I finished this book earlier today and it has been on my mind ever since; it is a very compelling story about the emergence of AIDS in the 80s and one rural doctor who was in charge of treatment in small town Tennessee.
Dr. Abraham Verghese's circumstances have taken him on a circuitous route that lead him to Johnson City, Tennessee. He is an infectious disease doctor, so he is the first doctor to be involved in the AIDS cases that are arising. In the beginning, it is a handful of people. By the time he leaves his post in Tennessee, the numbers are staggering.
Dr. Verghese relays the stories of his patients in vignettes that are powerful and stunning. He gets involved with each case personally and since AIDS has the same sad end, it begins to take a toll on Verghese and his relationships.
I couldn't put this book down, despite being over 400 pages. It was a quick read, one that had me teared up then laughing - what a group of characters, all dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
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