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Description
Beautiful ballerina Nicole Hudson, who rose to Broadway stardom from a heartbreaking childhood, is stirred by flowers and letters from a secret admirer who is inspired by her dancing. His letters hint at a great aspiration he has and at his despair over obstacles thwarting him.
Her secret admirer is David Lang, a young doctor with a medical breakthrough---a way of re-growing damaged nerves to cure brain and spinal-cord injuries. David’s frustration arises because his experimental treatment, which he believes to be safe, requires approval from New York’s health system, CareFree, a bureaucracy wracked with cost overruns and other, politically motivated priorities. To David’s chagrin, it will take years for him to get through the red tape.
When the ballerina, Nicole, suffers a brain injury that leaves her blind, her only hope is David’s new cure. She never imagines that the neurosurgeon treating her is also her secret admirer.
Nicole learns of the new treatment and pleads with David to try it on her. Moved by her desperation, he does the unthinkable. He performs the first of two brain surgeries on Nicole. The second operation must follow within weeks, if she is to regain her sight.
David’s illegal surgery unleashes a firestorm. His license is suspended, and he is ordered to discontinue Nicole’s treatment or face jail. David vows to complete Nicole’s treatment, no matter the price. Mortified that he could lose his license and be jailed, Nicole refuses further treatment.
Will she ever see again?
What will happen when David is forced to take on the whole system---and the powerful, unswerving official who runs it---to fight for his work, his ideals, and the woman he loves?
An unusual hero, a tender love story, a revolutionary medical breakthrough, and a bitter conflict with the law converge in one explosive case.
Noble Vision won two national literary honors highly acclaimed in independent publishing: ForeWord magazine’s Book-of-the-Year and Writer’s Digest’s International Book Awards.
As innovative as its surgeon-protagonist, Noble Vision breaks the mold that encases much of today’s fiction. In an age in which plot stories and character studies, not to mention romances and thrillers, appear in distinctly separate categories of fiction, and thought-provoking themes are rare, Noble Vision combines a rich mix of story elements in one satisfying read. It is a nail-biting thriller, a passionate love story, and a duel of the conflicting ideologies piercing the heart of medicine today. If the current healthcare system has ever left you feeling frustrated, helpless, and afraid, Noble Vision will tell you why.
Noble Vision is considered “very highly recommended reading” by Midwest Book Review. The novel's dramatic portrayal of the struggle of a doctor who wants to practice his profession by his own judgment and conscience versus the dictates of a universal health system earned endorsements from American Medical Association past president Edward Annis, syndicated columnist Walter Williams, magazine magnate Steve Forbes, and Nobel laureate Milton Friedman.
Noble Vision is published by Winged Victory Press, whose mission is to publish stories of unusual people doing unusual things, stories with something vitally important to say, and stories that inspire us to fight for our freedom and individuality.
Product Details
Author:
Gen LaGreca
Paperback:
352 pages
Publisher:
Winged Victory Press
Publication Date:
January 15, 2005
Language:
English
ISBN:
0974457949
Package Length:
8.9 inches
Package Width:
5.98 inches
Package Height:
0.94 inches
Package Weight:
1.15 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 39 reviews
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: ( 39 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 69 found the following review helpful:
The Best Novel I've Read In Ten Years! Mar 15, 2005
By Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty I don't usually write book reviews for novels or books that generally are considered to be works of "fiction," although I regularly read a great many novels for my own enjoyment, merely for the sake of recreation. Now and then, however, a novel comes along that I consider to be a work of "fiction that makes an important point." This is the case with Gen LaGreca's new novel, "Noble Vision." Written in the tradition of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and Dean Koontz's "Dark Rivers of the Heart," LaGreca's book does, indeed, "make an important point," and does it superbly. The battlefield is sociopolitical geography and the war is rational individualism against state totalitarianism.
The basic plot of the novel is really quite simple, but the philosophical ramifications are profound. Dr. David Lang, a noted and successful neurosurgeon, has discovered a way to regenerate nerve tissue. The government (of the state of New York, in this case) will not allow him to try his experimental procedure on Nicole Hudson, a professional ballerina who has become blind because of a fall which occurred during an explosion at the theater where she was performing. And why can't Dr. Lang help Nicole to possibly regain her sight with his new medical breakthrough? Well, because medical practice in New York is now regulated by the state's socialized medicine program (named, interestingly enough, "CareFree"), and Dr. Lang's procedure has not yet been "officially" approved. It doesn't matter, of course, that Nicole, as his patient, has granted him permission to try the new procedure.
