Overview

Bullets, Blizzards, and Bravery: Meet the Woman Who Defined Medical Heroism ""Pedersen offers an excellent account of Elliott's experiences that are the clear result of impressive detective work... an inspiring reminder of how a single person's effort can have enormous effects and one that will certainly resonate in today's world of refugee crises. Our verdict-GET IT."" -KIRKUS REVIEWS For fans of The Doctors Blackwell and A Woman of No Importance comes the story of Dr. Mabel E. Elliott, who saved thousands of Armenian and Greek refugees through bullets, blizzards, and deadly disease following World War I. She continued her overseas service in 1925 and practiced for 16 years in earthquake-ravaged Tokyo, revolutionizing healthcare for mothers and children. As one of 14 children, Dr. Mabel Elliott's journey across continents knew no borders. Sacrificing her medical practice in Michigan, Elliott ventured into the perilous lands of Turkey and Armenia in 1919 to aid disease-ridden and starving refugees following the Armenian Genocide. She ran head-on into the Turkish revolution, under siege at the Battle of Marash as she led thousands of Armenians across mountains in a blizzard. She continued her work in Ismid, Turkey, where once again Turks overran her hospital. In Armenia's interior, she led the medical care of 40,000 Armenian orphans, thousands suffering from the blinding disease, trachoma. Duty called her to the Burning of Smyrna, where she set up hospitals across Greece to care for Greek and Armenian refugees fleeing the Turks. After a brief stint teaching, she was called to duty in Japan, following a devastating earthquake. There she served in Tokyo as a medical missionary, transforming pediatric care and saving thousands of children through nutrition, well-baby clinics, and other preventative measures. Using family archives never before examined, professional correspondence, and news accounts, G.L. Pedersen chronicles Elliott's story of bravery, perseverance, and humanitarianism. She highlights Elliott's challenges in navigating the politics of relief work, where her quiet, engaging leadership threatened those in power. Betrayed by leaders who tried to silence her, Elliott told the story of her harrowing experiences across the United States in 1924 with her memoir Beginning Again at Ararat. Through detective work in publisher archives, Pedersen reveals a remarkable collaboration on her memoir that remained hidden for a century. Extensive research using letters, cablegrams, and diaries brings this overlooked woman's thrilling story to life. Dr. Mabel Elliott accomplished what few women physicians have in the field of humanitarian service. With full academic citations throughout, this work is both a critical resource for scholars and an engaging read for anyone interested in history. 120 Illustrations; academic citations; bibliography; index.

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Reviews

""Ginger Pedersen's captivating, well-researched biography, Unbreakable Healer, unveils the life of Dr. Mabel E. Elliott. We are reminded that the impossible is possible when we refuse to succumb to naysayers who say it cannot be done. Pedersen has given the reader a true heroine to celebrate."" Dr. Ann Mulder, President Emeritus, Lake Michigan College.

""Pedersen offers an excellent account of Elliott's experiences that are the clear result of impressive detective work... an inspiring reminder of how a single person's effort can have enormous effects and one that will certainly resonate in today's world of refugee crises. Our verdict-GET IT."" -Kirkus Reviews ""A captivating, well-researched biography... We are reminded that the impossible is possible when we refuse to succumb to naysayers who say it cannot be done. Pedersen has given the reader a true heroine to celebrate."" -Dr. Anne Mulder, President Emeritus, Lake Michigan College ""Dr. Mabel Elliott has left an enduring legacy, documenting the important work of caring for refugees of war, famine, and violent upheaval. That we have this historically significant book is due to Ginger Pedersen's literary detective skills and her instinct for preserving the contributions of overlooked women. A timely book, especially in the tragic context of Gaza."" -Susan Wittig Albert, New York Times Bestselling Author ""Pedersen's biography of Dr. Mabel Elliott compares to her own reporting in Beginning Again at Ararat, as both show that grit, perseverance, and commitment to truth are transformative and positive. Now, more than ever, it is essential for us to read this book."" -George Matsoukas, Past President, Historical Society of Palm Beach County ""A powerful and compelling must-read that uncovers the inspiring true story of Dr. Mabel Elliott... Pedersen brings to light a moving and largely forgotten chapter of history. This is a book that informs, inspires, and challenges readers to consider the global impact of seemingly ordinary people."" -Vicken Babkenian, Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies

Author Information

G. L. PEDERSEN was born in Florida and raised on the stories of pioneer days. She writes about real people, particularly the women whose lives are too often left out of the historic record. She uncovers their stories in old letters, newspapers, and archives that time almost buried, bringing them forward so they will not be forgotten. Two award-winning books authored with Janet M. Naughton shed new light on Palm Beach County history. In Pioneering Palm Beach, they told the unknown story of author Byrd Spilman Dewey. In The Crystal Ball Chronicles, they followed the trail of murdering poet and postmistress Lena Clarke. Now, in Unbreakable Healer, Pedersen tells the story of Dr. Mabel E. Elliott, a pioneering physician and medical missionary whose fearless service from the battlefields of postwar Turkey and Greece to the orphanages of Armenia and the hospitals of Japan saved thousands of lives. Dr. Elliott witnessed some of the twentieth century's greatest humanitarian crises. G. L. Pedersen resides in Florida among palms, pineapples, and bananas, always looking for the next mission.

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