Life in Her Hands
The Inspiring Story of a Pioneering Female Surgeon
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Life in Her Hands
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Narrated by:
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Averil Mansfield
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By:
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Averil Mansfield
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
We were occasionally expected to travel by ambulance to a serious case and would always have a kit of tools and drugs ready for emergency calls. On one occasion, we were responding to a man who had fallen into the hold of a grain ship and broken his leg. I was expected to go down a pole into the ship to administer analgaesia before he could be rescued. The 'audience' of shipworkers delighted in telling me that there were rats the size of dogs down in the grain. The other problem was that this was the era of the mini skirt, and you can imagine what that meant. Following the incident, I instituted the purchase of some 'Casualty Officers Emergency Dungarees' as an addition to the kit.
Averil Mansfield established herself as a pioneer in every sense of the word when she qualified as a surgeon in the early 1970s. At the time just two per cent of her colleagues were female, and she was often met with surprise, bordering on disbelief and amusement, when telling people what she did. But time and again, Averil proved herself more than capable of the role which had been her greatest dream since the age of eight. After a formidable operating career in Liverpool and London, during which she made many enduring friendships, she went on to became the UK's first ever female professor of surgery.
Life in Her Hands is the remarkable story of a truly trailblazing woman. Averil's account shines light on a medical and societal world that has changed beyond measure, but which - as she shows through her experiences - still has a long way to go for the women finding their place within it.
©2023 Averil Mansfield (P)2023 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"A great read. I am honoured to have worked with such a legend." (David Nott)
"A role model for women." (Independent)
"Charming." (Guardian)
What listeners say about Life in Her Hands
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-03-24
Remarkable
Beautifully written and narrated, this is a remarkable account of the full and talented life of Averil Mansfield. It cannot fail to provide inspiration, insight and thoughtfulness about a life lived with vigour and rigour, as well as kindness and compassion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did,
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mnd
- 26-07-23
An amazing, humble lady with a compelling story
Absolutely loved this. The narrator is fantastic (it is the author) which adds significantly to the storytelling. A truly magnificent life story and one which gives great insight into various aspects of medical /surgical life. I loved every second of this and painted a full room (I hate painting) with absolute joy. The story has also given me great inspiration to continue my Doctoral studies though in the eductional field.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ms S.
- 02-04-23
An inspiring story
An inspiring story for all but particularly young women entering a profession dominated by men. A truly remarkable chronicle of a woman who knew what she wanted.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sally Matthews
- 13-03-23
Fascinating and beautifully narrated
I loved it. Averil Mansfield is such an inspiring woman. Her achievements are simply incredible.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kathleen Y Heinzelmann
- 22-12-24
Worthwhile illuminating read
Careful, precise thought provoking read. Her voice is the same and paints an illuminating picture of this dedicated principled doctor . Very old fashioned I can imagine for some but just shows you what the NHS has lost both in administration and values. Being of a similar age it brings to mind the “good, caring doctor of my childhood” and reminds me of my mother and grandmother both dedicated nurses - but let me hasten to add a worthwhile read for any age
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kathryn and Steve
- 10-08-23
Captivating, humbling, inspirational
Brilliantly written & read. A modest account of an awe inspiring career, told with humour and humility. A life lesson for professional females whatever the field.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lisa Sacks
- 02-03-23
Spellbinding memoir.
This beautifully written memoir describes the most incredible life story of the most remarkable woman.
It is told with such honesty, empathy and humility, that almost belies the incredible achievements she attained in everything she did.
Through hard work, dedication and commitment, she spearheaded the UK development of vascular surgery as a separate specialty.
She was not only at the cutting edge, pioneering operations that hadn’t been done before, she was a trailblazer for other women surgeons to follow in her footsteps.
She also dedicated her career to encouraging, increasing and supporting the number of women to go into surgical training.
Through her unrelenting encouragement, there are many woman surgeons in the UK can truly say they are able to stand on the shoulders of this giant.
Her humanity shines out of every page. It is a truly inspirational read for both medical and non medical people alike.
This spellbinding book is compulsive reading. I could not put it down.
The bonus is that Averil herself narrates this audiobook!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sheila C Richards
- 15-04-23
Brilliant Read
From someone who as a woman also grew up in healthcare I enjoyed this book very much. Averil’s reading of the book added to its authenticity. I’m sorry it has ended!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 09-04-24
Me me me
All this book is about is this one woman’s fantastic achievements. It’s not balanced at all. I literally fail to see how one persons life can be so perfect and amazing and frankly quite dull as a result. I prefer woman who have fought for their position and are proud of their imperfections and times they have been caught short with twigs in their hair.
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