The Strange Case of Dr. Couney

How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of American Babies

By: Dawn Raffel

Narrated by: Erin Bennett

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

"A mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists as Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.... It's a fascinating historical footnote, compassionately told." (NPR)

A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Title

What kind of doctor puts his patients on display?

This is the spellbinding tale of a mysterious doctor who revolutionized neonatal care more than 100 years ago and saved some 7,000 babies. Dr. Martin Couney's story is a kaleidoscopic ride through the intersection of ebullient entrepreneurship, enlightened pediatric care, and the wild culture of world's fairs at the beginning of the American Century.

As Dawn Raffel recounts, Dr. Couney used incubators and careful nursing to keep previously doomed infants alive while displaying these babies alongside sword swallowers, bearded ladies, and burlesque shows at Coney Island, Atlantic City, and venues across the nation. How this turn-of-the-20th-century emigre became the savior to families with premature infants - known then as "weaklings" - as he ignored the scorn of the medical establishment and fought the rising popularity of eugenics is one of the most astounding stories of modern medicine. Dr. Couney, for all his entrepreneurial gusto, is a surprisingly appealing character, someone who genuinely cared for the well-being of his tiny patients. But he had something to hide....

Drawing on historical documents, original reportage, and interviews with surviving patients, Dawn Raffel tells the marvelously eccentric story of Couney's mysterious carnival career, his larger-than-life personality, and his unprecedented success as the savior of the fragile wonders that are tiny, tiny babies.

©2018 Dawn Raffel (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Fascinating, mysterious and compelling...written with great style and the energy of a can't-put-down thriller." (The Chicago Tribune)

“In this account, told in a series of non-chronological vignettes, Raffel argues that Couney deserves recognition.... Working in the shadow of the eugenics movement, [Couney] insisted that such infants, whom hospitals could seldom save, deserved a chance.” (The New Yorker)

Great peace of history

I loved this! I came across a peace of 'did you know' on Facebook about Dr. Couney. Now everyone knows you shouldn't believe a thing without doing your own research. Well it was interesting enough to make me look it up myself. Which is how I came across this book.

I loved learning more about this! The story is told in a mix of investigation and story telling which I personally like when telling the history of someone or something.

anyway very interesting listen.

Beautiful.Baby Story

So much learned about how people embraced the sacredness of life, the will of the hu.an spirit.

delightful surprise

I had never heard of this man before this book, and his story bizarre, touching, and inspiring, making him one of my favorite people now to ever exist. beyond that this book is absolutely filled with historical rabbit holes to throw yourself down, and I loved every minute of it.

Interesting story but dragged a bit

Interesting story but the story telling dragged a bit in parts. Also, the lack of conclusion into who Martin Couney was a bit dissatisfying even though the story hinted at a caring and knowledgeable fraudman. The author really could have made a nice case for alternative sources of knowledge production, but in the end Martin Couney remains a mystery.

Amazing

I can’t say enough how amazing this story was.
Not being familiar with the locations mentioned in the book, it was a little difficult to visualize. Still, if authentic, it was truly fascinating.

What a slice of history!,

So glad to have seen introduced to Ckuey! What an usual hero. who faced slander, fired., the com.on belief in eugenics t. Yet Couney parserveref and sa ed countless premied.

Unbelievable

Unbelievable true story………amazing history……oh what we don’t know !
And very timely…..with what is going on in us courts today!

I wanted to learn something I didn't know

I'm a very curious person. So when I read something that pique's my interest....like the beginning of incubators at the Worlds Fair and not in hospitals.....I was interested. I listened with interest for about 1/3 of the way in but the story of the elephant that was so cruelly killed was just over the top for me to listen to. I am not usually overly sensitive about such things but this was just a bit too detailed so I shut it down. Ruined the book for me.

What a fantastic story

This is a fantastic story I got wind of it on a podcast and just had to hear more. I found the book a bit scattered and lacking of details, but the basic story of Couney and the incubators really carry what the author lacks. The challenge for the author would be the total lack information about the mysterious Couney. Overall it’s an interesting slice of Americana and An enjoyable book.

Loved this from start to finish

I have so few audio books that capture my attention and this one sits in my top 5. I saw this as a meme on facebook, which sounded nuts so I had to learn more. The story and presentation kept my hooked. It's amazing to hear how the general perception can change with strange events. I'm glad this happened having a preemie myself. Wife walked by halfway through my listen then wanted to listen to it with me for the remaining. She gave it 4 stars, but she missed a lot of the beginning which might have swayed her :-)