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Put your Feet in the Dirt, Girl
A memoir
The bestselling author of Going Under recounts her real-life journey from hard-partying Sydney medical intern to dust-covered rural GP.
"Solo GP needed for medical clinic, mining town in Pilbara region, Western Australia. Car and accommodation provided. On call paid extra. Close proximity to absolutely nothing."
In 2020, lost and heartbroken, and with an unscratched travel itch thanks to international border closures, Sonia Henry accepted a job as a GP in remotest Western Australia. The plan was to stay for one month. But before she knew it, this dressed-to-the-nines Sydney party girl was becoming an Akubra-wearing bush doctor covered in red dust--and loving every minute of it.
Sonia spent the next two years working in some of the remotest parts of the country. She learned how to shoot in the middle of the desert, visited pearl farms and pubs, came to terms with being regularly outnumbered by crocodiles, and adopted a cattle dog called Buddy, who would come to be her closest companion. She also met an eclectic bunch of patients and friends, and opened her eyes to the truths--both good and bad--of the country she calls home.
Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is a modern outback medical memoir full of heart, energy, rage and wonder. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever had to get lost in order to be found.
The bestselling author of Going Under recounts her real-life journey from hard-partying Sydney medical intern to dust-covered rural GP.
"Solo GP needed for medical clinic, mining town in Pilbara region, Western Australia. Car and accommodation provided. On call paid extra. Close proximity to absolutely nothing."
In 2020, lost and heartbroken, and with an unscratched travel itch thanks to international border closures, Sonia Henry accepted a job as a GP in remotest Western Australia. The plan was to stay for one month. But before she knew it, this dressed-to-the-nines Sydney party girl was becoming an Akubra-wearing bush doctor covered in red dust--and loving every minute of it.
Sonia spent the next two years working in some of the remotest parts of the country. She learned how to shoot in the middle of the desert, visited pearl farms and pubs, came to terms with being regularly outnumbered by crocodiles, and adopted a cattle dog called Buddy, who would come to be her closest companion. She also met an eclectic bunch of patients and friends, and opened her eyes to the truths--both good and bad--of the country she calls home.
Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is a modern outback medical memoir full of heart, energy, rage and wonder. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever had to get lost in order to be found.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2023
62 people are currently reading
1087 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Henry
2 books59 followersSonia Henry is in her early thirties and lives and works in Sydney as a doctor. When she's not being a medic she devotes her spare time to writing and has been published in Kevin MD (America's leading physician blog), the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Medical Students Journal, and has scientific publications in the ANZ Journal of Surgery.
Her most widely read article was an anonymous piece, 'There is something rotten inside the medical profession', which detailed the stress of medical training and was shared more than 22,000 times and re-published widely around the world. This article led to the start of a conversation that her novel Going Under seeks to continue. Dr Brad Frankum, head of the AMA NSW, penned an open letter in response to her piece, as did many other doctors who decided that it was time to speak out.
In her spare time, Sonia loves drinking wine with her friends, eating good food, and trying to save money to travel to new and fabulous places. She is a keen skier in the winter and likes Sydney for its beaches in the summer. She tried to join a gym but isn't a morning person so has replaced exercise with an extra hour of sleep.
She is passionate about the topics covered in her book and would love to be an advocate for change in the medical system.
Her most widely read article was an anonymous piece, 'There is something rotten inside the medical profession', which detailed the stress of medical training and was shared more than 22,000 times and re-published widely around the world. This article led to the start of a conversation that her novel Going Under seeks to continue. Dr Brad Frankum, head of the AMA NSW, penned an open letter in response to her piece, as did many other doctors who decided that it was time to speak out.
In her spare time, Sonia loves drinking wine with her friends, eating good food, and trying to save money to travel to new and fabulous places. She is a keen skier in the winter and likes Sydney for its beaches in the summer. She tried to join a gym but isn't a morning person so has replaced exercise with an extra hour of sleep.
She is passionate about the topics covered in her book and would love to be an advocate for change in the medical system.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
August 7, 2023
EXCERPT: I didn't leave Sydney because, as a medical professional, I had a keen interest in serving remote Australia, or due to a particular passion for the health of First Nations Australians. Back then, at that very low point, it was for entirely selfish reasons I ran away. Remote areas can attract savior types, friends of mine who live out there have told me, but I can assure everyone that the only person I had any intention of saving, in the beginning, was myself.
The next day I joined a locum agency that specialised in finding work for GPs in remote areas around Australia. A clinic, the lady from the agency emailed me, urgently needed a doctor in a town in the middle of the desert. Everyone else was working from home, working remotely, so I, staying on theme, took a job in the literal remotest part of the country. It was as far west as I could go. The Portugal equivalent of my own country.
"I'll take it," I said, in total desperation.
So this is the story of how I ended up flying thousands of kilometres across the country, alone, to take the job as the solo doctor in a mining town of 300 people in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It suited me. Western Australia is 2.646 million kilometres square. In the Kimberley, the northernmost region of the state, there are more crocodiles than people. In other words, it's a big enough place for someone trying to stay lost.
So I left, with the plan to do 40 days in the desert for my sins, surrounded by the red earth.
It turned out that I would stay much longer than 40 days.
ABOUT 'PUT YOUR FEET IN THE DIRT, GIRL': The bestselling author of Going Under recounts her real-life journey from hard-partying Sydney medical intern to dust-covered rural GP.
"Solo GP needed for medical clinic, mining town in Pilbara region, Western Australia. Car and accommodation provided. On call paid extra. Close proximity to absolutely nothing."
In 2020, lost and heartbroken, and with an unscratched travel itch thanks to international border closures, Sonia Henry accepted a job as a GP in remotest Western Australia. The plan was to stay for one month. But before she knew it, this dressed-to-the-nines Sydney party girl was becoming an Akubra-wearing bush doctor covered in red dust--and loving every minute of it.
Sonia spent the next two years working in some of the remotest parts of the country. She learned how to shoot in the middle of the desert, visited pearl farms and pubs, came to terms with being regularly outnumbered by crocodiles, and adopted a cattle dog called Buddy, who would come to be her closest companion. She also met an eclectic bunch of patients and friends, and opened her eyes to the truths--both good and bad--of the country she calls home.
Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is a modern outback medical memoir full of heart, energy, rage and wonder. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever had to get lost in order to be found.
MY THOUGHTS: I picked this up because my youngest son lives up the Pilbara and I've never been. I'm fascinated by it and was looking to earn more about life up there. He says it's a very special place and Sonia Henry echoes this sentiment.
But much of the book isn't set in the Pilbara. Her locum up there was only for three months and then Sonnie left, via Broome, for rural New South Wales, somewhere I have been, before she finally heads back to Broome.
Sonnie talks a lot about the problems of being a doctor in remote places with few facilities. She talks about the Pilbara mining region supplying a massive amount of the wealth generated in Australia, but how very little of the profits make their way back into the region. She talks about how the politicians are promising that 'change is underway', but nothing is actually happening; about how the First Nation people are treated not even as well as second class citizens. She makes some very good points.
Sonnie likes to talk to people. She makes friends easily and drinks a lot of wine. She boldly goes where no woman without a four-wheel drive has gone before. She writes with emotion and humor. She is a woman not afraid to express her feelings. She doesn't stay anywhere long, because she is running from herself (still) and, I'm sorry to say, I don't think she has done running yet. But then maybe that means she's not done writing yet either.
Sarah Blackstone does an admirable job of narrating the audiobook.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#PutYourFeetintheDirtGirl #WaitomoDistrictLibrary
THE AUTHOR: Sonia Henry is in her early thirties and lives and works in Sydney as a doctor. When she's not being a medic she devotes her spare time to writing and has been published in Kevin MD (America's leading physician blog), the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Medical Students Journal, and has scientific publications in the ANZ Journal of Surgery.
Her most widely read article was an anonymous piece, 'There is something rotten inside the medical profession', which detailed the stress of medical training and was shared more than 22,000 times and re-published widely around the world. This article led to the start of a conversation that her novel Going Under seeks to continue. Dr Brad Frankum, head of the AMA NSW, penned an open letter in response to her piece, as did many other doctors who decided that it was time to speak out.
In her spare time, Sonia loves drinking wine with her friends, eating good food, and trying to save money to travel to new and fabulous places. She is a keen skier in the winter and likes Sydney for its beaches in the summer. She tried to join a gym but isn't a morning person so has replaced exercise with an extra hour of sleep.
She is passionate about the topics covered in her book and would love to be an advocate for change in the medical system.
I: @sonnie_h (her insta photos are well worth checking out) @allenandunwin @wfhowes
The next day I joined a locum agency that specialised in finding work for GPs in remote areas around Australia. A clinic, the lady from the agency emailed me, urgently needed a doctor in a town in the middle of the desert. Everyone else was working from home, working remotely, so I, staying on theme, took a job in the literal remotest part of the country. It was as far west as I could go. The Portugal equivalent of my own country.
"I'll take it," I said, in total desperation.
So this is the story of how I ended up flying thousands of kilometres across the country, alone, to take the job as the solo doctor in a mining town of 300 people in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It suited me. Western Australia is 2.646 million kilometres square. In the Kimberley, the northernmost region of the state, there are more crocodiles than people. In other words, it's a big enough place for someone trying to stay lost.
So I left, with the plan to do 40 days in the desert for my sins, surrounded by the red earth.
It turned out that I would stay much longer than 40 days.
ABOUT 'PUT YOUR FEET IN THE DIRT, GIRL': The bestselling author of Going Under recounts her real-life journey from hard-partying Sydney medical intern to dust-covered rural GP.
"Solo GP needed for medical clinic, mining town in Pilbara region, Western Australia. Car and accommodation provided. On call paid extra. Close proximity to absolutely nothing."
In 2020, lost and heartbroken, and with an unscratched travel itch thanks to international border closures, Sonia Henry accepted a job as a GP in remotest Western Australia. The plan was to stay for one month. But before she knew it, this dressed-to-the-nines Sydney party girl was becoming an Akubra-wearing bush doctor covered in red dust--and loving every minute of it.
Sonia spent the next two years working in some of the remotest parts of the country. She learned how to shoot in the middle of the desert, visited pearl farms and pubs, came to terms with being regularly outnumbered by crocodiles, and adopted a cattle dog called Buddy, who would come to be her closest companion. She also met an eclectic bunch of patients and friends, and opened her eyes to the truths--both good and bad--of the country she calls home.
Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is a modern outback medical memoir full of heart, energy, rage and wonder. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever had to get lost in order to be found.
MY THOUGHTS: I picked this up because my youngest son lives up the Pilbara and I've never been. I'm fascinated by it and was looking to earn more about life up there. He says it's a very special place and Sonia Henry echoes this sentiment.
But much of the book isn't set in the Pilbara. Her locum up there was only for three months and then Sonnie left, via Broome, for rural New South Wales, somewhere I have been, before she finally heads back to Broome.
Sonnie talks a lot about the problems of being a doctor in remote places with few facilities. She talks about the Pilbara mining region supplying a massive amount of the wealth generated in Australia, but how very little of the profits make their way back into the region. She talks about how the politicians are promising that 'change is underway', but nothing is actually happening; about how the First Nation people are treated not even as well as second class citizens. She makes some very good points.
Sonnie likes to talk to people. She makes friends easily and drinks a lot of wine. She boldly goes where no woman without a four-wheel drive has gone before. She writes with emotion and humor. She is a woman not afraid to express her feelings. She doesn't stay anywhere long, because she is running from herself (still) and, I'm sorry to say, I don't think she has done running yet. But then maybe that means she's not done writing yet either.
Sarah Blackstone does an admirable job of narrating the audiobook.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#PutYourFeetintheDirtGirl #WaitomoDistrictLibrary
THE AUTHOR: Sonia Henry is in her early thirties and lives and works in Sydney as a doctor. When she's not being a medic she devotes her spare time to writing and has been published in Kevin MD (America's leading physician blog), the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Medical Students Journal, and has scientific publications in the ANZ Journal of Surgery.
