Emily Joy

This was a library book. I chose it due to having an interest in those that have worked for charities in third world countries.

The author ends up in Sierra Leone working as a Doctor, her only prior medical experience was as a GP in England but this seemed to be irrelevant and she was immediately forced to perform complicated operations (surgery) whilst adapting to the culture and weather. Her hospital was facing a funding crisis on her arrival and continued to be poorly funded and resourced throughout her stay. I enjoyed the narrative in relation to her work in the hospital and the various cultural mishaps. It was unbelievable in places.

This dialogue was the most amusing moment;

"Another patient is there in X-ray..."
"Really? Who?" I hadn't sent anybody and Philippe was in bed with malaria.
"A patient sent by Dr Momoh"
"Oh yes" we did have an agreement with Dr Momoh...."So who is it?"
"I don't know. He got swelling on his jaw....he named Scooby."
"Scooby? Not a Mende name, surely?" But with children called Nurse and Problem. I refrained from further comment.
"He black Dr Em, but he notto Mende man." AJ shook his head solemnly.
"AJ what are you trying to tell me?"
"Mr Scooby Doo is not well." AJ was laughing now.
"Scooby Doo! A DOG?!"
"Dr Joy what is going on? There's a dog in X-ray." MT stormed into my office......

On the negative side, there was too much information about various comings and goings in relation to the organisation the author was working for. Also her love life and some social interactions that didn't seem to enhance the story as the reader was not given enough information to really get to know the other characters. The narrative became less interesting once the civil war started, maybe the author should have ended there instead of covering vague details of the war and her return trips to the country as Epilogues in 2003, 2008 and 2009......

I found the author's humour forced in places and a lot of it seemed unlikely to be based on reality. although I did recognise some of the cultural dilemmas due to my own experience as a missionary.

This is not a Christian book and the author is agnostic. I was disappointed with the language and blasphemy used throughout the book and some mockery of Christians/those who are religious. That was a shame as it didn't add anything to the narrative and didn't need to be there. That is the reason for my low rating. There is no sexual content and no especially graphic violence although various details of medical procedures and deaths may upset/be too graphic for some readers.

I don't recommend this book for Christian readers.
… (lisätietoja)