Kylie's Ark: The Making of a Veterinarian - Softcover

Bourke, Rita Welty

Softcover

ISBN 10: 099642010X ISBN 13: 9780996420105

Publisher: Lansinger Press, 2016

Synopsis

This Kirkus’ Best Indie Book of the Year Selection is “an affecting portrayal of the making of a veterinarian and the day-to-day challenges she faces.” The novel Kylie's Ark takes us inside the life of a young veterinarian, from intern to licensed vet. Kylie encounters big egos, small budgets, grand intentions, and hollow triumphs. Does she have what it takes to survive a lonely internship in rugged Montana, grueling hours at a prestigious equine hospital in Kentucky, and worse, her own self-doubt when the decisions are hers alone? Kylie has taken an oath to help animals, but no one told her how hard it would be not to dwell on the mistakes -- the medicines she might have prescribed, the lives she could have saved. A horse scheduled to be euthanized is given a respite. An illiterate man learns to read so he can better care for his puppy. A neurologically-impaired kitten might provide a key to understanding storage diseases in humans. In Kylie's Ark, readers discover the successes that make the practice of veterinary medicine a joy, and sometimes a heartbreak.

About this title

About the Author:

Rita Welty Bourke has published over forty works of fiction and nonfiction in literary magazines including the North American Review, Cimarron Review, Louisiana Literature, Shenandoah, Witness, and the Black Warrior Review. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Learn more at www.ritaweltybourke.com.

Review:

"Bourke does an excellent job of animating Kylie--a cynical but warm and hardworking young woman who is quick to admit and relinquish her prejudices and cares deeply about the animals in her care even when she is supposed to affect professional detachment. The novel is engagingly written."
-Kirkus (Starred Review)

"Rita Welty Bourke weaves an intricate web of stories that showcase her marvelous talents as a writer. Her sensitive, insightful portrayal of animals in the wild and in domestic settings is one of the great joys in store for the reader. Rich and lyrical in their delivery, the stories in Kylie's Ark are a powerful, profound examination of the heart and soul of a young veterinarian and the forces that shape the world she has chosen for her profession."
-Phyllis Gobbell, author of A Season of Darkness and Pursuit in Provence

"For those who have ever pondered the life of a veterinary student or ayoung veterinary professional, Kylie's Ark is the read for you. It is aheartwarming and raw look at the trials and tribulations one experiences in vet school and in the professional world of veterinary medicine. The book highlights the compassion and humor that are required when onededicates one's life to reducing the suffering of animals. Kylie's Ark is a treasure."
-Jennifer Saunders, DVM, Willamette Valley Equine Veterinary Services, Portland, Oregon

"Every animal lover will be deeply moved by this collection, as I have been.Ms. Bourke has a way of crystallizing the joy and heartbreak inherent in our relationships with people and with animals. Her characters, of all species, are vivid and believable. I congratulate her on this achievement."
-M. M. Buckner, author of The Gravity Pilot and Watermind

"This is a gritty and heart-rending story of a youngwoman's struggle to become a veterinarian. She faces challenges thattest her spirit, but she never loses sight of her goal: to fight foranimals, to care for those in need, and to affirm their value."
-Sara J. Henry, author of Learning to Swim and A Cold and Lonely Place

About this edition

• Publisher: Lansinger Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 099642010X
• ISBN 13: 9780996420105
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216