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And if you’re in the Lexington, KY area, I’ll be at the Kentucky Book Festival on Saturday, November 1, at Joseph Beth Bookstore.
Perfect for fans of biographical fiction that brings to life lesser-known historical figures, Till Taught by Pain is the story of Dr. William S. Halsted, the first surgeon-in-chief at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, a brilliant, innovative surgeon who suffered a lifelong cocaine/morphine addiction. It’s also the love story between Halsted and his wife, Caroline, who enabled both his remarkable career and his addiction. (If you’re interested in the history of medicine, enjoy medical dramas, or were a fan of HBO’s The Knick, this book is for you!)
Visit my website for more info and events.
If you’re looking for your next book club pick, I hope you’ll consider Till Taught by Pain. Here are some suggested book club questions:
- As Caroline cares for her terminally ill uncle, she muses: Uncle Wade might be the man the world would remember, but surely, it would be a better place if more men were like Uncle Kit. How do you think she means this? Do you think she takes this to heart? Do you agree with her?
- Caroline’s upbringing taught her to defer to men, and her nurses’ training reinforced the message. How might this have shaped her response to William’s addiction? Do you see examples of resistance to that message?
- Dr. Welch and Dr. Osler were aware of Dr. Halsted’s addiction, although all indications suggest that his secret was well kept during his lifetime. Physician impairment is a significant modern-day problem as well. How much responsibility do you think physicians have to report colleagues struggling with addiction? Do you agree with Caroline that it is different for a wife?
- When trying to get Halsted into treatment, Dr. Welch thought that for a man like Halsted, an appeal to the scientist would be more effective than an appeal to the heart. Where do you see evidence of each of these influencing his struggle against drug abuse? Was one more effective than the other? Why or why not?
- At one point, William says that Osler can be discreet. At another, Osler says that the doctor-patient relationship is privileged. Was Osler right or wrong to betray that privilege in his “secret history of Johns Hopkins Hospital”? What purpose does the belated revelation serve?
I’d love to attend your book club meetings locally or virtually. If you’re interested, you can contact me at susan@susancoventry.com.
Until next month!
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