In 1924, after a period of recuperation, Albert Schweitzer returns to his hospital in Lambarene, Gabon, leaving his wife and daughter in Europe.
He will be away for three years; at first rescuing his damaged and overgrown buildings....later constructing a larger, purpose-built hospital. Assisted by various European volunteers- doctors, nurses, carpenters; and to a lesser extent by his more able convalescents and their carers, Schweitzer details the advances in tropical medicine that his team achieve, the illnesses they are called upon to treat- sleeping sickness, dysentery, ulcers, madness...- and the injuries that present themselves: maulings by jungle beasts, accidents on timber plantations, people poisoned by their enemies... Nor are the patients all native people, since there is a sizeable British contingent.
The Africans are by and large shown to be a pretty unhelpful lot, recalcitrant and ungrateful (though perhaps that is a natural result of European colonization). Noneheless, Schweitzer is able to conclude:
"How fond of them one becomes, in spite of all the trouble they give one! How many beautiful traits of character we can discover in them, if we refuse to let the many and varied follies of the child of nature prevent us from looking for the man in him! How they disclose to us their real selves, if we have love and patience enough to understand them!"
If the reader can move past this paternalistic attitude towards the locals, quite an interesting account. ( )

I enjoyed this book, only 127 pages about Albert Schweitzer who was the winner of the 1952 Noble Peace Prize and his experiences running a hospital in Gabon in the 1920's. An interesting look at a Christian doctors life amongst the savages, as he describes them, of animist Africa. While some may find that offensive it is not a story about race or religion but of care and compassion in a very remote place. If thats a story you would like to read about, then this book is for you. ( )