{"product_id":"the-doctor-9780060196011","title":"The Doctor","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt the turn of the 19th century in England  a young  beautiful Mary Ann Bulkeley gives birth to a redheaded baby girl of uncertain paternity. Before the sensitive tomboy turns ten  the family determines she should be raised and schooled as a boy. So begins The Doctor  a provocative  illuminating novel based on a true story about a brilliant female physician who is compelled to live as a man under the name James Miranda Barry. Patricia Duncker  the author of Hallucinating Foucault  traces Barrys incredible life over the course of five decades and across three continents  from his cross-dressing child genius days to medical school in Edinburgh  Scotland; from his glorious career as a military surgeon to his adventures as a celebrated duelist and social figure known throughout the world. During his travels around the Empire  Barry challenged the antiquated medical beliefs of the time  fought off outbreaks of cholera and yellow fever  and dueled reluctantly over a young womans honor. The Doctor tells Barrys story for the first time  and it is filled with an extraordinary and vivid collection of characters. Theres the Venezuelan revolutionary general with an enormous moustache and a poetry addiction. The shabbily eccentric English aristocrat and his serpent look-alike sister. And then theres Alice Jones  the ruthless and gorgeous kitchenmaid--all legs  black curls and ambition--who is the object of Barrys enduring affection. Barrys accomplishments were many  as were the secrets he guarded. When his mysterious origins are finally revealed  we witness The Doctors intriguing  anguished finale. This richly inventive and entertaining tale of dark family secrets  adultery  and colonial history is a transforming contemplation on the substance of gender  the power of will  and an unforgettable portrait of a brilliant mind. Patricia Duncker was born in the West Indies and educated at Oxford and Cambridge. Her novel  Hallucinating Foucault  won Britains 1996 McKitterick Prize for best first novel. She teaches writing  literature  and feminist theory at the University of Wales  and lives in Wales and France.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67923895550005,"sku":"ByrdShop_0060196017","price":66.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780060196011.jpg?v=1794118338","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-doctor-9780060196011","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}