Walking
In 1948 Sydney, Australia, Lucy Brynne, a physiotherapist at the Sydney Hospital, is puzzled after reading a newspaper obituary of Dr. Hugo Winter: “He was debarred from joining the Australian Imperial Force because of his nationality.” Lucy had known Hugo as a renowned orthopedic surgeon who, instead of amputating her leg, had mended it, enabling her to walk. Lucy is asked to sort through Hugo’s large volume of papers. In the process, she discovers some troubling information about Hugo’s mistreatment as a German émigré in Australia. Lucy couldn’t believe such subjugation was possible in her country. She discovers those responsible for it, particularly an incompetent surgeon named Eliot. Incidentally, that week a new patient, Jim, arrives with a fractured leg. While Lucy is attracted to him, she doesn’t believe that the treatment Eliot is administering to Jim is appropriate. Matters come to a head when Lucy dares to suggest an alternate procedure that might save Jim’s leg.
In her author’s note, Kim Kelly mentions that she based this novel on the true story of a German-Australian surgeon, Max Herz, a brilliant and innovative orthopedist who was interned as an enemy alien during the war. Kelly’s approach to telling the story as historical fiction rather than a biography feels appropriate. In doing so, she is able to bring in other aspects of the war years, medical procedures, and life in Sydney at that time. The romance adds another facet to the story’s appeal. The details about orthopedic surgical procedures, their pros and cons, and physiotherapeutic treatments make the reading enjoyable, particularly for readers not versed in that field of medicine. The problems that soldiers faced during the war, both physically and mentally, are also adroitly included in the narrative. An important contribution to Australian historical fiction. Highly recommended.