Her most widely read article was an anonymous piece, 'There is something rotten inside the medical profession', which detailed the stress of medical training and was shared more than 22,000 times and re-published widely around the world. This article led to the start of a conversation that her novel Going Under seeks to continue. Dr Brad Frankum, head of the AMA NSW, penned an open letter in response to her piece, as did many other doctors who decided that it was time to speak out.
In her spare time, Sonia loves drinking wine with her friends, eating good food, and trying to save money to travel to new and fabulous places. She is a keen skier in the winter and likes Sydney for its beaches in the summer. She tried to join a gym but isn't a morning person so has replaced exercise with an extra hour of sleep.
She is passionate about the topics covered in her book and would love to be an advocate for change in the medical system.
I: @sonnie_h (her insta photos are well worth checking out) @allenandunwin @wfhowes
July 6, 2023
“I am 5000 kilometres from home, and 1500 kilometres north of Perth. I am about to drive hundreds of kilometres, alone, with a phone that might die, through the most ancient part of the world, which may or may not have phone reception anyway. I haven’t driven a car for twelve months, and I don’t know how to change a tyre. I have nothing on me aside from an old stethoscope and a suitcase full of ill-considered clothing.”
Put Your Feet In The Dirt, Girl is a memoir by Australian doctor and author, Sonia Henry. Not yet thirty-five, a published author, and on the cusp of qualifying as a GP, Sonia exits what turns out to be a bad relationship with a manipulative cardio-thoracic surgeon. Her escape to Europe foiled by COVID 19, she heads to a small mining town in Western Australia’s desert where she will be the only doctor.
“I didn’t leave Sydney because, as a medical professional, I had a keen interest in serving remote Australia, or due to a particular passion for the health of First Nations Australians. Back then, at that very low point, it was for entirely selfish reasons that I ran away. Remote areas can attract saviour types, friends of mine who live out there have told me, but I can assure everyone that the only person I had any intention of saving, in the beginning, was myself.”
Over the next twelve months, she meets many good and decent souls, makes firm friends, and sees some incredible places. There are some hiccoughs with new quarantine regulations:
“‘Do you think I can arrest you for getting food?’
‘You tell me. You’re the policeman!’
‘I’ll turn a blind eye just this once,’ he says generously. ‘But don’t do it again.’”
She has to battle with poor connectivity in telehealth programs, before she is even able to treat patients face to face. As a single white female doctor, she encounters some bizarre (and often amusing) requests, but she finds herself providing at least as much psychological care for her depressed patients, as medical care, all with insufficient equipment and resources.
In the Pilbara, she comes to realise is that, despite the obscene profits made by the mining companies, only a miniscule fraction is spent on the physical and mental health of the mining employees. She is expected to provide care under extremely challenging circumstances, with very little support. Sufficiently severe cases, emergencies, depend on an under-resourced Flying Doctor Service to get them to better care, with delays of hours or days often being the norm. Frustrating and sometimes heartbreaking.
From there, after a break at Broome, Sonia heads to Central North West NSW, where she learns that, despite their dire need, the First Nations people only ever get second (or third) rate health care. As politicians pontificate about Closing the Gap and Welcome to Country, the lack of resources available to anyone living remote from the coastal cities, demonstrates that this is merely lip-service.
After a fleeting visit to her parents’ home with a newly adopted pup, in remote Northern Territory Sonia discovers why doctors stay for such a short time: doctors are sent to these isolated communities without experience or training in their special needs; language problems hamper communication with patients; solutions are devised that don’t help those with the problems; non-First Nations staff seem more intent on ticking boxes than giving effective care.
Government legislation on First Nations issues results in the quality of living is so appalling that people become desperate and violence ensues, making living there as a single white female doctor dangerous, “finding myself in places where sleeping behind a cage is widely seen as normal, even desirable.”
“There are the good people, who are overworked and undervalued; and there are the sociopaths, the borderline criminals, the self-righteous bullies and the mentally unhinged, who gravitate to the positions no one else wants, entrench themselves and contribute in no small degree to the malaise that haunts Indigenous communities. Sorely lacking are recognised training programs for people who aspire to work in a community, or screening criteria to weed out the mad, bad and incompetent who prowl the grey zone of Indigenous service delivery”
As Sonia tries to find herself by what seems like “just driving till the road ran out” she concludes “You can feel beauty and suffering simultaneously in this place.”
She has some unique or unexpected experiences: bad spirits plaguing her dreams are seen off by an aboriginal healer; she learns to shoot; she wonders if an array of unusual blood results will be the foundation of a ground-breaking research article; she meets a ringer with a taste for Russian literature; she gets to visit a cattle station; she treats an unusually infected dog-bite; she attends a Tupperware party; and in Broome, her glass front door explodes.
Often laugh-out-loud funny, at times reflective, always insightful, Henry’s memoir raises some uncomfortable truths for white Australian. A thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin.
Put Your Feet In The Dirt, Girl is a memoir by Australian doctor and author, Sonia Henry. Not yet thirty-five, a published author, and on the cusp of qualifying as a GP, Sonia exits what turns out to be a bad relationship with a manipulative cardio-thoracic surgeon. Her escape to Europe foiled by COVID 19, she heads to a small mining town in Western Australia’s desert where she will be the only doctor.
“I didn’t leave Sydney because, as a medical professional, I had a keen interest in serving remote Australia, or due to a particular passion for the health of First Nations Australians. Back then, at that very low point, it was for entirely selfish reasons that I ran away. Remote areas can attract saviour types, friends of mine who live out there have told me, but I can assure everyone that the only person I had any intention of saving, in the beginning, was myself.”
Over the next twelve months, she meets many good and decent souls, makes firm friends, and sees some incredible places. There are some hiccoughs with new quarantine regulations:
“‘Do you think I can arrest you for getting food?’
‘You tell me. You’re the policeman!’
‘I’ll turn a blind eye just this once,’ he says generously. ‘But don’t do it again.’”
