After a tropical disease kills her infant son and husband in Ghana in 1894, Dr. Leah Maays returns to her hometown. In Edith’s Bay, Maine, she moves in with her aunt and uncle, Martha and Utterance, owners of a local apple orchard. Martha is as uptight as they come, though Utterance is more easy going. Their attitudes toward their niece as a female physician fully reflect those of the village.
In Edith’s Bay, Leah meets Duncan Shay, a cabinet maker who is shunned because of his sordid past. He is her first patient, appearing the moment she arrives in town, with a gouge to his hand, which she successfully treats. Later, she tries to establish a medical practice but is obstructed both by the mores of the town and the objections of the local quack.
The prose in Song of the Wooden Sparrow is spare and in keeping with the late 19th century as are the descriptions of customs that seem far too strait-laced in this day and age. The sexual tension between Leah and Duncan is restrained yet blazing. As a physician, I can attest that Tutaine does a great job capturing the treatment of women physicians that persists to this day. This book is a lovely look at prejudice on many levels, yet is also about goodness and redemption. Loved reading it.
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Song of the Wooden Sparrow (Golden Bridges Publishing, September 3, 2024) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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