Godless Medicine by Michael F. Wright Austin, TX: Turnkey Press; 2003. 214 pages, paperback, $14.95.
Godless Medicine by Michael F. Wright is a believable but horrifying fictional story of events surrounding a potential outcome of current health care legislation direction in the United States. This suspenseful novel may interest a broad readership although readers in health related professions or politics will find more layers of meaning in its conversations and events.
Four former college friends are the protagonists in this story set in 2013. These friends, now a politician, priest, lawyer, and doctor meet for a yearly "reality week" retreat in an isolated cabin in Michigan. There, these 4 men usually have brief encounters with Carl Shelton, who lives in and tends the cabin for them during the year. Shelton, a Vietnam Veteran with a terminal illness, comes to particularly hate Ty Harrison, the senator in the group who sponsors bills that reduce health care for veterans, gives animals the same rights as people, and is seeking to end health care for everyone over the age of 90. Shelton and two of his veteran buddies secretly record the quartet's conversations during their retreat week each year and analyze them throughout the year.
The story alternately follows these characters and 3 wives during 2013 between cabin visits, with Shelton scheming to make the senator pay for his political policies and the 4 friends interacting with Ty related to the proposed legislative changes. Midwest Book Reviews labels this book a hauntingly woven and horrific suspense story and so it is. I shall not share more of the plot and events so as to not diminish your reading the book with bated breath!!
One could assume that the intent of this book is to make a commentary on the potential natural outcome of current health care legislation trends. There is a particular dislike for socialized medicine within many of the characters. Other issues include the rights of animals versus people and the stereotypical and interdependent roles of politician, priest, lawyer, and physician. However, what I find more powerful than these overarching issues is the building clash between a senator who never worked through his relationship with his father and a war veteran who has never dealt with the horrors of war. Both men seriously misunderstand their own personal situation and move unswervingly toward a dreadful climax, convinced they are each doing the right thing.
Unfortunately, nursing is not particularly well represented in the story. The only appearance of a nurse is at meeting related to the age limitation bill. There "Miss Waters" represents the "nursing association." At the same meeting, the American Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association are named as major organizations and are represented by Dr. Moore and Dr. Anderson. It would be likely that in 2013 the director of such a nursing organization would have a title other than "Miss."
In spite of this flaw, you will find this novel quite readable. Several grammatical and spelling errors distract somewhat, but do not overpower the story. This a great book to read at the beach or over winter vacation. Wright shows a clear understanding of multiple aspects of American society and culture. In addition, reading about current health care issues through the lens of a novel gives a freedom to reflect in a different realm than our usual academic analysis.