A compassionate and sometimes shocking account of the Boxing Day tsunami told by the first Australian medical team into Banda Aceh.
A gutsy and passionate Australian, Paul Dunkin didn't hesitate when he was asked to join the first international medical team to visit tsunami-devastated Banda Aceh, just days after the giant earthquake hit the region. An anaesthetist, Paul spent the next weeks in a blur of operating, working and saving lives. His team was the first to arrive and with next to nothing, they performed great feats.
His story, told by his wife, Sophie York, is a compelling snapshot of what it was like to be there at the epicentre of the disaster. Through Paul's eyes, we see the people and what remains of their homes, families and lives. We learn about the Australian medical team, what they did, what they saw, how they lived and how they coped. This book vividly brings alive the sights, smells and sounds to the reader in a way that television and news reports somehow do not. It is also, more importantly, an affirmation of the human spirit - of dignity under overwhelming pressure, of hope in adversity, and of generosity of spirit.
A chronicle of an intense but brief time, this is an immensely engaging and uplifting book.
