Customer Reviews

The Unforgiving Tides: The True Story of a Young Doctor's Encounters with Mud, Medicine, and Magic on a Remote South Pacific Island.

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Having just read (or more accurately - consumed) Unforgiving Tides I feel compelled to write a review. Ross Pennie has written a book that should be read by anyone who has an interest in medicine, travel, or the wonders of human suffering and triumph.

Another reviewer compared his writing to that of James Herriot and I agree. The short stories draw you in because of their wonderful description of the events with a sharp eye for detail. The stories are written in a way that creates an uncontrollable desire to know how it all turns out. One cannot start a chapter without finishing it at that sitting. And so it is a literary balance of means and ends that I have also felt when reading Herriot's animal stories.

I might offer another comparison; one to that of author/physician William Carlos Williams. Like Williams (who wrote about life as a small town physician in Patterson, New Jersey in the 20s), Pennie feels a bond with his less fortunate patients. He marvels at their place in a sometimes cruel world. He is fascinated and yet does not romanticize their plight. He shows his human side and gets angry when they lack self care or have unhealthy cultural beliefs, but nevertheless he finds an inner strength to continue and overcome.

It is a book of hope for those of us in the medical world and also for those of us not medically oriented who are simply trying to find a way to lead a meaningful life. I read the first chapter out loud to my wife (an obstetrician) and she was moved to tears. We are now in the process of planning a medical missionary overseas.

Pennie's book offers the same sort of epiphany that James Agee had when he wrote in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, that "a Harvard education is by no means an unqualified advantage." The stories reveal that medical school and internship provided basics for Pennie but only by experiencing Papua New Guinea could he really understand the power of cultural influences and being innovative in the presence of adversity.

As a former student of Dr. Pennie at McMaster Medical School, I already had respect for his intelligence and compassion. This book has taken my respect for him to a new level. I had no idea he was indeed such a creative social scribe.

I plan to give this book to the graduating class of residents where I teach in Connecticut to offer them a living example of what medicine can offer us all: a passage into the hearts and minds of those we serve; a chance to be connected to those in need who have so much to teach us; and medical missionaries are by no means easy but they can be extremely rewarding.

This book is a gift. It is a pleasure to read. You will not be disappointed.

Hugh Silk, MD
University of Connecticut, School of Medicine
Department of Family Medicine

Fresh out of medical school, author Dr. Ross Pennie volunteers to serve as a doctor on a remote island in the South Pacific. In short order, he does his first appendectomy during an earthquake, amputates a woman's leg with a hacksaw and turns the makeshift hospital into a tavern to treat alcohol poisoning victims. Through it all, Dr. Pennie performs admirably in the face of much adversity. He also saves the lives of countless children by developing an inexpensive yet nutritious formula for malnourished children. This is an absolutely fascinating read and I recommend it most highly.

Another book well worth a read is Sole Survivor, recounting the exploits of Navy Seals in Afghanistan. Both biographical books relate stories of heroism and of individuals giving so much of themselves to make a difference for other people. I suggest giving both these books a read; you'll be glad you did!

Another reader's review praised Lone Survivor and suggested it should be paired with The Unforgiving Tides by Ross Pennie as both books celebrate the contribution of the individual in the face of great adversity. Based on this review, I decided to pick up both books, and I'm very glad I did.
Both books are astonishingly engaging and interesting true life accounts of individuals making a positive difference in remote regions of our world. Both books relate tales of courage and determination and both are very, very inspiring.
In Sole Survivor, the contribution is chiefly a military one, that of bringing justice and freedom to an impoverished people. In the Unforgiving Tides, the contribution is medical: A young doctor just out of medical school goes to a remote island in the South Pacific Ocean and confronts hostility, indifference, witch doctors and harmful magic while bringing proper health care to a forgotten people. In doing so, Dr. Pennie has to perform his first appendectomy during an earthquake, amputate a patient's leg with a hacksaw and deal with bizarre customs, all with a sense of humor and a writing style that keeps you reading constantly to the end.
My heartfelt thanks to reviewer Sandra Brown for alerting me to both great books, I'm praising them both to everyone and I hope amazon pairs them to save my friends some money. I whole heartedly agree these are two wonderful books and I highly recommend both Sole Survivor and The Unforgiving Tides.