I was immediately drawn to this book because of the title, since I live in Texas and go to Galveston at least once a year. I was excited to read a book about the Galveston hurricane, since it was a moment of Texas history that had a huge impact.

Tucia is a female doctor in 1900, and that is a rare thing. She isn't practicing because of some trauma she experienced, but desperate times force her to accept an offer from a traveling snake oil salesman. She is at the lowest part of her life, but she is able to find her own strength and take back her life.

There were a lot of fascinating historical details in the book - the traveling "medicine" salesmen, the realities of life with a mental illness or a disability during this time period, and of course the hurricane.

My biggest disappointment was that they didn't get to Galveston until the very last part of the book. The first 3/4 of the book dragged on a bit as we got the background on Tucia and the other members of the traveling group. I feel like the action didn't really happen until the very end. Tucia also suffered a great deal of sexual harassment and assault. Unfortunately, it was probably all too common in the time period. These depictions weren't overly graphic, but it was a bit more than I prefer to read about.

Overall, I learned some really interesting things and I enjoyed Tucia's personal growth and determination to survive.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Amanda Skenandore for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenadore is a riveting novel about Dr. Tucia Hatherley, a very accomplished woman in 1900, a single mother and a licensed doctor. However, after failing to act on time according to her male colleagues, she left the profession to work in a factory. Tragedy struck again. As her debts were mounting, she reluctantly agreed to become part of a traveling medical caravan. Deceit and snake oil were rife and her boss Huey took advantage of her and her young disabled son. But as he paid off her debts she felt beholden to him. Her struggles in a man's world and the lengths she went to for her beloved son are emotionally charged. In spite of grim circumstances, threads of hope gave glimmers of joy.

I like the unique storyline and caravan setting. The inclusion of the Galveston Hurricane was clever.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this mesmerizing novel.

In 1900, Dr Tucia Hatherley finds herself in an impossible situation. After studying hard to become a doctor, she obtained a prestigious position as an intern in a hospital. As the only female in the group she was treated with derision by the male doctors. When the senior doctor teaching the interns singled her out to carry out a difficult and dangerous operation that she had never performed before, the patient bled to death and she lost her position. Out of work and with a baby on the way from an unwanted liason, she managed to find work in a corset factory, but could scarcely make ends meet, falling further and further into debt.

When showman, Huey Horn, aka the Amazing Adolphus, asks if she will join his travelling medicine show as a doctor in exchange for him paying off her debt, she is at first hesitant but with the debt collector breathing down her neck it’s either that or the poorhouse. She decides to join the show just until her debt is paid and then look for a fresh start.

Tucia discovers she is expected to help peddle the useless remedies sold as part of the show, as well as any other schemes he has lined up for her. However, she discovers she enjoys the freedom of the road and the fresh air and healthy lifestyle is doing her little boy a power of good. She’s a remarkable and resilient woman who soon also finds a way to put her knowledge of medicine to use to help people who need it.

The other members of the show warm to her and she becomes part of their family. They are all interesting characters with their own stories of hardship to tell, and all indebted to Huey for some reason. After putting on their show at a range of small towns, Huey decides in September that they will spend the winter in Galveston, where they arrive just before a massive hurricane that will change all their lives. This very engaging historical novel, set in the world of snake-oil salesmen and woven around historical events is an excellent background for highlighting the difficulties experienced by the first female doctors in being accepted in being as capable and competent as their male counterparts.

Perhaps I should have looked more closely at the premise before requesting this one. While I’m very interested in the historical attitudes toward disability and did not expect it to be sanitized, I was taken aback to have the protagonist’s son described as having “the look of a Mongol” (racism) and that he “would never be more than a feeble-minded idiot.” While the language is in keeping with the time period, I find myself unable to proceed further.

I have read several books by Amanda Skenadore (who is also an RN) and love her historical fiction novels with a healthcare focus featuring strong female protagonists. While this story fit the bill and had lots of potential, the execution fell flat and it was my least favorite of her novels. Normally I fly through her books, but this one dragged.

It was an interesting premise - Tucia, a single mother near the turn of the century who is an unemployed female physician, signs up to be part of a traveling medicine show out of desperation to provide for her son. She quickly learns these shows are quack pseudoscience, literal sellers of "snake oil." I also appreciated the disability rep, as her son has Down syndrome.

