Reviewed by Anne Boiling for Readers' Favorite

Almost Hell begins with the premature birth of a child. The parents were schoolteachers rushing to a hospital across the state because there were no OB-GYNs in their area. Baby Joshua was born on a picnic table.

Dr. Suanne Oakley has a high pressure job as chairman of the OB-GYN department, and she desperately searches for a solution to the health care problem. Oakley turns to her childhood friend, wife of the governor, for help. However, the governor is in bed with trial lawyers. In the meantime Oakley’s personal life is in shambles. Dr. Manuel Alvare-Casilla was grief-stricken after the death of his wife from breast cancer. Dr. Melinda Gabriel was on trial for malpractice. Found guilty, the court awarded Billy Bob Bailey over 3 million dollars.

This book comes along in a timely manner. National Health Care has monopolized the headlines for months. Due to the cost of malpractice insurance, West Virginia has a shortage of doctors. This is a fictional account based on history and fact. Author Dr. Rebecca G. Burdette sheds light on the need for Medical Malpractice Caps. West Virginia’s malpractice premiums are among the highest in the country. Almost Hell breaks the myth that doctors are rich and superheroes. Doctors are human...they suffer, they grieve, they face depression just like everyone else, yet we hold them to a higher standard.