Spoiler free review. I endeavour to review without revealing the plot/any twists/the ending.

This is really rather wonderful, both in terms of the plot (ever so slightly predictable/contrived but thoroughly engaging), the gorgeous artwork - subtle yet effective (and somewhat reminiscent of the divine Posey Simmonds), but also, and most impressively, what it had to say about women's reproductive health and their experiences thereof.

The journey of the MC is one both professional and personal, the two being profoundly linked and I found it immensely satisfying to accompany her on it. The stories of the women she encounters are fascinating and moving and though these characters are met only briefly I feel I had a profound insight into their lives.

I love the approach and attitude of Dr Karma - if only every woman had a Dr Karma at their disposal! The MCs father is also a revelation.

I found myself relating, sympathising, crossing my legs (!) and empathising all the way through to an ending that was pretty much perfect!

What a powerful read, saying important, relevant and meaningful things that need to be heard. Revealing, sometimes shocking, profound, moving and ultimately empowering, I would highly recommend this book to readers of any identity.

I absolutely adored this book! It didn't only warm my heart, it also taught me a lot about my own body. I loved how the book focused on the importance of empathy in the field of medical sciences; how just listening to your patients can go a long way in treating them more effectively. I also loved the range of subjects covered in this graphic novel - from reproductive health to gender identity, and the sensitivity with which each of these subjects were dealt. I believe that every doctor (if the medical theory aspects of the story are accurate), parent, and woman can enjoy and learn a lot from this story.

The artwork is also very good and goes well with the story.

I really really enjoyed this book! While I won't be able to keep this book in my public high school library (due to the graphic nature), I would eagerly purchase it for myself and loan the copy/recommend purchase to any other women (and men!) in my life. I feel like I learned a lot about women's healthcare and how much our healthcare system should change and evolve to treat women with more dignity and respect. Thank you for granting me access to this!!! I highly highly recommend!!!

Was intrigued by the description of this book and how it was based on a novel about how women's medicine was revolutionised. Set in France, the story opens with a student Jean, who is desperate to be a gynaecological surgeon and has to do 6 months with the unconventional Dr Franz. She is hostile and resistant at first, especially as her own life is falling apart. The story is well told, the characters are well developed and the artwork is delightful. I really liked the way that conventional treatment of gynaecological issues were challenged, especially around trauma and the insensitivity of male Dr's. The book also features intersex characters which is rare and wonderful to see especially when handled so sensitively and with story arcs of their own. Thoroughly recommended.

With thanks to Net galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The artwork is so beautiful and so does the story tho I’m not really invested in a doctor story. Nevertheless it’s a good book to learn more about feminine, sexuality and medical care.

This is one of the best graphic novels I’ve read in ages, even though it went slightly beyond my comfort zone of nudity.

Jean, a genius medical intern, is just about to start her final residency rotation in gynaecological care. As she is more interested in the surgical field and hates patient interaction she is disgruntled by this change. To add to it, the doctor under whom she has to work, Dr. Karma, is unorthodox in his practices and stubborn in adhering to his work ethic. What follows is an enlightening experience for Jean, who learns that there’s more to medicine than just knowing everything from the textbook.

The book is a graphic version of the French novel “Le Chœur des femmes” by Martin Winckler. Dr. Winckler is a French M.D. and his knowledge and experience is visible throughout this story. Every single patient interaction in the story was eye-opening to me (though I have nothing to do with the medical field and viewed the proceedings more as a potential patient and a woman than with a gynaecological mindset.)

Jean starts off as a very aggressive and unlikeable character but soon, her outward shell cracks to reveal her own personal struggles. With every subsequent chapter, you will see her growth not just as a doctor but also as a confident person. Dr Karma is unlike any doctor I’ve ever met! If Dr. Winckler is even a little like Dr. Karma, I’d certainly recommend his services.

In addition to Dr. Karma’s revolutionary ideas on patient care and medical ethics, the book also covers the issue of gender identity and sexuality through Jean being intersex. This theme was also tackled in a sensitive and practical way.

