Fresh out of medical school at Vanderbilt, Luke Bradford reluctantly takes up a post as the town doctor in Watervalley, Tenn. Though he longs for a research job at a prestigious hospital, Luke's extensive student loan debt and his small-town heritage propel him toward tiny, unsophisticated Watervalley. What he finds there--including a sharp-tongued housekeeper, a bitter recluse with a keen intellect and a muddy, affectionate stray dog--is both more challenging and more charming than he expected.
More Things in Heaven and Earth draws on Jeff High's medical experience in its deft portrayal of Luke's profession, with scenes ranging from infant vaccination to the resuscitation of a local farmer whose heart stops in the clinic's waiting room. Readers gradually learn Luke's history as he struggles to find his place in Watervalley, longing for connection but not willing to set down roots. Several comedic moments (some of them veering into slapstick) and a few not-so-dark town secrets provide relief from Luke's routine of seeing patients, until a baffling flu epidemic upends his life and leaves him both exhausted and determined to help his new community.
Though High's forays into Luke's inner life are often clumsy, even clichéd, his twin strengths lie in drawing likable, recognizable small-town characters and providing just enough medical detail in the clinic scenes. Watervalley is reminiscent of Jan Karon's Mitford or James Herriot's Yorkshire, and High's debut novel sets the stage for an enjoyable new series. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams