An Irish Doctor in Love and at Sea - Patrick Taylor (Forge - Oct 2015)

Series: Irish Country Books (Book 10)

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.

 

An Irish Doctor in Peace and at War - Patrick Taylor (Forge - Oct 2014)

Series: Irish Country Books (Book 10)

Long before Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly became a fixture in the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo, he was a young M.B. with plans to marry midwife Dierdre Mawhinney. Those plans were complicated by the outbreak of World War II and the call of duty. Assigned to the HMS Warspite, a formidable 30,000-ton battleship, Surgeon Lieutenant O'Reilly soon found himself face-to-face with the hardships of war, tending to the dreadnought's crew of 1,200 as well as to the many casualties brought aboard.

Life in Ballybucklebo is a far cry from the strife of war, but over two decades later O'Reilly and his younger colleagues still have plenty of challenges: an outbreak of German measles, the odd tropical disease, a hard-fought pie-baking contest, and a local man whose mule-headed adherence to tradition is standing in the way of his son's future. Now older and wiser, O'Reilly has prescriptions for whatever ails until a secret from the past threatens to unravel his own peace of mind.

It has been a while since my last visit to Ballybucklebo, and I frequently found myself wondering how Barry and Sue's romance was going, how Fingal and Kitty were settling into married life, and how the other residents of the village were doing. I finally pulled this book off the shelf and dove in. Like the book Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor, this book bounces back and forth between the past and Fingal's current life. While the transitions aren't seamless, for the most part, they aren't jarring either.

The story opened with the village preparing to celebrate the marriage of Kinky and Archie, and the many people who want to make it a memorable day. Fingal's skills as a peacemaker and negotiator became vital when battle lines were drawn between two groups over the proper way to decorate the church. I loved his common sense approach to bringing compromise to the combatants. The upcoming marriage made a good segue into the next chapter, which was a flashback to Fingal as he prepared to propose to his first wife, Dierdre. There is a romantic heart inside the sometimes gruff doctor, and I felt his frustration as his "right moment" got wrecked. But his Dierdre is not high maintenance, and I loved seeing her handle it all with ease and grace.

For the modern side of the story, I always enjoy the adventures of Fingal, Barry, and the people of the village. It opened on a high note, with the wedding of Kinky and Archie. It was a beautiful ceremony, but as frequently happens in this village, there was a touch of excitement. Young Colin Brown brought an uninvited guest with him to the ceremony, a guest whose presence was not appreciated by the ladies. I had to laugh at the chaos and cheered as Kinky herself used humor and practicality to return peace to the day. Colin played an ongoing role in this book, as Fingal and Barry's girl, the schoolteacher, tried to find a way to show Colin's father that there was a wider world of opportunities available for Colin. Help with that came from a very unexpected source, leaving Fingal shaking his head in disbelief. The life of a country GP is never dull, and Fingal faced everything from German measles to gout to a medical mystery that was solved by reaching back into his wartime memories. He even brought Kitty along on one case, as the doctor and the midwife used their skills to bring a new life into the village. It's not all sunshine and roses for Fingal though when a blast from Kitty's past unsettled him. I ached a bit for Fingal, as he knew he was unreasonable, but he couldn't help it. I liked that he was smart enough to talk to his brother, who helped him through it. I was a little disappointed in not seeing Barry actually propose to Sue after all this time, but I look forward to seeing more of them in the future.

The flashback part of the book was fascinating for me. Just as Fingal was settling into his work in Ballybucklebo, World War Two broke out, and he was called up. As a naval reservist, he was assigned to become a medical officer on HMS Warspite. Within hours of arriving on the ship, Fingal found himself delivering his first anesthetic for the senior surgeon doing an emergency appendectomy. Fingal was nervous, bordering on terrified as he began his duties, as he had no experience treating war wounds and there were more than a thousand men on that ship alone. But he learned quickly and did well. I enjoyed his insights into what went on around him, from witnessing the firing of the big guns to his feelings on the wasted lives. His descriptions of the battles were vividly portrayed, leading me to discover that the Warspite was a real ship and the actions described really happened. His times with Dierdre were few and far between, but their love was a source of strength for both of them. I did have a few bad moments while Fingal was in Egypt and the loneliness and a flirtatious Navy wife created some unexpected temptation. I loved seeing Fingal get to spend time with the ship's navigator, his friend Tom Laverty, who would eventually become Barry's father.

I'm looking forward to the next book and getting to see more of the time that Fingal and Dierdre spent together, as well as the progression of life in the village of Ballybucklebo.