The graphics are simple and straightforward, thereby helping us to focus on the story rather than distracting away from it. The only thing is that there is a lot of nudity in the panels, which, in some cases, is necessary to the narration but in many others, isn’t. This isn’t a point against the book but just mentioning it in case you are sensitive about such content.

I don’t know what I expecting when I opted for this book, but it surpassed itself on every count. The topics that this novel deals with are pretty intense but tackled extremely well. The storytelling is great, the themes are mind-blowing, the graphics are as they should be (supportive and not hogging the limelight)

This would be a marvellous and thought-provoking read for those working in women’s medicine or social/charitable organisations or even to those laypersons interested in communicating better with their peers. It’s a book that doesn’t leave you even after you turn over the last page.

4.5 stars from me.

My thanks to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the ARC of “A Woman’s Voice”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a brilliant graphic novel about listening to women and women's healthcare with excellent characters and an easily-predicted but nonetheless satisfying conclusion. If only all doctors could listen and communicated with patients the way Dr. Karma does! Jean, a newly trained doctor, finds herself in a complicated emotional place as she shadows the doctor, trying to figure out what he's doing that helps his patients trust him, As she learns, so does the reader. Numerous patients speak of their fears and desires, providing insight into their lives and needs from their caregivers. Ultimately we learn that Jean is intersex, and what that means and how medical professionals approach it, broadening readers' understandings of why reproductive healthcare is important for everyone.

I was skeptical that this was going to be something I was going to want to read – the plot, setting, and the fact that it’s a medical drama aren’t usually things I go for. I’ve never been a fan of medical dramas on TV (unless you count Scrubs, that was alright), and honestly never even attempted to read anything similar in book form – for me this was a hard sell. Luckily, A Woman’s Voice by Aude Mermilliod and Martin Winckler does not bog itself down with the minutiae of what people think a high-octane medical ward is like, nor does it go overboard workplace affairs or anything. This graphic novel is a somewhat educational look at how Doctors are trained when it comes to treating women focusing on how things should be done vs doctrinal methods that stuffy textbooks tell them to abide by. At first, these differences are put to the test by the two chief protagonists – Jean, a young “by the book” resident learning the ropes and Dr. Karma, a man who is very unorthodox to say the least. He treats women differently and fashions himself “a healer” rather than “a doctor” or “a surgeon” something that initially gets under Jean’s skin.

“Jean is a medical student who’s about to start her final residency rotation in gynecology. But she’d much rather practice surgery than listen to simpering women moan about their problems all day. Plus, this department is headed by the notorious Dr. Karma, renowned throughout the hospital for his stubborn mindset and unorthodox practices. However, in her first week, Jean begins to realize that Dr. Karma’s reputation isn’t fully accurate, and, perhaps, the complexities of women’s stories are worth listening to and respecting. A modern classic of a revolution in women’s medical care, adapted from the bestselling novel by Martin Winckler.”


This book focuses on issues I never thought I would see in a graphic novel – questions of the status of gender in regards to intersex individuals was especially interesting, and becomes one of the main focal points of the book. I honestly have never seen that particular issue talked about too much in any medium, perhaps relating to the way it does not fit nicely into any sort of dialogue relating to gender studies in the United States, which is where I hail from. Rather than treat that issue like some weird abnormality, this book takes care to look at the feeling of individuals and show them that the binary male/female gender classification is likely not as slam dunk as some bigoted individuals would like one to believe. I won’t spoil anything for anyone that wants to read this, but I absolutely loved how this book handled it.

Jean starts out as a wholly unlikable character, one that has seemingly sacrificed everything for her job – even her own love for said job has not escaped the purge. She has become an irritable, overly rational, computer of a person that seemingly hates people. You eventually see that she is like this because she keeps making mistakes in her personal life and pushes people away due to not wanting to deal with issues she has with herself. Once she starts her work at the Gynecological ward, and with Dr. Karma, her hard exterior finally cracks and she starts to warm up little by little. She goes from being ” a Doctor” to “a healer” and her journey is amazing.

This is a very good story and pulled me in emotionally almost instantly. It reminds me a bit of another book from this publisher earlier in the year called The Two Lives of Penelope in that it takes a HEAVY subject such as The Syrian Civil War, or in this case, institutional malpractice in women’s health and dealing with intersex individuals and really just lays it all out there. As a cishet man, I think it’s important to read stuff like this, as women have to deal with men voicing their opinions on their health matters a lot, and more of us need to see stuff like this and be allies before some would let Atwood-esque patriarchal problems arise. While not necessarily my favorite book of the year so far, this is in the top ten at least, and is an instant classic in my opinion.

This is a beautifully written and imagined exploration of women's health and women's healthcare. Jean Atwood, a trainee surgeon, has to do a six-month rotation in a gynaecological clinic, and is decidedly unhappy about it, given Jean wants to be a surgeon, and has little interest in the pastoral elements of women's healthcare. But under the tutelage of Dr Karma, Jean begins to realise that listening to your patients can have astounding results. Along the way, Karma helps Jean to come to personal realisations and revelations, as well as improving patient outcomes and care for the women who come through their clinic. A gentle and thorough look at sex, healthcare, and being in touch with one's own body, this graphic novel is adapted from an earlier work by Martin Winckler, which I haven't read, but as a work on its own, it is beautifully imagined and very thoughtfully presented. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will look out for other works from both the author of the original - Winckler - and the author of this graphic novel - Aude Mermilliod.

Wow, just wow.
The number of things I've learned from this book... I loved everything about it, the transformation of the main character, how it amplified different women's voices, their stories. Everything it stands for.
I don't think any review I write can make it justice, but I genuinely think this should be required reading. If I get the chance to acquire a `physical copy for my library I most certainly will.

This was a really moving graphic novel about the story of Jean, a young doctor who has nearly finished their residency and just needs to complete a rotation in Obs & Gynae before moving on to the surgery she really wants to do.

As we follow Jean's time in the department, we learn about how the treatment of women in the speciality is often less than caring, but Dr. Franz Karma, her mentor, has a different way of working. This graphic Novel is based on the French book written by Martin Winckler. In just a couple of places you can tell it's a translation as the use of sex vs gender isn't quite right. However, this does no take away the important messages in this graphic novel around the treatment of both women and those who are intersex.

I've not read many graphic novels, but I found myself glued to this one. It was easy to follow and you definitely get emotionally involved in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for this ARC in return for an unbiased review.

Hmmm... I'm probably the wrong gender to rate this highly, for this talky adaptation of a novel is a woman quibbling about how a male doctor consults in the ob/gyn practice. It's very ironic then that all she thinks at first of his process is a dull, overlong yack about little, for that's what the book can seem like, too. And the core contrivance is just laughable, whatever your gender.

3.5 rounded up to 4
A Woman’s Voice follows Jean, a genius medical student about to undergo the next stage of her residency, gynaecological care. Jean could care less as she is more interested in the surgical field. She isn’t enthused to sit in an office and listen to the hairy details of women’s gynaecological health. During this time, she is under the supervision of Dr. Karma. While shadowing him Jean finds their differing perspectives clash, and she begins to grow tired of working in the gynaecology clinic. Dr. Karma strikes up a deal with Jean to try things “his way” for a week, and if she doesn’t like it she can leave, and he’ll sign off on her residency. Throughout her time at the clinic Jean discovers there is much to be learned from the experiences of other women, and that patients are just jobs to be done with. Jean starts seeing them for the people that they are, and truly listens to their stories with an open heart. Through this book, I learned so much about the gynaecological field of healthcare, and it was actually interesting to read about. You can take away a lot from this book as it not only covers the health side of things, but also looks at sexuality, and gender identity. I liked that closer to the end of the book we got to see more of Jean as a character, and the story came full circle. Overall it was a great graphic adaptation, and I enjoyed reading it as I learned a lot from it.

