Death by Doctor

A Tale of Love, Survival, and Moral Dilemmas in the English Countryside during the 19th century.

By: Percy Watson

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

A romantic historical drama set on Sable Island during the late 19th century.

Dr. Wulfrey Dale, a well-respected country doctor, finds himself at the center of turmoil when Pasley Carew, a wealthy and brutal man, suffers a severe injury during a fox hunt. Despite Dale's best efforts, Carew dies not from his injuries but from a lethal dose of strychnine secretly administered by his long-suffering wife, Elinor. Elinor confides her guilt to Dale, pleading for his help to avoid execution, pushing him into a moral and professional dilemma. Dale, caught between his duty to the law and his compassion for Elinor, decides to take the blame for the poisoning, claiming it was a tragic accident due to a mix-up with medical supplies. This noble but deeply compromising decision effectively ruins his career and standing, forcing him to leave his practice and the only life he’s known.

Comprehensive Summary:

Set in the rural regions of Cheshire and later on a remote and perilous Sable Island during the late 19th century, "Death by Doctor" encapsulates the grim challenges faced by Dr. Wulfrey Dale. The story begins with the dramatic fox hunt incident where Pasley Carew, a violent, wealthy man, suffers a grave injury, paralyzing him. His wife Elinor, trapped in an abusive marriage, ultimately ends Carew's suffering with a poison meant for rats. She confesses to Dr. Dale, who is then faced with a harrowing ethical decision. Choosing to protect Elinor from the consequences of her actions, Dale fabricates a story that the poisoning was his mistake.This decision ends his career, branding him as an unreliable doctor and driving him from his home. Fleeing the fallout, Dale and Elinor find themselves stranded on Sable Island after a shipwreck, a place notorious for its desolation and scattered with wrecks. They create a makeshift life, thriving in isolation and finding love, resulting in the birth of their children, Wulf and Avice.Years pass, marked by intense hardship but also deep emotional bonds and simple joys. Dr. Dale and Elinor nurture their children in this remote environment, yet remain haunted by the limitations the island imposes on their offspring's future. Secluded from civilization, they worry their children will lack the broader enriching experiences life off the island could offer. This growing concern leads Dale to desperate and ultimately futile attempts to signal for rescue, contemplating every possible method to attract passing ships.Providence intervenes when a scouting party arrives, searching for a suitable site for a new lighthouse. After five years of isolation, salvation comes abruptly with the sight of a boat approaching the shore, bringing an end to their solitary existence and promising a new beginning. The family prepares to leave Sable Island, ready to face life anew in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Wulfrey Dale's journey from a well-respected doctor to a man grappling with moral complexities, facing ruin, and ultimately finding unexpected redemption on a desolate island, forms the core of this narrative. The backdrop of rural Cheshire and the forbidding isolation of Sable Island serve to highlight the intense personal drama and the couple’s struggle against their circumstances, culminating in a rescue that promises a return to the world they had thought lost to them forever.