Raj is settling into his new life in Broome, Australia. A young pathologist, he moved from India in hopes of earning a Western medical degree. With his wife working on the other side of the country, though, Raj unexpectedly finds himself smitten with a pretty Eritrean scientist, who becomes his friend and confidant.
But Raj has few friends. The anchors of his emotional world are an ugly gum tree on the hospital grounds and a nearby hill. Raj sees the first as a symbol of evil and the second as a representation of goodness.
Unlike the tree and the hill, the people in Raj's life are hard to understand. Although his eccentric boss initially seemed to like Raj, he quickly changes his opinion. Raj's two autopsy assistants are unprofessional, and Raj has trouble tolerating their antics. Then a gifted pathologist arrives from the United Kingdom, and Raj anticipates a smoother work environment.
But Raj is soon hospitalized for jaundice and stomach pain-and after his release, his wife discovers him passed out in a haze of car exhaust fumes. Her surprise visit has saved his life. Now Raj must discover what caused this brush with death-and how to prevent another.
About the Author:
R. M. Kureekattil is a histopathologist and with the help of his friends founded Oz Pathology in Darwin, Australia. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. In 1999, Kureekattil relocated to Australia from India with his wife, Valentina, who is also a doctor, and their eldest child. The couple had two more children after their move.
Kureekattil drew from his medical experience, particularly in the realm of autopsies, when writing The Dead Shall Teach the Living, his first novel.
