The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff

'At 50, I Wrote a Series of Best-Selling Erotic Fiction'.'I Gave Up Alcohol a Year Ago-I Feel 10 Years Younger'.

And a backup plan if that one didn't work out. I anticipated everything so I was rarely caught off guard. Somewhere inside of me I knew that other people didn't deliberate over every small detail of every aspect of their lives like I did. When I travel, I make a packing list weeks in advance, leave for the airport a minimum of three hours before departure time and check the terminal map to see what food will be available in spite of the fact that I always pack snacks. I have, on occasion, been called an obsessive planner. Still, for as long as I can remember, I have been someone who anticipates things and considers worst case scenarios. It is likely that my anxiety grew over the years, compounded by the hormonal shifts of childbearing. Yet, somehow, it wasn't until six years ago, at the age of 41 that I finally acknowledged my clinical anxiety disorder. I have also spent the better part of my life in therapy. My mom is a therapist and, from the time I could speak, discussing and dissecting feelings were what we did at dinner. 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.I think I am a self-actualized person. Only Ruth can save her-and scores of others-from the harrowing consequences of Robert’s ambitions. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can’t ignore her growing suspicions. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter-a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. An enthralling historical novel of a compassionate and relentless woman, a cutting-edge breakthrough in psychiatry, and a nightmare in the making.

The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff