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The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap

"James Willoughby has traveled to Edinburgh and enrolled in the University, in hopes of becoming a pioneer in the new Enlightenment. When he attends a demonstration at Malstrom's surgical school, he's fascinated and knows immediately that Surgery is his calling, only, the tuition is far more than he could ever afford. Fortunatley for him, Aneurin, Malstrom's assistant is willing to offer James a job, since his lodgings are just what Aneurin needs. When Aneurin's "line of work" is revealed, James is both horrified and fascinated and finds himself eager and willing to assist Aneurin in his duties. He becomes a body-snatcher. This was a quick, dark, eerily entertaining read and though not for the faint of heart, it was quite a change of pace and I enjoyed it." 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pros: I liked when James finally took a stand against his overbearing family. 

Cons: The constant italicized text for emphasis. 

Full Review: 

Jack Willoughby is the third son of a prominent English family. He's not built for the military and his studies at Oxford in Theology just didn't pique his interest. When he returns home and announces that he plans to travel to Edinburgh, the birthplace of the new Enlightenment, to study Medicine, of all things, his family is horrified. Despite his family's disleasure, he does just as he planned and enrolls in the University. He soon makes friends with fellow classmates Charlie, Phillips and a smug, unpleasant man named Hamish. 

Hamish works for Dr. Knox at his operating theater, a surgical school dedicated to the study of anatomy. The University boys are desperate to get in with Knox and gain a spot in his school, since how can they be good surgeons unless they have cadavers to practice on? Unfortunately, Knox is full up and so they attend a lecture held by another Professor, Dr. Malstrom. James is fascinated and knows immediately that Surgery is his calling. 

Unfortunately, the tuition is far steeper than he could ever afford and so, he speaks to Malstrom's assistant, a quiet, aloof man named Aneurin. It turns out that James room, which is in the Hope and Anchor Inn, is just what Aneurin's looking for and so he offers James a job. All he must do is keep a lookout in the Kirkyard below and if the Sexton happens to appear anytime outside of his normal schedule, he's to light a lantern. 

James at first has no idea why he's doing this until one night, when Aneurin appears below his window and explains that he needs his help, the truth becomes viscerally apparent. James has been acting as lookout while Aneurin and his crew dig up bodies and then transport them to Malstrom's theater. James' horror at this grotesque, macabre line of work quickly fades once Aneurin explains their true purpose. They treat the bodies they exhume with the utmost respect and all their work is towards the advancement of medicine. 

So, James decides that he wants in. He starts working with Aneurin in exhuming the bodies and supplying Malstrom with as many fresh corpses as possible. He soon meets Aneurin's crew and in a strange, sordid way, even starts to feel like he belongs with them. It's a far cry from the pampered, privileged life he knows but he finds himself taking to the work easily and the fact that it's all to advance the field of medicine helps ease his sometimes, troubled conscience. 

Of course, as he and Aneurin grow closer and they eventually admit that they have feelings for one another. It seems that James life is finally working out, that he's finally following his dreams and has everything he ever wanted. Though, that doesn't last long when his sister, Edith appears, since he's ignored all correspondence from London and explains that he's to return home with her this Summer to meet his new wife. 

Also, the appearance of two men, Burke and Hare, who are working with Knox and monopolizing the field of body-snatching also throws a monkey wrench into James and Aneurin's lives. It all comes to a head, of course, and is all dealt with accordingly and the book is wrapped up with, not necessarily a shiney bow but all the loose ends are tied and the reader is hopeful that everything will work out. 

Though I was at first, as horrified as James was with the revelation of Aneurin's line of work, Dunlap was very persuasive in her explanation of why Aneurin's crew did what they did. It made perfect sense and back in the 1800s, how else were doctors supposed to get their hands on cadavers and assist their students in their studies? It was a macabre, unsettling read but it was also undeniably logical and well thought out. Though Burke and Hare were actual people, serial killers in fact, James and Aneurin's dealings with them felt a little forced, though I understand that was Dunlap's way of putting real history into the story. Also, James and Aneurin's plans for the Summer, when James would return to his family, aligned very conveniently but again, Dunlap had a real knack for making it all make sense. Overall, this was a quick, entertaining, if dark and disturbing read about a part of history that I never really gave much thought. I'm glad I read it because it really did open my eyes and also makes me appreciate modern medicine that much more. 

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