Reflection On McDowell By William H. Coles

McDowell is a work of fiction written by William H. Coles. It is a two-part book with 72 chapters in total.

Hiram McDowell is an accomplished surgeon and is gifted musically. He lives with a wife and five kids; three from two previous marriages and two from the current wife’s side. It is a strained marriage coupled with an air of dysfunction in the family. Meanwhile, McDowell secures himself the position of president of The International College of Surgeons. In the process, he passes over Michael O’Leary for the position of executive director for somebody else. Michael had played a huge role in securing him the votes in exchange for the position. Michael attempts to get back at him by opening an investigation against him through the ethics committee. The dirt found on him doesn’t stick.

Things don’t’ get so rosy in the home front though. In the middle of media scrutiny on his life, McDowell makes a critical mistake while attending to domestic affairs. He now has to deal with jail-time and a desperate quest for freedom that has him constantly on the run from the authorities. While on the run, he learns a few things about himself that humble him and lead him on a path to self-redemption. Will he win back the confidence of those he hurt in the past? Meanwhile, he writes a memoir on his life to tell his side of the story.

This is an engaging book with the author weaving through the story in the third person but somehow being able to fit the reader into different mindsets as he tells the story. For instance, he enters into the mind of Gatemouth Willie Brown in chapter fifty-nine; …He don’t talk like a crazy or even a down and out. He got some schoolin’. Probably he run from the law. The two parts of the book are introduced by illustrations that help place the reader in context and add to the memorable nature of the book.

This book is great for those who like works of fiction which most likely will have one reading again just to allow the story to sink and for some reflection. I recommend it to them. The nature of the story will leave the reader questioning the morally acceptable choices we ought to make during critical life and death moments of people who fall under our care. To some extent, such moments in the book may not be for the faint of heart. The role and effect of media on society is also explored in the book. Other themes of interest may stand out to the reader as they read through the book.

I rate the book with 4 out of 4 stars. There were hardly any grammatical or spelling errors except for deliberate alteration to mimic the manner of speech of various characters. There aren’t many offensive moments in the book, so any grown person can read it without a problem. It may not be good for a young audience though. Like I hinted in the previous paragraphs, this book won’t be one to forget for a long time.