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In this honest, heartfelt memoir, Nemeth begins as she and her brother—ages one and two—arrive in Phoenix with their mother after leaving their father. Searching for a new life, they have few possessions. Nemeth's mother waitresses at a diner and eventually marries a local car salesman. Although naturally filled with a curious imagination and a thirst for learning, Nemeth is discouraged from reading and intellectual growth. Her unschooled parents, unable to nurture her, view the author's role as one of simply marrying and bearing children. Nemeth instead finds meaning in competing academically. As her parents disavow her, she works her way through college, earns a doctorate in anatomy, travels the world engaged in academic fieldwork, and later teaches at Washington University School of Medicine. She eventually discovers her true life's calling as a physician. Successful in practicing medicine (and finding her true love, Jim), she nonetheless encounters instances throughout her career of misogyny and sexism.
This engaging memoir makes it clear that Nemeth cherishes life and learning and has an insatiable curiosity about the world. The intimate, revealing stories she shares regarding her role in the lives of her patients as a dedicated healer serve as useful reading for anyone considering a career in medicine. Her use of humor throughout delights, while her diction pays testament to the intelligence and general sophistication she perceives to be characteristic of her audience. The numerous detailed anecdotes shared are colorful and enlightening. For anyone who enjoys reading a true-life account of a remarkable woman of intellect with much to offer the world, this memoir is highly recommended. Nemeth's story of unfettered dedication to the practice of medicine on an individual level, human and humane, is ultimately quite inspiring.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review