I Could Not Do Otherwise: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker

by Sara Latta

Overview

Grateful American Book Prize Book of Honorable Mention

As a teenager, Mary Edwards Walker determined she would no longer wear the confining corsets and long skirts society dictated women wear at the time and instead opted for pants with a short skirt, setting the stage for her lifelong controversial efforts to change expectations. One of the first women to earn a degree in medicine, Walker championed women’s rights, social justice, and access to health care. She became a Civil War surgeon and a spy, who was captured and arrested by the Confederacy, and she is still the only woman to have been awarded the Medal of Honor.

Written by young adult author Sara Latta, I Could Not Do Otherwise teaches readers about Walker’s determination and strength of conviction, as well as her complete disregard of what others thought of her unconventional style. The slogan, “women’s rights are human rights” is a direct descendent of Walker’s words: “The recognition of the individuality of woman, is simply an acknowledgement of human rights, which all human beings have guaranteed them, by the fact of their having an existence.” I Could Not Do Otherwise brings to light an amazing historical figure who broke gender norms and fought for issues that are still relevant today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728413914
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,146,292
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	1180L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Sara Latta has written several books for middle grade and YA readers, including Body 2.0: The Engineering Revolution in Medicine (Twenty-First Century Books, 2020); Black Holes: The Weird Science of the Most Mysterious Objects in the Universe (Twenty-First Century Books, 2018); Smash! Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe with the Large Hadron Collider (Graphic Universe, 2017), and Scared Stiff: Everything You Need to Know about 50 Famous Phobias (Zest Books, 2014). She lives in New York City with her husband and children. Visit her online at www.saralatta.com.

Table of Contents

Prologue 7

Chapter 1 The Making of a Rebel 10

Chapter 2 A Champion of Women's Causes 25

Chapter 3 Civil War Surgeon 37

Chapter 4 Contract Civilian Assistant Surgeon 59

Chapter 5 Postwar Advocacy 83

Chapter 6 Touring the United States 102

Chapter 7 Author and Activist 119

Chapter 8 Difficult Times 139

Chapter 9 Reformer to the End 159

Epilogue 178

Author's Note 182

Source Notes 184

Selected Bibliography 201

Index 203

Editorial Reviews

2022-08-17
A biography of a woman born “one hundred years before her time.”

Born to freethinking White abolitionist farmers in New York’s Finger Lakes region in 1832, Mary Edwards Walker became an early advocate for women’s rights, especially clothing reform. She eschewed corsets as unhealthy and endured ridicule for wearing loose shortened skirts over long trousers. She became one of the country’s first female physicians when she graduated from Syracuse Medical College in 1855 and, after a brief, unhappy marriage, overcame considerable prejudice to become a surgeon for the Union Army during the Civil War, a part-time spy, Confederate prisoner, and the only female recipient of the Medal of Honor. But despite the award, which she cherished, the government for years refused her the pension male soldiers received. Walker became a popular paid lecturer, but her outspoken personality, insistence on dress reform, and open criticism of some influential suffragists’ lack of support for racial equality eventually caused her to be ostracized by the leaders of the suffrage movement and all but forgotten to history. Mary’s attire and appearance became more conventionally masculine as she aged, but she does not seem to have regarded herself as transgender. Latta’s carefully researched story, drawn primarily from contemporary accounts and featuring many photographs, places Walker in the context of her time and shows her as the complicated and principled person she was.

An eye-opening and engaging tribute to a fascinating historical figure. (author’s note, source notes, selected bibliography, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

"[A] fascinating introduction . . . Latta utilizes primary sources, from contemporary newspaper articles to photographs, to make Walker's remarkable life come alive for readers."—starred, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2022

Gr 9 Up—Latta presents a fascinating introduction to Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only female Medal of Honor winner, who was a doctor, feminist, suffragist, possible spy, and prisoner of war. Walker was the daughter of freethinking parents who encouraged her individuality and her need to challenge the status quo if something struck her as unfair, such as how women should not wear trousers even though it made gardening and other outside tasks much easier. While Walker was not the first American woman to attend medical school, her work during the Civil War led to her capture as an enemy combatant by the Confederacy and she spent months as a prisoner of war. Her activities during the Civil War led to her being awarded the Medal of Honor for Meritorious Service by President Andrew Johnson. Walker's involvement in the forefront of political issues continued after the Civil War, particularly regarding suffrage and the annexation of Hawai'i against the wishes of the ruling Queen. Even toward the end of her life, Walker supported humanitarian causes with her own dwindling money, opening her home to those in need and trying to join the efforts of the Red Cross in support of American forces during the Great War. Latta utilizes primary sources, from contemporary newspaper articles to photographs, to make Walker's remarkable life come alive for readers. The author's note, which includes additional sources, is particularly valuable for researchers wanting to know more. Included in the back matter are endnotes, selected bibliography, index, and photo acknowledgments. VERDICT Recommended for all readers.—Susan Catlett

School Library Journal