In a Far Place (Distant Places)
In a hospital in Birmingham, England, in 1967, a young red-haired student nurse, Claire, accidentally bumps into Peter, a young trainee doctor. They blame one another for the encounter and proceed on their way, meeting again in the refectory. Peter apologizes and invites Claire out for dinner with his group of friends. Claire accepts. They fall in love and, following graduation, become engaged. Peter’s best friend, Alex, a doctor who is a womanizer, desires Claire and concocts an elaborate scheme to separate them. Playing on Peter’s longing for adventure, dating from his childhood in Ladakh, Alex shows him pamphlets about Australia and their Flying Doctors. This piques Peter’s interest, and his action sets up a collision course between the trio.
Part of Liz Harris’ Distant Places series, this novel continues the story of Peter, the missionary’s son from The Road Back. Claire’s and Peter’s interesting love story includes impressive details on the rigorous training of British nurses and doctors. Similarly, the workings of the Australian Flying Doctors are blended into the storyline, providing fascinating insight into the provision of medical care in rural Australian communities. The details of patients’ treatments and discourse between the medical personnel are sometimes described in some depth. The storyline includes numerous coincidences and turning points, but some of these actions feel uncharacteristic and require suspension of disbelief. This novel would work well as a beach read.
