"A harrowing, evocative drama about the ravages of war and the power of compassion." —Kirkus Reviews  

What does a doctor do when he thinks his best is not good enough? Matthew Barrett, thirty-one years old and fresh out of residency, is drafted and sent to Vietnam as a combat surgeon in 1967 at the height of the Vietnam War. Compassionate and sensitive to a fault, he is determined to make a difference but quickly finds his idealism crushed by the pain, suffering, and indifference that surround him. Shamed by his inexperience and tormented by his failures, he slowly unravels. Only the love of Therese Hopkins, a nurse, keeps him from falling apart. But will their love survive the grinding horror of war? 

Matthew’s journey of redemption takes him from combat surgeon in Vietnam to transplant doctor in Ohio and, finally, to physician in a relief camp in Biafra, exploring how the caring and compassion that draws young people to pursue the healing arts can also sow the seeds of their own destruction, and how love may be the only thing that can finally make all bleeding stop.   

About the Author:

Former construction laborer, cab driver, and dock worker, Mike Collins rose to become chief resident in orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He is the author of two acclaimed memoirs, Hot Lights, Cold Steel and Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs. Mike is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. He and his wife, Patti, were born, raised, and still live on the West Side of Chicago.