The pioneering life of a brilliant woman and her fight for recognition in a world on the brink of change
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Deeply inspiring and gracefully wrought, Claire Holman Rothman’s testament to the times and trials of one of the medical profession’s pioneering women is made all the more compelling for its unabashed affection towards its heroine. Agnes White is the brilliant, awkward champion whose story of defiance and fortitude is driven only by her need to be what she is – her father’s daughter.
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Heartwarming and inspiring, Rothman’s debut is a gracefully wrought story of a brilliant woman fighting for recognition in a world on the brink of change.

An incredible story of perseverance and passion, The Heart Specialist sets the young, headstrong Agnes White against the prejudice and arrogance of the medical establishment in a battle that will eventually grant her the right to save lives as a practising doctor. Set against the upheaval and social strictures of the early 1900s and based on true events, this unforgettable novel is a testament to the spirit, intelligence, and determination we summon when people stand in the way of our dreams.

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“Stories such as The Heart Specialist remind us how far we have come... [Dr. Maude Abbott’s] career remains inspiring for me as it has for many.”

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"I can pay a book no higher compliment than to say I didn’t want it to end. With The Heart Specialist, I rationed my reading, permitting myself only a few chapters at a sitting so as to savour the writing and the story."

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"The Heart Specialist offers something for nearly everyone. Montrealers will delight in the atmosphere of turn-of-the-century Montreal, which is a palpable presence throughout the book. Yet others will be drawn to the depiction of a pioneering woman’s struggle. Mystery lovers will revel in the slowly unveiled secrets, and romantics will discover at least a little of the stuff of dreams. Some will find the best thing of all: a book we look forward to turning the pages of, remembering where we last left off."

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"The Heart Specialist is a fascinating novel that conveys both a sense of history and of the timelessness of human emotions. That Rothman also demonstrates the damage that prejudice can do, and the power of the human spirit in overcoming it, is simply an added bonus."

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"The novel is ably researched and written, with never an ungraceful sentence."

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"Rothman has done a wonderful job of weaving historical facts with literary convention to create a compelling novel."

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“Rothman is sensitive to atmosphere, conversation and female sentiment, evoking Jane Austen or the Brontës. …”