I Knew a Woman: The Experience of the Female Body
Davis, Cortney
Primary Category:
Literature /
Nonfiction
Genre: Memoir
-
Annotated by:
- Donley, Carol
- Date of entry: Nov-01-2001
- Last revised: Dec-01-2006
Summary
The text explores the experiences of a nurse practitioner in an inner city OB-GYN (Obstetrics & Gynecology) clinic and four of her women patients, from a fifteen-year-old homeless pregnant child to a mature woman struggling with cancer. Another of her patients is pregnant and drug addicted; a fourth suffers from pains that come from buried memories of sexual abuse. The stories of all four patients weave in and out of the narrator's own stories about herself, her own health and illness experiences, her own respectful appreciation of the female body.
Publisher
Random House
Place Published
New York
Edition
2001
Page Count
263
Commentary
This splendid book is an artistic triumph besides being an informative and engaging description of life in an OB-GYN clinic. Cortney Davis has a special ability to convey the experiences of the female body which she knows as an intimate observer of her patients and of herself. She gives voice to the woman's body and cares for it with the skill of a clinician and the compassion of a friend. As a listener who has earned her patients' trust, she hears heart-wrenching stories about their lives and offers them support where they need it most.