She has to battle with poor connectivity in telehealth programs, before she is even able to treat patients face to face. As a single white female doctor, she encounters some bizarre (and often amusing) requests, but she finds herself providing at least as much psychological care for her depressed patients, as medical care, all with insufficient equipment and resources.
In the Pilbara, she comes to realise is that, despite the obscene profits made by the mining companies, only a miniscule fraction is spent on the physical and mental health of the mining employees. She is expected to provide care under extremely challenging circumstances, with very little support. Sufficiently severe cases, emergencies, depend on an under-resourced Flying Doctor Service to get them to better care, with delays of hours or days often being the norm. Frustrating and sometimes heartbreaking.
From there, after a break at Broome, Sonia heads to Central North West NSW, where she learns that, despite their dire need, the First Nations people only ever get second (or third) rate health care. As politicians pontificate about Closing the Gap and Welcome to Country, the lack of resources available to anyone living remote from the coastal cities, demonstrates that this is merely lip-service.
After a fleeting visit to her parents’ home with a newly adopted pup, in remote Northern Territory Sonia discovers why doctors stay for such a short time: doctors are sent to these isolated communities without experience or training in their special needs; language problems hamper communication with patients; solutions are devised that don’t help those with the problems; non-First Nations staff seem more intent on ticking boxes than giving effective care.
Government legislation on First Nations issues results in the quality of living is so appalling that people become desperate and violence ensues, making living there as a single white female doctor dangerous, “finding myself in places where sleeping behind a cage is widely seen as normal, even desirable.”
“There are the good people, who are overworked and undervalued; and there are the sociopaths, the borderline criminals, the self-righteous bullies and the mentally unhinged, who gravitate to the positions no one else wants, entrench themselves and contribute in no small degree to the malaise that haunts Indigenous communities. Sorely lacking are recognised training programs for people who aspire to work in a community, or screening criteria to weed out the mad, bad and incompetent who prowl the grey zone of Indigenous service delivery”
As Sonia tries to find herself by what seems like “just driving till the road ran out” she concludes “You can feel beauty and suffering simultaneously in this place.”
She has some unique or unexpected experiences: bad spirits plaguing her dreams are seen off by an aboriginal healer; she learns to shoot; she wonders if an array of unusual blood results will be the foundation of a ground-breaking research article; she meets a ringer with a taste for Russian literature; she gets to visit a cattle station; she treats an unusually infected dog-bite; she attends a Tupperware party; and in Broome, her glass front door explodes.
Often laugh-out-loud funny, at times reflective, always insightful, Henry’s memoir raises some uncomfortable truths for white Australian. A thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Allen & Unwin.
June 4, 2023
Despite the success of her provocative semi-autobiographical debut novel Going Under which highlighted the brutal treatment of medical interns in Australian hospitals, the stress of her Fellowship exams, a broken heart, and being on the frontline of the pandemic left Sydney GP Dr Sonia Henry desperate for a change of scenery. Told with honesty, humour, and heart, Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl recounts Sonia’s experiences over the next two years or so while serving as a locum in the outback regions of Australia.
Within days of joining an agency specialising in staffing remote areas, Sonia was making the long journey to the Pilbara region in Western Australia to fulfil a 40 day contract as the sole doctor in a mining town with a population of 300 people. It’s an experience that inspires a mix of awe and terror, both personally and professionally, as Sonia struggles to better understand herself while doing her best to provide health care for the people who live there. She highlights the human cost of the challenges of access to treatment equipment and resources, for both staff and patients, and the frustrating failure of the wealthy mining companies to invest their obscene profits in the health and welfare of the people who work for them.
After three months in the Pilbara, Sonia moves on to outback New South Wales, and from there, to the Northern Territory. In each region she exposes communities plagued by similar disadvantages due to a dearth of access to medical care and resources. I learned that with great swathes of regional and remote Australia having few, and/or no permanent GP’s, severely understaffed hospitals and, at best, sporadic access to specialists, chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, and mental health issues including depression and addiction, are badly managed, if it all. First Nations people are particularly vulnerable to poor health outcomes, though poverty among the population in general is a major contributor, especially for anyone living some distance away from metropolitan or well resourced regional centres.
Only by ‘putting her feet in the dirt’, and her interactions with colleagues, friends, and patients whom she meets on her travels, including a ringer who reads Tolstoy, a dream-walking elder, and a woman determined to end her life on her own terms, has Sonia come to understand some truths about Australia, but also herself, and she urges others to do the same.
Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is an entertaining, candid, and thought-provoking memoir that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
Within days of joining an agency specialising in staffing remote areas, Sonia was making the long journey to the Pilbara region in Western Australia to fulfil a 40 day contract as the sole doctor in a mining town with a population of 300 people. It’s an experience that inspires a mix of awe and terror, both personally and professionally, as Sonia struggles to better understand herself while doing her best to provide health care for the people who live there. She highlights the human cost of the challenges of access to treatment equipment and resources, for both staff and patients, and the frustrating failure of the wealthy mining companies to invest their obscene profits in the health and welfare of the people who work for them.
After three months in the Pilbara, Sonia moves on to outback New South Wales, and from there, to the Northern Territory. In each region she exposes communities plagued by similar disadvantages due to a dearth of access to medical care and resources. I learned that with great swathes of regional and remote Australia having few, and/or no permanent GP’s, severely understaffed hospitals and, at best, sporadic access to specialists, chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, and mental health issues including depression and addiction, are badly managed, if it all. First Nations people are particularly vulnerable to poor health outcomes, though poverty among the population in general is a major contributor, especially for anyone living some distance away from metropolitan or well resourced regional centres.
Only by ‘putting her feet in the dirt’, and her interactions with colleagues, friends, and patients whom she meets on her travels, including a ringer who reads Tolstoy, a dream-walking elder, and a woman determined to end her life on her own terms, has Sonia come to understand some truths about Australia, but also herself, and she urges others to do the same.
Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is an entertaining, candid, and thought-provoking memoir that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
July 28, 2024
My first audiobook of 2024! I am not usually an audiobook fan but I loved this.
