I'm not the biggest fan of nonfiction, but as an aspiring POC woman physician, I was compelled to pick up this narration of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker's courageous life. I've done my fair share of research on aspiring women in medicine, but I've never heard of Dr. Walke. I'm so happy that I got to learn more about such a daring, brave, and inspiring woman. Reading books like these gives me the courage to follow my dreams, and the fact that Latta's writing is exceptional makes it an even better read. Many nonfiction books or biographies feel stuffy, almost prideful, in the way it's written, but Latta's work reads simply as someone who did their research and is a big fan of Dr. Walker. 5 stars!

Very inspiring about a woman that history does not talk enough about. While not a huge non-fiction fan, did find this one interesting!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

A fascinating story behind Mary Edward Walker, one of the first women to earn a degree in medicine. Breaking gender norms, Walker fought for women's issues that are most relevant in today's world.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you Lerner Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this incredible work of non-fiction. I have long admired Dr. Mary Walker for her perseverance, drive, and her groundbreaking work in the field of medicine and women's suffrage. Sara Latta is a talented writer who made Dr. Walker come alive on the pages of this book. Using primary source images, documents and tons of quotes from Dr. Walker herself students of history and history teachers will both enjoy this book. I loved the sections that added context to the book and provided details about other people and events to help the reader better understand the people included in the text as well as the time period. I will certainly be book talking this book to my students and finding ways to incorporate it in my Civil War, Reconstruction, and social reform units.

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A light historical book about a powerful woman. I loved the photos and the historical context. I think this could be read by a younger audience than me easily. I would recommend it to the non-specialist reader:

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An inspiring biography of a woman who was so controversial she was almost wiped from history texts despite being one of the most radical feminists of all time.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was a doctor when female physicians were almost unheard of. She served as a doctor in the Civil War despite the fact that she was shunted from position to position by powerful men who did not like being sidelined by a woman. She advocated for suffrage. She advocated for sensible attire for women. She was a Spiritualist who carved her own religious path. Was there anything this woman didn't do?

Despite the big lingering question of Dr. Walker's identified gender (it seems as though she always took pride in the fact that she was a woman) and the fact that she was written out of most of history because she was too "pushy" with her agenda, Dr. Walker was an ardent patriot and a kind soul who honestly wanted her United States to reflect the ideals that she saw as just. It is a shame that I had never heard of her, even though I consider myself a student of history. Perhaps it's time for this radical to be brought to modern audiences.

I added this immediately to our high school book order after reading it. This is a well written, interesting biography for Mary Edwards Walker. It's perfect for middle school and high school students in length and language. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this inspiring woman who ignored the obstacles and forged ahead against the social norms.
Thank you for the ARC!

How did I not know about Dr. Mary Walker?

Sara Latta’s “I Could Not Do Otherwise” demonstrates that Walker was a consequential figure in the early fight for women’s suffrage. She was at the forefront of women’s dress reform. She spoke extensively on both subjects. She served during the Civil War. She had access to the movers and shakers of the federal government for decades. Mary Walker did not compromise on her values and made enemies along the way. In short, her story is a fascinating example of someone who has nearly been erased from history.

The narrative of Mary Walker’s life smoothly flows throughout this book targeted to middle grade and teen readers. Latta provides some support for unfamiliar vocabulary terms and there are ample, clearly marked asides to help put Walker’s story in the context of her time. An extensive bibliography is provided for those who might wish to learn more about Mary Walker.

This telling of Dr. Mary Walker’s life is thorough and engaging. The reader learns about both her public and private life, including her quest to improve life for women, the poor, and veterans. I appreciate that the book does not sugar-coat aspects of Walker’s personality that made her difficult for others to deal with and, at the same time, dogged in pursuit of her causes.

I would recommend this book to teens and plan to get a physical copy for my classroom. This book is particularly good for teens who don’t conform to typical social norms.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ZestBooks for a copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I was afforded the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley. I loved this book. I had not heard much about Dr. Walker. She was an amazing woman. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in women's rights. She was a woman before her time and was able to stay true to her beliefs and convictions.

There is not enough about the women trailblazers that came before us. This book is easy to read and engaging. Well worth the time to read and savor.

“I Could Not Do Otherwise” by Sara Latta

You’ve heard of Elizabeth Candy Stanton, Susan B Anthony, and possibly even Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for President. But have you heard of Dr. Mary Walker? Sadly, I doubt it. Mary was a contemporary of all of the above. She was the second woman to attain an MD in the United States, was a proponent of reformed dress (read: women being allowed to wear pants and lose the corsets and hoop skirts of the day), was a doctor for the Union army in the civil war, and was even the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor, which she wore every day for the rest of her life. This woman is entirely fascinating. Unfortunately, this book about her, while thorough, reads like a book report. Dr. Walker is definitely someone worthy of multiple biographies. I just wish the writing style of the author was slightly more evolved. I did not, however, DNF this book. The subject was entirely too fascinating. The book is worth a read but I’ll rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ three stars.

