Right of Thirst

by Frank Huyler

Shattered by his wife's death, and by his own role in it, successful cardiologist Charles Anderson volunteers to assist with earthquake relief in an impoverished Islamic country in a constant state of conflict with its neighbor. But when the refugees he's come to help do not appear and artillery begins to fall in the distance along the border, the story takes an unexpected turn.

This haunting, resonant tour de force about one man's desire to live a moral life offers a moving exploration of the tensions between poverty and wealth, the ethics of intervention, the deep cultural differences that divide the world, and the essential human similarities that unite it.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Literature, Book Club

355 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2009

About the author

Born 1964, in Berkeley, CA; married, 2000. Education: Williams College, B.A., 1986; University of North Carolina School of Medicine, M.D., M.P.H. Addresses: Home: Albuquerque, NM.

CAREER:

Emergency medicine physician, educator, and author. University of New Mexico Hospitals, Albuquerque, resident, 1993- 96; physician, 1996--; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, assistant professor of emergency medicine.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up and was captivated by the thoughtful questions this book appears to offer from the synopsis on the back of the book. "...one man's desire to live a moral life offers a moving exploration of the tensions between poverty and wealth, the ethics of intervention, the deep cultural differences that divide the world, and the essential human similarities that unite it."

The Doctor struggles to live after his wife passes away. "But in the days and weeks that followed Rachel's death, with nothing to do but live there, to wait for the bell of the microwave-ping, you must eat - the house became something else; peaceful sustaining on the one hand, shadowy and unearthly on the other." He volunteers to provide relief to refugees in an Islamic country only things are slow and ultimately the mission is diverted.

What I've learned so far:
Intervention has consequences regardless of the good intentions. A thoughtful exploration of the purpose and possible consequences of intervention should be carefully considered.

I'm always impressed how characters seem to solve their problems.

I finished the book last night and recommend it. :)

[KB]

Got to page 110 and abandoned. The writing is good and very good in places but personally I’ve seen enough of the protagonist’s perspective in real life for a lifetime.

Here’s a nice white guy suffering in his own life who goes to help out the “mysterious other” as a way of finding meaning. The protagonist is good at describing but lacks a depth of feeling and understanding.

He never says what the country is which feels like a way of abdicating responsibility for getting the details right while it’s sort of obvious where it is. But it doesn’t matter where it is right? Because it’s just elsewhere, it’s just other… and the protagonist is just doing his best to be a good guy in the midst of a world he can’t understand because he lacks the wisdom, imagination, and humility to try.

Colonialism is alive and well and still makes a good topic for fiction.

No thanks.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book I picked up to pass time in an airport, and I was surprised and captivated from the first page. As a person of faith and a divinity student, my reading is understandably slanted toward a Christian worldview. I appreciated the challenge to my thinking presented by Huyler's religious ambiguity. I have a handful of books that I reread every couple of years, because of the unique way they challenge me, and I imagine "Right of Thirst" will find its way to that shelf.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay and I didn't mind that the narrator proved unlikeable in the first two chapters--it was a kind of reverse likeable-ness in that the narrator was reporting things that made him look bad. And it's a refreshing look at how NGOs don't always totally save the world and make it a better place while giving volunteers a deep sense of meaning in their lives. But suddenly my lukewarm feelings turned to dislike when I looked at the author discussion in the back. The author photo therein shows a guy who looks like he's in his thirties. The book wallows in the anxieties and depressive outlook of the middle-aged protagonist to an amateurish extent, but I was willing to accept this, and to suspend my disbelief that the disillusionment of old age could cause someone to be as passive as the protagonist was, when I thought it was semi-autobiographical. Coming from a younger author the angst--which everything in the book hinged on (middle-aged doctor has grief over wife, ambivalent relationship with son, regrets about past actions, morbid nostalgia over having risen in the class structure, all of which culminates in vague decision to volunteer in a primitive situation on the other side of the globe, followed by disappointment that life in primitive situations on the other side of the globe are just as complex and unsatisfying as everywhere else, followed by inappropriate lust for young co-volunteer which ends -surprise!- in her wanting to sleep with him exactly once and never wanting anything from him again)--seemed cliched and lazy. Icing on the cake: the author scolds readers to contribute to his NGO because, after all, the paperback copy they're reading the author discussion in cost less than a hardback copy.

Writing this review now, I think maybe I should have read the whole author discussion to figure out why he thought the book would make people want to donate. Yes, it shows the harsh conditions of the people the fictional charity was supposed to help. But it also shows them not getting helped. And it's entirely because the army in the country doesn't do what they said it would, not because of lack of funds. You could argue that with more funds the charity could have launched its own effort to let people know of the refuge camp rather than relying on the army, but only the army is going to have the skills to do a communication effort over that kind of terrain and the authority to do any concerted activity that close to a hostile border.

