All in Her Hands by Audrey Blake

#AllInHerHands #NetGalley

When I was a child, I read a biography of Elizabeth Blackwell and still remember how fascinated I was by her life. This, I think, left me with an affinity for stories about trailblazing women in the medical profession, leading me to this title.

I did not realize that this book was connected to others by this author. I may well go back to read them. Nonetheless, I was able to follow the characters and events in this story without any problem.

This is a story of a woman fighting against odds as she cares for her patients. It is also a story about Nora as a character and those around her.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction that features a strong female lead may want to give this one a look. Library Journal’s verdict is that the book is “recommended for those who enjoy a strong women protagonist who who advocates for her rights and the rights of women everywhere.”

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks-Landmark for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 24 February 2026

Post first published on 23 March 2026

Description:

From USA Today bestselling author Audrey Blake comes a story of love, hope, and perseverance, following one woman’s fight against an invisible enemy.

One woman physician. A group of talented midwives. A deadly disease spreading.

1849. Dr. Nora Gibson is the only female surgeon in London. In all of England, even. After earning her medical degree and overcoming the prejudice of those who wished to see her fail, she’s finally earned her place at the Great Queen Street Hospital alongside her newlywed husband and her eccentric but ailing adoptive father, the great Dr. Horace Croft.

But peace is hard to come by as a physician, and for one like Nora, it’s almost impossible. When Nora takes up the fight to bring midwives into the medical field, her already fragile reputation comes under fire by colleagues and London society itself. And if the possibility of losing her rights to practice medicine wasn’t enough, a dangerous enemy has made itself known: the deadliest cholera epidemic in over a century. It’s a swift disease that wreaks havoc and tragedy across the city, especially amongst the working classes, and Nora will do anything she can to help. Soon, she finds herself on the frontlines of the disease, and as those around her begin to fall, she’ll have to find the strength to stand alone and maintain her greatest oath: to save lives. Whether she’ll make it through, though, is up to fate.