Unforgiving Tides

by Ross Pennie

The adventures of a medical volunteer on a remote South Pacific island, written with touches of self-depreciating humor and a warm and engaging writing style. Pennie, and not James Herriot, writes about the most fascinating creatures of all: people - Canadians, Americans, Australians, and aboriginals in an exotic setting.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

194 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Dr. Ross Pennie’s career as a jungle surgeon, intensive-care paediatrician, and infectious-diseases specialist spanned the globe and four decades. Now recently retired, he taught two generations of physicians and took care of hockey stars, doughnut lovers, long-haul truckers, and warrior clansmen, among others. He started writing at age ten by chronicling the four-day train trip he made solo across the Prairies and Rockies between his home near Medicine Hat, Alberta and Vancouver, B.C.
His memoir of Papua New Guinea, THE UNFORGIVING TIDES (2004), continues to delight readers with its grit and charm. His four Dr. Zol Szabo mystery novels, TAINTED (2009), TAMPERED (2011), UP IN SMOKE (2013), and BENEATH THE WAKE (2017) have garnered excellent reviews and two literary prizes for adult fiction. Father of two grown children, Ross lives with his wife in southern Ontario. Visit his Web site at http://www.rosspennie.ca

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expats in Papua New Guinea … “Mercenaries, Missionaries or Misfits”!

Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce in the long-running television hit M*A*S*H referred to the 4077th’s medical efforts as “meatball surgery”. I’m betting that, during his two year 1970s stint as a CUSO volunteer on the remote island, New Britain, in Papua New Guinea, the newly minted young doctor, Ross Pennie, often wished he had it so good. THE UNFORGIVING TIDES is the tale of Pennie’s trials and tribulations in meatball surgery, meatball epidemiology, meatball diagnostics, and meatball pediatrics. It is at once breathtaking, provocative, heart-warming, powerful and as exciting as any of the medical thrillers that Pennie would come to write later in his career. The entire book is as alive as it possibly could be – characters, weather, local politics, clashes with the hard-core beliefs of the resident Catholic nuns, run-ins with toxic bush medicine, geography, communication in the local English pidgin, the offbeat nature of relationships with other expats, and the painful realities of personal isolation. And the pace of the book is really quite astonishing. If you hadn’t read it in the back-cover marketing blurb, you’d hardly believe that it was actually non-fiction.

A pleasure from first page to last! Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. My only criticism was in wishing the book had been longer. This is a remarkable memoir that tells the story of a young doctor, fresh out of medical school who at the age of 25 volunteered for two years in a remote part of Papua New Guinea. It is told with pathos, humour, and empathy for his patients. He had to contend with the frustrating lack of resources, unhealthy cultural beliefs, lack of adequate nutrition, native traditions, and incorrectly applied bush medicine. The head nursing sister was opposed to any changes, and temporary doctors sent to help were unwilling to offer assistance outside their specialty.

Fortunately, young Doctor Pennie was able to mostly overcome the shortage of modern medical drugs and equipment. He was fearless in attempting operations and techniques that he only observed during his training. His skill and innovations improved the wellbeing of many of his patients. He writes vividly about his patients, the medical nurses in training, the nursing sisters, and the community of ex-pats. He is a born storyteller.

I recently learned of this Canadian author, Dr. Ross Pennie, who writes a series of highly praised medical mysteries. I have downloaded one which I intend to read soon. His career has included work as a jungle surgeon. Pediatrician, Professor, and nationally renowned infectious disease specialist.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for Memoirs - especially missionary, medical memoirs. I loved learning about the health system, the medical cases, the beliefs of the natives, and the challenges faced by the aid workers. And the author is a friend of a friend so that’s really neat too.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of Dr. Pennie's two years in Vunapope (New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea) as a CUSO volunteer. He had just graduated from medical school and was about 25. He has many challenges: operating during an earthquake, mysterious ailments to cure, clashes with the German nun in charge and a crisis of conscience. I also worked in PNG with CUSO, and this brought back lots of memories. But I think anyone would enjoy this book, which is written in an easy-to-read style and is full of interesting adventures.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of these stories will stay with me for a long time. Ross Pennie captures what it means to be young and idealistic in a harsh world. A coming of age story with a twist. The final chapter blew me away. Sometimes we don't get to know the end of the story until years later. And sometimes we never know.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a special interest in this book as the author's wife is a friend of mine and a wonderful lady. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and now understand where their love of exotic travel comes from. I look forward to reading the rest of Ross' books.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book by Ross Pennie that I read and since then I have read his other two books and eagerly await more

[Leona Heraty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down! What an interesting story! :-)