Not the Life Imagined

by Anne Pettigrew

A darkly humorous, thought-provoking story of Scottish medical students in the sixties, a time of changing social and sexual mores. None of the teenagers starting at Glasgow University in 1967 live the life they imagine.
Beth Slater is shocked at how few female medical students there are and that some people, such as Conor Towmey, think they shouldn’t be there at all. Devastated by a close friend’s suicide, Beth uncovers a revealing diary and vows to find the person responsible for her death. Struggling with the pressure of exams while supporting friends though disasters, Beth charts the students’ changing, often stormy, relationships over two decades in a contemporary backdrop of Free Love, the Ibrox Football Disaster, the emergence of HIV and DNA forensics. In time, indiscretions surface with dire consequences for some.
In Not the Life Imagined, retired medic Anne Pettigrew has written a tale of ambition and prejudice laced with sharp observations, irony and powerful perceptions that provide a humorous and compelling insight into the complex dynamics of the NHS fifty years ago. The novel will be launched in January 2019.
“There have been many books written about the world of medicine, but Anne Pettigrew brings a fresh voice and moral authority to the subject. Well-written and lively…” – Author Simon Brett, OBE, FRSL. 2014 CWA Diamond Dagger winner and judge of the Constable Silver Stag Award.
Women Doctors, , Medicine, Medical school, , crime, mystery, , Glasgow, NHS, s, HIV, free love, discrimination, gender, feminism, .

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 11, 2018

About the author

Anne Pettigrew was a Scottish GP, a BMA spokesperson and a medical journalist with columns in The Herald, Doctor etc. Some prizewinning stories and articles are published in the Greenock Writers Club’s 50th Anniversary Anthology. Her debut medical noir novel Not The Life Imagined was runner-up in the SAW Constable Silver Stag Award and made her a Bloody Scotland Spotlight author. A sequel, Not The Deaths Imagined was followed by a stand alone cosy crime set in Oxford, The Carnelian Tree. A third medical mystery, Medicine, Money and Murder set in 70s America was published in Sept 2024 by Sparsile Publishing who have re-published the first two novels. A graduate of Glasgow and Oxford Universities, she lives in North Ayrshire.

Reviews

[Chelle W (teaandplottwists) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the lives of a group of university students as they begin their long journey into the study of medicine, through to their reunion many years later; this is an interesting, enjoyable and eye opening story. All of them have their ambitions and dreams, but none of them live the life they imagined. Overcoming hurdles throughout their studies, losing members of the group, and experiencing love, betrayal, friendship, breakdowns, illness and loss, this story will keep you reading.

The story is mainly told from the perspective of Beth although this does change, sometimes to Connor, sometimes to others. Each of the students have their own secrets that they keep hidden, and for some of them, these have dire consequences. Throughout her life Beth is determined to uncover who was the cause of her friends suicide, and never lets it lie….but will she finally uncover who was responsible?

Not the Life Imagined is definitely an eye opening story for someone that wasn’t around in the 60’s and 70’s! I find it so hard to imagine how life was back then, even though it was only a few years ago! With women being demoralised, homosexuality being illegal and medical technologies being slowly developed it appears to be a different world. I was shocked at some of the things that happened and some of the characters behaviour; especially because it would have been the views of some people back then.

The insight into training in medicine was fantastic, and it definitely taught me I would have been a terrible medical student! Cutting up animals and people is not for me! Pettigrew gives us a fantastic insight into all the different specialties of medicine from surgery to psychiatry, from General Practice to obstetrics, and more, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having worked in health (although not as a clinician) I found this utterly fascinating!

There are quite a few characters in the group, as well as others on the outside, and it took me a little while to get to grips with who was who. But once I’d figured it out I started developing my opinions on each other them. Some you will love from the start and invest in all the way through the story, some will surprise you and your views will change, and one in particular you will not like….and that won’t change!!

The fact that you get to know each of them as students and are able to see what happens to them throughout their life is wonderful. You’ll be delighted for some of them, but angry and sad for others – you’ll definitely feel a range of emotions!

Overall, I really enjoyed this. A wonderful insight into studying medicine, Glasgow in the 60’s and 70’s and the NHS back in the day; Pettigrew delves into many sensitive topics but in a thoughtful and delicate way. With humour throughout this isn’t all dark, and will have you delighted and laughing at times. If you’re looking for a good book where you can get to know the characters, chart their lives, learn about past decades and studying medicine, and invest yourself in uncovering secrets and lies, then you should check this out. Recommended by me!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the Life Imagined is a really interesting read. Despite being squeamish, I really enjoy reading memoirs of people’s medical/adjacent careers (think Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt, or Sue Black’s All That Remains, for example). While this book is a work of fiction, the author has clearly drawn very closely on her own experiences of medical school to produce a detailed and fascinating account of what medical students learn, and the paths they can end up pursuing once they qualify.

