MY PATIENTS AND OTHER ANIMALS A Veterinarian's Stories of Love, Loss, and Hope

Veterinarian Suzy Fincham-Gray's memoir starts out in pastoral Herefordshire, England, but it's no feel-good moment. She's assisting in putting a horse down. Fincham-Gray's career takes her to the U.S., where her internship involves a doberman with a gunshot wound and a cat shot with an arrow. The stories have a sense of urgency, as when Fincham-Gray races to find the right antibiotic for a dog in critical condition. Her voice shows her concern for the animals she cares for even as her irritation with difficult humans and the high cost of veterinary care creeps in. She captures the stunned disbelief of worried pet owners believably. Her sadness is personal when dealing with her own pets' health. Overall, Fincham-Gray's discomforting stories blend frankness with empathy. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2018]