Reviews

“[A] truly astounding tale…Say Anarcha is an important book and deserves to be widely read…In the introduction, Hallman tells us that his goal is ‘to subvert every aspect of the fraudulent narrative’ connected to Anarcha and to ‘excavate the life story of a young, enslaved woman who changed history, only to be forgotten by it.’ He has accomplished that and more.” The New York Times

“Throughout U.S. history, Black women have been the hidden figures behind advancements in science, math, and so much more. I recommend ‘Say Anarcha’ – a compelling nonfiction reckoning with the birth of women’s health that illustrates the world-changing sacrifices of a young Black woman, who should be recognized as the centerpiece of the creation story of modern women’s health care.” Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY 9th District)

“When you ask for this one at the bookstore, you raise a cry for justice….[a] new masterpiece of revisionist history….Say Anarcha goes far beyond anything else [Hallman]’s accomplished. A fresh crack of light across the grim shadows of slavery and race hatred….Now thanks to Hallman’s instant classic, [Anarcha]’s back in the skies and burning more brightly than ever.” The Brooklyn Rail (review)

“Hallman learned from his research that Anarcha was a midwife, nurse and ‘doctor woman’ who changed countless lives herself and was never awarded her due — until now.” Los Angeles Times

“Mr. Hallman’s biography is phenomenal, remarkable…Sims was a man of his time, frail and unsure of his masculinity, who thought it “manly” to operate on fistulas and cancers that often returned with a vengeance never visited on the man himself — until, of course, in what Mr. Hallman is able to disclose in his haunting, poignant, and ultimately uplifting book.” The New York Sun

“Riveting…Hallman movingly conveys the endurance and compassion with which Anarcha and the other ‘cursed women’ cared for each other and eventually assisted with each other’s surgeries.” Starred review, Shelf Awareness.

“[Hallman’s] righteous passion and galvanizing prose are commanding and affecting; the realities he reveals are harrowing, tragic, and grimly relevant.” Starred review, Booklist

“Innovating and riveting….Hallman successfully transforms Anarcha from historical object to subject, and shines a light on the contentious rise of medical ethics in the 19th century. It’s a must-read.” Starred review, Publisher’s Weekly

“Anarcha was a physician in her own right! A very sobering reckoning of our past, prejudices and history.” Storyboard 18

“Surely one of the most important books of the year, and certainly among the most compelling.” The Brooklyn Rail (interview)

“Hallman’s dual biography…is not just about confirming and expanding Anarcha’s story; it also deconstructs the hagiography of Sims….making this speculative biography distinct from historical fiction and unique among biographies are its front and back matter: An introduction and an afterward refer overtly to contemporary social activism—such as the removal of Sims’s statue from Central Park and contemporary work conducted by humanitarian medical organizations with the women’s fistulae crisis in Africa.” BIO

“Hallman’s book is the most in-depth work centered on the woman who has been mostly remembered as a failed test subject of experiments conducted by J. Marion Sims, a South Carolinian once revered as the ‘father of modern gynecology.'” Post & Courier

“Hallman draws on a cornucopia of original sources…the footprints Anarcha left behind are scarce, though [he] seems to have traced her wherever should could be found…he uses the novelist’s art…. [Hallman] also does a thorough job of detailing the surgeon’s life [and] the Sims that emerges is callously ambitious…a truly repugnant man…Hallman [provides] an extensive online bibliography, which in itself is worth the price of entry, for lay readers and scholars alike: Annotated page by page, and available online at [AnarchaArchive.com], it offers a motherlode of original photos, letters, and documents.” Undark

“[A] haunting biography…Say Anarcha is a vital read for those seeking to understand the dark history of gynecology.” Keto Caffeine

“Hallman scoured local archives, census records, and plantation ledgers. He also drew heavily on a database of oral interviews with formerly enslaved Black Southerners…the resulting biography is a ‘comprehensively researched work of speculative nonfiction’ that includes scenes, words, actions, expressions, motivations, thoughts, and even dreams.” Science

“Hallman uncovers Anarcha’s life story, painting her as a multifaceted woman as well as a physician in her own right.” The Millions

“A shattering, heavy account of the conception of modern gynecology…[Hallman carries] readers into harrowing realities endured by enslaved African American women.” Iowa City Press-Citizen

“A staggeringly researched book that serves as an indictment of Sims’ hubris and an homage to Anarcha.” Kirkus Reviews

“A nuanced and sympathetic speculative portrait of a woman who would otherwise remain anonymous….Hallman’s determination to bring Anarcha out of obscurity restores her humanity and allows readers to reexamine the corrupt foundations of women’s health care.” BookPage

“Truman Capote referred to works like Say Anarcha as nonfiction novels. Hallman uses that material and much more to write a broad…narrative rich in detail about the times and world in which Sims [and Anarcha] lived.” New York Journal of Books