Thank you to the publisher, Europe Comics and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful graphic novel. This is originally based on a work of French literature that I've never heard of but I'm very interested in. The inclusion of and description of intersex issues are beautifully handled. The art lends itself to an easily readable graphic novel. Highly recommended.

(I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

"A woman's voice" follows the story of Jean, a medical student who's going to start her residency rotation in gynecology. She's very interested in surgery and doesn't seem to care about the personal lives of the women that come to her for help. Throughout the book, she learns the importance of listening to her patients and awknowledging their stories.

This graphic novel is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Martin Winckler. I didn't know this book but apparently it is quite well known (at least in France!).

I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but it definitely didn't disappoint! I was kind of confused with the main character at the beginning of the story, because she seemed very rude (especially to some of her patients), but I ended up loving her growth, while discovering more and more things about her past and why she is the way she is.

The illustration style is absolutely stunning and I adored every single page of the graphic novel, you can tell that they really put thought into every little detail, which I love.

I would recommend this book to anyone that cares about the importance of listening to women's voices and how crucial it is to take them seriously and to accommodate to their needs, especially when they're talking about their bodies and their particular experiences.

I received an e-copy arc from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

This is a book about a young medical student studying Gynaecology even though she wants to become a surgeon. She is begins to learn that she should really stop and listen to women who are there. Let them know that what they are feeling are valid.
This is an ADULT graphic novel. It has a lot of nudity and sex content and talks about intersex. I like that this is a book that can teach.

Beautifully drawn, a wonderful story of bodies, but god was the main character a horrible person. It made me actually uncomfortable with the way she originally treated the patients - yes she changed in the end, but think of the poor women previously who suffered because of her cold and uncaring actions?

When I chose this read, I wasn't quite expecting the impeccable story-telling that I received!

In a time where it is so prevalent to be talking about women's healthcare, or the lack thereof, this is the graphic novel that every woman needs to read. Not only every woman, but also every healthcare worker.

This has absolutely made me hunt down the book it was based on, and I'm looking forward to reading that. The graphic novel is the perfect medium for this story, with images and pages decimated to how the women in the story are feeling, and how their reproductive health is being used as a way to control them.

Jean is a really likeable character, all of their choices were made to be completely believable and I found them very relatable from the get-go. Doctor Franz was also a well-defined and developed character, with some heart-felt moments that really made me feel for what they had experienced throughout their career too.

All in all, this is a story that should be read in schools - from Secondary all the way through to University.

I will whole-heartedly recommend this book, to anyone looking for an interesting and captivating story and to anyone looking to learn more about the impact of women's healthcare around the world.,

I think everyone should read this book, but especially those working within women’s units or gynaecology services. This graphic novel, based on a best selling novel I believe, follows Jean. Jean is a medical student with her heart set on surgical gynaecology but who must spend 6 months residency in a gynaecology clinic instead. What does this mean? Well it means not a scalpel is in sight, and instead Jean must be the listening ear and shoulder to cry on for hundreds of women coming into the clinic.

Needless to say, this is not Jean’s idea of a fun time. Shadowing Dr Karma, a doctor with very different ideas to her, she finds herself spending more time rolling her eyes than making “useful” diagnoses, but she’s stuck. That is until he offers her a deal - spend one week trying out his way of doing things and if she still hates it, he’ll let her go and sign her off for the full residency.

It’s a fantastic journey to be honest. Not just for Jean, but for the reader. We encounter lots of women, but also some ideas about how medical professionals should treat them which, whilst not revolutionary, absolutely need listening to more often than they are.

A really great graphic novel, covering ideas such as gender, preferences, identity and women’s health. My only complaint is that I felt Jean’s family story was a little bit lost in the wider message and didn’t serve too much of a purpose.

Regardless, I highly recommend you give this a read.

ARC provided from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Women come in all shapes, sizes and experiences. The main character's genitalia come into play with her experience as a medical student within the obgyn rotation.

Some of the subjects may upset or trigger some. The typeface is extremely small and makes reading hard. The art is amazing, I expect nothing less from Europe comics. A great read.