À mains nues
(With bare hands) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
During World War I, Suzanne Noël worked alongside Professor Hippolyte Morestin to operate on many soldiers wounded by grenades. However, her personal life was very turbulent, marked by losses during the Spanish flu epidemic and the world wars. She fought not only against male chauvinism, but also against some feminists who accused her of catering too much to the male view of the world with her aesthetic surgery. However, she never gave up on the path she had chosen to follow and was convinced that every woman should not only have the right to vote, but also the right to choose her own destiny and do what she wants with her body.
Edited by: Gender Studies, o p.s. - Knihovna Jiřiny Šiklové
Comment:
Through the emotional story of Suzanne Noël, a pioneer of plastic surgery and a fighter for women’s suffrage, author Leila Silmani guides readers through a dramatic life story that not only brings home the tragic reality of World War I, but also what life was like for nurses and women in general at a time when society focused solely on male soldiers and male politicians. The author sensitively portrays a biographical story of courage, determination, and strength in the face of not only war but also a society that constantly undermines women.