Pettigrew’s deep knowledge also means the characters’ personal experiences come across as realistic and authentic. This is particularly true of main character Beth and her fellow women students, who face sexism from their predominantly male lecturers, potential employers and coursemates alike. It’s infuriating, and you feel indignant on their behalf, but sadly it’s not surprising given the time period.

It’s additionally all too believable that some of the students on the course are there, and don’t fail, because of who they know rather than what they know. While Beth and other students from modest backgrounds are constantly working hard to become the best doctors they can be, well-connected villain of the piece Conor Towmey qualifies despite doing little work and having an appalling bedside manner, because he knows the examiners.

Throughout the book, Conor wreaks havoc on his peers’ lives and you fervently hope karma will get him in the end. Pettigrew skilfully plays the long game in letting him get away with so much for years. I also loved how she dropped in seemingly incidental details that came to have a lot of significance later down the line, as well as several shocking twists that come out of nowhere, and sprinklings of dark humour and fun anecdotes.

Something else I found interesting was how, as a result of working and playing together intensely for six years, the cohort become bonded for life. When we first meet them, they’re typical 18-year-olds who get into messes with sex, relationships, drink and drugs. It’s always a bit scary to remember that at the start of their training, medics are still so young and stupid! The book ends in 1989, by which time they’ve known each other for 20 years, and have encountered multiple serious issues in their lives including rape, suicide, cancer, HIV/AIDS and domestic violence.

This group dynamic leads to both support and strife. Beth, arguably the most sensible character, is a great - though not perfect - friend to her fellow women students, and they come to rely on one another. When one of her friends dies by suicide, Beth berates herself for not being more attentive at the time, and never forgets the circumstances that put her friend in that position, determined that one day justice will be done. I liked Beth and her warm, supportive working-class family and was really excited by the opportunities she got, and to see her advance in her career - even if she didn’t quite get ‘the life imagined’.

At the same time, it’s unhealthy that the group is so insular, with lots of intermarriage (and inter-adultery!) taking place once the characters graduate. It does feel as though they’re stuck with the nefarious Conor, as well as other unsympathetic members, for life. However, by following their lives over such a long period of time, you do get to see some people become more mature and likeable, and find stability and happiness, which is really satisfying.

Not the Life Imagined is a gritty, fascinating insight into the highs and lows experienced by a cohort of young doctors.

[LiteraryGlobe]

‘Not the life I imagined’ is a darkly humorous, thought-provoking story of Scottish medical students in the sixties, a time of changing social and sexual mores. None of the teenagers starting at Glasgow University in 1967 live the life they imagine. Beth Slater, our narrator, is shocked at how few female medical students there are and that some people, such as Conor Towmey, think they shouldn’t be there at all. Devastated by a close friend’s suicide, Beth uncovers a revealing diary and vows to find the person responsible for her death. Struggling with the pressure of exams while supporting friends though disasters, Beth charts the students’ changing, often stormy, relationships over two decades in a contemporary backdrop of Free Love, the Ibrox Football Disaster, the emergence of HIV and DNA forensics. In time, indiscretions surface with dire consequences for some. Not the life Imagined was runner up in the Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable Silver Stag Award 2018.

My review:
Overall, I really enjoyed this medical crime story. The characters were well constructed, and I could visualize them. Some of them were likeable, some loveable, and others pure nasty. They were identifiable though and I do feel that we have met them all in our own journey in life. It does have alot of ‘chit-chat’ and I was often reminded of ‘A Passage to India’ by E.M. Forester.
The many characters and memoir-style pacing took me a while to get used to, but as the story unfolded, I found myself settling into the novel. It is filled with English colloquialisms and cultural ways. The story also gives a clear picture of society in the 1960s, the attitudes regarding women. The novel was seamless, with humour throughout and entertaining. Although a work of fiction, Anne has clearly drawn closely on her own experiences of life as a medical practitioner.
I would highly recommend this one for book club reading. There’s a lot to think about, talk about with bite-sized chapters. and I am looking forward to reading her next novel.
Written by a very Scottish author, Anne Pettigrew is talented and that’s for sure. A graduate of Glasgow (Medicine) and Wolfson College, Oxford (Anthropology), she has been a GP, worked in psychiatry, family planning, and sexual health. Anne is also a book reviewer and has contributed medico-political and humorous articles to The Herald, medical newspapers/journals, the Sunday Times/Telegraph, Channel 4 documentaries amongst many others.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and loved Anne's other book 'Not The Deaths Imagined'. When I heard that Anne had released another book I knew that I just had to read it as soon as I could. As soon as I got the chance, I grabbed a copy and settled down to read it. This is certainly a different sort of read to usual but I absolutely loved every minute of it but more about that in a bit.
It took me next to no time to become addicted to reading this book. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first few pages I knew that I would find it nigh on impossible to be parted from my Kindle for any great length of time. That was exactly what happened too. I felt like I was a fly on the wall and earwigging on the lives of medical students. I kept reading to see if the characters were going to pan out as I suspected they would and to see what future had in store for them. I would say that it took me just under 48 hours to finish the book, which is pretty good going for me.
'Not The Life Imagined' is well written. The author is a former General Practitioner herself which lends more authenticity to the story. The author immediately grabs your attention and draws you into the story from pretty early on. Not all of the characters in the story are likeable but I guess that you would find that in real life too. Anne has given us a snapshot of what I imagine medical school must be like. I loved the way in which the author has combined the drama with what they call 'gallows humour'. She has also incorporated real life events as the story progresses. Reading 'Not the Life Imagined' also felt authentic to me in another way. Both of my parents were nurses, who trained in the Sixties and I had heard lots of stories from them about what students got up to etc.
I found this to be a highly enjoyable read and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Anne's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*

