Gilead's Physician

by Linda Bennett Pennell

Born to a farming family, James knows plowing the soil must not be his destiny. He feels the call to care for the people of his isolated mountain community. After graduating from medical school in 1890, he returns to his north Georgia valley, marries beautiful Mary Alice Campbell, and begins what he thinks will be the ordinary life of a country doctor. What he could not have foreseen are demands that he draw deeply from the well of courage to save his people from gross incompetence, exceptional evil, and a worldwide pandemic.

In the tradition of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, James is an ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances. His calling to medicine is his greatest strength and his Achilles Heel. It is the driving force in his and Mary Alice’s lives, even when the consequences are bittersweet. How each of these very human people comes to terms with its impact is the heart of Gilead’s Physician.

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 28, 2025

About the author

I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother's porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the American South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into my work.

As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but unfortunately we tend to sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to her or himself, "Let's pretend."

I reside in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite certain she’s a little girl.

"History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up." Voltaire

Reviews

[Barry R Gurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

He Gave His Whole Self to God's Calling

I loved this book as this area of Georgia, the people and the love for them and medicine mean a great deal to me. Waleska was a place James loved and he knew they needed a doctor so he dedicated his life to healing and the love of his family and neighbors. My grandson attends Reinhardt and that made this even more special to me.

[Janis Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilead’s Physician is a sweeping, heartfelt tribute to the quiet heroism of rural doctors and the communities they serve. A beautifully rendered and accurate historical fiction of grit, grace, and the price of one man's calling to care and heal.

[Christine Gazulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story about hard work, family, and helping friends.

[Lori Deaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing author.

This is the second book I have read by this author. Her stories touch your heart. I am excited to read more of her books.