I learnt so much about how medicine is practiced in the outback. I was horrified, concerned, bewildered and amazed by all of Dr Henry's stories. I feel really inspired to gather my own experiences out there one day.
The only reason I am taking a star off is I thought she was going to end up with the hot cowboy man from the Pilbara! But clearly I just read way too many romance novels!!!
I learnt so much about how medicine is practiced in the outback. I was horrified, concerned, bewildered and amazed by all of Dr Henry's stories. I feel really inspired to gather my own experiences out there one day.
The only reason I am taking a star off is I thought she was going to end up with the hot cowboy man from the Pilbara! But clearly I just read way too many romance novels!!!
September 8, 2024
I loved this! Couldn’t put it down from the moment I started it. Incredibly relevant read to anyone, not just in the medical field.
September 24, 2024
A thoughtful and interesting first-hand account of a female GP practising medicine in regional Australia. At times, (especially when detailing how quickly she makes friends and how young people think she looks) I found myself gritting my teeth because 'mmm, this is all a bit 'Eat Pray Love.'
Then I remembered that, unlike Liz Gilbert, Henry isn't just soul-searching in whacky locations and co-opting horrible histories for her memoir; she's working as a GP in some of Australia's most medically deprived areas. Which is a fuck of a lot more than I'm doing, sitting on my ass in Brunswick typing Goodreads reviews. Sometimes, internalised misogyny pops up when you least expect it, and despite being an unmarried lady freak (or maybe because of it), I can handwave women's insights in a way I never would a dude-even if I think he sucks more. And there are a lot of powerful observations here especially regarding the neglect of First Nations people, modern loneliness and the mining industry. So I apologise, Ms Henry. I liked your book and you probably ARE just really friendly and hot.
Then I remembered that, unlike Liz Gilbert, Henry isn't just soul-searching in whacky locations and co-opting horrible histories for her memoir; she's working as a GP in some of Australia's most medically deprived areas. Which is a fuck of a lot more than I'm doing, sitting on my ass in Brunswick typing Goodreads reviews. Sometimes, internalised misogyny pops up when you least expect it, and despite being an unmarried lady freak (or maybe because of it), I can handwave women's insights in a way I never would a dude-even if I think he sucks more. And there are a lot of powerful observations here especially regarding the neglect of First Nations people, modern loneliness and the mining industry. So I apologise, Ms Henry. I liked your book and you probably ARE just really friendly and hot.
August 9, 2025
The book made me so very proud to be a country GP while so simultaneously furious at the systemic disadvantages faced by our rural & remote communities, not to mention marginalised populations in our “lucky country”. Also any book that involves a dog is guaranteed to make me cry
January 18, 2024
3 stars for the book, 4 stars for portraying the state of rural medicine in Australia. Good book, nice easy paced read. being a GP is hard
June 12, 2023
4.5*
‘So you wouldn’t go out there?’ I ask. She looks at me as if I have turned green. ‘Are you kidding? As a solo female? With no experience in that kind of medicine? No way in hell.’
So begins a story from an excellent storyteller. It’s difficult to write this review as the topics covered are so broad and diverse, however, I shall try my best hoping that readers will walk away inspired to read this gem of a book. In essence if I had to sum it up, I would say Sonia writes about some harsh truths many Australians most likely are unaware of and that then is reflective upon self truths and the tales we tell ourselves.
‘With a destination in mind, there’s a goal and a road, and challenges and hurdles and life to be lived on the way.’
On one level this is an exquisite and eye opener report into remote Australia and that alone makes this requisite reading. Confronted with the remoteness of the Pilbara, far west New South Wales and of course the great Northern Territory, Sonia arrives at these places and more often than not, finds herself the only doctor for miles around - hundreds of miles around! The stories she then goes on to share will seem as if from another country but they are not - neglect and far worse of our First Nations people, where the gap between the ‘haves and have nots’ is increasing at a rapid and sorrowful rate. Questions are raised on how to fill this ever increasing chasm with the understanding that only by connecting to the outside will we allow ourselves to connect to the inside.
‘Everyone always wants to be somewhere else. I was always like that, too: there was always somewhere else to be, someone else to meet, another horizon to conquer.’
Sonia’s descriptions of the vast, remote and wondrous expanse of the Outback is awe inspiring, as if she had somehow gone back to the beginning of time itself. ‘People talk about the power of the land. Because the land is alive, here, speaking to me.’ Living this way forced her to be in the present moment, ‘I am nothing but a speck, a whisper of a life, crossing over a power and history I can’t put into words. I have nothing but the present moment. That’s what the earth does to me. Every plan, every worry, every feeling I have is insignificant compared to this.’
To be a solitary woman and experiencing this is yet another remarkable feat. ‘I thought I had to see the world to find myself, but all I really had to do was put my feet in the dirt of this enormous land, and get lost enough to learn the truth. And the truth is this: there are so many things bigger than me that I have been humbled completely. With that truth comes freedom. And in the freedom of humility, comes the chance to live a truly meaningful life.’
Sonia’s writing is eloquent, her story to tell so very worthy of being heard. Do yourself a favour and make sure you read it and don’t forget to put your feet in the dirt!
‘Someone said to me once, Stevie,’ I tell her, ‘that the best thing you can do in trying circumstances is to put your feet in the dirt and see what happens after that.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
‘So you wouldn’t go out there?’ I ask. She looks at me as if I have turned green. ‘Are you kidding? As a solo female? With no experience in that kind of medicine? No way in hell.’
So begins a story from an excellent storyteller. It’s difficult to write this review as the topics covered are so broad and diverse, however, I shall try my best hoping that readers will walk away inspired to read this gem of a book. In essence if I had to sum it up, I would say Sonia writes about some harsh truths many Australians most likely are unaware of and that then is reflective upon self truths and the tales we tell ourselves.
‘With a destination in mind, there’s a goal and a road, and challenges and hurdles and life to be lived on the way.’
