Quality of Care

by Elizabeth Letts

Book Overview

Clara Raymond is the kind of obstetrician any woman would want-caring, skilled, dedicated. But she is caught off guard when a pregnant woman is wheeled onto the labor and delivery floor with what seem to be minor complaints. The patient turns out to be Lydia Benson, a childhood friend who once saved Clara's life after a terrible horseback-riding accident. And at Lydia's side is her husband Gordon Robinson, a man whom Clara once loved passionately...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451214102
• ISBN13: 9780451214102
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: New American Library
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Super debut!

This is a wonderful book. As with almost all the NAL Accent books you can depend on an amazing story. We dive into Clara's life, we hear her story of an accident in childhood and we also hear of her current situation. Both dealing with the "care" of others and the "care" of ourselves. Clara deals with caring for people everyday as a doctor. She was also taken care of as a child in her accident. When things change and life continues we meet her childhood friend Lydia, who cared for Clara during an accident as a child, which then turns around and Clara cares for Lydia during labor. We are introduced to a handful of other key characters during the book that also care for one another and tell us some of their stories. In the end, we learn the connection and we really understand the title of the book a little bit more. This is one of those books you read and realize you've been sucked in. A book that makes you feel and see exactly what's going on. From the smells of the horses, the scent of the barn, and smell of the ocean. Since I rode horses growing up, I was whisked back to a time and place I loved so much. Not to many books take you somewhere...literally. And, when they do, you know you found an amazing book. I look forward to reading Letts new book "Family Planning."

Fantastic book!

I've always loved medical novels. It was great to read a really good medical novel that wasn't a thriller type story. Great story, believable characters, well written, very descriptive - felt like I was there. I hope this is just the first in a long list of titles from Elizabeth Letts.

Exceptional!

I like these NAL Accent books. They're trade paperback size and on the bottom it says "Fiction for the Way We Live" - Other authors in this line include a favorite of mine, Lisa Wingate; and several books I have in my TBR pile. I even like the feel of this book. The smooth pages, the size. I also like the conversation guide in the back which includes an interview with the author as well as a discussion guide. I do admit to sometimes reading the conversation guide before the book, allowing for spoilers sometimes, but it has never ruined my enjoyment of the book itself. I am a sucker for a good medical story and this is a doozy. Letts, a midwife herself, writes about Dr. Clara Raymond an obstetrician who is on-call but busy with another patient when a childhood friend (Lydia) who is 34 weeks pregnant arrives in labor and delivery. Lydia happened to marry Clara's former live-in boyfriend, Gordon but Clara has lost touch with the two until they show up rather unexpectedly at the hospital. Lydia has vague symptoms but since Clara is busy with the other patient, goes unattended by other than the nursing staff for a brief period of time. Soon things go tragically wrong and eventually Clara ends up taking a trip to her childhood home in California to find answers regarding her own past. This book is really well done and is a great debut by an author to watch. The California portion of the book takes place on a horse ranch and it says in the bio that the author is not only a midwife but a former competitive equestrian. I enjoyed nearly everything about this book and my only big complaint is that the book wasn't longer. For those of you who are tired of the run-of-the-mill women's fiction or coming-of-age stories, I would highly recommend QUALITY OF CARE for a great chance of pace. This is an exceptional read and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next. It can't be too soon for me.

A MUST READ

Letts has written a beautifully lyrical and compelling story full of well-drawn characters. As she reveals the layers of Clara's story, she pulls the reader into a vivid world that will stick with you long after you've put the book down. And don't count on putting it down until you've read every word. This is a book to be devoured in one sitting! Quality of Care will have an obvious appeal to horse lovers and those with an interest in medicine, but the issues addressed in this novel will matter to any reader. Highly recommended.