Salisbury Author Series: Dr Susan Neuhaus – The Surgeon of Royaumont

Join us for a captivating evening with Dr Susan Neuhaus, as part of the Salisbury Author Series.

A highly respected surgeon, military veteran, and now debut South Australian author, Dr Neuhaus brings a unique and powerful perspective to the page. Her debut book, The Surgeon of Royaumont which is based on real-life characters and events, uncovers the extraordinary story of Louisa Garrett Anderson, a pioneering female surgeon who defied the odds to lead a frontline hospital during World War I.

This special event will offer insights into Dr Neuhaus’s fascinating research journey and the challenges of bringing hidden history to light. From her own experience in military medicine to the remarkable lives of early women surgeons, Dr Neuhaus presents a compelling blend of fact, empathy, and storytelling.

The evening includes:

• an engaging author talk
• audience Q&A
• book sales and signings
• light refreshments.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of South Australia’s most inspiring new authors.

Book your tickets now.

The Surgeon of Royaumont

A young Australian woman on the battlefields of World War I finds her calling through her work as a surgeon - and her legacy in compassion. Based on real-life characters and events this thought-provoking novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit amidst the ravages of war.

As one of only a handful of female medical graduates working at the Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Clara Heywood refuses to be denied the chance to become a surgeon because of her sex. As her male colleagues, including her unofficial fiancé Edward, head off to war, Clara grapples with a sense of her own unfulfilled purpose. In defiance of her own family and all convention, she leaves for France to work at the Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont Abbey, a hospital managed entirely by women on the Western Front.

There, under the tutelage of Miss Frances Ivens, Clara is thrust into the brutal realities of war, the technical intricacies of surgery and the profound ethical and emotional toll it exacts. Surgery tests not only her skills but her values and Clara discovers that her greatest adversaries are not the wounds of war but the internal conflicts that shape her understanding of humanity, and the heavy burden of her own ambition.
Clara's journey transcends the confines of history, embodying the timeless struggle for identity, purpose, and humanity amidst the horrors of war, and bringing to light the courage and sacrifice of women.

Author bio - Dr Susan Neuhaus

Susan Neuhaus is a surgeon and distinguished ex-army officer. She has served as a military surgeon in peace and war and was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for leadership and medical command in 2009. In 2020 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to medicine, veterans and their families. Susan was appointed to the Council of the Australian War Memorial in 2018 and became the first woman to deliver the Anzac Dawn Service Address to the Nation. She has a deep interest in the experiences of women surgeons at the turn of the century and the contribution of Australian women in times of war.

Information credit: Harper Collins Publishers Australia Susan Neuhaus Media Release