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New Books To Borrow This Month

Published on by Melody House

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A History of Women in Medicine: Cunning Women, Physicians, Witches by Sinéad Spearing

Cover of the History of women in medicine. It has a mottled dark blue background with a painting of a woman in the centre, surrounded by a yellow glow. She is wearing a blue dress standing sideways. Her right arm is extended backwards, holding a long shaft. She is working over a pot that is sitting on top of a fire, with a gold liquid inside.

Historical Non-Fiction

In this historical non-fiction, Sinéad Spearing uncovers the untold story of the female

physicians who were accused of witchcraft during the European witch craze. Drawing on archaeological evidence, literature, folklore, religious documentation and case studies, A History of Women in Medicine exposes the elaborate conspiracy conceived by the Church to portray these women, who were once held in high esteem by their communities, as the very embodiment of evil. A great pick for Women’s History month!

 

Cover of the Pink Guide book. The heading is in pink capital letters on a white background, and in the centre there is a giant rainbow coloured heart.

The Pink Guide to Adoption: For Lesbians and Gay Men by Nicola Hill

Non-Fiction

How easy is it for lesbian and gay couples to adopt? Is the process different from heterosexual adoption? The Pink Guide to Adoption answers all of these questions and more, offering lesbians and gay men the information they need in understanding the adoption process. Divided into two parts, the book outlines what prospective adopters should expect, and features case studies from both couples and single adopters at various stages of the process. Informative and inspiring.

 

 

Cover of the City of Jasmine book. The background is a washed out light blue and pink colour with a water-coloured effect. In the bottom left corner of the book two children stand on a rooftop, the taller of the two has his arm around the smaller one. Their heads are pressed together. They are looking out at the city before them.

The City of Jasmine by Olga Grjasnowa

Fiction

Set in Syria, this book follows the lives of Amal, Hammoudi and Youssef who are left with the terrible choice of risking death by staying in their beloved county, or leaving in search of a new life elsewhere. Olga Grjasnowa tells an intricately woven story of brutality, loss and hope in a time of overwhelming darkness.

 

 

 

Cover of Its gone dark. It is a light grey background, with an old-fashioned cracked porcelain vase in the centre with a single red rose inside. The title is written around this image in a handwriting font that looks like black marker pen.

It’s Gone Dark Over Bill’s Mother’s by Lisa Blower

Fictional Short Stories

In this award-winning collection of short stories, Lisa Blower explores the lives of working-class women: From the happy hooker Ruthie in ‘The Land of Make Believe’; the outspoken 92 year old Nan from ‘Broken Crockery’; to young mum Roxanne in ‘The Cherry Tree’. Blower shines a light on the harsh realities of those who live life on the margins.

 

 

 

The Changing Nature of Eco/Feminism: Telling stories from Clayoquot Sound by Niamh Moore

Non-FictionThe cover of The Changing Nature book. The background is a reddish orange colour, and the title is a light blue colour. The image in the centre of the book is divided into two, the right side is in colour depicting a woman in the foreground facing sideways and extending her hand out. She is surrounded by a group of women sitting all around her. The left part of the image is coloured red and shows the crowds of women sitting together at this event.

Twenty-odd years after the Clayoquot Sound protest, the event still holds a prominent place in Canadian environmental discourses. Yet, although the camp was said to be based on feminist or eco/feminist principles, insufficient attention has been paid to its impact on feminism. Niamh Moore, a Chancellor’s Fellow in sociology at the University of Edinburgh, sets out to remedy this. Using a qualitative study of the peace camp, Moore demonstrates that the sheer vitality of eco/feminist politics at the camp confounded dominant narrative of contemporary feminism, and she has reimagined eco/feminist politics for new times.

 

 

A Midlife Cyclist: My two-wheel journey to heal a broken mind and find joy by Rachel Ann CullenCover of a Midlife Cyclist. The cover image is a drawing of fresh, green hills and a nice blue sky. There is a long pathway winding through the hills and there are silhouettes of three cyclists at different parts of the trail. The one farthest back is standing stationary next to her bike, drinking some water. The other two are riding their bikes further down the path.

Autobiography

After suffering an injury that prevented her from running, Rachel needed a different way to kick her mental health demons for the sake of her sanity. Feeling the body dysmorphia creep in, she went down to her cellar, heaved out her old bike, and started pedalling. Like her life depended on it. A Midlife Cyclist is a tale of two wheels, across the Yorkshire Dales, Vietnam, Costa Rica and beyond, and a rider in search of peace.