Mere Mortals

Upon the death of his wife, Dr. O'Brien looks back on their life together from the time of their first meeting

This candid, compassionate novel that views sickness and death from the unflinching standpoint of the medical profession, is the fifth by Ravin ( Evidence ; M.D. ), a physician by training. As an intern in New York's Whipple Hospital for cancer patients, Brendan O'Brien is smitten with comely, dedicated head nurse Caroline Bates. The narrative traces the evolution of their relationship: Caroline gives up her lawyer boyfriend and marries Brendan; they continue their training in Boston, and eventually settle in Washington, D.C. Two children are born to the now prospering couple before Caroline is struck down in a car accident that leaves her an invalid. Ravin makes dramatic use of an insider's revelations of the harrowing daily lives of doctors and nurses, furnishing detailed information about disease, pharmacology and medical procedures, and touching on such timely themes as the prevalence of malpractice suits and the AIDS crisis. But Ravin is adept at leavening his story with the wry, sassy humor that seems essential to a health worker's survival and sanity.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.