There are a number of subplots in the story, adding complexity to both the major theme of the novel and the suspense experienced by the reader, and a cast of characters who are clearly drawn and with whom the reader will either identify or vilify. The state's governor is an exemplar of the truly corrupt politician; the head of the state's socialized medicine program is a compromised physician (who just happens to be Dr. Lang's father!); and Marie Lang, David's wife, who is also a physician but one who has caved in to the powers-that-be, has given up her dream of being a cardiologist to be a general practitioner because that was the "socially correct" thing to do. Other characters grace the pages of this fine novel and the reader has no trouble determining where they stand in relation to the main theme of the book. Yes, it's pretty much black and white, and that's the way good fiction ought to be when it's trying to get the reader to think about an important issue. This is what fiction in the "Romantic" tradition is meant to be. In LaGreca's novel there are no namby-pamby gray areas of moral indecisiveness; there are no colorless characters who couldn't be heroes or villains because they wouldn't know the difference; there is no compromise between true individualism and the suffocating policies of state collectivism. Hurray for that!
Remember Hilary Clinton's proposed healthcare program back in the 1990s? One thought that occurred to me as I read further into this novel was how close this story was to what probably would have occurred if her healthcare program had, in fact, been implemented. One point that stood out was this: in the Clinton program, as I recall, a physician could be fined and/or imprisoned for treating a patient privately. I found such a proposal shocking at the time. In "Noble Vision," this possibility becomes "real," in the sense that a novel can actually serve to illustrate just how such an immoral policy would be applied if executed, and the consequences of such a misguided program. I am old enough to remember the days when the practice of medicine was considered a "calling," and physicians were more concerned about treating their patients than about becoming rich or meeting the arbitrary whims of some bureaucrat. The practice of medicine does not mix well with politics; in fact, I would argue that politics would be (and yet may be) the death of good, sound medical practice.
There are, in my considered opinion, three types of people (or institutions) one should absolutely avoid: Those who say (1) "I know what is best for you"; (2) "I'm only doing this for your own good"; and (3) "This will hurt me more than it will you." Substitute the "State" or "government" for "I," or "I'm," or "me" in the above statements and you'll get my point and, I think, the warning that this novel provides. Socialized medicine is, in reality, "antisocial" medicine, and the evidence can be found in the failing programs implemented in countries such as England and Canada. LaGreca's novel simply brings this idea into "reality" by showing what would inevitably happen.
A brief word about the writing itself. I am supersensitive to sentence structure and word usage when it comes to fiction. I will cease reading any novel when I begin to pay more attention to the writing itself than to the story. Fortunately, in this case, I have nothing but praise for the writing style of the author. She writes excellent prose; there is no excessive description, which means no superfluous adjectives and adverbs (so common these days), and no complex sentences to confuse the reader, but just a comfortable "flow" of words, driven by nouns and verbs, which propels the story forward and doesn't interfere with the readers' involvement in the story itself. LaGreca is not only a great storyteller, she is also a great story-stylist.
Now, does Dr. David Lang get to perform his experimental procedure on Nicole Hudson (with whom he is secretly in love), and does it all end well? I am not one to give away the ending of a book which will, I guarantee, keep you turning the pages into the night. An excellent story, highly recommended by one who doesn't do so lightly, especially when it comes to fiction. But, this novel is truly "fiction that makes an important point."
