There are times when I need to read a book with a light tone. Life has its aches, and reading can help soothe the woes we feel while providing a commiseration that lifts us forward.
An Irish Country Doctor has given me a boost and left me feeling delighted. It is not a new book. In fact, it is the first of several books in the Irish Country series. This book introduces readers to a young physician, Dr. Barry Laverty, and the bold and brisk Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly, whom Barry assists in a small Irish village called Ballybucklebo.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get used to reading the name Ballybucklebo over and over, but the name became endearing and familiar – just like the individuals Patrick Taylor created in this novel. I enjoyed getting acquainted with the patients and supporting characters – real people with messy, honest lives who are navigating each day as best they know how. I gladly followed Doctors Laverty and O’Reilly around as they cared for patients; the landscape they traversed was inviting, the process of their medical diagnosis was intriguing, and their Irish culture left me longing for a cable knit sweater.
If you are in need of a book that settles gently on the soul, An Irish Country Doctor is worth your attention.
-Peggy
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