ARA Review by kia125 of McDowell

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kia125
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ARA Review by kia125 of McDowell

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[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, McDowell.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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McDowell by William H. Coles


A man who has it all, social status, money, a family who cares - but he wants more, even if it means destroying the relationship he has with close Medical Colleagues. All this for the ultimate crown in Health Care. He loves climbing and outdoor pursuits, particularly in Nepal, where he oversees the provision of Health care in this deprived region.
This book is well written, the characters are interesting and it allows the reader to decide whether our main protagonist; the eminent Surgeon Hiram McDowell, should be given another chance in life.

I enjoyed this modern-day American story of a professional family in crisis after a terrible event occurs in their lives.

Paige, the persistent journalist and her sidekick Max, decide to write about McDowell, a memoir of his achievements and failings; a man who has risen to great heights in his field of Medical Care, is now close to advising governmental Health Policy. How accurately will Paige portray this important public figure, after all? As we see later her colleague has already made up her mind on whether he is guilty.

Initially, I felt the introduction to his world was slow to develop, indeed, the real reasons for his journey to Nepal lacked some depth. Compared with Sophia, it was obvious she had a clear objective in that region. She cared about the poor.

But as I learned more about the characters, I began to develop a kind of empathy for their situation. Sophia clearly loved her father and when his life crashes in spectacular fashion, as a result of a questionable medical intervention. McDowell is then forced to re-evaluate his beliefs, his relationships with friends and colleagues – she always maintains a close relationship.
Billy, McDowell’s son is a lost boy searching for meaning in life but falls prey to the advances of Tasha. But it is really the innocent Christi that he has fallen for.
In my view, it was the people he encountered in the difficult times ahead, on his lonely journey, that I especially found most interesting. Hulga and Winona had experienced hardship and they were more understanding about McDowell’s plight.
This story questions our perceived ideas of right and wrong on whether it is wise to judge a person on a single act of recklessness. When I had finished reading this book, I had determined that in McDowell’s case, there is no defining answer to these moral issues - only shades of grey. We can see that McDowell begins to understand that as his story unfolds into a Shakespearian tragedy.
Maybe the real losers are the ones who fail to question the people who enshrine our laws and run our Health Establishments. Do they do it for self-gratification or the thirst for power over others? This book asks us to consider these questions.
We see that approach manifesting itself in the blinkered sheriff, who thinks only in terms of force to solve society’s problems. Then there is the hospital patient who owes her life to McDowell’s rapid intervention but is still blinded as to how she evaluates this act of goodness.
I would certainly recommend this book, the writing is professionally scripted, the characters are three dimensional, I look forward to reading more of this author’s work. I would have liked a more in-depth view of McDowell’s earlier life.
For this reason, I would award this book a 4/5 - star rating.

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