I Could Not Do Otherwise by Sara Latta is a biography of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, who was born in 1832 and fought against societal and political conventions all her life. While the book is about Mary Walker, it contains a wealth of information about not only the national events happening during her life, but about many public figures of the time, particularly other forward-thinking women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Susan B. Anthony. Mary Walker personally knew many famous personages of the time. The book is liberally sprinkled with photographs which add to its attractiveness.

Mary Walker was among the first females to graduate from medical school. When the Civil War broke out, she volunteered to be an army surgeon but was refused, despite the desperate need for doctors, because the Army did not have any women. She chose to volunteer as a civilian. She worked near the front lines during major battles, sometimes crossing over into Confederate territory, and eventually spied for the Union. She was captured by the Confederate army, serving four months in one of the most notorious civil war prisons. While there she treated other inmates in the best manner possible under the circumstances. She is the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor and one of only eight civilians to have done so.

Dr. Walker campaigned ceaselessly for a change in conventional women’s clothing. She considered corsets to be bad for women’s health, as they impaired breathing and digestion. She believed the floor-length dresses of the time to be gatherers of dirt and filth. She never wore a corset, and from an early age working on her parent’s farm, she wore a type of pant under a shorter dress. As an adult, she wore pants under shortened dresses, and eventually her manner of dress was nearer to that of men’s dress. She was arrested numerous times for this but was always released from custody.

Dr. Walker was an abolitionist, prohibitionist, and early suffragist. The initial stance of the women’s suffragist movement, following her lead, was to claim that women already had the right to vote, and Congress needed only to enact enabling legislation. Following the war, she became a lecturer and writer. She fell out of favor with the suffragist movement and unfortunately, she has become all but unknown to the world. It is deplorable, as Mary Walker was a multitalented and accomplished woman that everyone should be aware of.

The book is promoted as a young adult book, specifically for ages 13 – 18. At 208 densely filled pages, I am not sure that many young people near the lower end of this age suggestion would finish the book. It is interesting, yes, but so packed with detail that I think many younger readers would lose interest far before the end. At times, the book reads a bit like an encyclopedia entry or history textbook. Some parents might object to a brief section on Dr. Walker’s book, Unmasked, or the Science of Immorality: To Gentlemen. The description of the book contains talk of sex, masturbation, and intersex individuals.

Sara Latta researched her subject very thoroughly which shows in the exhaustive details she includes about Mary Edwards and the 19th century. The book features in-depth Source Notes, Selected Bibliography, and Photo Acknowledgments. Ms. Latta has a smooth writing style which is easy to read. She is clearly a talented writer of non-fiction.

YA-only-means-no-gratuitous-erotica, photographs, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, nonfiction, nonviolent-protest, biography, rights, politics, military, physician, eccentric, committed-to-a-cause, abolitionist*****

In spite of being a history geek, I had never heard of this woman, and I am older than dirt. Much is directly from documents in her own words or those of contemporaries. The presentation is clear and with some explanatory asides which are appropriate for many people and especially for those with ESL issues who are learning basics of 19th and early 20th century idiosyncrasies. Dr. Walker really put herself out there for the causes she believed in and were definitely in the public good, like the rational dress reform movement, what we today would call basic hygiene, abolition, honorable treatment of prisoners, and women's suffrage. But it all started with the fight to get a medical degree and the right to practice medicine. Note that she is the only woman to have received the U.S.’s highest civilian award: The Medal of Honor.
This book needs to be gifted to school libraries and local public libraries. But put it in the adult section for those of us who were never taught the facts.
I requested and received an e-book copy from Lerner Publishing Group, Zest Books ™ via NetGalley. Thank you!

Synergy: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker

DR. MARY EDWARDS WALKER was an American surgeon, abolitionist, suffragette, and Civil War era spy. Known for her unconventional wardrobe and efforts to promote human rights, Walker received the Medal of Honor.

Read the recently published young adult biography, then learn more at the websites:

I COULD NOT DO OTHERWISE by Sara Latta tells the story of a Civil War surgeon and spy who broke gender norms and fought for social justice. Disregarding social conventions and championing human rights, Dr. Mary Edwards is still the only woman to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Weaving primary sources documents and photographs into an engaging narrative, Latta successfully immerses readers in the life of this lesser-known historical figure. ARC courtesy of Zest Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.

