"Healer" by Carol Cassella

Sometimes the context of reading a book complements what you read and begin to understand.

I just finished reading Carol Cassella second novel while working in Spokane, Washington. Besides good writing, she is a very thoughtful physician who works in Seattle, Washington. Her concerns in this novel are many of the same concerns that I have tried to address in "Healing Agents: Chrisitian Perspectives".

Since arriving in Spokane, I have been in the process of learning about the health, cultures and the geography of eastern Washington. It is a fascinating place and if you read the novel you will learn about this wonderful place. One shared concern is how healthcare is delivered in rural areas and the critical role nurses, physicians and small hospitals respond in these isolated environments.

The protagonist is forced to rediscover her calling and learns from some wonderful mentors. Her husband is forced to understand the limits of the scientific paradigm and the business model. What is amazing is that somehow their marriage survives their realities.

This book is a good representation of the reality that medicine is facing.

Marvin