Local Author Talk: “The Remarkable Rachel Romain”
Dr. James Gottesman will discuss his new book, “The Remarkable Rachel Romain.”
Book synopsis: In 1850s England, women are limited to what they can become. Raised as a sailor on her father’s merchant ship, Rachel Romain’s father comes to realize that the sea is no place for a young woman. Rachel is put ashore in London against her will. She doesn’t fit in. Raised by her uncle, a surgeon, and aunt, she falls in love with medicine and yearns to be a surgeon, impossible in England, but not for Rachael.
Read the book in advance, then join us for a discussion with the author. Whether you’ve finished every page or simply want to hear the conversation, all are welcome.
The book is available at Island Books and Amazon.com.
About the Author
James Gottesman, MD, is a surgeon who specialized in urinary tract cancers. He’s been writing scientific papers most of his adult life and started writing fiction when he retired in 2012: “The Road Back Isn’t Straight” (2012), “The Search of Grace” (2014), “Can’t Forget” (2016), “Stab Wound” (2018), “An Enemy to Love” (2021), “In Flew Enza” (2022), “The Angel of North Africa” (2024), and “The Remarkable Rachel Romain” (2025).
Gottesman graduated from UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco Medical Center and did his surgery residency at UCSF and his urology residency at UCLA. He was Assistant Professor of Urology at Rush Medical Center in Chicago and moved to Seattle in the 70s and served as Chairman of Urology of Swedish Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Urology at the University of Washington.