Most of the story focuses on the troop traveling the country, and they do not arrive in Galveston until the last quarter of the novel. Unfortunately, this was the best part of the book, as Tucia and her clan must survive a devastating hurricane, which I learned was the deadliest natural disaster in history! Given that I now reside in Texas and did not know about this hurricane, I wish the plot had spent much more time here.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Kensington Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @KensingtonBooks for this ARC. 1900 - Tucia has passed medical school but during her first rounds, she suffers a traumatic event. She now works in a factory and is incurring debt at a fast rate. When a "medicine man" asks her to be a part of his traveling show, will pay her debt and let her keep her son with special needs with her, she signs up immediately. However, she soon learns this man is a con-man selling rattlesnake oil and she is the doctor with the license. Without the ability to leave, she preserves the only way she knows until the impossible happens. Good read! #TheMedicineWomanofGalveston #AmandaSkenandore #KensingtonBooks #May2024

In the medicine woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore, is a book about a discredited female Doctor Who is struggling to support her and her handicapped son and robbing from Peter to pay Paul when she meets Huey. He runs the top tier snake oil medicine show the great Aloysius and wants her to sign up to give the show an air of credibility. At first of course she is reluctant but eventually agrees but what she signs up for isn’t at all what she winds up with. After seeing the show and action she is ashamed and even tries to talk you into changing from a snake oil salesman to selling soap and to make matters worse he wants her to pretend to be a psychic. It takes her a while but eventually she resigned herself to her role in the rest of the medicine show that first ignored her soon become friends. If not for the signed contracts Huey has most of the show would’ve left long ago but it’s when he goes a step too far that Tusha can’t except anymore. Let me start by saying the author has the kind of writing style that keeps me glued to the pages but once again has written a book that is nothing like the summary. First of all they don’t get to Galveston until much much later in the book almost 70% in it’s everything before that started getting on my nerves however from the tick of her pulling her head bald to her panic attacks to the fact she was an educated woman but really thought she was going to talk this grifter into selling soap that part just didn’t sound believable to me along with other parts but having said that still read this book it really is a great story although Galveston was the most interesting the rest is still so worth reading. I love this authors writing style as I said I just wish she would write books with more lovable identifiable women there’s always a thief among the cast of characters but you will love the historical setting. I definitely recommend this book to those who love historical fiction especially with the well researched content not to mention there’s definitely a character you’ll love if not the main one there’s many others I want to think Kensington books for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Will be totally honest. As a child of the 90s, I wanted this book because the title immediately made me think of Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman but this book was so deep and inspiring; I only wished it were a true story so I could read more about this amazing woman

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore
Let me start by saying I love everything Amanda Skenandore writes! She has a gift for being able to take a slice of history, explore it in detail, and make the reader invested in the characters and the outcome. We know what is written in the history books, but do we really comprehend what happened, how it ultimately affected people on a personal level?
This is the story of Dr. Tucia Hatherley her disabled son and a group of “misfits” who wind up indebted to Huey and his traveling medicine show. They are all people who through no fault of their own find themselves at the mercy of Huey and his theatrical antics. The reader is provided a behind the scenes seat to the internal workings of this sideshow.
Upon reaching Galveston, the group encounters The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the devastating effect it had on the community and its residents. Numerous lives were lost as well as the town having to rebuild. Dr. Tucia Haterley is able to put her fears behind her and fulfill her life’s purpose and dream of helping people.
This story is so well written. You will immediately embrace the characters. You will laugh. You will cry. You will be angry. But most of all, you will be better for having read this book!

I really, really, really wanted to adore this book. Sadly it didn't happen for me soon enough.

I understand the need for background so you can get to the 'meat' of the book, but when the interesting part for me didn't happen until I was 3/4 of the way through the book, it was quite the let down.

Most disappointing for me was how meek and downtrodden Tucia was in the beginning of the book. She had worked hard, and had gone against family members to get her medical degree. I just can't see a woman that motivated to be a physician in the late 1890's, would give it up due to an issue in the operating suite. Yes, there was discrimination due to her gender. Yes, she had to work harder than the men. Just getting the M.D. after her name was extraordinarily hard, now she shuts down, pulls her hair out, and works in a factory? I was angry that what every man ever told her, she took to heart, and gave up...to a point. She did take her medical bag with her when she left to go on the road.

