Part of Irish Country, book 3
First published 2008
Barry Laverty prepares for his debut Christmas in Ballybucklebo, but his girlfriend Patricia may not return home for the holidays. The young doctor pushes aside his disappointment as medical duties consume his time. Working alongside senior partner Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, Barry treats winter ailments and handles urgent cases across the Irish countryside. Their workload increases when a new physician arrives in town, stealing patients with questionable medical practices that endanger local residents. The established doctors question whether their small territory can sustain three competing practices. Despite their packed schedule of medical rounds, Rugby Club gatherings, and the children's Christmas pageant, Barry and O'Reilly find moments to help others. They secretly assist a single mother struggling financially while caring for her ill child. Winter snow seldom falls in Ulster, and extraordinary events occur just as rarely, yet both remain possible in this close-knit community.
Genres: fiction, romance, historical-fiction, medical, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, medical-drama
Setting: Ballybucklebo, Ireland, Ulster
Period: Christmas
496 pages · Hardcover · Forge Books