Mr Hammond and the Poetic Apprentice

Mr Hammond and the Poetic Apprentice A novel by Mellany Ambrose It is the Summer of 1814 in Georgian England. Thomas Hammond, an apothecary surgeon, has two apprentices. His son Edward is energetic, clever, and reckless, and orphan John Keats is moody and passionate, cares deeply about his patients, but has his head in books and poetry. Thomas is devoted to his patients, and conscientiously prepares his apprentices to become apothecaries, or possibly surgeons. But he is torn between promoting his own son to have the grand career as a surgeon he never had, and his growing conviction that Edward is sloppy and callous, and Keats is the better doctor. For those living in Southwark, this book is a must. The author takes us into sites we can visit ourselves, the grandeur and squalor of Guys Hospital, and the fascinating theatrical Old Operating Theatre. “Patients wandered seemingly aimlessly along the cloisters at the edge: some heavily bandaged, women carrying tiny babies, amputees dipping and swinging on crutches.” The power struggle between the two boys is keenly observed, as is the conflict between Hammond and his wife Susannah over which boy to favour. We see too the emotional turmoil Hammond suffers, as a doctor in an era where he could often do little to save his patients. There is tension throughout the book, as we wonder what guilty professional secret Hammond is suppressing. And the scene where it is revealed does not disappoint. The characters are vivid and jump off the page, but the author's real genius lies in her depiction of medical life. As a hospital doctor and GP herself, she brings an exceptional understanding of the emotions of both patients and doctors in these scenes. She explains that Hammond must teach John “to bleed with leeches and lancets, to pull teeth, set limbs, assist childbirth and diagnose fevers.” And we as readers are taken through this fascinating training. We see John and Edward setting limbs, carrying out amputations, mixing pills, dispensing medicines, and all this in the homes, carriages, woodlands, and furniture of Georgian England. The period detail is superb. Many scenes bring us to tears as we see patients live and survive, while others who would have survived in our time, perish. This novel is haunting and beautifully written, a tender tribute, as Mellany writes in her dedication, “to the hard working GPs in the NHS, the Thomas Hammonds of today.” It is a remarkable record of medical life in Georgian England. Available as paperback or ebook. Published by Matador and available through the Troubador bookshop, or to order from most bookshops in store or online, or from Amazon.