Blends the historical with the personal in an engaging and skilled plot.
Many thanks to Black Rose Writing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book, but I expected to know more about the struggle of a young woman who strives to become a doctor at the turn of the 20th century. Her mother wants her to be a social debutant, but her desire is elsewhere. I thought there would be more trouble achieving her goal, but the book spent a lot of time on her social life and friendships. It does cover the period of the Spanish Flu. Which adds more interest to the book.

In 1897 Laura Edwards is steamrolling daughter Eliza’s debut into Philadelphia society. Eliza wonders “is there more.” She soon discovers her grandfather was founder of the Female Medical College of Philadelphia and that the women in her life had “devoted themselves to following their hearts and helping others.” Is medical school on Eliza’s path?
Janis Daly quickly creates confidence in both Eliza’s skills and ability and the wisdom and guidance of medical student Anandi. Experience Eliza’s sheer joy as she befriends wealthy classmate, Olga from Russia, and becomes enamored with a professor from Ireland. Olga’s humor adds levity and her attachment as a sister develops over the years. Daly’s portrayal of the medical students’ resourcefulness in support of each other and Laura’s progression of ideals and realizations are aligned with the times and so uplifting as graduations, marriages, and births take place.
Additionally, Daly’s descriptions of surgeries and procedures of the early 1900’s are supported by vast medical research. The prejudices and attitudes of male doctors and pharmacists, along with exhausting daily schedules are central to the emotional core of the novel. The amazing Bone Boxes and vivid descriptions from the physiology lab add sensory details connecting readers to the era.
Eliza’s world comes alive for readers as she experiences the ratification of the 19th Amendment, World War, a pandemic, and the sinking of the Titanic. She travels from the tenements of Philadelphia to the cottages of Newport searching for love, contentment, agreeability and hopefully, motherhood. Follow The Unlocked Path for the key to results and answers.

The Unlocked Path is a historical novel about a “New Woman” of the early twentieth century: educated, career-minded, independent. In 1897 Philadelphia, after experiencing her aunt’s suicide, Eliza Edwards vows to help and heal. In her social circle, a young woman’s chief goal was to debut in society, but Eliza isn’t interested in such a traditional role. Instead, she enters medical college when only five percent of doctors are female. With the support of a team of women and driven by a determination to conquer curriculum demands, battle sexism, and overcome doubts, Eliza charts her life’s trajectory.

Author Janis Robinson Daly was inspired to write her debut novel after conducting a genealogical search on her great-great-grandfather, William S. Peirce, who played an active role in founding the Woman’s Medical College in Philadelphia. Ancestry websites are great, aren’t they?

I was born in an age during which the world was my oyster. The main character in this novel, Eliza, didn’t have that luxury. Her moxie and ambition to follow her dreams impressed me. To be a woman of medicine during the early 1900s would have been challenging. For example, Eliza’s hospital supervisor said: “I will schedule separate female doctors or residents from the same shift. I’ve heard how too much time together can stimulate an alignment of womanly cycles. I won’t have an entire shift of practicing doctors and nurses incapacitated on the same days each month.” Yikes.

Daly did a fabulous job drawing her characters, particularly Eliza, who was surprisingly relatable—the sight of blood makes me weak in the knees. I liked her. I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to succeed. Her word pictures made me feel like I was walking the streets of Philadelphia.

The first half of the book was especially interesting as I got to know the characters and became immersed in the era. Daly’s historical details are wonderful; it’s rare for me to learn so much while reading a novel. She did a stunning amount of research and included many real historical people in the story. I went down plenty of bunny trails, believe me.

The second half was tedious, though, and the overly descriptive prose impeded a great plot. Still, I see great promise in Janis Robinson Daly as a fresh voice in historical fiction. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions are mine.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early review in exchange for a review.

I read through some of this but found it boring. I did not read it all.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.

Eliza is just 18 in 1897 when she receives her coveted invitation to be presented to society. At this period of time, girls were supposed to marry, keep house, and have children. Her debut is the opportunity to find a wealthy husband.

But this is not the future that Eliza wants! Surrounded by strong women, she discovers there are other options and decides she wants to be a doctor. At that time, only 5% of doctors were women. With great effort, she convinces her mother to allow her to enroll in the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania.

This book carries the reader through her medical training, her loves and losses, and her activities to the end of World War I.

This is a fascinating work of historical fiction that portrays the lack of opportunities available to women at that time. We see the prejudices against women in the professional workforce.

This book was slightly slow to start but definitely picked up as you continued to read. Although it starts off in 1897, it really follows one woman and her life as a doctor in the early 1900s. It takes you through various times such as post-Civil War, the Titanic, WW1, Spanish Flu (influenza), suffragette movement, and more which is what you want from a historical fiction novel.

I enjoyed reading the main character, Eliza's story however, I wish some parts the author spent more time on. I found her time during the influenza breakout exciting. I think more time spent on her post-doctoral life vs. less on when she was in school would have been better.

