For a period of time, lobotomy was the go-to treatment for psychiatry. It involved disabling the frontal lobes of the brain with the hopes of averting psychiatric symptoms. If “disabling the frontal lobes of the brain” sounds scary to you, it is to me, too. Over time, bad outcomes were chronicled, and lobotomy was eventually relegated to the historical record (much like other equally scary psychological treatments). However, in this book, Greene Woodruff brings frighteningly real history to life – entertaining and educating along the way.
The main character Dr. Robert Apter is loosely based on the historical figure of Walter Freeman II. Robert pioneered this treatment which first seemed markedly helpful to patients. His wife Ruth bonded with him over hope for this treatment. However, over time, Robert’s ambition seemed to overtake him, and both Robert and Ruth became blinded to harmful effects. In this novel, these tensions resolve in an intriguing manner.
Obviously, this book deals with the topic of medical and psychological ethics. It is staged in the early twentieth century, before the development of psychiatric drugs. (Of course, over-medicating patients might be seen as a new lobotomy, too.) Dealing with psychological pain is and will remain a central part of the human experience; Greene Woodruff shows us that it should be dealt with through empathy, not ambition. The author, herself a daughter of two therapists, brings this character trait and motif to life in an all-too-real narrative.
Those involved in psychological and psychiatric care – whether clinicians or patients – can benefit from thinking through Greene Woodruff’s storytelling. For some reason, stigma around mental health remains a part of modern society, and seeing the historical record frankly might demystify some of these concepts. Further, it can remind all those involved in healthcare that critical reflection over the “good” done by one’s work is always needed. Ambition should never triumph over empathy and reason. I’m grateful that this theme engaged my mind as I engaged with this suspenseful and interesting book.
The Lobotomist’s Wife: A Novel
By Samantha Greene Woodruff
Copyright (c) 2022
Lake Union Publishing
ISBN13: 9781542036214
Page Count: 305
Genre: Historical Fiction
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