Romance, Adventure and Cholera Epidemics

Maybe it’s because of my childhood obsession with Cherry Ames, Student Nurse, but I’ve never been able to turn down a good medical romance, especially one with a historical setting and some epic adventure-- and bonus points if it includes a woman doctor or nurse as the protagonist. Apparently I’m not alone, considering the popularity of Call the Midwife on PBS.

Perhaps the most famous fictional historical woman doctor--although she begins the series as a nurse--is Claire from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books. The story opens in Scotland in 1945, with combat nurse Claire Randall on a long-awaited honeymoon with her husband. When Claire touches an ancient boulder, she is transported back in time to 1743, where she becomes embroiled in yet another war, this one between rival Scottish clans. Her medical expertise is invaluable, and rare, in her new time period, and her adventures are multitude, literally crossing time. The romance, in both of her time periods, is heart-wrenching and pretty steamy, too.

Another epic adventure, minus the time travel, is Jennifer Donnelly’s The Winter Rose. Although the book is second in Donnelly’s Rose series, it can stand alone. India Selwyn Jones has fought hard to become a doctor in London in 1900. Determined to provide the best care to London’s poorest residents, she finds herself on the same side as Sid Malone, London’s most notorious gangster. Full of plot twists that carry the characters across the globe, this is the perfect book to get lost in on a cold autumn afternoon.