Overall, the book was a good historical novel with a feminist leading character that encompasses the real women who paved the way for female professionals.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘩 by Janis Robinson Daly is a great historical fiction debut at the turn of the twentieth century during the woman’s suffrage movement.

In 1897, Eliza was determined not to follow in her families old fashioned ways to be a wife and mother. She studied hard and was accepted into the newly opened Women’s Medical College as she became a doctor. The years span and life isn’t easy for her, as sexism and love rip her healing spirit away. In 1918, the Spanish flu pandemic arises and she is reminded again her promise to help and heal.

I really enjoyed knowing that the author was inspired by this story when she discovered in her family tree that a great great grandfather was a founder of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. This was well researched and I love learning stories about the women of our past who was able to break through the shadows into a man’s world and make a difference.

Thank you Suzyapprovedbooktours and black rose writing for having me on tour.

In 1897 Philadelphia, when Eliza is given the opportunity to debut in society, she decides against it in favor of attending medical school. The book follows her schooling, career, and marriage.

I found this book to be a bit boring. The time progression seemed a bit jolting, as it skipped over large periods of time. I think the times that it skipped, for example most of her experience in medical school, would have been very interesting to read about. It also seemed that life was very easy for Eliza, other than her marriage, there was very little tension in the book. Overall, a bust.

𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨!

You know I love historical fiction and this story was fascinating, inspired from real characters and events. A very well researched story about family, loss, love and the struggles women faced working in a male dominated profession. A remarkable debut.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Black Rose Writing for this tour invite.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 by Janis Robinson Daly - Author released August 25, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

This fictional story is a fascinating look at one woman's life and her desire to be a doctor at a time when there weren't very many female doctors. The obstacles she had to overcome professionally and personally to achieve her goals were incredible and her determination fierce. The author clearly did a lot of extensive research into the time period and I appreciated the level of detail used to bring authenticity to the work. Eliza is such an interesting character and I enjoyed learning more about life in that era and seeing the progress made in advancing women's rights. We still have a way to go and the fight continues to this day. The author's notes at the end of the book were also very enlightening.

I love reading historical novels and I especially love them when they’re about our history. I enjoyed this story immensely. I love the way the characters interacted with each other and I want to read more about this family and friends. I hope there is more to come.


I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

🌟𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🌟
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗹𝘆

I was excited to read this historical fiction novel. I was gifted an advanced reader copy for review and overall I really enjoyed it.

“ 𝙰 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕/𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗'𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍, 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚛-𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗'𝚜 𝙼𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚜𝚢𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚊 𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝟻% 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚘𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚝𝚜, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚢𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏”.

It follows Eliza a recent Pennsylvania highschool graduate in 1897 who must decide where her future path will take her. Her ultimate decision sets her on a course that few women were taking at the time. She experiences joy, heartache, historical events at the time and joins the women’s suffrage movement on top of it all.

My one and only issue was it was hard to get into at first. The author is a great writer but sometimes certain descriptions are overly complicated, long metaphors and similes that often caused me to skim over and get back to the plot of the story. I would just get into a groove and then they would slow the plot to a halt.

The second half of the story flows much better and I couldn’t put it down. I became invested in Eliza’s achievements and personal life. At times I wish certain parts of her story were elaborated upon instead of skipping ahead in time but in the end everything was wrapped up satisfactorily. I would rate this a
3 -1/2 to 4 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Bookstagram #books #reading #bookclub #booksofinstagram #bookstagrammer #bookworm #booklover #instabook #bookish #bookaholic #reader #igreads #bookblogger #booklovers #goodreads #bookreview #Theunlockedpath #historicalfiction #womensfiction #medicalfiction #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed this book. I always advocate for special populations, so seeing a woman leave tracks in a century where it was not as accepted made my heart smile. This triumphant book shows women have always been historically challenged but can break the barriers to reach success.

The Unlocked Path
I was looking forward to read this historical fiction book for several reasons. I was always interested in both medicine and women’s rights.
The novel covers the years from 1897 through 1920 and is about Eliza Edwards whose life is supposed to follow other women in her generation to be a debutante, find a husband, marry and produce children. But Eliza wants more and in spite of the lack of support from her family, she studies diligently, applies for the recently opened Women’s Medical school, gets accepted and graduates with a medical degree. So far so good, she starts practicing medicine is devoted to her patients and even follows some of them through the years. This all happens in the first part of the novel and it kept my attention. However after a love disappointment, Eliza enters into a loveless marriage and has two children within three years. Her time is now consumed with child rearing, medicine gets in the background. This is not what I expected from someone who wanted to have a professional life in addition to being a wife and mother. Although eventually Eliza and her best friend who attended medical school together with her open their own medical practice, this almost like an after thought. The second part of the book covers World War I, the 1918 flu epidemic, the passing of the 19 th amendment to the constitution, none given the detail it deserves. Some other sub plots also get abandoned. I found myself bored through the second half.
Overall , for me just three stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This was a well researched debut and I love the connection that the author had to it and it was based in the medical field. It covered a large time period that involved women working in a male dominated profession, abortion, women's right to vote, the war, and a pandemic. The small time jumps kept the story moving. Eliza was strong character and she faced many challenges. While in school she didn’t enjoy the lab sections and her encounters made me laugh as my job is to do everything she disliked. I liked how we got to see her personal life as well as her professional one and my heart broke for Eliza a couple times.