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles, the protagonist, is perfectly self-interested in his attempt to help those in need. Rai, the local liaison, is complex in his motivations and ambitions. Elise, the scientist, wavers between accepting what is and fighting against it, knowing the fight is futile. And Ali is desperately servile. The only thing I would change about this story is to make clear which country we're in (according the end notes, it must be Pakistan). Without that clarity, the story loses some of its impact.

p.51: [The village] was more a rough collection of hardship and unwritten history, and the villagers themselves seemed like visitors as well despite all their centuries of presence.

p.61: As individuals they were young, but as a group they looked a thousand years old.

p.145: There are times when the weak inhabit the acts of the strong, and are therefore indistinguishable from them.

p.170: I think we're fully human only during the middle of our lives, when we are conscious, when we both feel what is coming and remain strong enough to fend it off. Sooner or later the old revert to helplessness, and the young are so effortlessly alive they are unaware of the debate altogether. It is only the middle-aged who can see both ends for what they are.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of a man whose wife dies when he's around 60. To make sense of his life, he goes off to an unnamed country, but which seems probably to be Afghanistan, volunteering his doctor skills. The story takes place first in the US, with his wife dying, then in the camp where he stays in the far country, then in the city when that is over, as he makes sense of his experience there. One of the reviews on the back of the book says: "one of the finest novels I've read in years." These kind of comments are set-ups, of course, and I'm giving this two stars partly because it didn't come anywhere near that expectation. While it purports to be about class differences, cultural divides, and the ethics of intervention, I didn't find it addressed those issues in ways that I could sink my teeth into, so to speak. The strongest parts, I found, were in the beginning, his relationship with his wife. There was one part about 2/3 of the way through which shone a light on decisions made in war that I thought was helpful.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The writing is exquisite and the characters are beautifully developed. Told in the first person, it's a very intimate, interior story of a thoughtful middle aged man trying to do something meaningful with his life. Although nothing goes as planned, he (and we) learn a lot about a very different culture.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, hard to put down and sometimes hard to read if you long for happily-ever-after. Makes an interesting pairing with Three Cups of Tea.

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could and should have been great - just goes to show how you can´t put too much (any?) faith in the blurb.
A doctor turned novelist writing about a doctor who volunteers at a refugee camp with no refugees after his wife dies. The author goes to great lengths to tell us that, while the piece is based on his travels and experiences in Pakistan, the main character is not autobiographical, probably because he realises his ´creation´ is a plodding, spineless dolt bereft of charisma and, like the novel itself, utterly predictable. How did the fact that at least 90% of the protagonist´s utterances are questions, more akin to a seven year old´s naivety, manage to escape the proof reading stage? The writing is lacklustre and the story ponderous, although on the positive side the characters are entirely believable in their inadequacies and insecurities. Only serves to reinforce the commonly held opinion that Americans are incapable of perceiving the world through anything other than their own dollar-tinted spectacles; the pitiful idea that all physical problems/ dilemmas of conscience/ moral issues can be solved with lucre is not only held by the characters in the book, but I suspect, tragically, also by the author himself.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover and back jacket made me think I was going to get something really interesting and informative, but just like the refugees, it never really materialized for me. So I gave up halfway in.

There were a couple of characters like Rai and the lecturer who had kind of annoying personalities, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I would have found out about Rai if I had read the whole thing, but that didn't happen. I didn't have anything against the protagonist and Elise, but I was still never really compelled by any of them. I'm curious about a plot hole. . . Elise drew the blood of like 50 villagers for a research project. But then what? Did she just store it under her mattress? I have a hard time believing they had a freezer up there, but I also never heard anything about what she did with all this (Afghan? Pakistani?) blood. It's not something you can just keep in a tent for weeks.

[Rose Marie]

This is a very important book for understanding how Americans are perceived in the world. The narrative takes place in Pakistan --though the country is not named in the novel --where the protagonist, a middle-aged doctor, is seeking renewal and transformation by volunteering to take care of earthquake victims. The victims of earthquake never show up but the camp erected for their arrival arouses suspicion across the border where the enemy is watchful. Shooting ensues causing an unnecessary death. The novel raises questions on the perception of "good." Is the providing of help in ignorance of language, terrain, local traditions and culture culture potentially dangerous and harmful? Disclaimer: I am involved with the public relations of this book. Is a publicist allowed to recommend a book in freedom? I hope so.

[Kyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle aged cardiologist grieving after the death of his wife, travels to a nameless country (Afghanistan-ish) to help with earthquake relief. My (male) partner loved this book. I found it so-so. Interesting premise, well-written albeit slower paced than some people will find comfortable, but the characters were...strange? The most full-realized characters were paradoxically the natives. The American doctor and the female German researcher were just plain weird. I cannot give away plot spoilers here, but I found the conclusion dissatisfying. And thus the whole novel disappointing.

