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In this delightful fantasy, a veterinarian who, along with her husband, is climbing Humphreys Peak, a mountain in Arizona, develops altitude sickness and encounters a wounded dragon, whom she names Emerald. After the two humans get down from the mountain and the doctor recovers in a hospital, she and her husband, Jon—who wonders if his wife needs more time in the hospital—convince themselves that the veterinary encounter was a hallucination.
Then Emerald appears at the vet's clinic for treatment for an infection. The doctor responds with logic, compassion, and innovation, even as she wonders if she's suffering from brain damage. Later, the trusting dragon brings others of her species to the caring, trepidatious practitioner who learns a lot about her eccentric patients while trying to keep their existence and visits secret. Will the relationships work? Will love and trust between the dragons and their person triumph? The result is an interspecies story of mutual trust and care.
Combining the caring veterinary themes found in All Creatures Great and Small and other books by James Herriot with well-constructed farce and fantasy, this pleasant tale is a rare treat. Like Herriot, the author is a veterinarian, and the medical details that are included add verisimilitude to the adventures. The story is told seriously—as is all good farce—with a lot of humor and self-deprecation woven throughout, as well as some contemporary themes. One example is a veterinarian who works in a clinic having to anticipate the reactions of the owner of the clinic (as well as her husband and colleagues). Also, how does a vet repel vandalism when an outsized patient has broken a lock or a door? This is an absolutely wonderful book that readers are sure to enjoy.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
A 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Sci-Fi/Fantasy Honorable Mention