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Luke Gamble
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Book
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Publisher | Two Roads | ||
ISBN | 9781444721751 | ||
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Reviewer
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Vicky
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Synopsis
Fresh out of university Luke joins a mixed practice in Dorset, run by the stern but benevolent Mr Spotswode and is quickly thrust into the real world of veterinary medicine: truculent farmers, out-of-hours-surgery, nasty biting squirrels, operating on frog's eyeballs and some of the harsher facts of farming life like dealing with an outbreak of foot and mouth and subsequent slaughter. Luke's dream is to set up on his own and find his place in the world. These things, however, are never quite straightforward. Across the course of this memoir, the young vet not only learns much about his trade, but about his own character - and develops a group of close friends - both animal and human - who will stay with his across his career. The most important of these is Cordelia - the woman of his dreams - his quest to win her heart is a marathon!
Review
I think it's fair to say that Luke Gamble is a modern day James Herriot with stories a plenty from both here in the U.K. and abroad. He writes with an ease of style that makes his book warm, friendly, fun and informative.
There are the very funny anecdotes such as being bitten by a squirrel - it really is very funny and the heart rending chapter dealing with Foot and Mouth. Luke was one of the very first vets involved with the culling. But here Luke also shows the emotional and physical devastation the farmers go through.
When he goes abroad to Samos and India we see the seeds of his charity Worldwide Vetinary Service begin to grow and of course we see Sam his friend being hauled into the most unlikely situations when all he wants to do is go to Ibiza and enjoy some R&R!
I very much enjoyed this Luke's first book of which I hope many more will follow not least that he leaves us on a cliff hanger of a certain question he wants to ask Cordelia before he whisks her off to India for two weeks but not before he's finished the 152 mile Marathon Des Sables across the Sahara Desert! Book 2 follows next year and I for one can't wait.
I more than highly recommend this book.
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