Noah Gordon – författare

Robert Jeremy Cole, the legendary doctor and hero of THE PHYSICIAN, left an enduring legacy. From the eleventh century on, the eldest son in each generation of the Cole family has borne the same first name and middle initial and many of these men have followed the medical profession. A few have been blessed with their ancestor's diagnostic skill and the 'sixth sense' they call The Gift, the ability to know instinctively when death is impending.The tragedy of Rob J.'s life is the deafness of his son, Robert Jefferson Cole, who is called Shaman by everyone who knows him. Shaman's life is difficult. First, he must learn to speak so that he can take his place in the hearing world, and then he must fight against the prejudices of a society where physical differences matter. As Shaman struggles to achieve his identity, the Coles, along with the rest of America, are drawn into the conflict between the North and the South.

At Suffolk County General Hospital, three brilliant, vital young men are brought together by their ambition and their passionate dedication to life. But they work in the shadow of the Death Committee, a terrifying hospital tribunal where doctors judge one another and decide who is to blame when a death could have been prevented.During one memorable year, in love and fear, weakness and victory, the young doctors must face the crucial dramas and triumphs of hospital life. And ultimately, each must reconcile an inner struggle with the demands of his heritage.

The first time R.J. defies her beloved father is when she is born a female; the second, when she opts to study law rather than medicine. Yet destiny is to overtake her when, for the first time, R.J. Cole realises that she has inherited The Gift. Holding the hand of a sick man, R.J. feels a dreadful certainty that he is going to die; tragically, the patient is no stranger but her own lover. Struggling with her grief, R.J. knows she must bow to the inevitable, and become a doctor. At first she combines her new talent with her legal work on cases where medical advice is needed, and her diagnostic skill combined with The Gift make her an invaluable consultant.But her life changes when she moves to a small town practice and is faced with a terrible dilemma - and an important choice to make...

In 1492 Spain is held in firm grip by the inquisition. Per decree an announcement is made that all Jews have to leave the country. A large exodus starts. 15-year-old Yonah is left on his own after his brother and father are killed. Instead of converting to Christianity or fleeing he decides to stand firm by his faith and to fight for himself.Three years later Yonah is keen to settle somewhere. In Granada he finally meets people of his own faith again - the family of the silk merchant Saadi, who still practice Judaism in secrecy. Yonah's love for Ines, the young daughter of the family, however remains unfulfilled.Yonah moves on to Gibraltar where he starts an apprenticeship with Fierro, an armourer. Fierro has to flee from the inquisition himself and asks his young apprentice to accompany him on his journey to the North and when he finally arrives in Saragossa meeting Nuno seals his fate. Yonah immediately senses that medicine is his true calling...