An Irish Country Doctor, Patrick Taylor
An Irish Country Doctor, Patrick Taylor
2 Rating(s)
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An Irish Country Doctor

Author: Patrick Taylor

Narrator: John Keating

Unabridged: 10 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/09/2009


Synopsis

An Irish Country Doctor from bestselling author Patick Taylor is a charming and engrossing tale that will captivate readers from the very first page—and leave them yearning to visit the Irish countryside of days gone by.

Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there, but already he knows that there is nowhere he would rather live than in the emerald hills and dales of Northern Ireland. The proud owner of a spanking-new medical degree and little else in the way of worldly possessions, Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice.

At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly.

The older physician, whose motto is to never let the patients get the upper hand, has his own way of doing things. At first, Barry can't decide if the pugnacious O'Reilly is the biggest charlatan he has ever met, or the best teacher he could ever hope for. Through O'Reilly Barry soon gets to know all of the village's colorful and endearing residents, including:

A malingering Major and his equally hypochondriacal wife;

An unwed servant girl, who refuses to divulge the father of her upcoming baby;

A slightly daft old couple unable to marry for lack of a roof;

And a host of other eccentric characters who make every day an education for the inexperienced young doctor.

Ballybucklebo is long way from Belfast, and Barry is quick to discover that he still has a lot to learn about the quirks and traditions of country life. But with pluck and compassion and only the slightest touch of blarney, he will find out more about life—and love—than he ever imagined back in medical school.

About Patrick Taylor

Patrick Taylor, M.D., was born and raised in Bangor County Down in Northern Ireland. Dr. Taylor is a distinguished medical researcher, offshore sailor, model-boat builder, and father of two grown children. He lives on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kelly on May 02, 2016

This was perfectly contenting, exactly as advertised, exactly my speed. This is a good cup of tea and croissant of a book, with some sunlight coming through the window and a bird on the porch. ...Maybe a bit of a dog chasing its own tail, too. But all in good fun. You're all safe here.......more

Goodreads review by Rosemary on March 17, 2012

I'm somewhat bashful to admit that I absolutely loved this book. It is an inescapable fact that this book is reminiscent of All Creatures Great and Small in some ways, or Ballykissangel, and if you don't like those, you won't like this book. I found those pleasant enough, but not as engaging as the w......more

Goodreads review by CoachJim on July 05, 2022

This was a therapeutic read. I have been reading a difficult and depressing history and I needed a break. This was just what the Doctor ordered, be they Irish, country or otherwise. If you watched and enjoyed the TV series All Creatures Great and Small this will be right up your alley. One of the hig......more

If you enjoyed Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown novels of Dublin set just past the mid-20th century; if you found yourself smitten by James Herriot’s tales of an English medical practice between old and new doctors; then you will no doubt love how Taylor puts them together in this initial tale of life in Nor......more

Goodreads review by Magrat on December 19, 2023

Me he llevado una decepción bastante importante con este libro. Me ha parecido una especie de «Todas las criaturas grandes y pequeñas» pero muy descafeinado... la historia es muy similar, pero en vez de un veterinario tenemos a un médico recién licenciado que empieza a trabajar en la consulta del do......more


Quotes

“Narrator John Keating has a field day with the humor, long-winded stories, and colorful accents...[Keating] skillfully presents the unique and sometimes-hilarious Irish take on joy, sorrow, illness, and death.” —AudioFile

“Welcome to the colorful Northern Ireland community of Ballybucklebo where there's always something brewing beneath the Village's deceptively sleepy surface. Fans of Karon's Mitford series will enjoy this.” —Smoky Mountain Sentinel