Part of Irish Country, book 14
First published 2019
Barry Laverty works brutal hours as a medical intern, mastering new techniques while discovering what matters most in family medicine. He falls in love and learns that human kindness trumps textbook knowledge. Years later, Barry practices alongside Fingal O'Reilly in Ballybucklebo, where neighbors care for each other like family. Barry and his wife Sue struggle to conceive while the village rallies around them with unwavering support. The story moves between Barry's training years and his established practice, showing how his early lessons about compassion and community bonds shape his work as a country doctor. In Ballybucklebo, medical care means more than treating symptoms. It means understanding the daily struggles and small victories that define village life.
Genres: fiction, family, romance, historical-fiction, medical
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Ballybucklebo
Period: 20th-century
368 pages · Hardcover · Forge Books