There are so many hot new historical fiction releases this upcoming spring and I cannot with all these great titles! This book hit my radar a few months ago and I have been so excited to bring it to you guys! This book follows the early days of the psychological field but through the eyes of the wife of a leading psychologist. This book is based on real life events and I am so here for it!
Mental health is on a lot of peoples radar right now with the pandemic and such, so a book like this that looks at some of the early treatment of mental patients really hits readers with relevance. That’s one of the reasons it appealed to me so much is the relevance factor. It’s a historical fiction book but it also talks about some big issues so I think readers will find relevance in themes throughout the book. Or at least I hope. I am planning on reading it later this spring but I did take a peak at a couple of chapters and am just so excited to read this one!
I love that this book looks at the good intentions of the characters but how those intensions can also become something less pure and where the lines blur. This is a debut novel and had already been getting loads of great reviews so I am super excited to read it all a little later this year! If you love historical fiction you might want to give this one a go, it promises to be suspenseful and interesting!
Summary
An enthralling historical novel of a compassionate and relentless woman, a cutting-edge breakthrough in psychiatry, and a nightmare in the making.
Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter—a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can’t ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim.
Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. When Dr. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Only Ruth can save her—and scores of others—from the harrowing consequences of Robert’s ambitions.
Inspired by a shocking chapter in medical history, The Lobotomist’s Wife is a galvanizing novel of a woman fighting against the most grievous odds, of ego, and of the best intentions gone horribly awry. (summary from Goodreads)
The Lit Bitch 