Bryson City

Finished June 3
Bryson City Seasons by Walter Larimore

Finished May 29
Bryson City Tales by Walter Larimore

These two books tell of Larimore's move to the small town of Bryson City, North Carolina to serve as a family doctor and the events and characters that he encountered there. Bryson has changed identifying details to protect patient privacy, but he includes information about his own family and the issues they encounter.
Bryson City is in the Great Smoky Mountains, just outside the park, and offers a variety of experiences to a doctor that he wouldn't encounter in city practice. For Dr. Larimore, God is a center to his life and many of the experiences he relates here show that. Although references to this occur throughout the book, it doesn't come across as preachy or false (unlike some others I've read), and he is honest about his own questioning. Larimore and his wife have a young daughter with a severe case of cerebral palsy and their experience with this is told in the book as well. Larimore sees accidents, diseases, and personal tragedies in his practice and tells of them with humour and honesty. He talks about his own choices, questions, and concerns as well.
This is a book that centers on small town life and the feeling of community that comes to the fore there. These are what I categorize as "nice reads" where you learn something and feel good after reading.