The Physician's Daughter

Overview

From the author of The Underground River comes this compelling new novel of female perseverance. Set in the aftermath of the Civil War, The Physician's Daughter is the story of two people trying to make their way in a world that is struggling to escape its past.

It is 1865, the American Civil War has just ended, and 18-year old Vita Tenney is determined to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a country doctor like her father. But when her father tells her she must get married instead, Vita explores every means of escape - and finds one in the person of war veteran Jacob Culhane.

Damaged by what he's seen in battle and with all his family gone, Jacob is seeking investors for a fledgling business. Then he meets Vita - and together they hatch a plan that should satisfy both their desires. Months later, Vita seemingly has everything she ever wanted. But alone in a big city and haunted by the mistakes of her past, she wonders if the life she always thought she wanted was too good to be true. When love starts to compete with ambition, what will come out on top?

Reviews

"In the proud tradition of female characters from Jo March to Meredith Grey, Vita Tenney takes her place as a determined woman unwilling to let society or her family control her destiny. I was captivated by The Physician's Daughter. The novel stays with you." ―Tony Phelan, executive producer of Grey's Anatomy and Council of Dads

“Vividly realised, and impeccably researched, with a determined female lead." —Kayte Nunn, author, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant

PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS TITLES:

"Creating a perfectly straight seam finds echoes throughout the book in plot devices and metaphors, even in saving souls, and it may come as a surprise how lively and sustaining this lost art can be. Twain has his ‘Life on the Mississippi.’ Conway’s life on the Ohio makes you see the place, through May’s eyes, in all its muddy glory." —New York Times Book Review on The Underground River

“Completely charming." —Imogen Hermes Gowar, author, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock on The Underground River

"A captivating, thoughtful, and unforgettable read." —Kathleen Grissom, author, The Kitchen House, on The Underground River

“It is part of Martha Conway’s gift as a writer to weave stories from the richest and most interesting periods of American history. . . . A riveting and atmospheric novel about slavery, betrayal and redemption, with a memorably forthright heroine, and a plot as fast flowing and twisty as the river itself.” —Louisa Treger, author of The Lodger, on The Underground River

"Features prose as rich as its characters. . . .  A hypnotic, capacious and cutting evocation of a bleak period of American history. An elegiac, hopeful historical novel." —Kirkus Reviews on Thieving Forest

"[The Physician's Daughter] is a richly detailed historical drama about a persevering woman and a tormented veteran" — Akron Beacon Journal

Author Biography

Martha Conway has been nominated for an Edgar Award and won the North American Book Award for Best Historical Fiction. Martha teaches creative writing for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program and UC Berkeley Extension. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she is one of seven sisters. She now lives in San Francisco with her family.