Book Review of
An Irish Country Doctor
Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there, but already he knows that there is nowhere he would rather live than in the emerald hills and dales of Northern Ireland. The proud owner of a spanking-new medical degree and little else in the way of worldly possessions, Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice.
At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly.
The older physician, whose motto is to never let the patients get the upper hand, has his own way of doing things. At first, Barry can’t decide if the pugnacious O’Reilly is the biggest charlatan he has ever met, or the best teacher he could ever hope for. Through O’Reilly Barry soon gets to know all of the village’s colorful and endearing residents, including:
A malingering Major and his equally hypochondriacal wife;
An unwed servant girl, who refuses to divulge the father of her upcoming baby;
A slightly daft old couple unable to marry for lack of a roof;
And a host of other eccentric characters who make every day an education for the inexperienced young doctor.
Ballybucklebo is long way from Belfast, and Barry is quick to discover that he still has a lot to learn about the quirks and traditions of country life. But with pluck and compassion and only the slightest touch of blarney, he will find out more about life―and love―than he ever imagined back in medical school.
Lynn's Review
I picked up An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor after reading More Things In Heaven and Earth. The two series have a lot in common in that both are about doctors in small rural towns.
An Irish Country Doctor was published in 2007. It follows Dr. Laverty, who is fresh out of medical school, as he begins his life as a doctor in a small village in Ireland.
Patrick Taylor is a doctor and that shows in his writing. You can tell that the writer knows medicine and small town life.
I liked this book, but I liked More Things In Heaven and Earth more. An Irish Country Doctor was a little more PG-13, and I thought crude in some parts. However, I was discussing this with my daughter, and I am thinking that it might be the difference between America and Ireland. Some of the language and dialogue in the book may come across differently in another country than it does to me.
If you are a fan of Mitford type books, but don’t mind some PG-13 reading, then you will probably enjoy this one. I am glad I read it, but am not sure that I will read more in the series.
You seriously should listen to An Irish Country Doctor on audio, it makes ALLL the difference! The Irish accent just makes it so wonderful, I could listen to it all day. It puts heart into the writing, which seems too simple to me otherwise
That is a great suggestion. I had not thought of that, but an Irish accent would make it better. Thank you for recommending that.