[David. Luck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, showcasing a part of the world that most of us do not know. It is also a great story about loss and the introspection of our lives during personal conflict. It is certainly a recommended read.

[Grant Durbahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually reviewing this one because its interesting. Picked up on a whim from a bookstore. The protagonist is undeniably a self-insert. Setup is the white late 50s doctor has his wife die on him and he has no idea how to process grief. He goes to this presentation from a rizzed up NGO director talking about all the support they need for people in this rural area in the Middle East and travels to rural Afghanistan or Pakistan to do doctor stuff.

(spoilers ahead)

The most charitable interpretation of this book is that its about a guy that in the midst of his grief makes an overly ambitious decision to try to do something different with his life that doesn't really go well, and that that is kinda the lesson we're supposed to get. That he is trying to be a white savior and really sucking at it is kind of the point. The book touches on some complicated sociopolitical factors to partially explain the complete lack of wealth and resources in some of these areas.

The least charitable interpretation is that its a self-insert white savior power fantasy that shows the smart white doctor saving the uneducated brown people while fucking the German exchange student less than half his age because of course.

The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. I think if you read this 'zoomed out' so to speak, its a good lesson on how not to deal with grief. The primary reason I read it all the way through is because the prose is very well-written. Overall i probably wouldn't go out of my way to read this but at least its interesting

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Anderson is a physician, looking at the place he is in his life: not wanting to look back at his climb to success in the medical field and the consequences to his wife, now dead of cancer, and his son; and not wanting to look ahead at a life without his wife, his son off chasing an acting career. And so, he jumps at an opportunity to travel halfway around the world to an impoverished mid-eastern country reeling from devastating earthquakes and offer his services as a humanitarian...not to mention have an adventure. He gets all he bargained for and more.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a recommendation from someone, and honestly, I was quite surprised that I enjoyed it so much. The protagonist's moral dilemna and questioning of good and bad as a physician certainty appealed to my "medical side", and the writing was very engaging and I was easy pulled me into the story. I don't normally sympathize with characters but I found myself being very hopeful that the protagonist would "figure it out" and have a happy ending.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in the bargain section of Chapters and don't know if that means that it wasn't a high seller...if that's the case then it's been highly overlooked by potential readers.

This novel opens with of the saddest beginnings that I've read in quite some time, but I highly enjoyed it because it contains some really strong messages.

I recommend it to all readers.

[Cassandra Greenwald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some beautiful moments and language that would push my rating up another star. Some heavy descriptive passages that just clunk by and keep the rating where it is. Some good pacing and suspense, and then some filler. A nice find from the free little library, overall, but left me somewhat disappointed.

[Robert Weiss, · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very affecting reminiscence

The author, determined to make something meaningful of his life after his wife’s death, volunteers for service in an unnamed Islamic country. This story takes on a life of its own as it proceeds briskly. The prose, though mainly ordinary, has flashes of brilliance. I was actually weeping at the end.

[Michelle Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story. I couldn't stand not knowing exactly where it takes place although I was very close in my guess. I read the author's notes and interviews in the back of the book to find out the setting.

[Bonnie Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too slow a plot line for me. Only read about half.

[Ernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. A late-middle-aged man takes a leave of absence from work following the death of his wife. He goes on a medical mission to aid earthquake victims in a remote, unnamed Islamic country. He waits for the refugees who never come, he observes an ongoing border war that threatens and eventually ends his mission, he encounters people living in abject conditions which are incomprehesible to him. A young and attractive German girl is with him, pursuing a research project. Together, with a local guide, they set up the camp, wait for refugees and seek involvment with the local people. -- The characters take on allegorical dimensions. During the wait the man reflects. His son is pursuing a career as an actor. The father is concerned that his son has taken roles which are not flattering, simply to gain experience and perhaps advance his career. In parallel, the characters in the novel can be seen to be acting various roles,... choosing unflattering roles in order to fit in. Another aspect... His wife was suffering from cancer and, using his resources as a physician, he helps her end her life. When on the mission, he is complicit in several events which lead to unexpected life or death; the people around him act and make such decisions. The sense of it all is enigmatic. ------ The foregoing does not make this sound like a good read. But I enjoyed it very much. The story has a happy resolution in the end. He becomes whole through the experience and, indeed, the whole of the adventure puts his life in perspective. --- "Right of Thirs"t is described as the local Islamic custom/responsibility of providing hospitality through the offering of tea to guests. Through all the turmoil, Right of Thirst is the rudder.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This doesn't seem like the kind of book I usually read, but I liked the first chapter enough to buy it and continue onward. The first chapter depicted a man and his wife in what appeared to be an assisted suicide, and it was written so tenderly (and without being maudlin) that I found my eyes welling up just a page into the book -- unusual for me. So, I'm giving this one a shot...

