I appreciated the characterization of the novel, as well as the cultural context the author painted in which the reader understands the characters, their interactions, and their choices. I was disappointed by the end. I had hoped for more, and yet the characters boil their choices down to money, that given by the wealthy Western doctor, and that received under duress by the Afghan characters in a variety of settings. I liked it less as I read on. This doesn't seem like the kind of book I usually read, but I liked the first chapter enough to buy it and continue onward. The first chapter depicted a man and his wife in what appeared to be an assisted suicide, and it was written so tenderly (and without being maudlin) that I found my eyes welling up just a page into the book -- unusual for me. So, I'm giving this one a shot...--I finished this book in a day (but I spent all of yesterday reading). I thought it was excellent. I loved the author's exploration of the complex relationship between Easterners and Westerners when the protagonist was serving as a doctor in a remote valley in a Pakistan-like country after an earthquake. I thought the author, Frank Huyler, handled the tricky dynamic with a light yet skilled hand. I later found out that the author is a doctor and he grew up abroad and has done some relief work. Even though the book is not autobiographical, it reads almost like a memoir, and some of the episodes are grounded in real events.My only bugaboo with the book is that the pacing didn't match my expectations. I really enjoyed the first 70% of the book, but am still unsure whether the last 30% needed to be quite as drawn out. Perhaps it did. But to me the meatiest part of the book ended long before the book did.He is a lovely writer -- described by the New Yorker as surgical and precise. And he certainly explores nuances of emotion and character. Excellent book.
What do You think about Right Of Thirst (2009)?
Excellently written novel about trying to help others in another culture.
—Huili
Interesting view of the world. Enjoyable read...
—wwjlily
