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A review by susanj13
Soundings: Doctors Life Age Aids by Abraham Verghese
5.0
Dr. Abraham Verghese's "Cutting for Stone" remains easily one of my favourite novels of all time, and I know this is true for many other readers I know. However, despite the immense popularity of the book, I had never seen any of his other writings on the shelves anywhere until I spotted this in one of the Charing Cross second-hand bookstores a few years ago.
This book, his first, is a memoir of his years spent working as an infectious diseases specialist in rural Tennesee in the 1980s when AIDS had become the "viral" buzzword in USA. This is top notch writing - painfully beautiful, intensely personal and filled with empathy. Dr. Verghese is today known to be the flag bearer of training young doctors in quality bedside practices, and his sincerity on the topic comes through in his writing. He writes effortlessly about trying to understand the epidemic, homosexuality, the gay community and how they and their families were being impacted by the illness, and all that he himself gained and lost during the period. There are bits which are very detailed, evoking very vivid imagery and bringing alive these patients and their stories in the reader's mind. It honestly felt like a privilege to read this account; and I sincerely hope he spends more time writing. I am moved beyond words.
This book, his first, is a memoir of his years spent working as an infectious diseases specialist in rural Tennesee in the 1980s when AIDS had become the "viral" buzzword in USA. This is top notch writing - painfully beautiful, intensely personal and filled with empathy. Dr. Verghese is today known to be the flag bearer of training young doctors in quality bedside practices, and his sincerity on the topic comes through in his writing. He writes effortlessly about trying to understand the epidemic, homosexuality, the gay community and how they and their families were being impacted by the illness, and all that he himself gained and lost during the period. There are bits which are very detailed, evoking very vivid imagery and bringing alive these patients and their stories in the reader's mind. It honestly felt like a privilege to read this account; and I sincerely hope he spends more time writing. I am moved beyond words.