Westward, The Walk Of A Bahamian Doctor
Noted Bahamian physician Dr. Harrold Munnings made literary history, on
November 20th, 2009 when he launched his book called "Westward: The Walk
of a Bahamian Doctor" at Chapter One Bookstore, College of The Bahamas. It is the first publicly available memoir by a physician in the history of the Bahamas.
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The launch event that filled every available chair and left standing room only drew persons from all walks of life including Dr. Janyne Hodder, the college's president and Sir. Orville Turnquest, former
Governor General, just to name a few.
The book addresses serious matters and covers many important events in Bahamian history as it spans a family over four generations. It accounts the aspirations, achievements and mistakes of some of them in a lighthearted account. Dr. Munnings read excerpts from the book that provoked laughter from the audience. If his reading was a fair representation of the book then we would consider it a must-read.
The book also pays homage to a father who became the first Bahamian civil engineer, to a mother who entered the work force with only a primary school education and to the village that raised them. He talks about the Bahamian contribution to the success of Campbell Soup and recounts shocking crimes like the murder that led two young American men to the gallows at Nassau's Fox Hill Prison. Dr. Munnings describes his medical school training and gives a portrait of the life of an intern in the Princess Margaret Hospital. in an interview shortly after the launch, Munnings was quoted as saying, "I was amazed at the number of people that came to the launch. On a Friday evening with so much going on, it was heartwarming to see so many persons present" said Dr. Munnings. "I have to thank especially Dr. Hodder, Sir Orville, Dr. Paul Ward, Rev. Angela Palacious and the Rev. Dr. Timothy Barrett and countless others too numerous to mention for their support in this venture."
Before I reveal all of what the book has to offer, please note that it is available at Chapter One bookstore and Logos Bookstore in Palmdale.
The delightful evening ended with many persons purchasing almost every single copy available and having the privilege of them being signed by the author himself.
