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Table of Contents
About The Book
How far would you go to live a moral life?
A compellingly intelligent story about moral ambition and its pitfalls, following the journey of a Western doctor trying to make a difference in a stricken Islamic community.
Reeling from his wife’s death, cardiologist Charles Anderson is looking for meaning and purpose in his life. He volunteers to work as the doctor at a refugee camp, in a poverty-ridden Islamic country, set up to take the survivors of a devastating earthquake. But tensions rise to dangerous levels as bombs start to fall. Forced to continually re-evaluate his conceptions of what constitutes a good deed, Charles pushes himself ever further on his quest to do something morally unequivocal in a perilous and unforgiving land.
A vivid and absorbing account of the limits of benevolence, Right of Thirst offers a subtle exploration of the clash between East and West, rich and poor, and the profound conflicts that divide the world, as well as the fundamental human qualities that unite us.
A compellingly intelligent story about moral ambition and its pitfalls, following the journey of a Western doctor trying to make a difference in a stricken Islamic community.
Reeling from his wife’s death, cardiologist Charles Anderson is looking for meaning and purpose in his life. He volunteers to work as the doctor at a refugee camp, in a poverty-ridden Islamic country, set up to take the survivors of a devastating earthquake. But tensions rise to dangerous levels as bombs start to fall. Forced to continually re-evaluate his conceptions of what constitutes a good deed, Charles pushes himself ever further on his quest to do something morally unequivocal in a perilous and unforgiving land.
A vivid and absorbing account of the limits of benevolence, Right of Thirst offers a subtle exploration of the clash between East and West, rich and poor, and the profound conflicts that divide the world, as well as the fundamental human qualities that unite us.
Product Details
- Publisher: Oneworld Publications (February 1, 2010)
- Length: 368 pages
- ISBN13: 9781851688883
Raves and Reviews
"Frank Huyler creates a thrilling drama out of a few well-chosen elements."
– Harper's Magazine
“A fascinating and heartbreaking meditation on healing and motivation … Even when there's nothing happening in this beautifully austere novel, Huyler provides readers with plenty to ponder.”
– Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Breathtakingly vivid…scrupulous and severe in its allegiance to truth-telling.”
– The Times Literary Supplement
"Resonant. . . . vivid and compassionate. . . . A timely, disquieting reflection on mortality, war and the startling dichotomy between the affluent West and the impoverished Third World."
– Kirkus Reviews
"He writes in a surgical fashion-with precision and care, making no sudden metaphorical movements. Huyler's protagonist resists easy answers or self-congratulatory axioms in examining the ethics of humanitarian intervention.”
– The New Yorker
"Sturdy and evocative."
– Publishers Weekly
"Dr. Huyler's writing is quiet, precise, spellbinding from beginning to end … Easily holds with the best contemporary fiction."
– The New York Times
"A book to treasure. It is a riveting tale of our time, at once haunting and inspiring, provocative and insightful. It will stay with me for a long time."
– Tom Brokaw - award-winning television journalist and author of ‘The Greatest Generation’
"One of the finest novels I've read in years. . . . A timely, powerful exploration into the uses and limits of benevolence . . . the limits of what's good and decent in the American character."
– Ben Fountain - author of 'Brief Encounters with Che Guevara'
"Brilliant, start to finish. . . . It's clear and deep and wise, and very few contemporary novels can make that claim."
– Stewart O'Nan - author of 'Songs for the Missing'
"Lyrical, moving, gripping. . . . A dark, compelling story about moral ambition and its pitfalls-a necessary book for this moment in America's imperial history."
– Andrew Solomon - author of the National Book Award-winning 'The Noonday Demon'
Resources and Downloads
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Right of Thirst eBook 9781851688883
