The Maid and the Socialite, Lynda Drews
The Maid and the Socialite, Lynda Drews
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Maid and the Socialite
The Brave Women Behind Green Bay's Scandalous Minahan Trials

Author: Lynda Drews

Narrator: Megan Trout

Unabridged: 10 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/26/2023


Synopsis

In the shadows of progress, two women's stories were erased. Until now.

What if a respected surgeon could destroy your life with just one diagnosis?

In early twentieth century Green Bay, Wisconsin, this terrifying reality was all too true for two women. Mary, an illiterate maid, and Mollie, a college-educated socialite, fell victim to the physical violence and mental abuse of celebrated surgeon Dr. John R. Minahan. To silence them, he claimed they had the shameful and dreaded disease of syphilis.

This is the first full account ever written about Dr. Minahan, whose wealth built a college stadium, science hall, and six-story office building—all named for him—while history lost, or perhaps erased, Mary's and Mollie's heroic stories. Until now.

Eerily mirroring contemporary debates around gender equality, misinformation, and wealth disparity, this tale remains alarmingly relevant. It is a story of power, abuse, and the tireless pursuit of justice. Delve into this haunting yet inspiring historical tale to uncover the forgotten stories of Mary and Mollie, two courageous women who dared to stand up against a powerful adversary.

About Lynda Drews

Lynda Drews, a Brown County Historical Society board member, is the author of three books including her most notable, Run at Destruction: A True Fatal Love Triangle. She and her husband Jim have lived in Green Bay since 1974, eighteen years in the Astor Historic District where The Maid and the Socialite takes place.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lynda on June 08, 2023

A must read for Green Bay's last and current residents ! As a lifelong Green Bay resident my eyes were opened to the dark side of a very prominent Green Bay physician and his painfully abusive treatment to his maid and second wife.......more

Goodreads review by Lynne on July 01, 2023

The Maid and the Socialite is a work crossing between fiction and nonfiction which details the despicable behavior and criminal history of Dr. John Minahan in 1890s and very early 1900s Green Bay, Wisconsin. John was clearly a narcissist and had other serious mental illnesses, but he was also a prom......more

Goodreads review by Morgan on January 23, 2024

I loveeeed this book. Such interesting history about Green Bay’s infamous Dr. J.R. Minahan. A must read if you are interested in the history of medical practices or just history of Green Bay in general!......more

Goodreads review by Nicholle on October 01, 2023

I cannot recommend this book enough! It is so well written and so much work went in to it. Mary and Mollie were incredibly brave women. Mollie was an unbelievable force when it came to her children and protecting them at all costs. I'm not sure I could have ever been as brave as she was. It is also......more

Goodreads review by Janalyn, the blind reviewer on May 06, 2023

The maids name was Mary she came from a very respectable family and even though she was one of the only siblings who was illiterate she was still looked up to buy all of them. She became the maid for Mr. and Mrs. Menahan she was a kind lady and he was a celebrated surgeon he did surgeries that no on......more