Heart in the Right Place

A Memoir

By: Carolyn Jourdan

Narrated by: Kate Forbes

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Carolyn Jourdan spent many years as a congressional lawyer in Washington, D.C. Then she was called home to fill in for her mother as receptionist at her father's rural Tennessee doctor's office - assured it would only be for a few days.

©2007 Carolyn Jourdan (P)2008 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Jourdan's dispatches from the reception desk make for a stirring, beautiful memoir that is alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, and ultimately a triumph." ( Publishers Weekly)

Wonderful book

I stumbled across this book in a local newspaper review. The author goes back to rural TN to help with her parents' medical practice when her mother becomes ill. The author has been in Washington living a "well heeled" life. Well, it isn't long before she realizes she is helping more people in one day in the doctor's office than she ever did in DC. You will love this book!

Finding your dreams

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

this is a book about finding what you really want in life. It teaches a lesson that what you think you want and what you really want are sometimes different things. It is a cute funny story reminiscent of the Herriot veterinary books only told with people.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Carolyn Jourdan the author. I like the way she changed from being all involved in the phony crowd she worked with to becoming a person involved with people and their feeling.

Have you listened to any of Kate Forbes’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes--it was not that long and it had very funny parts in it. I just wanted to see what happened to the main character.

Drawn out

My aunt loved this book and recommended to me. However, it felt unrealistic that a daughter of a doctor was so surprised when exposed to simple medical experiences and she seemed like an immature 13 yo rather than in her 40s. The moral of the story was touching but could have ended a lot earlier.

Meet backwoods folks and enjoy their world

Would you listen to Heart in the Right Place again? Why?

yes, great story, characters, and message.

What did you like best about this story?

The hilarity of the stranger than fiction characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Born here, this could be your world.

Any additional comments?

One of the lessons learned was profound: Isn't that what love is; paying selfless attention?

The best thing we can do for another person is to pay attention to them. All we really have to give each other is our attention.

More of a short story collection...

This is a story about a high-powered Washington "insider" who returns to Tennessee to become an office manager and rescue her family's medical practice. The story line is more about episodes in the lives of the doctor's patients, rather than a single plot line, although the writing is more plot than character.There is good use of irony in the protagonist's comments throughout about being out of place, as a worldly, "successful" person working as a receptionist in a small town Southern medical office.

I enjoyed this listen but the author seemed to me to be quite masculine in focus, even though the author's name, as well as the narrator, are female. There are few female characters, and those that do show up are not well fleshed-out. Perhaps the author is a "nom-de-plume" adopted in order to appeal to the female demographic.

If you enjoy car talk, unpleasant accidental interactions between men and farm equipment, and horse talk, even slapstick medical gaffes, you will like this book.

I am giving it a 4 out of 5, though, in spite of the fact that I had to skip over some of the technical gear talk, because it's well-written and has an inspiring message.

I love this story. It was hilarious at times.

Great story. Such fun to listen to. Never a doll moment in the rural doctors office in Appalachia for the X senators assistant from DC. Very funny parts, profound parts, thoughtful parts. I appreciated that there was no bad language and no sleazy sex,just good honest people in a small town helping each other. I hope you Will enjoy it as much as I did.

Lost Me as the Book Progressed

Would you listen to Heart in the Right Place again? Why?

No. There were parts that I could barely stomach once. I did not like the heart operating room scene.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

After my first listening session, several chapters in I wanted to know more about the author's story. Although a memoir, it read like an Appalachian fiction story - but in the very best way. I was thrilled to have discovered this author. As the book progressed I found liberal sprinkling of words than are commonly heard today but not appreciated by all. To me, a book is a break from the world and I prefer a book with no 4-letter words in it. Too many deaths as the book progressed. Despite the negative remarks, I would consider reading her again. She writes well and her journey to become an author speaks of her character in a good way.

Wonderfully Narrated

This was a great book! loved the story, the good words or wisdom resonated with me and the narration was superb!

Offensive

I found “Heart In The Right Place” offensive. Even though Carolyn Jourdan does learn that the people from her hometown are good people with fulfilling lives, she does so in a condescending way. The book takes place over the course of a year. I doubt very seriously if so many “stranger than fiction” situations would have been seen by one doctor in the course of a single year. What father/doctor, in his right mind, would take his preteen daughter to witness him end life support for a patient? What high powered Washington lawyer could have so poorly misread the situation in which her mother had a heart attack and expect her to be back at work in 2 days? Truly would not want Ms. Jourdan to represent me in any legal situation. I know many people who live in very rural settings that have lived wonderful lives without having any semblance of these situations happen to them. Memoirs are supposed to factual. Sorry Ms. Jourdan, I just don’t think your father saw all these cases in just one year.