3 out of 4 stars
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The surgeon’s wife by William H. Cole is a dramatic tale based around the lives of two prominent surgeons and a woman. Mike Boudreax is the chief of surgery at one of the country’s largest hospitals. His partner and mentor, the eminent Clayton Otherson, begins to make mistakes and subsequently unreliable in the operating room. Many of Clayton’s colleagues want his termination, others defend him in a show of loyalty and for financial reasons. Meanwhile, Clayton expects Mike to cover for him using his position. Mike is torn between personal loyalty and professional ethics and responsibility.
The situation further gets out of hand when Clayton insists on continuing to perform bariatric surgeries for obese patients without finishing his scheduled re-training; his bariatric surgeries is of great financial benefits to the department but quite dangerous and ineffective on the long run. Clayton finally commits a major blunder leading to the death of a patient; this last straw essentially ends his career. He blames Mike for his misfortunes, this misconception is further strengthened when Mike and Catherine, Clayton’s wife, start having an illicit affair.
Clayton decides to sue the hospital to restore his position using Mike’s affair with his wife as evidence of personal bias. Catherine losses almost everything including her daughter, Mellissa, who runs away from home with her boyfriend. She and Mike fight to maintain their relationship, but the troubles they face may tear them apart.
A refreshing read, the book takes readers on a fictional journey that will keep them intrigued from beginning to end. I found it difficult to put the book down until I finished it. It’s a book with in-depth plot, powerful characterization and interesting subplots. The characters are well developed, realistic and credible.
The author did a beautiful job in building the drama toward an explosive climax that is both unexpected and thrilling. The relationship between professional and personal lives was artfully portrayed in lives of both the primary and secondary characters. Dr. Otherson’s fall from grace was also carefully and expertly orchestrated.
However, the love affair upon which the story partly hinges isn’t as persuasive as expected. The romantic relationship between Mike and Catherine doesn’t begin until much later in the book and with very little anticipation of it earlier in the plot. Catherine’s declaration of love for Mike seem to come out of nowhere; making it seem implausible and shallow, like teenage infatuation. Mike’s reciprocity also was confusing; his feelings aren’t exactly stable and is always a thought or afterthought.
I rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars for its interesting and captivating story-line.
I recommend this book for everyone. It’s a really quick read too.
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The Surgeon's Wife
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when I get a little money I buy books; and if I have any left l buy food and clothes
