Terry Toner reviews Against the Odds by Cynthia Farquhar and Michaela Selway for Dusty Shelves:
‘This book is being published to coincide with the 150 th Anniversary of the Otago University Medical School establishment.
I'm not sure what it was about the book that first tempted me to find our more about it – however whatever it was my interest has been well rewarded.
This is a very appealing book.
“The journey of the women graduates of Otaho Medical School from 1896 to 1967 is a story of resilience, progress and enduring impact. These pioneering women did more than just break into a male-dominated profession; they redefined it. Their legacy is one of perseverance, hard work and the pursuit of equality, and it continues to guide women in medicine today” (the Authors)
Each of the stories of these women is different – but the same. They have ALL encounted huge road blocks to getting where they wanted to go – sometimes male road blocks – others when being a women was the difficulty – having a family sometimes would put a hold on their progress – these were strong people – it really wasn't easy.
The stories the authors tell is history at its best and make for some riveting tales.
I enjoyed the stories and how they were told – this is a book that should interest anybody with an interest in New Zealand's history – it won't make any difference whether you are male or female – though I would be weak if I thought there won't be a huge audience of women of any profession who will take this book and see how far things have changed over the years.
This is much more than just a book about women doctors – these stories and times make vidid reading for anybody interested in New zealand and its people over the years – both female and male.
I thank the authors for a very interesting story well told.’
