How far does a family go to save their child's life? How far is too far?
The year is 2020. Families, businesses, jobs are sucked into a vortex of uncertainty as Covid 19 races from border to border around the globe. It was in this backdrop of destruction 10-year-old Nick Hampton found himself after kidney failure brought him to the best hospital in the Midwest. It wasn't long before he and his family were thrown into a whirlpool of deceit and an attempt by the hospital to remove Nick from his parents and take over guardianship. Was an inconceivable plan to stall transplant for financial gain really happening? Would an American hospital do this? One family member is ready to use any means - legal or not - to save Nick, even if it means working for the doctors who devised the plan tearing Nick's family apart. Can she pull it off? Throughout the medical and family troubles lurks the realization that only a miracle can save Nick's life. What others have said "This is the stuff nightmares are made of. You feel like a fly on the proverbial wall, overhearing whispered secret conversations between medical personnel. It's frightening. Online Book Club Review
"Love, desperation, and a corrupt healthcare system collide in Enright's tense, high-stakes novel which confronts the darker facets of human nature -- a masterfully crafted novel that delves deep into the emotional and ethical complexities of life, death, and the choices in between." Goodreads Review
"A searing exploration of love, sacrifice and the cost of doing what's right, the novel packs a powerful emotional punch." BookView Review with Five Star Emblem
About the Author :
Loretta Enright is the pen name of a journalist living just north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Her writing career began in second grade when she became bored with Dick and Jane in the reading books and started writing her own stories. There is a yet-unpublished novel about a girl rock band breaking out in the 1960s; it was clandestinely circulated at the high school thus avoiding censure of the nuns in charge. Journalism was a natural career choice (BA, University of Minnesota) and she spent years writing and editing for the Catholic press as well as overseeing magazine production for a private foundation. Currently she is a freelance book editor. Medical matters have always been a side interest for her and more than one physician she encountered urged her to trade her pen for a stethoscope and go to medical school. Loretta and her husband have six grown children and nine grandchildren. Catch her on Facebook at Lorettawrites.com
Review :
Reviews
This story was a hard read emotionally for me on multiple levels. As someone who has lost a child, the author engaged me to the point of feeling the anger and sheer frustration that the parents of young Nick must have felt. Knowing that these actions and behaviors do happen in the medical world made the read even scarier and more surreal. As a parent, I cannot imagine anything more frightening than having a child with such serious issues and being railroaded as Callista and Mark were in trying to get care for Nick. The author used our biggest fears to grab our attention and hold it. This, in addition to the fact that the villains of the story were the very people we should be able to trust and rely on was mind-blowing. Online Book Club Review
Love, desperation, and a corrupt healthcare system collide in Enright's tense, high-stakes novel. In the midst of the global chaos of 2020, 10-year-old Nick Hampton battles kidney failure, landing him in a top hospital in the Midwest. What begins as a fight for his life soon escalates into a battle for his family as the hospital seeks to take guardianship of Nick. Nick's resilience is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Enright crafts his character with nuance, capturing the delicate balance of hope and despair as he endures surgeries and chronic health challenges. Callista, with her unwavering resolve, is a compelling protagonist. Dr. Loomis stands out as a chilling antagonist. Holcome International Medical Center becomes a vivid and unsettling presence with its sterile corridors, labyrinthine bureaucracy, and morally ambiguous staff. A masterfully crafted novel that delves deep into the emotional and ethical complexities of life, death, and the choices in between. GoodReads Review
This is the stuff nightmares are made of. You feel like a fly on the proverbial wall, overhearing whispered secret conversations between medical personnel. It's frightening. Online Book Club
