The girl of the title is Nora Beady, ward of Dr. Horace Croft, a brilliant and eccentric London surgeon. Nora is intelligent, independent, and possessed of a natural talent for medicine and medical illustration. Dr. Croft has trained her to work as his assistant, but her role must be kept secret; although the book's setting, the mid-19th-century medical field, is in the process of evolving, it still has no role for women, except as nurses. If word were to get out about exactly what Nora did in his private clinic, Dr. Croft could face criminal charges and lose his medical credentials. When surgical resident Daniel Gibson arrives, Nora's role in Dr. Croft's practice is threatened, and she is forced to decide whether to stay in the background or claim her rightful place. Jaima Fixson and Regina Sirois, writing under the name "Audrey Blake," have created a compelling story, set in a gritty, sometimes brutal 1840s London that is mostly white. Drawing on deep research, their description of medical practices and procedures is harrowing. VERDICT With its strong woman protagonist and authentic period detail, this is the best kind of historical fiction, transporting readers to a place and time peopled with memorable characters. Readers who enjoy medical drama will gravitate to this book.--Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago

When Nora Beady is orphaned by a cholera outbreak, Dr. Horace Croft takes her in at the insistence of his trusted housekeeper, Mrs. Phipps. Dr. Croft's home-based clinic and work at St. Bartholomew's Hospital keep him busy as he raises Nora among enough cadavers and medicine to train her as a skilled assistant. Dr. Daniel Gibson soon joins the household as a trained doctor lacking surgical experience, and discovers Nora is not only highly skilled but eager to learn more and earn a place in a medical field that so far has barred women. Dr. Gibson introduces Nora to his colleague Dr. Harry Trimble, who instantly finds a connection with Nora; this ultimately sets up a clash with Dr. Silas Vickery, Croft's rival in both reputation and popularity. Nora must decide if she can step into the light and claim her place in medicine or allow the customs of mid-nineteenth-century London to stifle her potential. Eye-opening and revealing of the mindset of the time period, the book's relationships and drama of discovery shape the pacing and tone. Blake is a pseudonym for authors Jaima Fixsen and Regina Sirois.