Book Review: Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert by Erica M. Elliott, M.D.

Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert: My Life Among the Navajo People by Erica M. Elliott, M.D. is a memoir that reads like a suspense novel—what a gripping page turner! When I read the book description for Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert, I thought it sounded like a fascinating read. As it turned out, it was that and so much more!

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. What caught my attention most about the book and had me wanting to read it was that Dr. Elliott first experienced Navajo life as a teacher and then again later as a doctor.

The memoir is wonderfully book-ended with Dr. Elliott’s medical experiences. It makes the book feel like things have come full-circle and provides a fulfilling conclusion. I enjoyed the book so much that I was excited to learn Dr. Elliott has more memoirs planned. I can’t wait to read those too!

While the memoir is mostly a collection of Dr. Elliott’s experiences in Chinle, Arizona, and Cuba, New Mexico, the book has a wonderful seamless flow to it even though not all parts of the book are written chronologically. Of course, some parts of the book are chronological, but I enjoyed how Dr. Elliott’s experiences seemed to be tied together by themes.

Many of the experiences Dr. Elliott writes about probably would have had me running for the hills or at least crying, balled up in a corner. Dr. Elliott’s tenacity, courage, and strength are evident throughout this book—a very inspiring read. 

This book runs a real gamut of emotions and there were many times I feared for Dr. Elliott’s life—whether when she was in the desert alone or with friends. There are some truly amazing experiences documented in this memoir.

I enjoyed reading about the Navajo people and their culture. From their ceremonies and other customs to the way their language doesn’t include words to express certain things we express in the English language was so interesting. If we all took as much care as Dr. Elliott to understand each other, the world would be a very different place.  

An Amazon reviewer calls this book, “Adventurous and Mystical - a Treasure of a Story!” I couldn’t agree more! Here’s the Amazon page for Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert: My Life Among the Navajo People by Erica M. Elliott, M.D. Be sure to check out the blogs listed below and read their reviews too!

Thank you, Dr. Elliott, for sharing your experiences in this book. I have no doubt they will inspire many people.