31 of 35 found the following review helpful:
One of the best books I've read in years Apr 03, 2005
By Roman Rozin In many ways, this book is reminiscent of Ayn Rand's, The Fountainhead. The struggle of the neurosurgeon, David Lang, to do his work his way, is similar to the struggle of Howard Roark, but, in many ways, the struggle is more intense. Every medical student and resident should read this book. It is both an exceptionally well written novel in the great romantic tradition, and a warning of nightmarish consequences for every patient, if the government continues to increase its death grip over medicine.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
An excellent first novel for LaGreca Jun 22, 2006
By JLP Since I work in medicine Gen LaGreca's novel was especially pleasurable. The novel starts off the exceptionally talented Nicole Hudson performing at a ballet titled Triumph. It is a rewriting of the myths of Prometheus and Pandora. Prometheus brings fire to man and Zeus to punish him chains him to a rock. In an effort to punish Man, Zeus gives Pandora a golden box which as you know she opens. However, the ballet is rewritten where Pandora frees Prometheus and together they banish the evil released by the box and weather the wrath of Zeus. In a not so subtle effort at foreshadowing, the novel follows this basic plot. Dr. David Lang is a brilliant neurosurgeon who pioneers a technique to regenerate severed nerve tissues such as spinal cords and optic nerves. He lives in a New York State where there is socialized medicine but more advanced than that in current day Massachusetts. He and his fellow doctors are bound by rolls and rolls of red tape. The program called Carefree has seized complete control of medicine and punishes doctors with heavy fines and even jail for disobedience. To obtain treatments for patients doctors must plead with bureaucrats for approval. The fees are set by the state so even if a doctor performs 12 hours of surgery, the state will only pay for 6. Dr. Lang is unhappily married to Marie who is a general practitioner who each step of her life chose to appease the majority. He does enjoy the company of his brother Randy Lang who is the president of the hospital and seems more pragmatic. Dr. Lang finds relief and joy in stealing away to watch Nicole Hudson dance in Triumph. Then one day she is blinded in an accident while on the stage. Her career is at an end and her one means of happiness is cut off from her unless Dr. Lang steps in and risks his career, jail and the wrath of the state to see to it that Nicole will see again. There are a number of subplots and surprising twists that kept me reading even though I knew what was going to happen. The style, the plot, the characters and the philosophical basis for the book are heavily influenced by Ayn Rand and by a clear concern for the current direction of medicine. The first portion of the book, LaGreca's writing is clearly in the long shadow of Rand. Thankfully she breaks free in the second half of the book. As far as first novels go, the rough edges in this one are minimized by a driven plot, characters who I found myself caring about and making an important philosophical and political statement. Don't think it will actually happen? I wouldn't be so sure. Getting approval for procedures and radiology scans are already well established and insurance companies already set fees regardless of the actual work done. At least in our world if you are unhappy with one insurance company you can switch to another or if you are a doctor you can choose not to accept a certain type of insurance if you believe they are being unfair or are difficult to deal with. Despite very clear problems in current state programs, prominent physicians, professional societies and prestigious medical journals are all clamoring for more state intervention. This enjoyable novel will should make you question these recommendations and even offers solutions of its own in a way that you won't notice any soapboxes around. This novel isn't without its own flaws nonetheless I recommend it highly.
14 of 16 found the following review helpful:
Tries a little too hard Mar 26, 2006
By Bradley A. Blair DDS When I read that this book was the "Medical Fountainhead," I just had to read it. Local bookstores don't carry it, so I had to special order from Amazon.
Being in the healthcare field (dentist), this is a topic that's near and dear to me....but it was just a little too predictable, as if she set out to write the "medical Fountainhead."
If you believe in her philosophy (I do), then you will like this book's message, but find the story kind of weak. If you are a died in the wool socialist/government healthcare/populist kind of person, you will find it to be uninspired propaganda.
I wouldn't recommend my friends buy this book, but they are welcome to borrow mine.
Or better yet, tell them to read Fountainhead and make the leap themselves.
17 of 20 found the following review helpful:
At last, a well-researched thriller about the medical muddle Feb 13, 2005
By A.C. Cargill Gen LaGreca has obviously done her homework. Her writing is not only thoroughly researched, it is gripping and entertaining. Her characters are thoroughly believable. The plot moves along at an appropriate pace. Unlike some authors I have read recently, Ms. LaGreca doesn't lose steam at the end or rush to draw everything to a close. She clearly knew where she wanted to end up before starting the journey.
Further, thanks to this novel and its portrayal of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the health insurance bureaucracy with its sometimes disastorous results for patients and medical practitioners, I now understand why I barely have 15 minutes to spend with my health care provider after waiting 1-2 hours to see him/her. Government regulation has driven several companies virtually to the brink of extinction (the latest being AT&T, which was just swallowed whole by one of the "baby bells" created by US Anti-trust laws). Hopefully, Ms. LaGreca's book will give us all a heightened awareness of the same thinking that is now targeting our healthcare providers before more of them quit medicine to grow oranges in Florida.
Thank you, Ms. LaGreca, not only for such a splendid read but for exposing these important issues.
based on 39 reviews
The Best Novel I've Read In Ten Years! Mar 15, 2005
By Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty
An excellent first novel for LaGreca Jun 22, 2006
By JLP
Tries a little too hard Mar 26, 2006
By Bradley A. Blair DDS
