The Doctor Calling
Meredith Appleyard
Penguin Books Australia
Michael Joseph
ISBN: 9780143797173

Description:
What Laura was about to do wasn’t easy. To become embroiled in a family’s grief, their anger, their secrets, wasn’t safe, or clever.

Rebuilding her life again after unexpected tragedy, GP Laura O’Connor flees Adelaide, and her medical career, for a quiet life in rural Potters Junction. She’s looking to escape her own family dramas. The last thing she expects is to become caught up in another’s.

Jake Finlay is a man with a troubled past and a passion for risk-taking. After years away from his small home town, he’s hell-bent on keeping his distance. But his father is dying and this could be the last chance they have to make amends.

As Laura and Jake come together over the care for the frail man, they experience an irresistible attraction. Will facing death help them both to grab hold of life? And might love be just what the doctor ordered?

My View:
A most enjoyable work of women’s fiction – where the emphasis is on the narrative with its themes of the rhythms of life, family, friendships, end of life choices, unexpected deaths, and the difficulties of living in a small rural town in contemporary society especially from the view point of the services available and the issues relating to running a medical practice where the doctor is known and is part of the community.
But this is not a morbid or depressing book. It is one of hope and strength and acceptance. A beautiful story with realistic characters, settings that are uniquely Australian, with an engaging narrative that touches so many interpersonal/relationship issues without the reader feeling like they are sitting in a classroom being lectured. A memorable and enjoyable read, guaranteed to leave you feeling optimistic and smiling.