I Knew a Woman: Four Women Patients and Their Female Caregiver

I Knew a Woman reveals the beauty of the body’s workings through the stories of four patients who struggle with its natural cycles and unexpected surprises: pregnancy and childbirth, illness and recovery, sexual dysfunction and sexual joy. Lila, a pregnant 15 year old, lives with her boyfriend in his car; Eleanor, a 49 year old, comes for a routine exam that leads to the discovery that she has cervical cancer; Joanna complains of a vague pelvic pain for which there seems to be no cure; and Renee, a heroin addict with three children in foster care, finds herself pregnant once again. Interweaving these four women’s lives and their experiences in the clinic, Davis presents a raw and absorbing account of the ordinary miracle of our physical selves. An abundance of solid medical information imbues every graceful line; you will learn more about women’s health and spirit from this one book than from a host of conventional volumes of medical advice.

“In this compelling look at how women’s bodies influence, and sometimes dramatically alter, their lives, readers become intimately acquainted not only with women’s body parts, but also with several specific women. . . In this book, Davis holds a mirror up to the whole woman, letting us see inside and out. She provides a fascinating look not only at how women’s bodies work, but also at a medical professional’s emotions. Readers may find themselves wishing that the perceptive Davis were their own nurse practitioner.”
                                                     —Publisher’s Weekly starred review

“Davis is fascinated by women’s health and how the spirit inhabits the flesh. The author’s account is equal parts medical text and good story telling. . . an entirely absorbing account that insists on being read. Informative, honest, engrossing.
                                                     —Kirkus Reviews

“Hopeful and inspiring, never melodramatic or excessively sentimental, this is a celebration of women’s courage and strength at all stages of life.”
                                                     —Booklist

“Compelling. . . revealing. . . an exploration and celebration of female physiology.”
                                                     —USA Today

“Gripping. . . Davis writes with great love and sensitivity about the female body.”
                                                     —O Magazine