Patsy Kullberg on her Novel, "Girl in the River"

We speak with local writer Patsy Kullberg about her new novel, Girl in the River, a portrait of the intimate lives of women during one of the most corrupt periods in Portland history. It’s the middle of the twentieth century and Portland has fallen into the hands of gangsters. Newly orphaned Mae Rose is on the lam from a knife wielding pimp, mustering her own worst impulses to survive, while Dr. Ruth Barnett, queen of Portland’s nightlife, runs a lucrative abortion service. After the war, both women are caught in the cross hairs of anti-vice crusader Dottie “Do-good” Lee. But Mayor Lee’s DA-in-pursuit has his own dirty little reasons to track Mae down.

For twenty years Patsy Kullberg was the Medical Director for Multnomah County Health Department. She practiced in a clinic and served the disenfranchised of all sorts: the homeless, undocumented, disabled and unemployed. 

Patsy says her passion lies in exploring the interplay between people’s lives and the worlds they inhabit. As a doctor, she is fascinated by the infirmities of mind and body and takes a special interest in sexuality, birth control, pregnancy, childbirth and abortion. As a Portland native, she loves to excavate local history for neglected stories and characters.