The Medicine Woman of Galveston

In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. By 1900, there were over seven thousand women physicians in the U.S. (almost 6 percent of all physicians). Does that number surprise you? What did you think about Tucia’s experiences as a woman doctor during this era?

Like Tucia, early women physicians faced many forms of discrimination, from outright exclusion to harassment to marginalization. How does gender-based discrimination still affect the profession, if at all? What about your own profession?

Have you ever been in a natural disaster? What was your experience like?

After the 1900 hurricane, many people chose to leave Galveston while others stayed to rebuild. If your hometown were destroyed, would you stay or strike out elsewhere?

Though medicine shows are long gone, snake oil and snake oil salesmen are terms we still use today. What modern-day institutions or people would you ascribe those words to and why?

Tucia says late in the novel, “Perhaps even their nightly show did a little good. The yokels arrived at their lot tired, worried, weighed down by the struggles of their everyday lives. They left lighter. Happier. Who knew how long it lasted, but surely that was worth something.” What does she mean by this? Do you agree?

Medicine shows relied heavily on racial and ethnic stereotypes—both in the form of entertainment they offered and the way they advertised their medicine. Why do you think this was? Discussion Questions to spark conversation and enhance your reading of The Medicine Woman of Galveston

What did you think about the chapters dedicated to the other members of the troupe (e.g., The Giant’s Story)? Whose story did you find most interesting? Did you notice any commonalities between them?

Unrealized dreams and new beginnings are two of the main themes of the novel. How do they play out differently for each character? Have any unmet desires or missed opportunities in your life unexpectedly led you to a new beginning?

How is Tucia changed by the end of the novel? Do you think she’s cured of her “hysterical attacks,” or will aspects of that trauma always be with her?

Much of what motivates Tucia throughout the novel is her desire to keep Toby out of an asylum. How have our attitudes and understanding of people with intellectual disabilities changed since 1900?