I have just finished reading the book, "Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq" by Dr. Christopher Coppola about his experiences over in Balad, Iraq where he deployed two times.
When Dr. Coppola first deployed he was a Major, and had never been overseas. He tells of trying to sleep with the sound of Black Hawk helicopters coming and going directly overhead at all hours of the day. Since he is a pediatric surgeon by training, whenever a child was brought to the hospital, he was called, day or night.
I found the book to be a fascinating glimpse into the workings of a major trauma center located in the middle of war zone. A behind the scenes telling of the emotions, the dedication and the frustration of a man who has dedicated his life to saving the lives of others. A healer turned soldier.
Conflicts occur between Dr. Coppola and the head of the hospital when it comes to performing an operation on an Iraqi child. The nurses refuse to be a part of assisting with the operation.
This book brings a different perspective to the war in Iraq. There is much here to think about after you have read this book. Think about the potential for personal conflict if you were attending medical school, wanting to be a surgeon to save lives and joined the Air Force to help pay for med school costs. Suddenly you are trained as a soldier whose role is often to take a life vs. a surgeon whose role is to save a life. Should it matter if a critically wounded trooper is male or female? To the staff of the ER that day it did.
We follow Dr. Coppola as he transitions back home. After several years he is deploying again, and must try to explain to his young son that he can't delay it just because the child's birthday party will be missed. He explains that the military people need him to take care of them. When he arrives back in Iraq, as a Lt. Col. he finds the hospital has changed greatly and so has the attitude of the staff. Is it all for the better? Certain activities bring back memories of his childhood. He touches on the many ways people try to bring a touch of home to their corner of Iraq at the holidays.
Overall, I found this book to be an easy read, one that was quick to catch my interest. It made me stop and think, at several different points, what would I have done, had I been there and been faced with those decisions.
You may pre-order this book here. It has not yet been released to the bookstores.
This book is an excellent choice, if you are in a book club. There are many thought provoking questions at the end of the book, making it a good choice for a discussion.
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