The Invincible Miss Cust - Penny Haw

AUTHOR: Penny Haw 

GENRE: Historical Fiction, Based on True Events.

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: Based on the true story of Aleen Cust, Britain’s first female veterinary surgeon. Mostly faithful to actual events. Second half is a teeny bit weaker. But a great read nonetheless.

Story Synopsis:

Aleen has loved animals, especially horses and dogs, since childhood. However, being a daughter of an aristocratic family and having a conservative mother and elder brother means that she cannot aim towards her dream of becoming a veterinary surgeon. The reserved 1870s society too isn’t conducive to the idea of a woman planning for a veterinary career. Despite the obstacles, Aleen surges on. The book begins from the time she is six years old and goes all the way till her fifties.

The story is written in the first person perspective of Aleen.

Note: Don’t research the life of this iconic woman until you have completed the book. The story is faithful to actual events, so you will get many spoilers, and this dims the enjoyment. I regret my Google search.

Where the book worked for me:

👌 The story of Miss Cust – what an inspiration! This is one true-life heroine you deserve to know about. She is unlike most historical women you have read about, and the fact that she was an actual woman makes her journey even more awe-inspiring.

👌 The depiction of life in late 19th century England and Ireland –well-sketched and realistic.

👌 The tidbits about animals and how Cust approaches their wellbeing – enlightening!

👌 Most of the secondary characters (the sole exception being Willie) – etched in a way that leaves in no doubt about their actions.

👌 The writing is medium-paced but engaging.

👌 The factual details are substantiated by actual snippets of news wherever possible without making it seem like a Wikipedia-style approach.

👌 The first person narration is so good, especially in the first half! Hardly any rambling about I felt/I thought/I wondered and so on. This is how first person povs must be written – serving to add on to the story and take it ahead, rather than being used only to reveal inner monologues.

👌 The author’s note at the end, one of the best I have ever read. She goes through the main points of the book/Aleen Cust’s life one by one and details out how much is factual and how much, fictional. Brilliantly done.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

👎 Willie’s character goes from shades of white to black to white to black and back again abruptly. Expected more consistency in his portrayal.

👎 The second half changes track and focusses more on romance. This was the weakest link in the book. It seemed to change Aleen’s entire personality.

👎 A bit too much focus on physical characteristics for my liking.

Despite the weaker second half, the story focusses on a woman that was a trailblazer. I remember a line in one book saying, “We stand on the shoulders of those before us.” Isn’t that true? It is because of women like Aleen Cust that today’s women are relatively free to choose the vocation they want. A must-read book, if you can tolerate the clichéd romance.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Invincible Miss Cust”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.