In My Father's House

This flawed first novel by a doctor trained at Johns Hopkins University's hospital concerns two doctors, one just beginning his career and the other ending his, and both immersed in the harshly competitive yet exciting world of academic medicine. When Clayton Hallam, a much-admired professor of neurosurgery, collapses during his retirement speech, he is placed under the care of Jim Gallier, a smart, likable intern. Friendship and mutual respect quickly develop, and soon each is revealing his personal demons to the other. Flashbacks explore Clay's often troubled career--the price he has paid for taking responsibility for human life and the consequences of all-too-human errors--while Jim is unsure of his goals and himself. The encounter, predictably, revitalizes both men. Wilson's compelling inside view of the medical world, however, cannot override didactic discourses, an at times unsophisticated narrative style and stiff dialogue. The final revelation, a coincidence that pushes the bounds of believability, irreparably damages the story. (Oct.)