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Reviewed by Diana Helentjaris for Readers' Favorite
In A Warrior of the People, Joe Starita reveals the extraordinary life of Susan La Flesche. Born in a tipi in 1865 to parents of Indigenous and White ancestry, Susan La Flesche spent her life straddling two worlds. Her family insisted that she and her siblings be fluent in both English and Omaha. They also promoted education, an area in which La Flesche excelled. When she graduated as valedictorian of her medical school class, she became the first Indigenous woman to earn a medical degree. She then returned to Nebraska to practice medicine under often brutal conditions. She traveled to her patients on horseback, by buggy, or on foot. She not only gave them medical care but also solace, education, and, at times, food. With steadfast dedication and selflessness, she raised her family, became a leader in social reform, and founded a hospital.
Joe Starita taps into the family letters and documentation left by Susan La Flesche. But he doesn’t stop there. In A Warrior of the People, he explains the forces that pushed, shoved, and pulled her. Politics, laws, economics, and personalities are deftly woven into this biography. As a woman physician, I can vouch for his depiction of the roles of mentors and friends in her getting through medical school, as well as the excitement and energy of medical students. This book illustrates the role that schools created specifically for marginalized groups can play — schools like Hampton, other historically Black colleges and universities, and the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Readers looking for a smoothly written, uplifting biography will enjoy this book.
