Veterinarians Becoming Writers
Ever heard that Christmas classic, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer?” Did you know it was written by a veterinarian? Here are four veterinarians who have contributed more than just a goofy holiday song to popular culture:
#1 James Herriot
James Herriot is the most famous veterinarian-turned-author of the twentieth century ever. A reader can tell what inspired him to tell the story of his life as a vet in the English countryside: the spartan and expansive beauty of the Yorkshire dales; the charm of farm and village life in the age of the draft horse; the quirky personalities of an isolated, rural culture. And of course, the joys and heartbreaks of practicing veterinary medicine in what we would consider primitive circumstances. For a nostalgic and sometimes hilarious look into English life right before World War II, start with All Creatures Great and Small, I guarantee you’ll want to read the other books in the series.
#2. Elliott Garber
Elliott Garber is an Army veterinarian and author of the 2015 military medical thriller The Chimera Sequence (2015, Osprey Press). This is a page-turner featuring wildlife veterinarian Cole McBride, whose research leads him from the Congo to Sudan to Washington, D.C., chasing a contagion of global proportions. A great combination of science, action, and a touch of romance. Very good debut from this promising author.
#3 Bo Brock
Bo Brock is a veterinarian practicing in the hinterlands of Texas. He is renowned in the region as an equine veterinarian, but in his practice he treats all kinds of animals: dogs, cats, goats, cattle. I’ve been enjoying his humor column in the veterinary press for years (“Here’s the situation: it is the middle of the night, and I am about to deliver baby goats in my living room…”) His 2016 memoir Crowded in the Middle of Nowhere is in the same vein—think of Dr. Brock as a modern-day, West Texas James Herriot.
#4 Melinda G. McCall
Melinda McCall practices large-animal veterinary medicine in rural Virginia. She takes care of beef & dairy cattle, sheep, goats, pigs—you name it. Her memoir, Driving Home Naked (And Other Misadventures of a Country Veterinarian) is a light-hearted look at life as an agricultural veterinarian.
#5 Laura C. Lefkowitz, DVM
For a completely different experience of what it’s like to be an animal doctor, read Dr. Lefkowitz’s behind-the-scenes memoir of life as an ER vet: Bite Me: Tell-All Tales of an Emergency Veterinarian. She strives for realism and honesty, pulling no punches about how taking care of animals can be both heart-warming and heart-breaking.
If you’d like to pick up your own copies of these books, consider following this link to my Bookshop.org store and scrolling down to the Books by Veterinarians section. You’ll find books by all these authors—and also a book by me! This is an affiliate link, which means you will still receive a discount on your purchase, but Bookshop.org will give me a small commission in return for sending my readers to them. Thank you so much for your support — it means a lot!