The Medicine Woman of Galveston

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of mental illness, illness, death, substance use, sexual content, sexual violence, rape, ableism, and racism.

Dr. Tucia Hatherley is the protagonist of the book and the “Medicine Woman” referenced in the title. Tucia is a licensed doctor, a rarity for a woman at the time. After passing medical college, she interned at a hospital where a series of traumatic events, including sexual assault and a mistake made in an operating theatre, ended her internship. Tucia is unable to practice medicine for years after this, with the trauma of the operating theatre causing “hysterical attacks.” She is left working odd jobs to support herself and her son, Toby, whom she conceived after Dr. Addams raped her. After losing her job and facing insurmountable debt, she agrees to join Huey’s traveling medicine show.

The defining characteristics of Tucia’s character arc are her struggles with mental health, her financial circumstances, and her joint identity as a woman and a doctor. Tucia’s success at earning a medical license despite the hostile circumstances she faces points to her deep passion and skill in the field. For much of the book, Tucia’s medical skill is not apparent as she is unable to practice for different reasons—initially, her mental health stops her, and later on her circumstances prevent her from practicing openly.