In Tales from Kentucky Doctors, noted oral historian William Lynwood Montell has assembled a fascinating collection of memoirs from Kentucky's medical providers. Ranging from humorous to heartwarming to tragic, the stories presented in Tales from Kentucky Doctors are authentic and captivating.

While these firsthand accounts from and about Kentucky doctors won't be found in a formal history book, this collection is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the culture and tradition of Kentucky medical practice. By combining personal experiences, humorous anecdotes, and local legends, the book surveys the many ways in which physicians have cared for Kentuckians in decades past.

William Lynwood Montell, professor emeritus of folk studies at Western Kentucky University, is the author of several books, including Ghosts across Kentucky, Haunted Houses and Family Ghosts of Kentucky, and Tales from Kentucky Lawyers.

Review

"In Tales from Kentucky Doctors, Montell is a master of oral history research, presenting the bounty of his continuing harvest."-- Christopher Antonsen, Western Kentucky University

"These stories are about the anxiety of Kentucky doctors in caring for patients, about their delight when things go well, about their sense of loss when things don't go well, about their cooperation with other doctors when they are uncertain about what to do, and about their appreciation of older doctors as mentors. Medical students and veteran physicians alike will read Montell's book with empathy, knowing the pleasures and pains of practicing medicine and learning from the high standards of medical ethics rendered in these tales." --Ronald L. Baker, author of From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History

"Montell's stories present a personal side of a profession typically known for its objectivity."--Kentucky Kernel

"Tales from Kentucky Doctors contains...heartwarming and sometimes tragic accounts that won't be found in formal medical history books."--Kentucky Monthly

"This book abounds with interesting and amusing anecdotes about life in rural Kentucky. For those of us who grew up during these times, it brings back fond memories of good times and bad."-Robert V. Haynes, Bowling Green Daily News

"Noted professor of folk studies, William Lynwood Montell, provides and interesting look into the lives of Kentuckians with this book."-Kentucky Ancestors