Author: Debora G. De Farias

ISBN: 978-1-09834-266-1

If you love reading historical fiction mingled with drama, romance, and an innovative take on biography, Debora G. De Farias's debut novel Standing Tall is likely to grab your heart and provide you with a rare treat.

De Farias is a writer who has done her homework in re-creating a persuasive historical setting. She exhibits a clever ability to expose character in slight gestures and soul-stirring reflections, all of which add to the tale's credibility.

Most notable is her elegant use of prose, even at times poetic, in which every word counts as she brings to light the dreams and frustrations of her heroine. Moreover, she effectively captures the minutiae of every-day life in the period she is writing about while including it into the narrative, making sure that these details do not detract from the plot.

At the core of the novel is someone we can admire, Dr Cecilia Grierson, the first woman to become a medical doctor in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. De Farias brings us into the heroine's world of painful knocks, her torments precipitated by two men whom she falls in love with, and the inner turbulence of a persistent subconscious hurting from believing she is a failure. Ultimately, she survives and conquers all hardships. The story covers the period of Dr Grierson's life from her birth in Buenos Aires, 1859, until 1902.

We learn that her mother was of Irish descent and her father, Scottish. Her grandfather was among the Scottish colonists who arrived in Argentina in 1825.

Her family were prosperous farmers, and she spent her early childhood on the family's ranch. At six, her father believed she should have a proper education and was sent to an English and French School in Buenos Aires.

During the ensuing years, her family encountered many challenges leading to a destructive effect on their agribusiness. At the time, Dr Grierson would never know, but this was to be the beginning of an outpouring of experiences that would not merely mark her life but would test the resilience of her character in the years to come.

In 1889 at thirty, Dr Grierson graduated from the University of Buenos Aires, College of Medicine. She was the first female to be accepted into the Faculty of Medicine and was the first female physician in Argentina.

Although the four medical schools in Argentina barred female applicants from studying medicine, Dr Grierson knew there were no laws prohibiting women from applying.

In 1883, when she applied, she was asked for a written rationale for her wish to become a medical doctor. Because of her tenacity and perseverance, Dr Grierson was admitted to the medical faculty and proved herself to be a remarkable student. Notwithstanding the cruel criticism she encountered from some of her classmates and her professors, who insisted on disqualifying her exceptional work solely because she was a woman, she survives intact in the world of male dominance in medicine.

The yarn is embellished with sprinklings of poems, morsels of fascinating trivia concerning art, music, historical events, and philosophical musings concerning love relationships.

Writing historical fiction is no straightforward task and is replete with many challenges. Authors must ask themselves how much history should be incorporated into the narrative to strike just the right balance? How many liberties can be taken to tell a delightful story? How do you avoid using modern colloquialisms and stick to the authentic language of the story's period? De Farias amply deals with these challenges and has developed a novel that has achieved realism that makes its historical setting immediate and vivid.

Follow Here To Read Norm's Interview With Debora G. De Farias