The Doctor's Luck

Doctor Tom expects a good life until he cannot pay his bills because his patients are paying with vegetables instead of money, and a man abandons Betty, a fourteen-year-old pregnant girl in a tree swing in the doctor's yard; the girl has the mind of a three-year-old. Except for Rita, the doctor's housekeeper, and her two pre-teen boys, everyone walks away. Rita helps with Betty, but the girl tries everyone's patience. After Betty rips her doll into small pieces, the doctor and Rita worry about how they will keep her unborn twins safe from the girl's tantrums. Luke, Rita's husband previously deserted his family but returns to cause problems including stealing and attempts to kill Rita. This historical fiction novel contains mystery, suspense, and romance.

"The Doctor's Luck" is a Christian based historical fiction novel. Doctor Tom begins his practice during the Great Depression in a rural Arkansas community. He has plans for a good life until he cannot pay his bills because patients are paying with vegetables and chickens, and a man abandons Betty, a fourteen-year-old pregnant girl in the doctor's tree swing; the girl has the mind of a three-year-old. The orphanage is full and he is left with a giant baby needing a bath, constant care, parental love, and discipline. Rita, the doctor's housekeeper steps in to help with Betty, but the girl tries everyone's patience. After Betty rips her doll into small pieces, the doctor and Rita worry about how they will keep the girl's unborn twins safe from her tantrums.

Rita's husband, Luke, deserted her and his two young boys, but returns after two years to cause problems. Luke tries to kill Rita, steals her property, and abducts one of their sons and sells him to a slave camp. This book contains mystery, suspense, and romance. It also shows kindness and compassion from those who, it seems, have very little to give.

Nancy Glenn Powell grew up on an Arkansas farm with seven siblings. She is familiar with farm life and work, which helped enable her to write about family and rural life with its joys and hardships. She has seven previously published books. Nancy's last published book, creative nonfiction, "Where Grass Grows High, And Slavers' Hounds Don't Howl" (self-published in 2019), is based on the life of Samuel Glenn and the survival of his family during Civil War times. Samuel was the author's great, great grandfather. This book won a Readers Favorite 5-Star Award. Nancy has also won awards for short stories and poetry. She is married and the mother of two children, a member of the Church of Christ, River Valley Writers of Fort Smith, Roundtable Poets of Arkansas, and the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, (OWFI). She retired from the City of Fort Smith to pursue a writing career.