’s early nineteenth century English life, we lack context to how they viewed their gender, whether the life they claimed was a matter of defying misogynistic limitations forced upon women, or whether it was a matter of their identity. I know much about sexual and gender identity and as a reader struggled with how to view this amazing person’s life and sense of who they were as a consequence of my own sensitivity to gende3r identity mores. Despite the obvious hurdles that we have today to view Dr. Barry, Levy successfully navigates the morass and peppers the novel with wonderful insights about gender as true today as they were in Barry’s time. Levy has given us a beautiful novel that offers us a different lens to view gender without the limitations imposed by revisionist history and today’s culture wars. If you care at all about the accomplishments of women two centuries earlier, and wish to ponder both the culture of their time and ours, this book allows readers to thoughtfully consider questions that still limit women today.

Amazing novel about an amazing person

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cape Doctor. I had never heard of Dr Barry before, but, by coincidence, a friend posted an article on them when I was busy reading this book. A fascinating life.

The book is full of historical and very personal details. Told in the first person, there is a somewhat pedantic and fussy tone which totally suits the character and times. I love the use of the color red in the main character's life, not sure whether this is imagined by the author or real.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

A thought provoking, heartbreaking story of a young Irish girl of poor means. She is thought to be a prodigy by her uncle and her mother and with their assistance and support Margaret becomes Jonathan. As a male, she can follow her dream, attend a college and become a physician. With freedom at the door enters a world of endless possibilities but must harness his secret. Jonathan becomes a brilliant student and physician throughout Edinburgh, South Africa and Jamaica. but this secret bearing journey comes with danger.
Based on the life and experiences of Dr. James Miranda Berry this is an extraordinary story of desire, hardship, achievement and evolution. E.J. Levy adds her own magic and imagination that had me hooked from page one.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley, E.J. Levy and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

An interesting read about the life of Dr. James Barry, born Margaret Anne Bulkley, who changed her name and lived as a man to realize her dream of becoming a doctor.

Although the topic was fascinating, I found this to be just an okay read.

3.25☆

It is always my pleasure as a voracious reader to be introduced to people that are finally having their stories being told. I loved this historical novel based on the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry.

Our novel begins with E.J. Levy introducing us to Margaret, a young Irish girl in the 19th century born into a poor family. It is soon realized that she is a "prodigy" and her mother and uncle aide Margaret in becoming Jonathan, a young man who will attend college. As the years' pass, danger lurks at every corner if the truth is discovered.

I was completely hooked from the very first page and I thought the author kept up a great pace with the storyline. I was immersed in the medical passages of the novel and with many of the characters that the main character meets along.

Publication Date 15/06/21
Goodreads review published 19/06/21

British-army, 19th-century, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, romance, medical-doctor, medical-treatment, England, Scotland, South- Africa*****

Can you imagine making the decision (at age 11) to erase your life and become someone very different, even by gender, just so you can get an education? The female in her day was disregarded except for her inheritance and usefulness but very rarely educated. In her new incarnation she was able to go to medical school in Edinburgh and progressed to becoming a medical officer in the British army. She knew what her gender was and why she had to keep it a total secret, but in the novel (and possibly in life) she fell in love with the governor in Cape Town, South Africa and may have had a child with him. This is a novel, but it is based on the life of a real person who made great strides in medical care at cost to herself. Both the novel and the real doctor James Miranda Steuart Barry, FRS born c. 1789–99; died 25 July 1865 are amazing!
I requested and received a temporary digital ARC of this book from Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This book had an interesting premise. A female with no prospects but smart becomes a man to go to medical school and then continues life as a male doctor. Taking place in the 1700s, this is not something that was commonly done, so I was excited to read about this character. However, I really struggled to connect with the main character and I wanted to know more about her inner thoughts and feelings as we experienced her life.
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The one part I did enjoy was the romance that was sprinkled into the story, which I can't say I am surprised at this fact.
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CW: sexual content, violence, illness, misogyny.

The Cape Doctor, by E.J. Levy, is a wonderful read, but before I discuss the book, I want to discuss background a bit. (Warning: the pronouns will shift around some.) The Cape Doctor tells the imagined life story of a real historical figure about whom very little is known: Dr. Jonathan Mirandus Perry. Perry attended medical school in Edinburgh, then became a military doctor posted in South Africa and later in Jamaica. He was ahead of his time in insisting on sanitation and nutrition; he fought quack remedies and their makers; he performed the first known successful C-section on the continent of Africa.

After Perry's death, it was discovered that his body was, apparently, female. This final revelation has led to two very different interpretations of Perry's life. One view, held by those looking for a feminist historical narrative, presents Perry female-identified, despite passing as a man for most of their life. They see Perry's story as a demonstration of the ridiculous lengths women had to go to in the early 19th Century in order to achieve an education and profession. Another view is that Perry was transsexual, identified as male, and should be considered a ground-breaking figure in LGBTQI+ history.

The Cape Doctor is built around the first of these views. Levy presents Perry as a woman who spent her life passing as a man in order to achieve personal goals. Radical transgender web site EE Ottoman takes the second view, making the case for Perry's male identity: https://acosmistmachine.com/2015/11/24/dr-james-barry-and-the-specter-of-trans-and-queer-history/ The disagreement about Perry's identity has led to a very bifurcated response to The Cape Doctor. Those who see (or are comfortable seeing in the context of a novel) Perry as female are generally enthusiastic about the book. Those who see Perry as transgendered see this book as an erasure of transgender history.

My take—although I am saying this as someone who is not a historian and who is just beginning to learn about Perry—is that neither case can be made conclusively enough to prove the other false. If I had to guess how Perry identified themselves (and it would be a guess), I'd say that Perry probably was transgendered, but I can also understand why Levy chose Perry as a character to serve as the center of a novel exploring alternate female identities in the 19th Century. That's as far as I'll go with this discussion, aside from saying I'm looking forward to reading more about Perry and seeing what (pronoun shift) their life can teach me about both female and trans identity.

I flat-out loved The Cape Doctor. Levy is very clear that what she is writing is fiction, and I'm willing to approach the novel knowing it can't tell me how Perry themselves identified.

I loved The Cape Doctor for the insights it offered into female identity. Perry as created by Levy is very articulate and deeply reflective. Her (pronoun shift) inner world is complex. She notes the changes in bearing and personality she has to develop to be perceived as male: assertiveness, self-confidence, an aggressive sense of humor, an insistence on defending her own views—which includes arguing for women's rights. She's fascinated by the way women approach her once she's perceived as male and enjoys flirting with them. Levy gives her version of Perry opportunities to renounce her decision to present herself to the world as female, which Perry does not embrace. Perry's focus in this novel is always on being a medical practitioner and having the freedom of movement and opinion that external male identity provides.

Don't read The Cape Doctor as history. Don't assume you know the "real" Perry once you've read it. But do, if possible, let yourself learn from the ruminations on gender and identity that Levy's Perry raises. If you want to know about the historical Perry, look for nonfiction titles that explore what we can know about who he/they/she really was.

{This review will be posted on NetGalley, EdelweissPlus, and LibraryThing.}