Set in early twentieth-century Maine, the narrative follows Homer Wells, a perpetual orphan raised at St. Cloud’s by Dr. Wilbur Larch. Larch, an ether-addicted physician, runs an orphanage while performing illegal abortions, viewing the procedures as "the Lord's work" to spare women from desperation. He mentors Homer in obstetrical medicine, but the young man refuses to perform abortions due to his personal moral code. Driven by a desire to see the world beyond the orphanage, Homer moves to an apple orchard, where he enters a complex romantic triangle and eventually confronts the rigid, often unwritten rules governing human behavior and social responsibility.
This book serves readers interested in the tension between private morality and public law. It appeals to those who value character-driven historical fiction and detailed medical history. Readers walk away with a nuanced understanding of the ethical grey areas surrounding reproductive rights and the realization that strict rules often fail to account for individual human suffering. By the end, the audience understands how personal experience can force a total revision of one’s inherited principles and professional duties.
Contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1985
- Language
- EN
