Jungle Doctor and the whirlwind

Years ago, I read the Jungle Doctor books by Paul White, generally one a week from the Sunday School library. They were some of my favourite books and are partially responsible for my interest in medicine as a child which ultimately led to medical training.

 Over the years, I've reread them to the children with some amazement about the differences in medicine between Africa in the 1930s and the UK a couple of generations later. So when I was given the chance to listen to the audio book of Jungle Doctor and the Whirlwind I jumped at this.

Jungle Doctor books combine excitement, medicine and a strong Christian message. This comes out clearly in the audio book. They are set in Tanganyika in the 1930s where Jungle Doctor is a medical missionary loosely based on the life of the author, Australian Paul White.

In this book, Jungle Doctor comes to face with difficulties in the country, illicit drugs and with his own staff at the time of a dysentery epidemic.

I'm always struck by accents in audio books. When I read, I tend to assume that everyone has an English accent like me unless it is completely obvious that they haven't. I was quite surprised about the Canadian accent in Anne of Green Gables. This time, I wasn't surprised but felt the Jungle Doctor's Australian accent made sense.

My one criticism of this audio book is that chapter one is not chapter one of the book but a series on background information. Some of this is useful such as the author's biography and information about diseases mentioned but other is a long list of Swahili words and their translation. The information in this chapter would be better put at the end of the book.

Start with file two and enjoy the story! There are some brilliant turns of phrase and an end with echoes of the parable of the prodigal son.

This audiobook is suitable for older children.

Jungle Doctor and the whirlwind was provided by Christian Focus and Christian Audio for the purposes of this review. The opinions are entirely my own.