Thank you @janisrdaly_writer @netglley and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy

The Unlocked Path
Author, Janis Robinson Daly
Pub date: 8.25.22

Thank you Darcie Rowan PR and @netgalley for sending me the e- copy of this novel!

Based on the inspiration from learning more about her interesting family tree and that her great- great grandfather was the founder of the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, Daly imagined a sweeping historical fiction novel that tells the dynamic story of the progressive and driven female physician, Eliza Edwards.

Daly begins in 1897 in Philadelphia when, much to her mother's joy, Eliza is presented with the opportunity to attend her society debut. However, after witnessing her aunt's tragic death and realizing that there are other ways in which she would like to live her life than of a wife and mother, Eliza begins to pursue other career interests. Upon meeting an inspiring and determined Indian woman who attends the all- women Medical College, Eliza begins her medical studies in hopes of acceptance into the college. What follows is the challenging journey through Eliza's medical education and career in which she learns how to fight off doubts, sexism, and prejudices that actually allow for Eliza to become even better equipped in her role as an Obstetrician, feminist, and patient advocate.

Her fellow classmates and faculty prove to be exceptionally supportive and she forms wonderful relationships with interesting and encouraging individuals along the way. As a Nurse Practitioner, I was able to appreciate some of the issues Eliza experienced as a female in the medical field as well as appreciate her accurate medical encounters, treatments, and compassion that she held for her patients. Another aspect that was interesting about Daly's historical fiction debut was that it took place from 1897 to 1920 during the era of economic instability. Therefore, events including WWI, the Spanish flu, the tragedy of the Titanic, and Prohibition were discussed as the character's were either directly affected or learned about these events as they occurred.

The Unlocked Path is an inspiring and well- researched debut novel with a strong and brave female protagonist that I absolutely recommend for fans of Amanda Skenadnore, Emily Gunnis, Emma Donaghue, and Martha Hall Kelly.

The Unlocked Path comes out tomorrow and it is a historical fiction set in 1890s Philadelphia.

Eliza decided to enter the Woman's Medical College of Philadelphia in 1897 after rejecting her mother's desire for a society debut. This book is about her path to following her dreams to become a doctor to help other women and the challenges she faces not only on becoming a doctor but her family obligations and the idea of a career vs marriage/motherhood throughout the next twenty years.

I love how researched this is! I had no idea there was a Women's Medical College in Philly from 1850 to 1970, it's now part of the Drexel University College of Medicine. The author's great great grandfather helped found it and while Eliza is a fictional character she is based on letters and diaries from some of the women enrolled during that time period.

If you are at all interested in historical fiction about female doctors this is a great book!

The Unlocked Path by Janis Robinson Daly is Historical Fiction and is a delight to those who wish they knew their ancestors‘ stories. I’ve always wondered after years of genealogical research why didn’t we ask or know more about our family history?
I loved reading this book inspired by the author’s grandmother because I felt an immediate connection between my great grandmother’s history and the author’s grandmother. While my 3rd great grandmother’s personal story was probably quite different, her professional life may have been similar. My great grandmother was an early female physician who graduated in 1861 from the New England Female Medical College as a Doctress of Medicine and her practice also primarily served women.
The Unlocked Path tells the history of women who broke through the barriers and succeeded in professions previously open only to men. Details of the physicians study materials and practical experiences were exceptional. The Author’s Note, Reading Group Guide, Acknowledgements, and Resources were thoughtful and of great interest to the reader. If you love history and medicine don’t miss this extraordinary book about the lives of women who made a difference.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

It's 1897 Philadelphia, Eliza Edwards is eighteen years old and preparing for her debut in society. After the death of a loved one, she decides that going down her expected path of searching for a husband and then becoming a mother may not be for her. While visiting the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, she is inspired and decides to become a doctor. She embarks on a successful career where she is able to help women who would otherwise refuse medical care as they didn't want to be treated by a male doctor. Her journey is supported by a wonderful family including aunts who are also trailblazers.

The Unlocked Path is the well-researched debut novel of author Janis Robinson Daly and was inspired by her own family. As a fan of historical fiction, this story was extremely interesting and satisfying. The characters were all very well-formed and I became very connected to them. I especially liked how real-world events were woven into Eliza's story. This is a story of love, determination, family and friendship, which is the type of book I find especially appealing.