The Lobotomist's Wife

Paperback, 315 pages

English language

Published Feb. 1, 2022 by Lake Union Publishing.

ISBN:: 978-1-5420-3621-4
OCLC Number:: 1280604041

(1 review)

Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter―a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can’t ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim.

Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. When Dr. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Only Ruth can save her―and scores of others―from the harrowing consequences of Robert’s ambitions.

Inspired by a shocking chapter in medical history, The Lobotomist’s …

Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter―a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can’t ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim.

Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. When Dr. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Only Ruth can save her―and scores of others―from the harrowing consequences of Robert’s ambitions.

Inspired by a shocking chapter in medical history, The Lobotomist’s Wife is a galvanizing novel of a woman fighting against the most grievous odds, of ego, and of the best intentions gone horribly awry. - Provided by Publisher

3 editions

martina.pugliese reviewed The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff

Review of "The Lobotomist's Wife" on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Wonderful read! The book is faithful to the real history, so I've learned how lobotomy arose from brain research to become a perfect case of bad science (no proper safety testing, no follow-up protocol with patients, lots of ego and fame-chasing from some practitioners of the time). Fascinating and tragic tale, and the book, despite being rooted in fiction, tells it correctly and with a delicate touch. I've only found the ending a bit rushed, some points about what happens to the main characters remain ambiguous.