Synopsis: Barry Laverty, MD, can barely find the village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there, but already he knows that there is nowhere he would rather live than in the emerald hills and glens of Northern Ireland. The proud owner of a spanking-new medical degree, Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice. At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie OReilly. The older physician, whose motto is never let the patients get the upper hand, has his own way of doing things, which definitely takes some getting used to. At first, Barry cant decide if the pugnacious OReilly is the biggest charlatan he has ever met, or possibly the best teacher he could ever hope for. Ballybucklebo is a long way from Belfast, and Barry soon discovers that he still has a lot to learn about country life. But if he sticks with it, he just might end up finding out more about life and love than he could ever have imagined back in medical school.
Type: Fiction
Quick Take: I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, it was sweet and delightful - filled with stories of a small rural town in Ireland and informative at the same time. I knew the author was an doctor before reading this book which made the clinical descriptions feel spot-on. I didn’t doubt the descriptive treatments, the births etc. While reading this book I could tell the author was setting up the sequel. It was a little too idyllic for my taste but I did walk away feeling I learned a bit about living in a small rural town in Ireland so I'm happy to have read the book.
Source: Review copy