Mainly of regional interest, this is a biography of Martha Hughes Cannon. Born in Wales, Mattie (Martha) immigrated with her parents and family to to Utah in 1861. The author documents her career as a physician and a wife in a polygamist marriage. Due to the Edmunds Act (Enforcement of the Morrill Act that outlawed polygamy), Mattie and her child fled to exile in England for a few years. After returning, Martha became involved in politics and fought for women's right to vote. She was the first woman state senator in the United States and served two terms in the Utah State Senate. Recommended to readers interested in Mormon history (LDS Church). lj ( )

An interesting chapter in western history from the post Civil War era, this book tells the life story of Martha Hughes, born in Wales and migrated with her family to Utah because of their Mormon faith. The church sent her to the University of Michigan to attend medical school and she became a practicing physician upon her return.
Although the subtitle of the book lists physician and politician before polygamist, it is the issue of polygamy which drives her story. She lived in the era when the Mormon church actively practiced and in fact became the fourth wife of Angus Cannon. Unfortunately this marriage framed her life, sending her into exile in Europe when the federal government prohibited plural marriages, and curtailing her medical career for many years. She never lived with her husband; he barely provided for her and their three children. Like other single mothers she had to be the sole support, both financially and socially. One has to wonder why she ever agreed to this arrangement when she was educated, intelligent and hard working.
The author provides an extensive bibliography from which to draw more information on the Mormon faith and polygamy, although the book details rather well the issues involved both spiritually and politically. Mattie's story details the personal and social cost to women and their children.
I was disappointed that the book wasn't longer. There is no information on the other five wives or their children; we barely know their names. Angus plays a small role, but given the circumstances it was probably accurately small. I wish there had been more on her medical role. We learned that she had office hours but only four hours a week. How did she have an active, financially supportive practice at that rate? We never learned of any of her patients' issues and what she could do for them. The topic of her political career took more of the book and was very interesting. I want to read more about that, but I just wish the book was balanced between medicine, politics and polygamy. A good stepping off point for further reading. ( )

"Dr. Martha: The Life of a Pioneer Physician, Politician, and Polygamist" is a fine overview of the life of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon. This brief biography (144 pages, excluding notes, etc.) contains almost as much information about the history of the Mormon Church as it does about Mattie herself, and this mix helps to place her in the context of her times. Anyone looking for a comprehensive biography would need to look elsewhere, but as a casual reader, I found this the right length for me. ( )

Martha Cannon is a fascinating subject for a biography. She was one of those intrepid pioneer women who went on to do remarkable things: namely become a doctor and be the first woman elected to the Utah State Senate. She was also a practicing polygamist which raised (to me at least) all sorts of contradictions with her feminist careers in medicine and politics.

I wish this book was longer and went into more details about the life of this remarkable woman. ( )

This is one of those "don't judge by the cover" books. Grana has produced a well researched, entertaining biography of a little-known pioneer and feminist: Dr. Martha Hughes Canon (1857 - 1932). Too bad her publisher wrapped such a sparkling story in dowdy covers.

Dr. Martha was not only a pioneering medical practitioner, she also fought for women's rights to vote, was the first woman to be elected to a state senate (she beat out her husband for the seat), and could have been the first women to serve in the US Congress--except she was a polygamist, the fourth wife of a prominent man in the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Grana does a great job of bringing this remarkable women to life against the complicated story of the founding and growth of LSD hierarchy.

What I found most fascinating (given the extreme conservatism of today's Mormon Church) was their early support for women. When the Utah territory was formed the legislature gave women the right to vote. Several years later, the federal government took that right away as they tried to suppress polygamy. They got it back when Utah became a state. In the mean time, the Mormon church encouraged women's education, sponsoring several to medical and law schools (including Martha Canon). The Women's Relief Society paid for women to go to school, lecture on women's rights, ran businesses, and supported charitable operations around the world. But as the world progressed the Mormon hierarchy regressed, gradually suppressing women's organizations and narrowing women's public roles until the only proper role for women in the church was wife and mother. So sad after so much promise.

This is an entertaining and informative book about an influential woman and her church. Recommended for those who enjoy women's history, western and pioneer lore.

Note: I received a copy of this book from an Early Reader Program in exchange for an honest review. ( )