A Country Doctor's Casebook: Tales from the North Woods

by Roger A. MacDonald

In the years after the Second World War, a young doctor took up his post in one of the most remote regions of northern Minnesota. His term of service turned into a lifetime of caring for the people who made this isolated and often lonely place their home. The story of this remarkable adventure in frontline medicine forms the heart of this wonderful book.

For almost four decades, Roger MacDonald was the country doctor who tended to those in need in an area larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Because he was the only doctor for miles, MacDonald traveled to the small towns and remote fishing villages, the logging camps and Indian reservation, the one-room schools and the remote backwoods cabins to practice his craft. In the course of his work, he encountered a remarkable group of tough, independent, and idiosyncratic individuals—all of whom relied on him for medical help. In turn, they taught MacDonald the importance of patience, human strength, wisdom, humor, and simple grace.

MacDonald came to know the people he cared for in extraordinarily intimate ways. Treating more than just the body, MacDonald became a confidant, advisor, caretaker, and friend as he plied the back roads of the north woods.

As a storyteller, MacDonald shows us the beauty of this remote region and the charm of those who make their lives there. With respect, affection, and humility, MacDonald relates his experiences with those who placed their well-being in his hands. The result is a warm and warm-hearted tale of the life of a north country doctor.

Praise for A Country Doctor's Casebook

"This pioneer physician's account of medicine, life, and death in the north of northern Minnesota is suffused by humanitarian warmth and humor. We all are there: Native Americans and immigrants, our lives beset by accidents and illness, and above all the love and dedication making us who we are, helped by our own Galen. A great read." — Robert Treuer, author of The Tree Farm: Replanting a Life

"A delight—wonderfully written with a wry sense of humor. These stories ring true: compassionate, gentle, loving portraits of people for whom Dr. MacDonald cared deeply." — David Hilfiker, M.D., author of Healing the Wounds: A Physician Looks at His Work

"Beautiful, humorous, and lucidly written, this is a heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking treasure of American rural medical history." — Pierre Delattre, author of Woman on the Cross, Episodes, and Tales of a Dalai Lama

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Medicine, Medical, Book Club

202 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Family Physician Dr. Roger MacDonald practiced rural medicine in the most northerly part of Minnesota for nearly fifty years. As an isolated doctor, he wore many hats, one of which was that of county coroner. During the latter third of the Twentieth Century, crime detection depended more on a perceptive team of officers than on laboratory science. Dr. MacDonald's intimate knowledge of how things worked then shines through in his stories.

Reviews

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short snippets straight from the heart of a country doctor in rural, northwoods Minnesota. The tales are full of emotion, joy and tragic at times, but all are heartfelt. This book is a wonderful read.

[Dani Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful tales, told with the wit, wisdom and common sense of a true Country Doctor. Having spent time in the medical field myself I could immediately connect with the truth in his stories. He is not afraid to shine a light on the failures of the system, and sometimes just the failure of medicine itself. Sometimes, the patient steers the boat, no matter how hard we try to bring it to shore! These are the stories of a Doctor from a more principled, more open time. A simpler time maybe, but certainly no easier than now. He did what needed to be done, simply because there was no one else to do it.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly delightful book, the story of a young Doctor Who takes up his practice in a small town in northern Minnesota after World War II. He uses vignettes and stories to capture life during the 1950s in a rural area with a few medical resources. The stories reflect the strength, humor, and dignity of people who often have physically difficult lives and who live in poverty.

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally this book wouldn't have risen to the top of my TBR, except that I am making a valiant effort to read and return books that don't belong to me and have been sitting on my shelves for years.

My mom lent me this one because its locale is close to where I used to live up in Northern Minnesota. Unfortunately, some of that charm is lost because MacDonald found it important to "fictionalize" the town where he practiced as a country doctor to protect the anonymity of his patients. I can see why my mom really liked this book, as it combines history that overlaps with the time she was growing up, the medical field, and a relatively local setting. For me it was just average.

The essays that comprise this essay very much have the feel of stories an old-timer would regale you with; you can almost hear him chuckling, "Isn't that the darndest thing?" as he recalls them. While the stories would have been interesting enough at a dinner party, I'm not sure they translate quite as well to the written word, especially stacked up one after another rather than doled out here and there when you happen to socialize with the retired doctor. Those that are meant to be humorous especially missed the mark for me, espousing a style of humor that I think is more popular among generations older than me, mostly clean and with little edge to it.

The "serious" stories held up better, and really did offer remarkable insight into what hardship it could be to live in a rural area with access to just one general practitioner even less than 100 years ago. I think MacDonald must have had one of the most stressful jobs possible, and he seems to have faced it mostly with a warm and generous heart. I think my favorite essay was the one where he relentlessly challenged a woman's feelings of guilt for cheating on her husband -- who had never treated her well -- while he was alive. A pretty progressive attitude for a white man in the 50s!

