Review by Twylla -- The Watchmaker’s Doctor

[Twylla]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Watchmaker’s Doctor" by G. M. T. Schuilling.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Watchmaker’s Doctor by G. M. T. Schuilling is an eloquent sci-fi story of time travel and regrets. Who hasn’t fantasized about returning to a point in your life when you made a decision you regret and wishing you could change the outcome? Anaya Jones, a 35-year-old doctor with bipolar disorder, squandered her prime, then went back to school for nine years to study to be a doctor. She has a patient, Gregory Augustine, who has the power to erase consequences and rewind time.

Anaya returns to her 17-year-old body with an adult appreciation of the brevity of life. Anaya has a renewed pledge to live life to its fullest with no regrets. She makes different choices related to her education, career, bipolar diagnosis, and family. Rather than choosing a destructive romantic relationship, she makes a better choice this time. As I read the story, I imagined myself going back into my 17-year-old body and being surrounded by my high school friends. What a feeling!

I love the questions raised by this story. Does a “cosmic” force demand something else has to change to balance out the decisions that were made differently? Do other people bear your past sins when you make different choices? Is Anaya living a life of no regrets at the expense of her friends and family? Is one day living without regrets better than living your whole life being oblivious that you can change things? Is knowing the future a burden rather than a blessing? How will making a different choice change the trajectory of your life?

I appreciated learning what it is like to have a bipolar disorder and the importance of having the correct diagnosis and the appropriate medications. Counseling to understand the cycle of depressive episodes followed by hypomanic periods and learning what triggers an episode is critical to managing the disease. There is no cure. It must be managed day by day.

I can’t think of a single thing I don’t like about this book. The writing style is eloquent, yet easy to read. It is well written and professionally edited. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever wished they could go back in time and make a different decision in their life. I enthusiastically rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I feel envious that I didn’t write this story. The Watchmaker’s Doctor inspires me to prayerfully make the right choices in life and live to my fullest potential.

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The Watchmaker’s Doctor
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[Twylla]

Great review!