Doctors Beyond Borders

Dr. Ariadne Tate offers her medical know-how to the people of Sudan. She’s prepared for an experience that will numb her past and give her future a new palette. Danger, poor living accommodations and one unexpectedly sexy Dr. Ford Gosden all pose a challenge. Healing the sick and feeding the impoverished is a noble act, but a romantic tumble while in the employ of the Medecines Sans Frontieres would not be advisable. Ariadne puts her attention and energy into the hospital and endless patients. Working alongside the competent Dr. Gosden creates a strain but builds respect. Falling in love is not an option, especially when Ariadne caught her last lover in bed with a co-worker.

Ms. Tyler pens a clear literary landscape of Sudan. Intrigue builds as the reader is offered a look into the Sudanese struggle. The danger and hardships of lending expertise to a nation at war holds a factual note. The conditions of poverty, fear, but also hope, are well documented. A frail balance between avoiding rebel attacks and politics is ever present. Ford and Ariadne’s love story is frustrating as it spins in one place for too long with a repetitive sequence of hospital, kitchen table and sleep. Between these points are lustful looks but little forward momentum. However, when the action begins to play out, readers will be pulled into the story with a surprising twist.

“Doctors Beyond Borders” resonates with a realistic view of strife and a relatively satisfying romance that fulfills a happy ending.

Natasza Waters