[Dane Swenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a similar style to James Herriot, though not quite as captivating. RAM has no shortage of stories, all revealing how different life/medicine is in rural areas, especially in what feels like a bygone era.
The writing style is very understated. It’s good that he doesn’t drown the story by over-elaborating lessons or uniqueness of stories, but it does mean there isn’t a flow like a chapter book. Most stories are quick hitters of 2-4 pages, with little more than the necessary details. He still makes you feel wrapped up in all the grit and beauty of his stories’ worlds though!

[Andrew House · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest into the wild life of a country doctor in the early 50s and what they faced hundreds of miles from the nearest specialist this is a great book. The stories are short and digestible. They are hilarious and also at times devastating. I definitely couldn’t live life like Roger McDonald did but the world is better for having docs like him.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for my book club. It's a memoir by Dr. Roger A. MacDonald that chronicles his experiences as a rural physician in the remote north woods of Minnesota from 1948 to 1980.
It was ok! Each chapter was a story of something that happened to him during his time as a doctor in Minnesota.
It wasn't a page turner....but nice to pick up once in a while and read a chapter here and there.

[Debra Kruckow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time along with some humor. Written about the days before the medical technology we have today. Dr MacDonald was a rural physican in northern Minnesota for almost 40 years and this book is beautifully written.

[Ronald Kuschel]

Very enjoyable book. Country doctors have some interesting stories to tell. MacDonald does a good job of taking the reader along as he deals with the job of a rural doctor.

[Abby Stopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book Kama interesting to read about the different cases that he had the cover in the great wild North of Minnesota at the time period

[Sara Jordahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't what I was thinking it was going to be, I still enjoyed it though. Life was so different in those days. I enjoyed reading this because it makes me happy for what we have today.

[Legustafson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful diary of a North Woods doctor starting in the late 40's. A detailed accounting of various ills that affected the people in sparsely populated northern Minnesota.

[Dawn Back · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me feel fortunate for our current medical progress but also appreciate the old ways of interactions in the healthcare system.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice easy read about the life of a country doctor rather far removed from major medical facilities.

I look forward to reading other books by the author.

[Bruce Whitmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice easy read about the life of a country doctor rather far removed from major medical facilities.

I look forward to reading other books by the author.

[Ann]

Knowing the land in Northern Minnesota due to trips to visit family in International Falls, and being a nurse, I found this a delightful, easy read.

[Suzyberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

How times have changed. And this wonderful book of true tales from a doctor who choose to wander far into the remote northern realm of Minnesota after World War 2 will open your eyes to that reality. His book is written from the heart with simplicity and true historic value. Chapters are short and each tell of his incredible tenacity and devotion to the people, no matter how far he had to travel to tend to their medical problems. I enjoyed every minute of this book...they don't make men, let alone doctors, like this anymore. A joy and a meaningful read...don't miss this book. (Then, to my delight, and yours as well, you can read his second book, 'A Country Doctor's Chronicle'...once again filled with touching, humorous and sometimes heartbreaking stories of his 30 years of ministering to the people of Northern Minnesota. Don't stop with Book 1...the story continues just as well-written in Book 2.)

[Carol E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a Minnesota doctor who worked in northern Minnesota starting in the 1940s 'til he retired in 1980. This book is stories of his patients, the strange, scary, exciting adventures he had as a family doctor doing house calls and being on call 24/7. I grew up in a small Minnesota town, and our doctor was very similar.. he made house calls, and I remember him giving me penicillin shots in my butt. So as I read this humorous and interesting book, I thought of the family doctor we knew and loved when I was a child.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book two stars because I expected more when I picked it up at the library. Being a Minnesota native, I was looking forward to reading a true story of the remote northern wilderness. The author, out of respect and privacy for his patients and neighbors, has changed the names of the towns, the names of patients, and case descriptions and somehow that made it less interesting to me. While I understand the reasoning, it made the story read more like fictional short stories rather than nonfiction. Overall, I was a bit disappointed in this one.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful account of a rural Doctor and his family's life in extreme northern Minnesota.
He is caring and candid about being the only doctor for a big chunk of real estate up there.
Easy to read. Fills the heart to hear of his caring nature.

[Phyllis J White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good reading

If you like medicAl stories this a very good one. I enjoyed it because my father was a small town doctor. So many things that happened were so much like what he had happen.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short chapters; easy reading; each chapter is about a different patient.
MacDonald began his rural practice in 1940 in the remote area of northern Minnesota.
His sense of humor shows in telling about the cases he encounters.
Very interesting read!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unbelievable what some of these folks survived in 1950's rural northern MN.

[S Cina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A window into a world of stark reality and touching tenderness, neatly laid out in palatable bites.

[Laurie Lightfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good writing by a country doctor that was one of our family doctors.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read. Short (sometimes only 2 pages!) stories of the cases of a country Doctor in the Northwoods of Minnesota. Well written.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read, a charming book, warm, sad, tragic. What a caring man.