The Surgeon Of Royaumont, while fictional, gives readers a marvelous, if at times somewhat gruesome insight into life in a hospital close to the World War One battlefront. While not a book for the squeamish, this is nonetheless a gripping and fascinating read. I empathised with Clara Heywood as she fought for the right to be seen as equally good as a surgeon as her male counterparts. Clara has incredible inner strength, steeling herself to take on surgical tasks she’s only ever assisted with before arriving at Royaumont Abbey. I loved her passion and her drive as well as her compassion for the patients in her care. I was impressed that the Scottish /women’s Hospital, with whom Clara was contracted for a year of the war, was so advanced in its approach at a time when traditional organisations that were crying out for doctors were unwilling to take a chance on them. The setting at the Abbey was beautifully presented and I felt as though I was right there. The secondary characters were also realistic and added to the depth of Clara’s story, a story that kept me immersed and keen to see what would happen next right to the last page. The other thing I found fascinating was the collection of author’s notes at the end of the story. Don’t cheat and read them first, but do read them because they provide a wonderful background.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

This was an incredibly moving and important story capturing a young Australian woman fighting to be recognised and respected after being denied the opportunity to enlist as a doctor in the Australian Army during WWI.

Clara has the talent, determination, and drive to prove herself, that after refusals from several enlisting offices, she sets off to France to work at the Royaumont Abbey, an all women hospital just 20 miles from the Western Front. At the Abbey she broadened her skills to be trained as a surgeon, completing a wide range of operations that grew more complex as her experience and confidence in the operating theatre increased. The growth and development in Clara is inspiring as she begins to realise just how big of an impact she can have at the Abbey, even without the recognition from the Australian Army. The relationships between the characters including Miss Ivens, Dr Elsie Dalyell, Loic and Beau provided some lightheartedness to the story that was needed!

This story has been impeccably researched with real people, inventions and events integrated flawlessly alongside the gritty injury and surgery details. I am so incredibly impressed with how well Susan Neuhaus has captured all of this information and I definitely plan to read her other novel "Not for Glory" which is also about medical women in the Australian Army.

Doctor Clara Heywood works at the Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and she wants to be to surgeon and has little chance of becoming one because she’s a woman. When the First World War breaks out, Clara's greatest wish is to help and sign up like her colleagues, she’s courting and her beau Surgical Registrar Edward Burnett joins the army and she sees him off.

Despite Australian women having the right to vote, they couldn’t serve in uniform, and they were told they would be more useful rolling bandages and raising money and keeping out of the way. Clara’s father was a Colonel, as a child she lived in India and she’s always wanted to make him proud, and feels like she should have been a boy. Clara leaves Australia and to work at the Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont Abbey, managed by women on the Western Front and she will be treating French soldiers.

Here, under the guidance of Miss Frances Ivens, she observes battlefield surgery and sees the realities of war, how the cases are assessed and tagged and learns that not everyone can be saved and time is against them. Preforming the surgery herself tests not only Clara’s physical strength and stamina, but her principles and ethics, and the relationships with her peers and other staff at the hospital.

I received a copy of The Surgeon of Royaumont written by Susan Neuhaus a surgeon and ex-army officer from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia. A Historical fiction narrative based around real people and events and you can tell the author has an extensive knowledge about the army and medicine and surgery and the First World War.

A story about war and sexism, self-discovery and development, overcoming challenging situations and trying to pursue goals and being with liked minded and ground breaking women. Clara and her friend and fellow doctor and microbiologist Elsie Dayell and VAD Cicely Worthington shared a special bond and of course her mentor and boss Miss Frances Ivens.

Clara gained inspiration and the will to keep going from Elsie and her favourite motto being “deeds not words” and they will be remembered for their actions and what they did and thanks to Susan Neuhaus who's novel has made me aware of these unknown heroines and the sacrifice and achievements they made. I highly recommend and five stars from me and I'm keen to read Not for Glory also by the author.

A young Australian woman on the battlefields of World War I finds her calling through her work as a surgeon - and her legacy in compassion. Based on real-life characters and events this thought-provoking novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit amidst the ravages of war.....

Absolutely stunning novel - Clara's journey was beautifully told. Heartbreaking, shockingly detailed injuries, incredible telling of the "behind the scenes" of war and the unsung female heroes. It was historically accurate, well researched but keeping the side romances/dramas/snippets of day to day life that kept it from being too fact heavy. I loved the characters, the character development, particularly Clara's and the different views and opinions that those characters had. Devastating ending, which I was not prepared for but did think it was a good way to tie everything up.

Cannot wait to see more from Susan Neuhaus, this book will stay with me for a long time.