Till Taught by pain
By Susan Coventry
.jpg)
Inspired by the groundbreaking discoveries of ether and chloroform anesthesia, William Stewart Halsted pursues a surgical career with ruthless ambition, daring to perform operations deemed impossible by his peers. His reputations skyrockets with each bold success—until his quest for an effective local anesthetic leads him to inject himself with cocaine.
Caroline, the niece of Confederate General Wade Hampton, seeks to escape the constraints of post-war South Carolina by training as a nurse. When she takes a position at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital, she finds herself captivated by the brilliant yet troubled chief of surgery, Dr. Halsted.
Till Taught by Pain is a poignant exploration of love and sacrifice, as Caroline grapples with the difficult choice between enabling her husband’s addiction and supporting his pioneering career. As their lives intertwine, both must confront the consequences of ambition, the nature of love, and the toll of personal demons on their shared dreams.
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Publisher: Regal House Publishing
Pages: 310
Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction
Praise for Till Taught by Pain:
“Susan Coventry pulled me in quickly to this intriguing and shocking late 19th century story of early medical research and the challenges it brought to personal and professional relationships. The gripping love story carries emotional pain along with the compelling facts surrounding the famous Dr. William Halsted and Caroline Hampton. Till Taught by Pain taught me of the gratitude and sympathy owed to these two historical figures from whom we learned so much. A wonderful novel.”
~ Leigh, Amazon 5* Review“Especially for those interested in medical history, TILL TAUGHT BY PAIN by Susan Coventry will be a winner. The late-1800s framework gives a rather shocking picture of how much was yet to be learned concerning the surgical theatre.”
~ Speedy Grandma, Amazon 5* Review
Buy this Book
Susan Coventry is a retired physician with a lifelong historical fiction obsession. Her first novel, The Queen’s Daughter, was a YA historical set in the Middle Ages. For Till Taught by Pain, she switched from YA to adult novels and moved on from Medieval Europe to turn-of-the-20th century U.S..
She lives in Louisville, KY with her historian husband, Brad Asher.
Social Media Links:
Thank you for hosting Susan Coventry on your lovely blog today, shining a bright book spotlight on her compelling novel, Till Taught by Pain.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club