Medicine is one of the most coveted professions in India.  Thousands and thousands of students take the most challenging entrance exams in anticipation of getting into premier medical colleges.  Parents willingly pay a hefty fee because they know it Is an investment that will reap generous returns for a lifetime.

It is only natural that young doctors dream of earning money and fame. Sadly, money and the fame cannot be achieved by serving in rural areas. Only reputed hospitals in big cities can ensure the life young doctors dream of. Primary health care in rural areas is often left at the mercy of half-willing medical professionals who are counting days to finish the mandatory posting and go back to making money.

Balesh Jindal, author and doctor, was no different. She dreamt of going abroad and practicing pediatrics in London. Coming from a wealthy family in New Delhi, she was used to a life of luxury. And spending her evenings at Trafalgar Square would just be an extension of her life in Delhi.

But destiny does not always comply with your dreams. On her father’s insistence, the author started her practice as a general practitioner in Kapashera, a small village near Delhi. Extremely reluctant at first,  the author continued with her practice when she realized that the gratitude and satisfaction she got here was way more than any money or fame.

 The book is a narrative of author’s journey of over four decades as a  general practitioner in a village that seemed like a different world altogether. People’s lives revolved around their land and agriculture and their ailments were also quite different.

Soon the doctor in cotton sarees became popular in and around Kapashera. The ‘family doctor’ soon became family to most of the patients. And the consultation did not stop at just the physical ailments. 

The author keeps the narration interesting and infuses the right amount of emotions to keep the reader hooked and empathizing. For an urban reader, it might be difficult to relate to some of the issues but that does not change the facts. It was interesting how the author relates globalization and the quick money of real estate to the new range of ailments of the nouveau riche. As a mother, it was interesting to see how the kids unknowingly became the targets of changing eating habits. I was concerned that there will be too many medical terms and I might not be able to comprehend most of them, but the author keeps it simple. 

Overall it was a good read. The author uses many difficult words throughout the book and  I kept referring to the dictionary a lot. Initially, it did break my reading flow, but I started enjoying it soon. As a logophile, I was only happier to learn so many new words in one book. 

Reviewer Bio:

Deepali is a seasoned finance professional and a prolific writer. In her career spanning over almost two decades, she has worked with leading corporate brands as finance professional and corporate trainer. Her writing career includes writing for various websites, contributing to journals, and creating specialized content for select clients. Her work in fiction has been loved and praised unanimously. Her first book, Cross Connection, is a humorous autobiographical narrative of a Marathi Bengali marriage. It is available on Amazon at eBook. Her short story, Hotel Comfort Inn, is published in a horror anthology – the City of Screams, by Half Baked Beans. Somewhere Beyond Hope is her third book, available as an eBook and paperback on Amazon.