"The Cape Doctor" is a marvelous book, rendered into a superb audiobook by Mary Jane Wells. Usually the narrator of romances, Wells is definitely up to bringing a more literary historical queer story to life.

I usually listen to audiobooks on a trip. We ended up extending our trip by driving around the neighborhood until we finished the book. Is there a better recommendation than that?

<i>The Cape Doctor</i> is the story of a young girl, Margaret Buckley, who grows up to become Dr. Jonathan Perry, thanks to a family friend coming up with the idea for her to pretend to be a boy and go to medical school. Once receiving his medical license at the age of 18, Perry enlists in the army and is sent to be a doctor in South Africa. He befriends the governor there, and the two were close until someone accused them of having a homosexual affair that could have cost them their lives.

I am intrigued that this fictional work was based on the real life Dr. James Miranda Barry and want to learn more about him! This story is a little slow and repetitious at times, though, so I would probably recommend people interested in it to read about the real life Dr. Barry. Overall, it was a pleasant story, though.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

I listened to the audio version of this novel and I liked it. I had never read anything about Dr. Perry before and had never even heard of her. The historical setting is very interesting: colonial South Africa. Perry is a medical doctor there. Perry is also a women masquerading as a man and has been since entering medical school. The author created a tangible character, a person the reader can feel for. I cared about Perry and experienced her sacrifices and secrecy along with her. Regardless of what kind of person the actual Dr. Perry may have been, the author's fictionalized character became very real for me.
Many reviewers of the book version of this novel complained that Perry was transgendered and this book does not address the issue of gender identity. I have no idea if Perry was transgendered or not. Frankly, I do not care. This novel is based on a person who lived 200 years ago. It is also a novel. It does not attempt to be a biography of Dr. Perry. This is a fictional story woven around historical events. It includes plausible conversations, thoughts, etc. that may have been part of this person's life (or not).
This is an enjoyable book filled with history and emotion. It is well-written, well-researched and thoroughly entertaining.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all my deep thanks to @Netgalley for an early audiobook copy of The cape doctor

This was a wonderful book, it was an absolute pleasure to listen!
The writer has a great vocabulary and it made for an engaging, somewhat poetic read.

The book is based on Dr Perry, who was a famous physician of the British Empire in the 19th century. He had 2 major achievements: as a doctor, he made vast improvements in his field; and as a woman, he managed to conceal his
birth gender all of his life.

Of these two achievements, the book concentrates on the aspect of a woman who had to become a man to help his/her family and to be able to become a doctor. The focus is on this journey, and it is a welcome one. Throughout history, many females had to crossdress and remake themselves as men for survival, for a quality life. I love how the book describes this journey - though at times it became a touch too sentimental.

I did miss more focus on the medical achievements, that sadly took second place, but it was touched upon. Would have dearly loved to read more details.

Ps: I'm aware of the unavoidable controversy within the trans community, and i saw with dismay how many 1 star reviews popped up before the book was even available.
To be honest it angered me - there is no proof of Dr Perry being transgender, what he did was more likely a necessity and not a choice. History is peppered with women who needed to act as men to be heard - some may have been transgender but with historical figures it cannot be said. It is important that women's achievements are celebrated, and not get lost in this era of gender focussed confusion.

Brilliantly written and masterfully recorded to audio, The Cape Doctor shines. This novel reads as a memoir of a woman living her entire adult life as a man and making history in the process. Highly recommend - would make for lively book club discussion.

The Cape Doctor by E. J. Levy
Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
Publication Date: June 15, 2021
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Description
“E. J. Levy’s enthralling novel, inspired by the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry, brings this captivating character vividly alive.”
 
“Beginning in Cork, Ireland, the novel recounts Perry’s journey from daughter to son in order to enter medical school and provide for family, but Perry soon embraced the new-found freedom of living life as a man. From brilliant medical student in Edinburgh and London to eligible bachelor and quick-tempered physician in Cape Town, Dr. Perry thrived. When he befriended the aristocratic Cape Governor, the doctor rose to the pinnacle of society, before the two were publicly accused of a homosexual affair that scandalized the colonies and nearly cost them their lives.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @hachetteaudio @littlebrown @hgbcanada for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Eye-opening historical fiction. The narrator was okay, but the story was jaw-dropping. I really enjoyed listening to the life of Dr. Jonathan Mirandus Perry and what he went through to accomplish his goals. Wow, this was sacrifice and hard work defined. This book was inspired by the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry. His early life details are unclear. He was probably born as female, with the name Margaret Anne Bulkley. After his death, it was reported that he was assigned female at birth. He was born in Cork, Ireland in 1789 and when he embarked on a voyage to the University Edinburgh in 1809, to study medicine, he was already using his chosen name. His life is so interesting, that I know I will research more about it. This book certainly peaked my interest. The story was thought-provoking, truly heartbreaking and a profound narrative on identity.

I received The Cape Doctor as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Dr. Jonathan Mirandus Perry was a skilled and renowned physician. Entering the field of medicine to save his family from penury, he accepted posts throughout the British Empire, demanding better conditions for the poor and oppressed. But behind his professional success, Dr. Perry holds a secret, one that would threaten to destroy the life and career he has built for himself, and one that, once uncovered, . Based on the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry, The Cape Doctor explores issues of gender, identity, and status in the 19th century British Empire through the lens of a brilliant, complex, and still-somewhat-elusive person.

This was a fascinating read about a fascinating historical figure. I don't know enough about the real-life Dr. Barry to address the accusations of transphobia that others have leveled at the author, so I'll try to I'll say that in the review. The story was poignant and really fascinating; I had no idea about Barry's place in history and the sheer breadth of what he accomplished was really impressive. From what I've read, I feel like Levy did a good job of adapting Barry's story in a historically-accurate way while still being able to put her own spin on it. I did think the story lagged a bit in the middle, and I wasn't wild about Somerton as a person: I thought he treated James terribly, and while I understand he was bound by the strictures of the times, I didn't understand James' ongoing loyalty to him and the conviction that he was somehow heads and tails above all other people. That said, I think its shortcomings are well worth it to introduce readers to Dr. Barry's story.

The Cape Doctor by E. J. Levy tells the story of Margaret Buckley, who transformed herself into Dr. James Miranda Barry. Margaret came from a poor family in Cork with an abusive father. To break away, she and her mother called on her mother's brother for help. Help wasn't forthcoming so Margaret, who showed a keen intelligence needed to find a way to support them. With help she enrolled in medical school in Edinburgh. However, women were not allowed to attend, so she transformed into James Barry. The book goes on to tell of her life and the struggles she faced keeping her identity secret as well as the feats she accomplished such as performing the first C-Section in Africa, and at quite a success, as both mother and child survived. I don't agree that Buckley/Barry was trans in the way that some reviewers are trashing the book over. I truly believe she was a woman that had to live as a man to make money, do what she loved, and support herself. I don't believe there was any other motive for it.

I wanted to connect with this book more, however, I never quite did. I never came to really like Margaret/James, she was always stressed, worried, and complaining, or at least reminding the reader of her situation. I felt that we were just getting information thrown at us. I had the audio version of #TheCapeDoctor, and I didn't care that much for the narrator, but to be fair, it might have been the tone the book took, and having the narrator voicing the stress, worry, and complaints, wasn't enjoyable. But she may have just been doing her job perfectly. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my voluntary and honest opinion.