Dr. Harold Merton, the kindly and caring General Practitioner (GP) for the village of Bellechester, is worried. A near-fatal bout with pneumonia last winter has made him think about the future. If something happened to him, who would take over his practice? Rarely leaving his beloved home in the Shropshire Hills, Harold courageously ventures into 1959 London to find a junior doctor to mentor and who will one day take his place. With the aid of his classmate, Dr. Basil Applegate, who is now Director of Junior Doctors, Harold hatches a plan to discover the most suitable candidate. What could possibly go wrong?
Upon his arrival in London, Harold meets a self-assured, young American woman, Emme. Her act of kindness sets off a chain of events that interweaves their lives in a way neither expected. Hidden identities and unexpected changes to plans lead to three memorable days for both Harold and Emme.
A cozy read suitable for book clubs or classroom teaching. Discussion questions included.
Margaret A. Blenkush is a Minnesota twin by birth who enjoys retirement, gardening, volunteering, sudoku puzzles, hot fudge sundaes, and the changing seasons. An avid sports fan, she follows Johnnie (SJU) football and WILD hockey with a particular passion. She shares her childhood home with her nephew and two pet rabbits. Margaret is a lifelong learner who earned an M.A. in Theology from St. John's University, Collegeville, MN, and an M.L.I.S. from UW-Milwaukee. Suffering a life-changing illness in 2005, she received a medical retirement from her dream job. Always a Benedictine in her heart, she became an Oblate of St. Benedict's Monastery, St. Joseph, MN in 2010.
"The year is 1959. The place is London. Mary Elizabeth Senty, sometimes known as Miss Emme and Dr. Senty, is a young woman from a farm in central Minnesota who is in her fourth year of residency in a teaching hospital in London. By chance, she meets Harold Merton, an elderly man who seems to be suffering from the intense August heat. . . . Miss Emme and Harold quickly strike up a friendship, drawn together in part by their strong Catholic faith. But in spite of that friendship, they don't reveal much about themselves. . . . The story raises one question after another, and only gradually reveals the answers both to the main characters and to the readers. The Doctor of Bellechester also reveals a world in which women in medicine were rare. . . encouraging readers to reflect on the characters and the choices they make and to look for intersections between the events in the story and their lives." — Mara Faulkner, OSB, Professor Emerita, College of St. Benedict
"The Doctor of Bellechester [has] great character development, pacing, and a gentle approach to the societal issues of aging challenges and gender discrimination. . . . It will be very appealing to women readers who grew up experiencing gender discrimination in education and in the workplace. . . . and readers who enjoy quality storytelling about people of faith. I loved Harold Merton and Emme Senty. . . . Harold was believable because of his vulnerabilities. I could really identify with Emme for trying so hard to be the 'perfect' physician. You and I know a lot of women who tried their very best in a world dominated by powerful men!" — Sharon L. Tomlin, EdD, Catholic Educator & Avid Reader
"Bob and I both enjoyed your novel. . . We found the font and text layout . . . beautiful and easy to read. The pacing of your clear language and character development drew us through the story. It was a perfect book to relax with on a weekend as we could easily see the people and setting and get caught up in the world you created." — L.E. Dahlhoff, EdD, Catholic educator, and R.F. Swenson, Esq, researcher, both avid readers of historical fiction
"The Doctor of Bellechester by Margaret A. Blenkush is a pleasant read with likable main characters. It is just the book to curl up with on cold winter evenings or to take with you on a vacation. The setting is an English hospital, where Dr. Merton is in search of a junior doctor to replace him when he retires from his practice in the small town of Bellechester. A touch of mystery now and then—especially concerning a kind young woman—creates suspense and engages readers. Just the right amount of description facilitates visualizing the story as it unfolds. Realistically, issues related to women today surface here in 1959 as well. Fans of medical stories and shows in particular will be pleased with the book's details of hospital life and treatments. Although the book can stand alone, readers can anticipate following the adventures of Dr. M.E. Senty in the rest of the series." — Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND, author, editor, speaker
