Women could not be surgeons. She did it anyway.

After the heartbreaking loss of her mother and a cruel attack by her drunken father, Ella Parker decides that dishonesty is fine when it serves her needs. At a time when wealthy young ladies do little more than embroidery, Ella escapes her luxurious but lonely life, and meets an eccentric ship surgeon who-once she impresses him with her quick-thinking and empathy-allows her to assist him during a surgery.

Compelled by Ella's intelligence and interest in medicine, the doctor prepares her for a medical career, but there's a catch: in early 19th century England, women are not accepted into universities. To fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor, Ella must disguise herself as a young man with aspirations of becoming a doctor. After changing her look and name, Ella finds her footing as she performs dissections, conducts experiments, and cares for patients. She also tutors Oli, a kind but struggling fellow student, but she must take caution. Even in her loneliest moment, she cannot trust anyone or make friends.

As Ella continues to excel in her studies, brilliantly saving the life of a patient, she becomes a top contender for the apprenticeship with a famed professor. Dogged by fear of discovery, she must choose between truth and lies, and distinguish between real and false friends, before her pretense is uncovered.

Praise for A Girl with a Knife

Winner of the Illinois Soon To Be Famous Author competition

☆☆☆☆☆ "A Girl with a Knife is a riveting, juiced-up morality tale, predicted blockbuster success!" 9 Minute Books Review Team

"I could tell that much research was used for this. I think this would be a good miniseries or even series on Netflix."

RW Biga, the bestselling author of Education of Adam and Fate's Collision.

Author bio:



Alina Rubin is an IT professional and a mom, who, during the pandemic, used the time and energy saved on the commute to write her first book about a nineteenth century adventure about a woman surgeon. Writing became her passion, and her characters took her on a journey beyond her wildest dreams.

Alina obtained a B.S. and M.S. in Business and Information Technology from DePaul University. She lives near Chicago with her husband and daughter. She enjoys yoga, hiking, and traveling. A Girl with a Knife is her debut novel, the first book of the Hearts and Sails series.

Email: alina@alinarubinauthor.com

Website and Blog: alinarubinauthor.com

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