I'm honored to have Janey Jones, the author of The Edinburgh Seven, on the podcast to discuss the incredible stories of Sophia Jex Blake, Isabel Thorne, Edith Pechey, Helen Evans, Matilda Chaplin, Emily Bovell, and Mary Anderson.

In 1869, they fought to be the first women to study medicine in Scotland at the University of Edinburgh. We discuss the seven pillars of the book including the Hope Affair and the riot at Surgeon's Hall, and wider superstitions around women in science in the Victorian era: women were supposed to be midwives, but not doctors. Their brains were too small to practice other forms of medicine, and they would faint while dissecting a corpse! The Edinburgh Seven disproved these claims, scoring higher than their male peers on exams. Edith Pechey even achieved the highest mark in a first-term chemistry examination, but a male student received a scholarship instead for ranking second in this exam.

A fascinating story about incredibly driven women, this history book highlights how men fear the ways in which confident, smart women can change patriarchal aspects of society. More broadly, Janey Jones' work proves (and we discuss!) how women in history need not remain a mystery.

Order The Edinburgh Seven on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edinburgh-Seven-Story-Medicine-Trailblazing/dp/139909923X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Order from Pen & Sword Books: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Edinburgh-Seven-Hardback/p/23121

Or go to your local bookstore! The paperback will become available this summer.

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