Joe Bosco is a hard-charging transplant surgeon whose ambition knows no bounds. He pursues his job with a take no prisoners approach and saving patients is not just his job, or even his passion — it’s his religion.
Joe takes a position at a private hospital in San Francisco which pays Joe an exorbitant salary and where the bottom line is… the bottom line. Joe leaves behind academic medicine, much to the chagrin of his father — a German Jewish Holocaust survivor who is a neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner — and his girlfriend, Kate, who sees Joe turning into a different man than the one she met in medical school.
Dr. Bosco realizes that the new world he inhabits is fraught with moral and ethical transgressions. The hospital blames a catastrophic operating room mistake on Joe, who is left with a career in shambles, a girlfriend who wants nothing to do with him, and a father who can’t hide his disappointment — leading to a search for his true identity.
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Fiction
All That Really Matters
September 1, 2023
Discussion Questions
Questions courtesy of David Weill
- What inspired you to write a story about the rise and fall of a top surgeon, intertwined with a love story?
- Can you share a bit about your own background or experiences that influenced the themes and characters in the book?
- The protagonist’s journey involves redemption. What do you hope readers take away from his story?
- How did you approach balancing the medical drama with the romance elements in the narrative?
- The relationship between the main character and his med school girlfriend, at time, seem central to the story. What inspired their dynamic, and how did you develop their connection?
- In what ways does the love story contribute to the protagonist’s humanity and growth throughout the book?
- Without giving away too much, can you discuss the pivotal moments when the main character lets his girlfriend go and when he decides to find her?
- How did you navigate portraying the protagonist’s flaws and moments of weakness, particularly in relation to his romantic relationship?
- Were there any particular challenges you faced while writing this story? How did you overcome them?
- What do you hope readers remember most about the characters and their journey long after finishing the book?
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