La Doctora: The Journal of an American Doctor Practicing Medicine on the Amazon River
by Linnea Smith
Category: Biography & Autobiography

This doctor still makes house calls. In 1990, Dr. Linnea Smith went on vacation. The result? She abandoned a thriving medical practice in Wisconsin to serve the Yagua Indians in the deepest part of the Amazon rainforest of Peru alone. Today, Dr. Smith routinely hears the midnight cry of "Doctora!" from patients facing life-and-death emergencies. Accompany her on house calls where the unknown often awaits. Observe how she treats exotic diseases, alligator bites and complicated births almost a day's journey away from the closest hospital. Taken straight from the pages of Dr. Smith's journal, La Doctora offers readers a rare glimpse into the suspense and drama of practicing medicine in a culture far removed from the sophisticated supplies and supports of 20th-century medicine. Learn how Dr. Smith evolved from a "strange white woman" to an adopted member of the indigenous community. Her story of adventure, self-discovery and service creates an inspirational testimonial to one person's power to make a lasting difference.