CHANGING THE FACE OF MEDICINE is an online exhibition celebrating America’s women physicians. The website includes a database, resources, and activities. Dr. Walker is included in the database.

To visit the website, go to https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/.

MEDAL OF HONOR: MARY WALKER is an online graphic biography from the Association of the United States Army.

To read the ebook, go to https://online.flowpaper.com/77a9072e/MedalofHonorMaryWalker/#page=1

Dr. Mary Walker’s name should be remembered in history books alongside other revolutionary women that helped shape our nation, but she has been largely forgotten. However, author Sara Latta does a wonderful job of bringing the doctor’s remarkable life to a modern audience.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was an outspoken free thinker and a nineteenth century celebrity who both demanded respect and power during her own lifetime and paved the way for future generations. One of the first U.S. women to receive a medical degree she was the only one to practice as a surgeon during the Civil War and serve as a spy. She is still the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor. She was a founding member of the women’s rights movement, and though later ostracized by that group, she more than any other, trailblazed a woman’s right to wear pants. In this comprehensive biography, Latta lays out in detail the myriad groundbreaking events of a uniquely determined individual and social reformer who every day acted in accordance with her principles, regardless of the personal consequences. This long overdue biography feels particularly timely given the current interest in gender expansiveness and in uncovering historic figures who lived outside conventional norms. That said the level of detail and very small print mean many readers may be inclined to skim for the highlights of Dr. Walker's life. Period photographs and illustrations and sidebars provide context and add interest. An index, extensive source notes and a selected biography makes this well suited to research.

Mary Edwards Walker once said of herself "I was naturally timid as a girl, but had to overcome this through strong convictions of duty and I have felt that I must do what I believed was right regardless of consequences. I do not deserve credit for standing up to my principles for I could not do otherwise." She was a most remarkable woman and history has done her a great disservice. Women owe her thanks for her efforts to improve their lives.
Born November 26, 1832 as one of seven children of a progressive family, Mary Edwards Walker lived an open minded, forward thinking childhood. Well educated she became a surgeon, starting a medical practice with her husband.. The practice failed as did her marriage but her future impact on American history is truly remarkable. Growing up on a farm she boasted that she had never been confined by a corset, wearing pants instead of the fashionable dresses. She was outspoken about corsets - they impaired breathing and digestion and dresses with multiple layers - were gatherers of dust and dirt. Shameful by current standards and the reason she was arrested multiple times. What would she have said to judges well into the 1970's who tried to ban female lawyers from wearing trousers in court. It would have burned their ears.
Beyond her clothing choices she attempted to join the U. S. Army during the Civil War as a surgeon but was denied. At the time there were more than a few women who served while disguised as men. Instead she served as a contract civilian surgeon and, in that capacity, served bravely behind enemy lines and was the only woman awarded the Medal of Honor.
She fought for the rights of woman regardless of race or social standing and she was a staunch abolitionist.
it saddens me that history has cast her aside when she should be a household name. After reading this well researched book, having the details of her life filled in for me, I would encourage everybody to read I Could Do Otherwise.
My thanks to the publisher Lerner Publishing Group and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fine introduction for young readers to the life of Mary Walker. The prose can sometimes be a little too simplistic, but overall the author does a nice job of addressing sexism, fashion, sexuality, gender, suffrage, and medical history. I was surprised by the very pro-capitalism sentiment that not only did Walker save many soldiers from having limbs amputated, but in doing so saved the government money from having to pay larger pensions. That was a little odd and out of place.

Good gracious, this woman makes Jo March look like a rank amateur! Except she was REAL. Her open defiance of any and every convention that stood in the way of women’s rights and progress is mind-boggling. This is the sort of focus and determination you generally only see in fictional characters (hence the Jo March remark). In particular, the business of Dr. Walker being a thorn in the side of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Carrie Chapman Catt because of her refusal to prioritize white ladies’ suffrage over that of Black citizens pleased me to no end.

The writing is extremely accessible, sometimes bordering on simplistic. There were times when I wished for a bit more punch from the narration, but overall Dr. Walker’s own exploits provided the liveliness that the text itself sometimes lacked. Although some of the pauses to explain terminology or historical context were jarring to me as an adult, *I’m not the intended audience.* Nobody over the age of 10 or 12 should have any trouble understanding this book.

Lastly, I appreciated how the author drew parallels between the legislation that affected Dr. Walker’s life, and how that kind of thinking still impacts the lives of gender nonconforming folks today. For instance, enacting laws to decide which genders are permitted to wear which garments.