On one level this is an exquisite and eye opener report into remote Australia and that alone makes this requisite reading. Confronted with the remoteness of the Pilbara, far west New South Wales and of course the great Northern Territory, Sonia arrives at these places and more often than not, finds herself the only doctor for miles around - hundreds of miles around! The stories she then goes on to share will seem as if from another country but they are not - neglect and far worse of our First Nations people, where the gap between the ‘haves and have nots’ is increasing at a rapid and sorrowful rate. Questions are raised on how to fill this ever increasing chasm with the understanding that only by connecting to the outside will we allow ourselves to connect to the inside.
‘Everyone always wants to be somewhere else. I was always like that, too: there was always somewhere else to be, someone else to meet, another horizon to conquer.’
Sonia’s descriptions of the vast, remote and wondrous expanse of the Outback is awe inspiring, as if she had somehow gone back to the beginning of time itself. ‘People talk about the power of the land. Because the land is alive, here, speaking to me.’ Living this way forced her to be in the present moment, ‘I am nothing but a speck, a whisper of a life, crossing over a power and history I can’t put into words. I have nothing but the present moment. That’s what the earth does to me. Every plan, every worry, every feeling I have is insignificant compared to this.’
To be a solitary woman and experiencing this is yet another remarkable feat. ‘I thought I had to see the world to find myself, but all I really had to do was put my feet in the dirt of this enormous land, and get lost enough to learn the truth. And the truth is this: there are so many things bigger than me that I have been humbled completely. With that truth comes freedom. And in the freedom of humility, comes the chance to live a truly meaningful life.’
Sonia’s writing is eloquent, her story to tell so very worthy of being heard. Do yourself a favour and make sure you read it and don’t forget to put your feet in the dirt!
‘Someone said to me once, Stevie,’ I tell her, ‘that the best thing you can do in trying circumstances is to put your feet in the dirt and see what happens after that.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
July 11, 2025
Really enjoyed this. The author knows how to laugh at herself and spin an entertaining yarn - all while drawing attention to the massive gaps in Australian society, especially when it comes to medical care. It's an eye-opening book and we'll worth reading.
December 2, 2024
I thought the premise of this book was intriguing but the execution was very disappointing. Although it was eye-opening and heart-breaking to read the account of the almost non-existent medical resources in isolated regional areas leading to depressing health outcomes of the locals, the author’s constant thoughts on it were too repetitive and somewhat preachy. It’s almost like she had to fill the book with something because there were no interesting stories, other than maybe her doctor drama at the beginning. It also feels like she went to work in regional areas so she could write this book. Unfortunately nothing book worthy happened. This story could’ve been written as an essay or an article to get the same point across.
October 27, 2023
Absolutely inhaled this on a recent flight to Australia! It was perfect timing as I was about to deliver a speech to some GP registrars, and it really reminded me about how f'n amazing they really are!! I also learnt a lot about the health inequities and inequalities in Australia. Opened my eyes a lot!
August 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a very easy read and the rich descriptions of Western Australis are beautiful.
However, there are a couple of points that bug me. There is so much talk about equity and closing the gap and yet the first pages of the book include a sarcastic joke about telehealth pap smears. Thankfully, there are now self-test kits and, if done at home, they actually will dramatically improve equity of health outcomes: https://theconversation.com/cervical-...
It also feels a little hypocritical to be talking about equity in regions while only working for a couple of weeks in some places mentioned where lack of continuity of care is one of the biggest problems.
In saying that, the author is young and is still navigating these complexities. Good on her for doing even short stints in regional and remote areas.
However, there are a couple of points that bug me. There is so much talk about equity and closing the gap and yet the first pages of the book include a sarcastic joke about telehealth pap smears. Thankfully, there are now self-test kits and, if done at home, they actually will dramatically improve equity of health outcomes: https://theconversation.com/cervical-...
It also feels a little hypocritical to be talking about equity in regions while only working for a couple of weeks in some places mentioned where lack of continuity of care is one of the biggest problems.
In saying that, the author is young and is still navigating these complexities. Good on her for doing even short stints in regional and remote areas.
November 24, 2024
A harrowing portrayal of how fucked the state of healthcare is in rural and remote Australia, that made me grateful and conscious of my privilege as someone "living in the east". It was an easy read albeit a not very exciting one - her writing style is very bland and simplistic, and it didn't work for me. A lot of great arguments that make you want to rage against the machine, but the whole second half just felt like a robot wrote it.
July 5, 2024
This was a gripping memoir. My heart was beating out of my chest reading the medical emergencies Dr Henry faced as the only doctor in the Pilbara - an unfathomable level of responsibility. I liked that she took care not to tell First Nations’ stories but reported on the health inequities she observed from her perspective as a doctor.
October 17, 2023
Best Book I read in a long time.
December 15, 2023
BRB moving to the middle of nowhere
(Everyone in Australia should have to read this)
(Everyone in Australia should have to read this)
July 21, 2024
really enjoyed this. and tHAT EPILOGUE 😭
July 3, 2025
Gutsy brilliant witty and now and I want to go to Broome
December 26, 2023
I found it pretty concerning that she went from working in Sydney to such a remote area without any additional training but great book
July 18, 2023
Sonia Henry's pandemic wasn't like anyone else's. She spent it in a variety of remote locations practicing medicine. She learns about what healthcare looks like when you are a long way away from everywhere and what she is like away from the noise of her former life. This was an interesting story and raised some complex issues that fundamentally challenged Henry's ideas of many things.
August 23, 2023
Short take:
This was a great read about the state of rural and remote health and healthcare services in Australia, through the lens of a flawed, relatable metro doctor. It delves into critically important topics and is, dare I say, remarkably successful in taking a naive reader from the cities to the remotest parts of this country, gradually arriving at visceral (though simple) understanding of 'the gap.' I reckon anyone from any background could enjoy this simultaneously entertaining, heartbreaking, thoughtful read.
