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Sign up todayThe Invincible Miss Cust
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Learn moreThis must-read historical fiction for fans of Marie Benedict and Tracey Enerson Wood is based on the real life of Britain’s first woman veterinary surgeon.
Aleen Cust has big dreams. And no one―not her family, society, or the law―will stop her.
Born in Ireland in 1868 to an aristocratic English family, Aleen knows she is destined to work with animals, even if her family is appalled by the idea of a woman pursuing a veterinary career. Going against their wishes but with the encouragement of the guardian assigned to her upon her father’s death, Aleen attends the New Veterinary College in Edinburgh, enrolling as A. I. Custance to spare her family the humiliation they fear.
At last, she is on her way to becoming a veterinary surgeon! Little does she know her biggest obstacles lie ahead.
The Invincible Miss Cust is based on the real life of Aleen Isabel Cust, who defied her family and society to become Britain and Ireland’s first woman veterinary surgeon.
Through Penny Haw’s meticulous research, riveting storytelling, and elegant prose, Aleen’s story of ambition, determination, family, friendship, and passion comes to life. It is a story that, even today, women will recognize, of battling patriarchy and an unequal society to realize one’s dreams and pave the way for other women in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.This
Penny Haw is a long-time journalist and columnist and latter-day author. She has written for many leading South African newspapers and magazines for more than three decades. The Wilderness Between Us was her debut contemporary novel for adults. Haw lives in Cape Town, South Africa.
Lucy Rayner is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and award-winning British actress. She has starred in numerous short and feature-length films, including English20 and Total Retribution. For her performance in Bolero, she was named Best Supporting Actress at the 2013 Madrid International Film Festival. She has worked on both sides of the Atlantic in a number of theater productions and films, many of which have screened at festivals around the world. She has a master’s degree in history from the University of Edinburgh and is a graduate of the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City.
Reviews
“What a remarkable woman—and what an enthralling story!”
“Inspiring, heartwarming, and ultimately triumphant.”
“An absolute delight; an exceptional, immersive work of historical fiction.”
“Rayner adopts a melodic yet aristocratic air while voicing Cust, shifting accents for Edinburgh professors of veterinary medicine, obstinate London animal doctors, and accepting Irish husbandmen. Raynor becomes Cust as she narrates this engaging fictionalized biography…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
“Told through Aleen’s perspective, it captures the courage and the doubt she had to juggle through much of her life. Her story will appeal…to any reader who loves animals and the people who care for them.”
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