David Whittet’s THE ROAD TO MADAPUR tells the story of Dr. Theo Malone, a frustrated doctor from New Zealand who is driven to serve others and is disdainful of any rules that might get in the way. As a student, he was inspired by a classmate to work as a doctor in Uganda, but quickly finds the dry lectures of medical school about long-cured diseases to be out of touch in a modern world with the AIDS epidemic running rampant. After another boring lecture and an unimpressive exam score one of his professors calmly tells him that he’ll never be a doctor. Hurt and discouraged he strives to prove the professor wrong, but keeps making enemies and causing problems with his well-intentioned but reckless actions. Even a stint in Uganda where he long wanted to work only seems to set him back and prove his professor correct.

Meanwhile, Elisha, the daughter of Australian Christian missionaries is torn from her normal teenage life in Brisbane, Australia, and brought to work with her family at her father’s mission in Madhapur, India. Her initial reticence makes her hate the place, but meeting the locals and serving the local community of lepers helps her come around and see the benefit of her father’s work. By a lucky twist of fate, Theo’s desire to help the disadvantaged takes him to Madhapur where he meets Elisha, but also plunges them into the difficulties of life in rural India where local officials seemingly try to kill any medical program and anti-christian sentiment might break out into violence at any time. The love, loss, and tribulations of these soul mates will see them deal with immense pain, tragedy, and setbacks, and finally find their true purpose and place in each other’s hearts. THE ROAD TO MADHAPUR is a heartbreaking, yet poignantly beautiful journey through the love story of two people whose desire to serve and survive in a difficult world will test their love and help them understand who they truly are. The author uses his own experience as a doctor and as a volunteer in rural India to bring the story to life with rich realistic details, punctuated with engaging dialogue and a well-paced story.

THE ROAD TO MADHAPUR by David Whittet is a wistful, beautiful if heartbreaking coming-of-age story where the character’s lives are beset by strife and hardship but through their tribulations come to realize who they truly are and find their life’s purpose through the service of those in need.

~Patrick McShane for Indie Reader