OF FLESH AND BLOOD

A pediatric oncologist and his wife, a cutting-edge researcher, battle disease at a renowned hospital with a complicated past and contend with their own ailing relationship.

Dr. Tyler McGrath deals with heartbreaking cases of childhood cancer, but in his desire to try an experimental last-ditch treatment he may have pushed one family too far. His wife, Dr. Jill Laidlaw, meanwhile, believes she is on the edge of a breakthrough in treating multiple sclerosis—at least until she discovers that her research has been compromised. Both doctors care deeply about their patients, but the dedication that once united them has now pulled them apart, a problem aggravated by their failure to start a family. A variety of patients, including a princess and a conservative senator, pass through these pages, helping to illustrate the complexities of medical funding and the frailty of the human body. Along the way we also learn about the hospital’s history and the feud that exists between its founding families. Kalla (Blood Lies, 2007, etc.) alternates between the various medical dramas and the multigenerational family saga at the center of the book. She switches stories nearly every chapter, which at times can be confusing.

More medical epic than medical thriller.