Island Medicine: Life, Healing, and Community on a Maine Island

by Chuck Radis

Dr. Chuck Radis was drawn to a career in medicine after meeting an osteopathic family practice bush pilot in Baja, Mexico. Following an internal medicine residency, the young doctor moved his family to Peaks Island off the coast of Maine and traveled by boat to the four year-round islands in Casco Bay, logging more than 100 house calls each year. Come along with Dr. Radis as he makes his rounds with a new batch of stories filled with equal parts hilarity, heartache, and wisdom.

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2022

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, maybe not as much as the first but that was because osteopathic medicine was totally foreign to me so I enjoyed discovering something new. Also in this one there were misspellings (desert for dessert twice) and grammatical errors, plus he repeated descriptions of patients or incidents more than once. Filler maybe? All in all, it was enjoyable.

[The DO]

His second book, “Island Medicine: Life, Healing, and Community on a Maine Island,” published in 2022, gives more of the back story of how Dr. Radis became a DO and how he ended up practicing on the islands of Maine, where his wife has gotten a local job and his two young daughters accompany him on a few house calls.

The beauty and impracticality of Maine island living permeates both books. For example, Dr. Radis and his wife must herd their very young daughters onto the nearby ferry to go to school. With Dr. Radis also commuting by boat for his work, the narrative feels like he is constantly running to make a boat and working around the comings and goings of the ships travelling between the islands and from the mainland to his island and back.

Then, the doctor and his wife decide that purchasing their own boat will make it a little easier on his complicated commute and allow him to spend more time with the family. What could possibly go wrong? Introduced are new problems of losing keys, running over lobster buoys, foggy weather, thunderstorms and a near-drowning experience. For the island doctor, there is never a dull moment.

Read our entire review and see more book club selections on The DO!

[JoAnn Plante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved the book. The writing style enabled me to relax into the story. The descriptions of the locals, the landscape, the sea, and the events really made island life a reality in the story. I could follow the doctor's footsteps as he went from island to island, island to mainland, and patient to patient.
Even the patients were well-described and seemed real. His attention to detail with his patients allowed him to diagnose them without all kinds of tests and inconveniences. As a reader, I got to know his patients and what they went through. The way he described them was the way they were - independent, self-sustaining, but willing to help others at a minute's notice.
What I enjoyed most about this book is how he managed to give insight into everyone on the island and also himself. He shared his thoughts and feelings about change coming to the island. He gave me an insight into what his struggles were as a doctor, husband, and father.
It was refreshing to read about someone who took his job seriously and cared so much for so many. Great read!

[Nancy Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the life and work of an island doctor on Peaks Island. A good storyteller, Chuck Radis, brings his patients’ troubles and ailments alive. Radis has a hectic, but rewarding practice that takes him from Peaks to Chabeague to Maine Med. He shares his struggle between his work and personal life of father and husband.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read that really brought out what life is like on the Maine islands. Everything revolves around two things: the ferry schedule and the weather. Trying to run a medical practice that spans Portland and two different islands, while juggling the responsibilities of being a husband and father is not easy. After reading this, island life seems somewhat less idyllic.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Dr. Chuck Radis' memoir about island doctoring on the islands off of Portland Maine (Peaks and Chebeague). Not much depth or insight here but fun to read about the islands and their people.