I was disappointed with this book. I read some of his others and they were much better. ( )

This was a fascinating story of an African American woman who comes to terms with her past while dealing with her present. Camille Weller's mother was African, and her father was a white American doctor that was helping in the Congo. The storyline jumps between Camille's memories in the Congo in 1964 to her present time in Richmond, VA in 1984.

As the story unfolds, so do her memories and they become a huge part of the struggles she deals with, on top of being a woman surgeon in a man's profession. This makes for an interesting read. The profession is difficult enough, and she has to make some moral/ethical choices that put her job on the line.

I really enjoyed Camille's character. She is an amazingly strong woman, who has learned to cope with what she was given. She isn't a saint, and makes many mistakes, but that gives her character believability and depth.

This is a wonderful story about struggles and achievements, pain and healing, sadness and hope and most of all, forgiveness and love. There is a Christian message that runs throughout the book, but the mainstream fiction reader should have no problem with it. I found this book to be very realistic, and an great read. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Dr. Kraus. I enjoyed his style and he seemed to nail the female character perfectly. ( )