Book reviews with Pauline Atkins: The Grain of Circumstance by Douglas Veal

Hello South London Book Lovers.

As a book reviewer you often hope that you will receive a book that will leave an emotional impact on you.

I can honestly say The Grain of Circumstance by Douglas Veal has certainly left that kind of impact on me.

Author, Douglas Veal, is an 85 year old grandfather and retired scientist living in Bromley.

He started writing The Grain of Circumstance in 2000 and was published in 2023 by Wrate’s Publishing.

The book is set in Uganda in the 1990s when AIDS/HIV was being reported throughout Africa.

A hospital is being built in a village called Muchaka, under the watchful eyes of Mother Brigid from the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa, the FMSA.

A young, newly qualified doctor from Scotland, Dr Dominic Black, has wanted to help since he heard Bob Geldof introducing Band Aid in 1984.

In 1989, Dominic qualifies and buys Band Aid II, this is when he decides he can finally do something to help.

Once immersed in his new life, Dominic soon realises what a challenge the next 12 months will be.

With limited supplies, a hospital still being built around him, no phones, the local healer vowing to sabotage Dominic at every opportunity, and only a handful of the Sisters with enough medical knowledge to help him, Dominic needs more than prayers, he needs miracles!

I don’t want to give too much away but there is so much going on in this book, you will not want to put it down.

There is love, death, heartache and faith. The author has never been to Africa but through his amazing research you can believe you are in all the places he talks about.

His knowledge of the drugs used to treat AIDS/HIV brings you back to when the eyes of the world were on the pharmaceutical companies desperately waiting for a cure and amazingly Douglas was associated with the company that developed the Retrovir drug that treated HIV.

Picture: Pauline Atkins