Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
A Hidden Hope by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a fantastic read blending romance, hope, faith, intriguing medical facts, and doctors/nurses learning their craft under the supervision of a very wise doctor. Readers can revisit characters from the previous book and get to know some interesting new ones.
The plot has Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus deciding to lessen her medical workload by taking into the practice two newly minted medical residents, Wren Baker and Charlie King, as well as traveling nurse Evie Miller. Wren is sharp, ambitious, and graduated at the top of her medical school, while Charlie King is at the bottom of the class and determined to succeed. The trio struggles to balance modern medicine with Plain living. Between medical emergencies, cultural misunderstandings, and brewing romantic tensions, Dok finds herself juggling far more than she bargained for. A second main thread continued from the last book is about Annie, Dok’s Amish receptionist, who desperately wants to join her love interest, Gus, in the EMT field. But medical issues complicate the matter and makes her wonder if her dreams and future will blow up in smoke.
What makes these books stand out is how the author highlights some medical issues such as postpartum depression, reading disabilities, family dysfunction, drug trials with pharmaceutical companies, and severe motion sickness. Readers will take the journey with the characters as they struggle with these issues and try to overcome them. In addition, there is subtle commentary on the attitude of doctors. A great quote that exemplifies this is by Dok, “You have all the tools to be a good doctor, but to be a great one, you need to treat the person, not just the illness.”
This book was very hard to put down. Readers will become entwined with the characters. There are tender moments, heart wrenching scenes, and humorous dialogue.
Elise Cooper: Why did “Dok” decide to have doctoral residents?
Suzanne Woods Fisher: I was not setting out to do a series but have written a third book. It picks up where the last book, A Healing Touch, left off. Dok had a local TV station do a feature on her and her practice blew up with a waiting list out the door. She ends up with two brand new medical doctors. They decided to go to this rural local community to get their medical school bills paid off. It is a story where the outsiders are looking in, about observation and noticing.
EC: How did you find out about the medical practice to write about?
SWF: I have several friends who have children that became doctors. My own daughter- in-law has a residency in clinical psychology. I interviewed two of my friends’ children who did not match to where they went. I have written into the story medical issues that either I know about personally or knew of people that experienced it. Most of “Doks” work is not specialty but common, basic, and true anecdotal medical issues.
EC: Why did you write this powerful book quote about looking at the individual or animal by doctors and vets?
SWF: My experience with the medical community is that it is all about statistics. Doctors and vets today do not individualize. They need to look at the person or dogs care, commitment, devotion, and budget. Dok said to the resident that she must see the whole person. Her quote, “What truly matters to me is that you start seeing your patients as a whole people not just a collection of symptoms…You need to treat the person, not just the illness. Your patients aren’t mere tasks on a to-do list. You need to be attentive to them as human beings.” Dok is the doctor we all wish we had.
EC: Did Dok practice differently than other doctors?
SWF: Rural doctors like Dok practice differently than those in an urban setting. They are much more on the front line of a family practice. Dok has this philosophy that she can learn more about a person in a home than in an office call. Dok is now so connected to the people’s well-being and whole health. She believes in alternative options, and is a quick thinker, and adapts to the moment. At first, she thinks how much Wren is like her when she was a young doctor, but Charlie is like Doc now as an experienced doctor.
EC: How would you describe the resident Wren?
SWF: Wren Baker graduated at the top of her class, brilliant, quick, decisive, gutsy, bold, audacious, competitive, and ambitious. She is also territorial, snobbish, impatient, used to luxuries, not culturally sensitive, cunning, determined, and tenacious. Wren had life a little too easy including in school that applauded her high successful IQ but that does not necessarily make a successful person with relationships, especially working with others.
EC: How about the other resident, Charlie?
SWF: He was at the bottom of his medical class. He is curious, steady, can connect with the patients. Wren was the reason he got through medical school. He had an appreciation and tolerance for her that others did not see. He is also kindhearted, patient, goofy, likes to fix things, and is all heart. He thinks outside the box and comes at things from a different angle.
EC: What about the nicknames given to Charlie by Evie, the nurse practitioner studying under Dok?
SWF: Clueless Charlie, Charitable Charlie, Correctable Charlie, Coachable Charlie, and Conniving Charlie. Evie was crazy in love with him. She feels neglected by him. These represent her emotions. Her feelings zig zag. Evie felt it was unrequited love all the time.
EC: How would you describe Evie?
SWF: She had a Mennonite upbringing. She does not have self-confidence and does not stand up for herself. She underestimates herself. She feels displaced and does not belong until her grandparents raised her during her high school years as her parents ran off on different missions. She never understood the gift she had with a sense of calmness and confidence.
EC: How would you describe Clara who has postpartum depression?
SWF: She suffered alone, is struggling, broken, withdrawn, and became disoriented. She slipped through the cracks with a lot of people to blame. Motherhood is highly revered in the Amish community. Clara was not thriving and feels judged for struggling. She has a husband who is super patriarchal. She finds it hard to except help and has painted herself into a corner of loneliness and isolation.
EC: How about Dok’s office assistant, Annie?
SWF: She is shy, not confident, and considers EMT Gus like a soul mate. She is a quick thinker but panics when she thinks she cannot achieve her professional dreams. Annie is the youngest in a big family with all brothers. Her mother is a flaming hypochondriac. At the end of the book, she has become her own person where she makes her own decisions.
EC: Next books?
SWF: There will be a book 3, a wonderful conclusion. It picks up a bit where this leaves off. It will be published next October 2026 but no title yet. In May another book comes out, the second in the National Park Series titled Chasing the Light. This will have the ocean and buried treasure, with a lot of history of New England.
EC: THANK YOU!!
