The roles and possibilities for women chan ged throughout 19th century America. Even as women continued to live under the societal norms of domesticity\, they also expanded what was possible for a woman to achieve outside the home. The character of Dr. Lydia Weston in \;Murder by Degrees \;was extraordinary for her time indeed\; however\, we can better understand her if we are also familiar wi th the gender notions\, class divisions\, and the role of women in the eme rging field of formalized medical training in post-Civil War America.
\ nJanet Rankin is a cultural historian who holds a Bach elor of Arts Degree in Humanities and a Master of Arts in History with a C oncentration in Humanities from Sacramento State University. Her focus in graduate school included the fields of women&rsquo\;s history and the art projects of FDR&rsquo\;s New Deal Administration. Janet is an instructor a t OSU-Cascades in Bend and her current research focuses on highlighting wo men&rsquo\;s voices from the Literary Oregon Trail. Janet lives in Redmond \, OR.
\nMurder by Degrees \;is a thri llingly atmospheric tale of intrigue\, featuring a brilliant female doctor who&rsquo\;s ahead of her time. Set in Philadelphia\, 1875\, the debut no vel by Ritu Mukerji\, Dr. Lydia Weston is preparing for the start of a new term at Woman&rsquo\;s Medical College of Pennsylvania\, when the body of a young woman is fished out of the Schuylkill River. The death is ruled a suicide\, but Lydia is suspicious. As the investigation unfolds\, Lydia p uts to use all her diagnostic skills and autopsy table acumen to pursue th e killer. \;
\nRitu Mukerji \;was born in K olkata\, India\, and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. From a young ag e\, she has been an avid reader of mysteries\, from Golden Age crime ficti on to police procedurals and the novels of PD James and Ruth Rendell. She received a BA in history from Columbia University and a medical degree fro m Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadel phia. She completed residency training at the University of California\, D avis and has been a practicing internist for fifteen years. She lives in M arin County\, California\, with her husband and three children.
\nLe arn more about \;A Novel Idea \;here.
\nQuestions? \; Contact \ ;laurelh@deschuteslibrary.or g \; \; \;
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