Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2014
192 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Nancy Mullion, an obstetrician-gynecologist whose botched surgery has put a patient in a life-threatening coma, must face a medical tribunal to determine if she can continue to practice medicine. Nancy's fears about both her patient's chances for survival and whether she will be "undoctored" are made palpable to the reader. Throughout four weeks of intense questioning and accusations, this physician directly confronts for the first time her work as an abortion provider - how it helps the lives of others but takes a heavy toll on her own.
Interweaving memories of Nancy's English and American childhood and adolescence, Dirty Work creates an emotionally charged portrait of one woman's life; the telling of seemingly untellable stories sets her free, as it can all women. Gabriel Weston has given us a truly original, courageous, and meaningful novel.
"Starred Review. A medical and moral tour de force." - Publishers Weekly
"Weston writes with an ease that belies the complexity of the message within, without being overly preachy or political." - Booklist
"[Weston]has written a courageous, incisive debut novel that offers a reflective and compassionate view of the medical work and human dimensions surrounding the surgery to end pregnancies" - Library Journal
"Weston has an unwavering passion for the truth as well as the courage to tell it." - The Telegraph (UK)
"Perfectly measured doses of compassion, respect for human dignity and straight-talking attention to detail....A gripping read." - Observer (UK)
"Making Nancy self-aware allows Weston to explore a doctor's feelings in a way that is nuanced and affecting." - Times (UK)
"A lot of books are called 'brave,' and they aren't. Dirty Work is." - Lionel Shriver, author of We Need to Talk About Kevin
This information about Dirty Work was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Gabriel Weston is an ear, nose, and throat surgical specialist. Her memoir, Direct Red: A Surgeon's View of Her Life-or-Death Profession, was named a Best Book of the Year in 2009 by The Economist and The Telegraph, long-listed for the Guardian First Book Award, and received the PEN/Ackerley Prize for Autobiography. She lives in London with her physician husband and their children.
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