The Lobotomist's Wife

Unsurprisingly, I read this for book club, otherwise I wouldn't have heard of this book, much less picked it up to read. Thank goodness for book club or I would've missed out on an excellent story. 

I do enjoy historical fiction, and this one even has a romantic thread, though this isn't a true romance. 

Ms. Woodruff does an excellent job of putting us in Ruth's shoes. I sympathized with her, cheered her on, and worried when her life took an unexpected dark turn. 

And I kept fact checking. Ms. Woodruff kept true to the historical details, while also bringing this story to life in her own way. Dr. Apter isn't the name of the man who champtioned lobotomy use in the US but is a deeply fashioned proxy to the original. 

Ms. Woodruff also described the process of the procedure without being gory, rather choosing to show the consequences of the thankfully shelved practice. 

I recommend this to anyone who wants a good look into the world of medicine regarding mental health during the post WWII period. 

AMAZON

An enthralling historical novel of a compassionate and relentless woman, a cutting-edge breakthrough in psychiatry, and a nightmare in the making.

Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter—a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can’t ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim.

Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. When Dr. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Only Ruth can save her—and scores of others—from the harrowing consequences of Robert’s ambitions.

Inspired by a shocking chapter in medical history, The Lobotomist’s Wife is a galvanizing novel of a woman fighting against the most grievous odds, of ego, and of the best intentions gone horribly awry.