Long before Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly came to the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo, young
Surgeon-lieutenant O'Reilly answered the call of duty to serve in World War II.
Fingal just wants to marry his beloved
Deirdre and live happily ever after. First
he must hone his skills at a British naval hospital before reporting back to
the HMS Warspite, where, as a ship's doctor, he faces danger upon the high
seas. With German bombers a constant
threat, the future has never been more uncertain, but Fingal and Deirdre are
determined to make a life together . . . no matter what may lie ahead.
Decades later, the war is long over, and O'Reilly is
content to mend the bodies and souls of his patients in Ballybucklebo, but
there are still changes and challenges aplenty. A difficult pregnancy, as well
as an old colleague badly in denial concerning his own serious medical condition, tests
O'Reilly and his young partner, Barry Laverty. But even with all that occupies
him in the present, can O'Reilly ever truly
let go of the ghosts from his past?
Another excellent
installment in the series. This book picked up where An Irish Doctor inPeace and at War left off. As in the previous book, this one alternated between
Fingal's past and his present. The "past" part of the book began with
Fingal reporting to the naval hospital at Haslap
for additional training in anesthesia and trauma surgery. He was looking
forward to the next three months, as he and Dierdre planned to marry during
this time. But there were unexpected obstacles to their plans.
I loved following Fingal through his time at Haslap. He learned a great deal medically, and
also had the opportunity to experience different ways to deal with problems. The
Fingal of the present has always been known
as the Wily O'Reilly, but in this book,
we got a glimpse of how he learned some of that wiliness. I love that Fingal
considered all aspects of the patient important,
not just their medical issues. There were several instances of him doing what
was right for the whole patient, even when it got him in trouble with his
superiors. I loved the Scottish doctor who was such a tremendous help and
example to Fingal. I also appreciated the realistic look at wartime medicine
and the challenges it created. The descriptions of Fingal's experiences both on shore and at sea were vivid, especially the feelings
of witnessing the effects of the battles.
A big part of this section was the furthering of the
relationship between Fingal and Deirdre. I loved seeing them snatch what time
together they could, rejoicing in the simple things when they were together. I ached
for them both when Fingal discovered that he had to have permission to marry
even after attaining the next rank. It was fun to see that a case of "who
you know" came to their rescue. It was sweet to see them settle into
married life, all the time knowing that their separation loomed ever nearer. The
poignancy of their letters to each other, once he returned to HMS Warspite, was
incredible. How I cried when I finally
found out what ended their marriage.
Back in the present day, life went on for Fingal and the
village of Ballybucklebo. I loved seeing Fingal and his medical school
classmates together for their class reunion. Their concern for one of those
classmates was clear, especially when he
resisted their attempts to help him. This
was a man who was always standoffish, but Fingal and the others refused to give
up on him. There were also a couple of problem pregnancies to deal with. One of the things I love best about
Fingal is that he was never too proud to admit when he needed help. I loved
seeing his determination to catch up on advances in medicine so that he could
better serve his patients. Outside of medicine, Fingal still seems to be the
glue that holds the village together. From bird counting with his brother to helping his friend John with a tricky problem,
I loved seeing how various threads were connected. On a personal front, I loved
seeing Fingal and Kitty deal with the ghosts of their pasts and move forward in
their new lives together. Meanwhile,
Barry missed his fiancée Sue, who was in France on a special educational trip. I ached for him as he worried about the
effects of their separation on their relationship. Fingal's recent problem with
similar feelings gave him the ability to provide some much-needed advice. Some lighter moments were provided by yet another of Donal Donnelly's
schemes, this one involving a canine mésalliance and its results.
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