Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was a fascinating woman (albeit ahead of her time). Unfortunately, for me the book was a bit disjointed. While I learned many interesting facts (how Dr. Walker was the 2nd female doctor, a Union surgeon, only female Medal of Honor recipient, founding suffragist and activist, and more about dress reform generally) I wasn’t really captivated or drawn in by the text. 

I COULD NOT DO OTHERWISE - Sara Latta

It’s always bittersweet to read books about historical figures who flew under the radar in their lives even though they contributed so much to society. On one hand, it’s fantastic that Dr. Mary Walker dedicated her life to being “someone” as she put it, and trying to better the world around her every step of the way. On the other, it’s a little disappointing that even with all the positive work she did, she was still disrespected and mistreated. 

With that said though, Sara Latta did a great job of portraying the spectacle that was Dr. Walker’s life. The book was quite easy to read, though I think that’s the result of it being geared more towards school-age kids. Even still, it was very simple and I learned a lot about not just Dr. Walker, but the women’s suffrage movement of the 19th and 20th century. 

I think the parts that I found the most interesting though, is the slight rivalry between Dr. Walker and the other suffragettes (Elizabeth Cady Stanton mainly) of the time. It was clear from the beginning that both women wanted the same thing, the right to vote. But they both worked towards the goal in ways that the other was none too fond of. In Stanton’s case, she insisted that a constitutional amendment was the best way to guarantee women be awarded the right. In Dr. Walker’s case, she believed that the constitution already proved women had the right to vote but her interpretation of the law was not popular with anyone really. This disagreement, along with many others that the two had, led to Dr. Walker being unfairly stripped of all recognition of being a tireless suffragette. 

The other reason that Dr. Walker and Stanton, along with everyone else actually, didn’t get along was her clothing choice. From a very young age, she strictly wore clothing that the men of her age commonly wore and was ridiculed for it by everyone. To that, I say thank you Dr. Walker for being one of the pioneers of fashionable freedom. The waist and ribcage of nearly every woman on the planet thanks you. 

I’m glad I read this and I hope more people look into Dr. Walker’s life. She was truly one in a million. 

Today, I finished “I Could Not Do Otherwise” by Sara Latta, which chronicles the life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. The only woman to have won a Medal of Honor, a surgeon and spy for the Union during the Civil War, a challenger of gender norms and an advocate for women’s rights, Dr. Walker lived a very full life that was quite entertaining to read. 

The author’s note really said everything I felt while learning about Dr. Walker, so I’ll let her explain. “As I read about Dr. Walker, I was amazed to learn that she was one of the most famous women of her time, and yet hardly anyone knows about her today. I think it had a lot to do with her unwillingness to play nice and compromise her ideals. She annoyed and alienated a lot of people, even those who agreed with her on most issues. I may not always have agreed with her - often I found myself shaking my head or rolling my eyes in response to some of her ideas and stances - but I could never doubt her personal integrity, grit, and idealism, even as it came at great cost to her personal life, finances, and reputation.”

To end this post, I’ll share the excerpt that had me laughing harder than I have in a long time over a book.

“At one lecture, a young man in the audience interrupted her, ‘Are you the Mary that had a little lamb?’ ‘No,’ she responded, “but your mother had a little jack-ass!’”