Breaking the Barnyard Barrier: A Woman Veterinarian Paves the Way [Paperback]

In the late 1970s the golden valley between Utah’s Wasatch Mountains was home to some of the best dairies in the country. That was also where Linda Rhodes, a newly minted large animal veterinarian, had to prove that a woman could do what the Mormon dairymen were sure was a man’s job. She was often scared that they were right. Throughout her experience, she tackled a menagerie of challenging medical and surgical cases that forced her to be fearless. Every bovine life she saved helped her confidence grow, but each failure left her feeling defeated—as did the mounting tensions between pursuing a demanding career and saving a crumbling marriage.

In Breaking the Barnyard Barrier, Linda Rhodes tells the story of how a woman, through grit and tears, made her way in a man’s world and blazed a path that prevailed against career stereotypes.

Linda Rhodes, VMD, is a maverick and an inspiration. Her fast-paced book, brimming with dramas both human and bovine, serves as a beacon to all of us who are struggling in our own way to advance the causes of compassion and justice.
Sy Montgomery, New York Times bestselling author of How to Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in 13 Animals

This is a fascinating account of the struggles and successes of a woman veterinarian entering large animal practice in the 1970s. Cattle medicine is difficult because the animals are large, not always cooperative, and given to calving in the middle of the night. Struggling with cold, exhaustion, and the hostility of the farmers was a challenge, but a challenge Dr. Linda Rhodes was up to. By the end of her two years practicing in a Mormon community she had earned the respect of the dairymen. Anyone interested in veterinary medicine or womens struggles to obtain equality in the health professions will enjoy this well-written book.
Katherine Houpt, veterinarian, professor emeritus, Cornell College of VetlCÇ