The Medicine Woman of Galveston

By: Amanda Skenandore

Narrated by: Amanda Stribling

Once a trailblazer in the field of medicine, Dr. Tucia Hatherley hasn't touched a scalpel or stethoscope since she made a fatal mistake in the operating theater. Instead, she works in a corset factory, striving to earn enough to support her disabled son. When even that livelihood is threatened, Tucia is left with one option-to join a wily, charismatic showman named Huey and become part of his traveling medicine show.

Her medical license lends the show a pretense of credibility, but the cures and tonics Tucia is forced to peddle are little more than purgatives and bathwater. Loathing the duplicity, even as she finds uneasy kinship with the other misfit performers, Tucia vows to leave as soon as her debts are paid and start a new life with her son—if Huey will ever let her go.

When the show reaches Galveston, Texas, Tucia tries to break free from Huey, only to be pulled even deeper into his schemes. But there is a far greater reckoning ahead, as a September storm becomes a devastating hurricane that will decimate the Gulf Coast—and challenge Tucia to recover her belief in medicine, in the goodness of others-and in herself.

©2024 Amanda Skenandore (P)2024 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

It’s not about Galveston

I selected this book from a sale on Audible because of the title. I’m always interested in stories about the Galveston 1900 storm. Instead it is an endless slog through one endless stop for the traveling show. The author describes the horrible conditions, bad boss and her mistreatment. The book is 85% over before Galveston is mentioned. I give a book 3 stars if I am able to finish it. But it was mostly the good narrator who kept me listening.

Decent

The story was not my favorite of the authors, but it kept me engaged until the end.
The narration was good aside from her German and Mexican accents. Those were a complete miss.

Good character development

the story had good character development. I felt like there was unnecessary sexual content.

I just loved all of it...I can't say enough good about this lovely book!

nothing at all..I have read just one book that this author has written and I am hooked @

It was a fairly good story

I wish she would have been a bit braver and stood up for herself and her child instead of letting men run over her

Historical Romance novel

PTSD made main character accept a position in a medicine show culminating in the disastrous destruction of Galveston by a hurricane. Interesting characters who were also trapped by the medicine show’s owner.

Great story

Enjoyed the characters, storyline, and voice actors. I never been attracted to historical fiction but this book has made more interested in exploring the genre.

The interesting back stories of the characters

The way the backstories came out slowly Not revealing the whole story at once. The mix of history.

Hard to stay interested

This is a sad story about a woman who made it through medical school, appears to be qualified to licensed in the USA anywhere, but was downtrodden to the point where she couldn’t practice, and ends up in a traveling show. The book appears to take place around 1900, going by the date she listed I believe only once as her graduating date and adding the years since, which was a difficulty to gauge when it actually took place, until that came up at the end of the book. It was difficult to invest in this protagonist flat out. The story mostly takes place on the road with a conman and his traveling show. The characters develop predictably, and barely. The actual part in Galveston is at the very end of the book, she doesn’t practice medicine until then, and then so very little of it, so the title didn’t fit for me.
The narrator had a stressed out urgency to her voice which really grated on me, even if it seemed to fit the character. I didn’t enjoy the performance, even if that how it was intended.
The book wasn’t for me, but may be for others

Brilliant Writing As Always

This is one of several books that I have read by Amanda. I was not disappointed with her previous books, and I was not disappointed with this one. I believe I have now read all of her books, and each one is a gem.

She started the book out in such an incredible way, that I was totally caught off guard. I really can’t explain it. You will have to experience it on your own, and I hope you do.

As for the narration, another “Amanda,” Amanda Stribling, gave a stellar, world-class performance.

I highly recommend this audiobook.