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A review by book_concierge
Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
4.0
Audiobook performed by John Keating
Taylor tells the tale of a young physician learning the ropes from an older, wiser, well-established practitioner in an Irish village, in the mid 1960s. Barry Laverty is happy to have this position, and he has an experienced, if unconventional, teacher in Dr Fingal Flaherty O’Reilly.
I’ve heard this described as “James Herriot for people” and I think that’s a perfect description. Some of the cases are quite serious, some patients are malingerers. While O’Reilly’s main advice is to “never let the customers get the upper hand,” he still shows great compassion for serious problems, teaches the young Laverty how to admit being wrong and helps him learn to apologize for his own mistakes. Which, of course, doctors do make – being human, after all.
The book is full of wonderful characters, from the steadfast housekeeper Mrs Kincaid, who prefers to be called Kinky, to the young doctor’s first love, Pamela, from elderly patients suffering mostly from loneliness, to young children with appendicitis, from shopkeepers with heart disease, to farmers with work-related injuries. There are some very humorous moments, and a few tender ones as well. Very entertaining.
John Keating does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. I loved how he interpreted both O’Reilly and Laverty. And he does a passable job of the various women characters, as well.
Taylor tells the tale of a young physician learning the ropes from an older, wiser, well-established practitioner in an Irish village, in the mid 1960s. Barry Laverty is happy to have this position, and he has an experienced, if unconventional, teacher in Dr Fingal Flaherty O’Reilly.
I’ve heard this described as “James Herriot for people” and I think that’s a perfect description. Some of the cases are quite serious, some patients are malingerers. While O’Reilly’s main advice is to “never let the customers get the upper hand,” he still shows great compassion for serious problems, teaches the young Laverty how to admit being wrong and helps him learn to apologize for his own mistakes. Which, of course, doctors do make – being human, after all.
The book is full of wonderful characters, from the steadfast housekeeper Mrs Kincaid, who prefers to be called Kinky, to the young doctor’s first love, Pamela, from elderly patients suffering mostly from loneliness, to young children with appendicitis, from shopkeepers with heart disease, to farmers with work-related injuries. There are some very humorous moments, and a few tender ones as well. Very entertaining.
John Keating does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. I loved how he interpreted both O’Reilly and Laverty. And he does a passable job of the various women characters, as well.