Having said all of the things above that lead you to believe I DNF or would leave you to think I hated this book, the last quarter of the book was what I expected from the whole book!. Tragedy will lead Tucia to an understanding of how life should be lived and how you need to move forward after being completely broken.

So, I still feel that the majority of the book was just setting up the ending, and it could have been much, much shorter.

3 stars since there was so much slogging through the majority of the book.

'Sometimes medicine presents us with impossible choices. Sometimes life does as well'.

Trucia Hatherley fought hard to become a doctor. She fought her step-mother, her classmates and she fought off a senior doctor during her internship. But after a fatal mistake in the operating theatre, she's now just fighting to keep debt collectors from her front door and keep food in her son's mouth. However, Huey seems to offer her a lifeline by asking her to join their traveling medicine show, where her medical license will offer credence and her past misfortune will surely be buried amongst a band of misfits, 'Snakes and imposters who besmirched the noble profession...A blight to humanity...It made her head throb all the more to think she'd joined one'. Yet, as she gets to know the other performers, she begins to understand there's more to them than meets the eye. And, maybe, just maybe, there's a way this new low won't be the end of her, but rather, the making.

Amanda Skenandore has clearly done an immense amount of research about this era, both within the medical field and the 'snake oil' peddlers. I enjoyed reading the back stories of the other show members. For me, the were a few slow patches within the book but overall I thought it was a good read and many historical fiction lovers are sure to enjoy it.

'there's more to a person than the worse thing they done'.

Thank you to Kensington book, netgalley, and Amanda Skenadore. The Medicine Woman of Galveston is a book that you should put on your tbr. This author does not disappoint she tends to write about medical issues and it is compelling and makes it hard to stop reading. This book was about a woman doctor who travels with a medicine show in order to redeem a mistake earlier in life. This book proves that everyone can get a second chance in the case of this doctor. This book was captivating and the details made me feel like I was write their along with the characters. This book comes out mid May put it on hold now and enjoy it.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I liked this book. Dr. Tucia Hatherly is a down on her luck female doctor. She has stopped practicing because she made a fatal mistake with a patient. She is working making corsets, but she is fired from that job. In order to support her and her son, she becomes a doctor in a traveling medicine show. We are introduced to the owner (who is not very nice), and several other performers in the medicine show. I thought the story was very well researched, and I had never really read anything about this subject. It was interesting to learn about the medicine show, and how much the townspeople looked forward to their visit. There wasn't much about Galveston until the end. The Galveston hurricane was a turning point for Tucia, and the other characters. Recommend if you like books about performers and history.

I love the style that Amanda Skenandore writes. This story starts out with Tucia and her small son Toby, very poor, Tucia is a Dr, however this is in the era where women doctors are frowned upon and scorned. A fatal mistake caused Tucia to be forced to not practice her degree. Huey, head of a Medicine show, hears of Tucia and presents her with an out. He will pay her debt, and provide a home for her and her son in exchange for her working in his 'medicine' show as a Dr. Tucia is at a crossroads and feels like she has no choice but to join with this man. She soon finds out that Huey's promises are nothing but weak charms. The author does a fabulous job of portraying the insides of a Medicine Show.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Skenandore and Kinsington Publishing for allowing me this e-version in arc form in exchange for my opinion.

1900: Tucia Hatherley is a woman in a hard place. Once a trailblazing medical student, a costly mistake in the operating room led her to suffer from PTSD or, as the doctors of her time put it, "hysterical attacks." She turned her back on medicine and found work in a factory in order to care for her son with Down Syndrome. When she loses that job and is deeply in debt, Huey, the slick owner of a traveling medicine show, makes her an offer she thinks she must accept.

Her medical license is to lend credibility to the show. But Tucia soon finds that her new boss is a consummate con man. After hearing her fellow travelers' stories, she learns he's also a skilled blackmailer. Everyone with the show is there because Huey has something he's threatening them with. Tucia tries to find simple ways to dispense actual medical advice behind Huey's back and finally reaches her limit when Huey asks her to do the unconscionable. But soon, they will have a greater challenge to face - the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.

