The Path Beneath Her Feet by Janis Robinson Daly: Excerpt

THE PATH BENEATH HER FEET

“Meticulously researched and beautifully written. The story of a life well lived.” –KATHLEEN GRISSOM, NY Times Bestselling author of The Kitchen House

Steeped in rich historical detail, Dr. Eliza Edwards, the ingénue student in The Unlocked Path, becomes the mature mentor, steadfast in her calling to effect social change by addressing women’s health issues and guiding others to realize their dreams. In 1936, as the Depression ravages careers, Eliza re-defines her abilities, traveling to Georgia and Tennessee as she reclaims her purpose and rediscovers her ambitions. Returning to Boston, she endures heartbreak with the eruption of World War II, bringing chaos to the world and sending her sons into battle. Will her unyielding pursuit to limit suffering and save lives sustain her amid the tumultuous landscapes of 1930s and 1940s America?

EXCERPT

Chapter 1, Opening Scene

Eliza stood. She should have worn higher heels, not for the extra femininity they would present, but for a taller stature they could provide than her five feet two inches. Although she doubted that even an Amazon woman standing before Dr. Miles could alter the facts on his staff sheet. She offered her hand. “I’m sorry, too, Dr. Miles. I believe my years of experience would be a great asset to the Brigham.”

As Eliza headed toward the door, Dr. Miles’s voice halted her reach for the glass knob. “I’ve a thought. It’s radical, but I have enough sway around here to make an exception.”

Eliza turned to hear his idea. At this point, she could manage radical.

“Every year, like clockwork, it happens,” he continued. “Our new hires, with the ink barely dry on their certificates, find themselves with a diamond on their fingers soon after, which means many of them disappear off to birthing their own children before they get started. I realize you’re married, but we could make an exception given, well, I don’t suppose you’d be coming in to announce a pregnancy?”

Her eyebrows shot up as he suggested her child-bearing years had passed. She had taken great care to conceal her fifty-seven years. She had fought enough battles in her life to prove her abilities as a woman. She didn’t need to pile on proof she still had all her faculties about her.

Dr. Miles’s face colored to the same red as the bowtie at his chin. “Would you consider a nursing position?”

Eliza’s cheeks flared to match his, not from embarrassment, but from fury. She doubted that he offered the same alternative to the young man, with his freshly minted Harvard degree, whom she had met in the waiting area.

“As I said, Dr. Miles, thank you for your time. However, may I remind you, again, I hold a degree from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and have run a successful private practice with Dr. Povitsky. I am a doctor. I intend to remain one for many more years.”

She wasn’t sorry.

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Reprinted with permission from the publisher

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Discovery that her great-great grandfather was a founder of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania inspired Janis Robinson Daly’s writing of The Unlocked Path. Balancing authenticity and rich historical detail with a flair to create emotional connections to fictional characters, she seeks to unearth the stories of women whose lives have remained in the shadows. A graduate of Wheaton College in Massachusetts, at the time, an all-women’s college, stimulated a fond appreciation of the supportive relationships established between students, faculty, and alumnae and a heightened awareness of female-centric issues. Both directed the writing of The Unlocked Path. Splitting her time between Cape Cod, New Hampshire, Florida and hotels along Route 95, more adventures beckon Daly to document other women in history whose stories need to be discovered. Daly can be reached at www.janisrdaly.com.

Category: On Writing