Longer take:
My biggest gripe with this book is also, arguably, its greatest strength: the naivety of Dr Henry as she undertakes this personal journey. I found it unbelievable that she would take jobs in tiny, extremely remote towns without so much as Googling them first - and then arriving to be shocked by not only the more surreptitious local quirks (fair), but by the basic state of affairs (what?!). This is reflected again and again throughout the book as other doctors repeatedly express surprise at Dr Henry's location choices, and Dr Henry ponders their apprehension. How can she have done no research?! I found it simultaneously infuriating and sympathetic, because another core theme of this book is Dr Henry's desperate escape from herself and her life; if I were running away, maybe I wouldn't Google things either. If I really temper this with some grace, I could even say that it actually adds to the overall impact of Dr Henry's story, because the average reader also has no idea what is coming and is shocked along with her. Nonetheless, this repeating pattern with each new remote town gave me even greater concern for the people living there... if your doctor can't even get themselves basically acquainted with your area using the information readily available online and/or through the experiences of other local healthcare workers, how on Earth are they going to be able to take care of you safely within your sociocultural context? Horrifying!!
And yet, Dr Henry's experience mirrors the continued naivety and ignorance of the Australian public around this issue. These stories are even more critical in the lead up to The Voice Referendum, and to ongoing efforts to close 'the gap' (or 'the chasm' as Dr Henry rightly comments) which must incorporate more of Australia's bloody history. While this is a book written by a privileged white woman, I think it's therefore particularly capable of penetrating the bubbles of other privileged white women/people, and is a useful addition to the literature on this topic - as well as a touching memoir. Leaving aside my previous criticism, Dr Henry does well centring both rural and Indigenous perspectives and experiences, and shows herself to be not only open to new ideas, but accepting and amplifying of them. It's not perfect, but in the current climate it's pretty bloody good.
This was a great read about the state of rural and remote health and healthcare services in Australia, through the lens of a flawed, relatable metro doctor. It delves into critically important topics and is, dare I say, remarkably successful in taking a naive reader from the cities to the remotest parts of this country, gradually arriving at visceral (though simple) understanding of 'the gap.' I reckon anyone from any background could enjoy this simultaneously entertaining, heartbreaking, thoughtful read.
Longer take:
My biggest gripe with this book is also, arguably, its greatest strength: the naivety of Dr Henry as she undertakes this personal journey. I found it unbelievable that she would take jobs in tiny, extremely remote towns without so much as Googling them first - and then arriving to be shocked by not only the more surreptitious local quirks (fair), but by the basic state of affairs (what?!). This is reflected again and again throughout the book as other doctors repeatedly express surprise at Dr Henry's location choices, and Dr Henry ponders their apprehension. How can she have done no research?! I found it simultaneously infuriating and sympathetic, because another core theme of this book is Dr Henry's desperate escape from herself and her life; if I were running away, maybe I wouldn't Google things either. If I really temper this with some grace, I could even say that it actually adds to the overall impact of Dr Henry's story, because the average reader also has no idea what is coming and is shocked along with her. Nonetheless, this repeating pattern with each new remote town gave me even greater concern for the people living there... if your doctor can't even get themselves basically acquainted with your area using the information readily available online and/or through the experiences of other local healthcare workers, how on Earth are they going to be able to take care of you safely within your sociocultural context? Horrifying!!
And yet, Dr Henry's experience mirrors the continued naivety and ignorance of the Australian public around this issue. These stories are even more critical in the lead up to The Voice Referendum, and to ongoing efforts to close 'the gap' (or 'the chasm' as Dr Henry rightly comments) which must incorporate more of Australia's bloody history. While this is a book written by a privileged white woman, I think it's therefore particularly capable of penetrating the bubbles of other privileged white women/people, and is a useful addition to the literature on this topic - as well as a touching memoir. Leaving aside my previous criticism, Dr Henry does well centring both rural and Indigenous perspectives and experiences, and shows herself to be not only open to new ideas, but accepting and amplifying of them. It's not perfect, but in the current climate it's pretty bloody good.
August 10, 2025
Put your feet in the dirt, girl started off as being a promising memoir, a mixture of medical and rural Australian experiences. And there were some memorable bits. However, I started skipping pages due to the repetitive and continual discussion about lack of medical facilities for First Nations people in rural Australia. Make a point and move on. Instead it was laboured over, time and time again. Quite interesting coming from an advantaged individual who, as far as I can make out, did not try and contribute to improve the issues she was complaining about. There were several times when something simple could have made a difference right there and then, but would involve spending some of her over the top locum fees, during the short period she was in that location.
Indeed, her life and experiences in the outback that were meant to entertain could not compete with the boredom of the 'here we go again' continual reference to lack of medical equipment etc. Was this more an issue as it fed her insecurities of being an inexperienced doctor?
If lack of facilities was such an issue for the author then I would have expected some sort of awakening that spurred her into action. For example, did she order some of the basic equipment that was missing, such as a pap smear speculum? Instead she leaves to go and enjoy life elsewhere while being paid a packet.
Additionally, one must remember that the book's story occurs during Covid restrictions. This would have also made an impact on facilities.
Lastly, at the end of the book, the author is in Broken Hill, also in the outback. It has a hospital, the Flying doctors service (which it seems she was part of despite not being able to intubate and not having much emergency experience, and Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation funded by the Commonwealth and state governments, providing fantastic medical and dental services in the areas of the far west of NSW. With mainly Aboriginal staff. I would have thought this would have required a mention as an indication of what is happening and what is possibly, in regards to First Nations healthcare in the outback.
So, what have you done today to make yourself feel proud?
Indeed, her life and experiences in the outback that were meant to entertain could not compete with the boredom of the 'here we go again' continual reference to lack of medical equipment etc. Was this more an issue as it fed her insecurities of being an inexperienced doctor?
If lack of facilities was such an issue for the author then I would have expected some sort of awakening that spurred her into action. For example, did she order some of the basic equipment that was missing, such as a pap smear speculum? Instead she leaves to go and enjoy life elsewhere while being paid a packet.
Additionally, one must remember that the book's story occurs during Covid restrictions. This would have also made an impact on facilities.
Lastly, at the end of the book, the author is in Broken Hill, also in the outback. It has a hospital, the Flying doctors service (which it seems she was part of despite not being able to intubate and not having much emergency experience, and Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation funded by the Commonwealth and state governments, providing fantastic medical and dental services in the areas of the far west of NSW. With mainly Aboriginal staff. I would have thought this would have required a mention as an indication of what is happening and what is possibly, in regards to First Nations healthcare in the outback.
