“Passages: A Voyage from War to Peace,” is 2025 novel written by a retired physician, P.K. Edgewater (his pen name.) The subtitle refers to the dual journeys of a troubled Vietnam War veteran re-entering stateside life and the young Greek psychiatrist who emigrates to the U.S. and treats him over the course of several years.

The ancient Chinese healers recognized that some patients were more “difficult.” According to Lisa See in her historical novel, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, male physicians found the problem of their female physicians to be very challenging to diagnose and treat. It took a determined woman healer to understand and address their unique issues. Modern physicians can learn quite a few lessons from the very real ancient physician, Lady Tan.

I review a fictionalized account of a breast cancer treatment center in South Florida. The book is Adversity and Courage: The Breast Center by Joseph Alexander. One will learn a lot about the disease that affects one in eight women. The story of how four women pull together to support each other provides encouragement and hope for ever changing people and protocols.

What happens in the field before a person arrives as a patient in the Emergency Department? A LOT
Sometimes the scene is total chaos and dangerous. Highly trained emergency medical personnel answer the call day and night every day of the year. Read about my ride-along and a book that will take you there too.