This was a fascinating look into the "snake oil' salesmen of the past, and their traveling medicine shows akin to circuses. Of course, the tonics they are hawking are ineffective. Skenandore is a registered nurse, which adds so much to the story since she knows the medical jargon and conditions. The novel also captures the scorn thrown at the first women who dared to be doctors. The novel is only set in Galveston for the last few chapters. Otherwise, it follows Tucia and the show workers along their travels. Historical fiction fans will enjoy this peek into the past!

What I lost most about Amanda Skenandore’s historical fiction novels is that she takes us to events, places, and times in history that are unique, that might not be well-known, or that we might have forgotten. In the Medicine Woman of Galveston, we are taken to the fascinating world of the traveling medicine show in the year 1900. When we meet our heroine Trucia, she is facing desperate times. Although she is a female doctor, she is unable to practice medicine due to a traumatic experience, and has cobbled together a paltry living to support herself and her disabled son. When she meets charismatic showman Huey, he offers her a way out of debt and destitution—as a doctor, she can give legitimacy to his traveling medical show, and in return he can give her a chance at a better life for herself and her son. We are then swept away into this world of snake oil and deception, and we are introduced to this bedraggled yet talented troupe of fascinating characters. As a reader, I was not just an observer, I felt part of this show—watching the performances, feeding off the desperation tinged with hope that the yokels bring with them. This is a fast-paced story, and yet the author takes the time to introduce all of the characters to us in such a way that we see beyond the talents and skills they bring to the medicine show—their secrets and pasts are revealed to us so that we understand how they all came to be traveling with Huey. This compelling book will take readers deep into the world of the seediness of the medicine show, while at the same giving us unique characters who add many layers of compassion, talent, and determination that takes us beyond the tents and wagons of the traveling show.

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore is a fictional story that outlines the early days of Tucia’s medical career. Tucia is one of the first women to enroll and graduate in medical college. While the story is fictional I thought that the research gone into writing this was spot on. One can only imagine the hardships that early women pioneers in the field of medicine faced from their peers, the existing medical community, and the public. Amanda Skenandore presented the story in such a believable way.

I enjoyed the medicine show storyline way more than I expected to. There are backstory chapters given to each character in the show Tucia joins. I had wished we’d had a little more to each of these stories, as I could have easily continued on with each one. Though the author did an excellent job of later explaining through conversations the characters had and gave me most of the answers I was looking for on each character.

If you pick this up expecting most of the story to be about the Galveston Hurricane, note that happens later in the book. Most of the book is setting up the scenes for that tragic disaster. Early on I was confused and disappointed that it didn’t hit right away, but found that the structure of the book wouldn’t have worked any other way. This is a story of hope and future chances, and the title is looking towards that hope!

Overall, this book started as a 3 as I did have to push to read some of the earlier chapters. It seemed to drag on just a bit too much. The moment I read Fannny’s story the book flipped for me. After completing it and reflecting on the character building and the story building this easily hit a 5 in my book. Excellent read and I’d like to thank Kensington Books, The Author, and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

Amanda Skenandore has done it again! I always find her writing beautiful, meticulously researched, and interestingly informative. I enjoyed the premise of the novel—a down-on-her-luck female doctor with a child to support and a traveling medicine show. I learned a great deal, and it was a great read!

I read the first few chapters and I had to push myself to even read that. I didn’t like this book and it wasn’t very good. I’m sorry but I didn’t like this book and can not post a review on it.

historical-novel, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, PTSD, medical-doctor, physical-attack, misogyny, friends, friendship, frustration, triggers, hucksters, unpleasant-boss, trauma, travel, family-by-choice, family-history, family*****

From medical school in Chicago with double trauma and shame, to having a young son with physical limitations, to being deep in debt and fired from a sweat shop, to reluctantly joining a travelling medicine show. Her PTSD has taken the form of Trichotillomania and Hemophobia. Despite having an MD license, she has no desire to ever do a surgical procedure again but is roped into sham performances to sell snake oil/nostrums. She becomes friends with the other nonstandard people working for the charlatan as they travel onward with the eventual destination of Galveston just before the historic hurricane. Well written with just the sort of characters and behaviors you'd expect. I really enjoyed the story and the well researched history.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley.Thank you!
Pub Date 21 May 2024