--

I finished this book in a day (but I spent all of yesterday reading). I thought it was excellent. I loved the author's exploration of the complex relationship between Easterners and Westerners when the protagonist was serving as a doctor in a remote valley in a Pakistan-like country after an earthquake. I thought the author, Frank Huyler, handled the tricky dynamic with a light yet skilled hand. I later found out that the author is a doctor and he grew up abroad and has done some relief work. Even though the book is not autobiographical, it reads almost like a memoir, and some of the episodes are grounded in real events.

My only bugaboo with the book is that the pacing didn't match my expectations. I really enjoyed the first 70% of the book, but am still unsure whether the last 30% needed to be quite as drawn out. Perhaps it did. But to me the meatiest part of the book ended long before the book did.

He is a lovely writer -- described by the New Yorker as surgical and precise. And he certainly explores nuances of emotion and character. Excellent book.

[Gio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Huyler delivers on a stark and sparse novel about a doctor who travels to an unnamed Asian country set in the Himalayas. The book itself provides a look into the life of a man who's lost his wife and seeks to find meaning in participating in a rescue mission for refugees of an earthquake.

Dr. Charles Anderson, a man who's lost his wife to cancer, takes off on a journey to forget his pain, but finds himself at peril when the rescue mission is far less than what he thought it would be.

The author uses direct and unencumbered prose throughout the piece and builds a story that isn't lost on far reaching language. Instead, his sentences make the story appear almost dreamy and surreal. He shows exactly what Dr. Anderson sees, feels, smells, and touches, without excessive words. Added together, this becomes an economical piece of fiction lacking flash and frill.

Anyone who liked, Three Cups of Tea may find this book attractive, but be forewarned that it is a work of fiction. Enjoy.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first novel written by an ER doctor, the book tells the story of a recently widowed and deeply grieving heart surgeon who seeks for new meaning in his life by joining a group that serves in earthquake refugee camps in an unnamed, war-torn Islamic country (although it sounds much like Pakistan). When he gets to his destination, which is a remote camp in the mountains far away from any large cities, no refugees materialize and he spends his days waiting with another volunteer (who is actually there to do scientific research rather than to help others) and some soldiers. Desperate to heal himself by healing others, he and the other volunteer finally seek out those with medical needs in a nearby village, but are frustrated by cultural differences and misunderstandings. There are no easy answers in this book, no quick solutions to either personal or cultural problems.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look into the workings (or lack) of an NGO in an unspecified middle eastern country. Or perhaps it refers to India and Pakistan specifically? Anyway, a doctor has both noble and selfish reasons to volunteer to serve at a refugee camp for earthquake victims, however, they never show up. It also deals with him trying to get used to life after his wife's death, coming to terms with being middle aged and not as successful as he hoped to be.

I enjoyed the writing style, especially because the author, whose day job is in a hospital, offered many medical details. I always enjoy it when the author obviously knows what he/she is talking about. However, there were some loose ends that I wish were answered and wrapped up.

A good read for travel, but not one I'm likely to revisit.

[Chanpheng · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cardiologist who neglects his wife suffers remorse when she dies of cancer and his intervention of assisted suicide. He tries to find meaning in life through going to Pakistan to help people displaced by the earthquake. No one shows up, and he and a co-worker get peripherally involved in a clash between Indian and Pakistani forces.

The protagonist is not very interesting, there's little growth in his character. The book begs for a sequel - at the end, he and his co-worker get bit by sand flies, which transmit Leishmaniasis, a horrible disease which is difficult to treat.

[Calum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very good fictional read. It tells the story of a cardiologist who after the death of his wife sets out to try and sort out within himself where his own life is going after this traumatic event. He decides to volunteer as a doctor in a newly set up refugee camp and so the actual story of the quest to resolve his inner conflicts begin. This story turned out much better than I first thought it would. The question that you are left wondering about within the first chapter is answered towards the end of the book. This is a a fairly quick and easy read.

[Jeet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping that I would enjoy this book...but I was thoroughly disappointed..the main character was wet...I felt like screaming at him at times....I was waiting for the storyline to kick in...it never did:(...I was relieved when it finished...at times the main character really made me feel frustrated...I just wanted to jump into the book and say "wake up"....if you want a slow paced book...then this is the one for you....don't expect it to be a page turner or have a great story line....its not!!

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This never quite got anywhere for me.
Middle aged doctor, widowed, depressed - runs away to nameless middle eastern country to set up a refugee camp...only there are no refugees.

It was just odd...unlikely. Why is that German woman there, too...? And she can't just take tubes of blood and carry them around for months for later sampling of the DNA... Just seems unlikely.

Unsatisfying in the end...his departure from and strange, unqualified reunion with his mid-20's son (also bereaved by the way...)

waste of time.