So, what have you done today to make yourself feel proud?
November 4, 2023
An incredibly real representation of what it’s like to be an Aussie doctor in the bush. Such an important story, I couldn’t put it down.
March 31, 2024
I liked the insight into issues of healthcare in remote areas of Australia but the majority of it which was focused on herself (it is a memoir) seemed immature and self-indulgent. For all the insights into healthcare she really lacked personal insight and I wasn’t sure she had really learnt anything, or grown at all, by the end of the story.
May 25, 2023
It is hard to know where to start in reviewing this book because there are so many different elements to it so here goes.
From a biography perspective we get to know the person behind Going Under. Sonia is a doctor in her mid-thirties and is feeling lost in around the time COVID hits. She has a book under her belt, a medical qualification and a broken heart. She decides to get out of Sydney and try out being a GP in rural Australia.
The books takes the reader from the Pilbara, to the remote west of New South Wales and into the Northern Territory. Here is where I became invested (as someone who work in the health system). Sonia often finds herself in these places as the only doctor for hundreds of miles. The stories that she recounts of poor health, deprivation and neglect are truly heartbreaking. In the remote parts of Australia the gap is far from closing between white privilege and the reality faced by displaced First Nations people suffering multigenerational trauma and horrific health outcomes.
This is the first time I have read a book and thought this HAS to be a TED talk - if you read this Sonia please consider it!
From a biography perspective we get to know the person behind Going Under. Sonia is a doctor in her mid-thirties and is feeling lost in around the time COVID hits. She has a book under her belt, a medical qualification and a broken heart. She decides to get out of Sydney and try out being a GP in rural Australia.
The books takes the reader from the Pilbara, to the remote west of New South Wales and into the Northern Territory. Here is where I became invested (as someone who work in the health system). Sonia often finds herself in these places as the only doctor for hundreds of miles. The stories that she recounts of poor health, deprivation and neglect are truly heartbreaking. In the remote parts of Australia the gap is far from closing between white privilege and the reality faced by displaced First Nations people suffering multigenerational trauma and horrific health outcomes.
This is the first time I have read a book and thought this HAS to be a TED talk - if you read this Sonia please consider it!
April 19, 2024
This was a fantastic and heart-wrenching read. It's equal parts about a young doctor trying to find her place, and about the state of healthcare in rural and remote Australia.
I appreciated how the author told her story with complete honesty about her naivety at the start of the journey. She's open about how she didn't set out to be an advocate for rural medicine or healthcare for First Nations peoples, she just left to find herself. But what she discovered about Australia and its inequalities left her an advocate anyway, and in writing this book she will hopefully open many more eyes, and hopefully inspire some new doctors to give rural generalism a crack.
I also appreciated how the author highlighted the issues around continuity of care in regional areas, while simultaneously showing that it's not always easy to stay. She herself moves through several towns in the course of this book. This really highlights how in towns held up by locum health professionals, there needs to be new solutions for ensuring continuity is upheld even when the clinic staff change.
Overall, this is a really important read for all Australians, but particularly health professionals and those of us working in adjacent fields.
I appreciated how the author told her story with complete honesty about her naivety at the start of the journey. She's open about how she didn't set out to be an advocate for rural medicine or healthcare for First Nations peoples, she just left to find herself. But what she discovered about Australia and its inequalities left her an advocate anyway, and in writing this book she will hopefully open many more eyes, and hopefully inspire some new doctors to give rural generalism a crack.
I also appreciated how the author highlighted the issues around continuity of care in regional areas, while simultaneously showing that it's not always easy to stay. She herself moves through several towns in the course of this book. This really highlights how in towns held up by locum health professionals, there needs to be new solutions for ensuring continuity is upheld even when the clinic staff change.
Overall, this is a really important read for all Australians, but particularly health professionals and those of us working in adjacent fields.
January 19, 2025
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summed Up: Medicine And Soul Searching In The Outback
- - -
I was on the hunt for my next memoir audiobook when I was recommended this gem! 🎧
This is Sonia Henry’s journey as a rural GP in some of Australia’s most remote corners… right in the thick of COVID 😷 It’s full of humour and heartfelt moments, packed with stories of the patients she treated and the soul searching discoveries she made along the way.
This book shines a spotlight on the challenges of remote healthcare in rural Australian communities, depression and isolation, the domination of mining and safety issues, particularly faced by women, in isolated areas. I can only hope the people who have the power to change things in these spaces read this and take action 🩺💡
While I loved the honesty and insight, I did struggle a bit with the whirlwind nature of her community visits. It left me wishing for more stability for the towns she served.
The audiobook narrator brought big energy to the story - maybe a little too much energy for me. It made me wonder if I’d have rated this higher as a physical read because narrators can really set the vibe, right?
Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting read. If you’re after an eye opening, heartfelt read about medicine, resilience and the Aussie outback, give this one a go.
Summed Up: Medicine And Soul Searching In The Outback
- - -
I was on the hunt for my next memoir audiobook when I was recommended this gem! 🎧
This is Sonia Henry’s journey as a rural GP in some of Australia’s most remote corners… right in the thick of COVID 😷 It’s full of humour and heartfelt moments, packed with stories of the patients she treated and the soul searching discoveries she made along the way.
This book shines a spotlight on the challenges of remote healthcare in rural Australian communities, depression and isolation, the domination of mining and safety issues, particularly faced by women, in isolated areas. I can only hope the people who have the power to change things in these spaces read this and take action 🩺💡
While I loved the honesty and insight, I did struggle a bit with the whirlwind nature of her community visits. It left me wishing for more stability for the towns she served.
The audiobook narrator brought big energy to the story - maybe a little too much energy for me. It made me wonder if I’d have rated this higher as a physical read because narrators can really set the vibe, right?
Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting read. If you’re after an eye opening, heartfelt read about medicine, resilience and the Aussie outback, give this one a go.
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