[Elizabeth Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the Life Imagined follows the Glasgow University Medical Class of 1973 from their first years of classes through residencies and on to their individual practicing careers. Things done during the school years echo and change their lives in unimaginable ways. Beth Slater, our narrator, brings life and an empathetic understanding  to her fellow classmates and allows the reader to grow with them. When Beth's friend Maia commits suicide during an internship holiday in Australia, she is burdened by the diary entry that is left. Someone is responsible, but the diary is vague, and Beth has to focus on her studies.

Through breakups, makeups, accidental pregnancies, marriages and divorces, Beth is there for her classmates. As they become doctors and find their specialties, the mystery of the diary weighs on her. It is only in her sister-in-law's knowledge of Forensics and the new advancements in DNA that will answer Beth's long held questions.

This book surprised me, not at all the medical crime story I expected, and I'm so very glad to have read it!The memoir style pacing took me a while to get used to, but it makes perfect sense for the style of book Anne Pettigrew has written. I found myself loving Beth, her pack of female classmates, gentle Henry, steady Ralph and I loathed Conor's chauvinistic antics.  The italicized interludes gave glimpses into other goings n that Beth as narrator wouldn't know but added depth to characters I'd related to the background. Overall, a fascinating, thought-provoking read!

Note: This book takes place in the 1960s and charts through to the late 1980s. The attitudes regarding women and those of non-hetero-normative sexualities are representative of those times. As this book also revolves around a medical setting, there are scenes involving death, medical procedures and sex.

[Caroline Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting insight into the lives of a group of interesting characters, fighting their way through the pressures of medicine. Beth Slater is dynamic, intent on making a difference – against all odds. Tipping the balance are characters like Conor and Frank, with their nefarious secrets. Add to that sexual promiscuity, and you’re playing with dynamite. Anne’s novel is a whirlwind of wit and emotional ups and downs. Both serious and funny, its pages convey the absence of something very significant: sexual equality. When I recently flicked through my father’s Final Year Dinner Souvenir (he was a medical student at Glasgow University from 1941-1946), I noticed that it documents 123 male medical students and 34 female. Dad never discussed the prejudices, but strangely, had a driving passion to nurture my (female) education. Anne’s book shows exactly why. Look forward to the next book! Caroline Scott

[Grace Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel follows the lives of a group of friends who become medical students in Glasgow during the 1960s and shows how their careers and relationships develop over the years up to the late 1980s. Most of the story is told through the first person narrative of Beth Slater, but there are other narrative viewpoints which effectively contribute to the mystery surrounding the suicide of one of the group. This death casts a shadow over the others, in particular Beth who is determined to discover why her friend killed herself. This book also gives a clear picture of society of the time, in particular the sexual discrimination faced by the female characters.

[Laure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the Life Imagined goes over lots of important subjects. We follow Beth's life and as a female wanting to be a surgeon in the sixties, she faces a lot of challenges.
Sexism, mental health issues and plagiarism are at the heart of this story. Beth will also be haunted most of her life by a mystery that will be uncovered but not entirely resolved at the end, making me want to read the next book soon hopefully!

[Crosspatch64 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows a group of medical students from the era of sex, drugs and rock and roll (misogyny, pharmacology and partying), through their lives and careers. It is hard to fit it into a set genre in that there is a crime but it is much more than just a detective novel. As a slightly younger Nhs employee, I found the snobbery and entitlement of some of these characters very true to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must be honest, the author is married to my cousin. She is one of the most interesting people that I have met and am pleased to say that her "Not the Life Imagined" has made her even more interesting. Many questions to ask when I see her again. Still waters run deep.
GREAT READ, MUST GET HER NEXT BOOK.

[Lynda Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book- lots of insight into the training of medics with accounts of difficulties faced by young students. Very believable characters, both warm-hearted and callous! This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and well worth seeking out!! Here’s to the follow-up!

[Angi Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tale full of darkness, yet full of hope. The plot is set in 1960’s Scotland where the themes of sexism and the expected norms, then and now if you scratch the surface, you find things and people aren’t always what they see.
A very realistic set of characters who ring with truth. Full of heart, grit and humour and reflecting the NHS of the 1960’s but more widely the world. An enjoyable book.