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Noble Vision
Beautiful, strong-willed ballerina Nicole Hudson, who rose to Broadway stardom from a heartbreaking childhood, finds her life shattered by a head injury that leaves her blind. Her only hope lies in an experimental procedure pioneered by young Manhattan neurosurgeon David Lang.
But David’s revolutionary treatment---a way of re-growing damaged nerves to cure brain and spinal cord injuries---requires the approval of New York’s health system, CareFree. Wracked with budget overruns and other priorities, CareFree is skeptical of David’s claims and rejects the new technique.
Moved by Nicole’s desperate pleas for the treatment, David does the unthinkable. Believing his procedure safe to try on humans, he performs the first of two brain surgeries on Nicole. A second operation must follow within weeks, if she is to regain her sight.
David’s defiance of CareFree unleashes a firestorm. His license is suspended, and he is ordered to discontinue Nicole’s treatment or face jail. He implores the one man who can bend the rules to allow Nicole’s treatment, the head of CareFree---his father. But the father is running for lieutenant governor, and an act of favoritism would foil his vast political ambitions.
Pulled together in the turbulence are David and Nicole. He vows to complete her treatment, no matter what price he must pay. She, mortified at the trouble she is causing him, refuses to continue her treatment, no matter what price she must pay. Will she ever see again?
A visionary doctor, a courageous patient, an intense family conflict, and an exciting medical discovery converge in one explosive case.
This novel won two national awards: ForeWord magazine’s Book of the Year and Writer’s Digest’s 13th Self-published Book Awards. The author, a former pharmaceutical chemist, offers a romantic thriller and insider’s look at the conflicts we face in healthcare today.
But David’s revolutionary treatment---a way of re-growing damaged nerves to cure brain and spinal cord injuries---requires the approval of New York’s health system, CareFree. Wracked with budget overruns and other priorities, CareFree is skeptical of David’s claims and rejects the new technique.
Moved by Nicole’s desperate pleas for the treatment, David does the unthinkable. Believing his procedure safe to try on humans, he performs the first of two brain surgeries on Nicole. A second operation must follow within weeks, if she is to regain her sight.
David’s defiance of CareFree unleashes a firestorm. His license is suspended, and he is ordered to discontinue Nicole’s treatment or face jail. He implores the one man who can bend the rules to allow Nicole’s treatment, the head of CareFree---his father. But the father is running for lieutenant governor, and an act of favoritism would foil his vast political ambitions.
Pulled together in the turbulence are David and Nicole. He vows to complete her treatment, no matter what price he must pay. She, mortified at the trouble she is causing him, refuses to continue her treatment, no matter what price she must pay. Will she ever see again?
A visionary doctor, a courageous patient, an intense family conflict, and an exciting medical discovery converge in one explosive case.
This novel won two national awards: ForeWord magazine’s Book of the Year and Writer’s Digest’s 13th Self-published Book Awards. The author, a former pharmaceutical chemist, offers a romantic thriller and insider’s look at the conflicts we face in healthcare today.
346 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2005
About the author
Gen LaGreca
7 books30 followersGenevieve (Gen) LaGreca writes novels with innovative plots, strong romance, and themes that glorify personal freedom and independence.
Gen’s debut novel is Noble Vision. This romantic medical thriller won two important national literary awards. It was a ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Finalist. It was also a finalist in the Writer's Digest International Book Awards contest—one of only six picks honoring general fiction published by independent presses. Noble Vision garnered praise from magazine magnate Steve Forbes, Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, syndicated columnist Walter E. Williams, and other influential thinkers.
Showing her virtuosity across genre lines, Gen’s second offering is the historical novel A Dream of Daring. This antebellum murder mystery took Finalist in Regional Fiction in the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and also Finalist in Multicultural Fiction in the same contest.
Gen's third novel is the science-fiction adventure and love story, Fugitive From Asteron.
On the playful side, Gen gives us her breezy, romantic short story, Three Days to Find a Wife. This busy writer is currently at work on her fourth novel. She also wrote the screenplay for Noble Vision.
In addition to fiction, Gen also writes social and political commentaries, which have appeared in Forbes, The Orange County Register, The Daily Caller, Real Clear Markets, Mises Daily, The Gainesville Sun, and other publications.
Her short book of essays, The Pioneer vs. the Welfare State, combines her engaging writing style with in-depth analysis of urgent issues and concerns.
Gen appeared on The Glenn Beck Show on national television to discuss her provocative article, “The Self-Help Guide to Living in a Free Society,” published in The New Individualist magazine.
Gen has been a lively guest speaker at local, regional, and national events, including Students for Liberty and FreedomFest conferences, where she discusses the powerful role of fiction in portraying ideas, as well as other topics. She’s had the distinction of being an invited participant at Liberty Fund colloquia.
On the personal side, Gen is engaged to a university professor; she and he live in the Midwest.
Prior to fiction writing, Gen worked as a pharmaceutical chemist, business consultant, and corporate writer. She holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Polytechnic Institute of New York and a graduate degree in philosophy from Columbia University.
Her variety of life experiences—in science and business, as well as in philosophy and writing—brings vibrant characters, urgent issues, thematic depth, and an outside-the-box approach to Gen’s novels. Their sweeping themes of self-sovereignty and the triumph of the individual attract thoughtful readers across genre lines.
To contact Gen, send her a message: genlagreca[at]hotmail[dot]com.
Gen’s debut novel is Noble Vision. This romantic medical thriller won two important national literary awards. It was a ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Finalist. It was also a finalist in the Writer's Digest International Book Awards contest—one of only six picks honoring general fiction published by independent presses. Noble Vision garnered praise from magazine magnate Steve Forbes, Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, syndicated columnist Walter E. Williams, and other influential thinkers.
Showing her virtuosity across genre lines, Gen’s second offering is the historical novel A Dream of Daring. This antebellum murder mystery took Finalist in Regional Fiction in the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and also Finalist in Multicultural Fiction in the same contest.
Gen's third novel is the science-fiction adventure and love story, Fugitive From Asteron.
On the playful side, Gen gives us her breezy, romantic short story, Three Days to Find a Wife. This busy writer is currently at work on her fourth novel. She also wrote the screenplay for Noble Vision.
In addition to fiction, Gen also writes social and political commentaries, which have appeared in Forbes, The Orange County Register, The Daily Caller, Real Clear Markets, Mises Daily, The Gainesville Sun, and other publications.
Her short book of essays, The Pioneer vs. the Welfare State, combines her engaging writing style with in-depth analysis of urgent issues and concerns.
Gen appeared on The Glenn Beck Show on national television to discuss her provocative article, “The Self-Help Guide to Living in a Free Society,” published in The New Individualist magazine.
Gen has been a lively guest speaker at local, regional, and national events, including Students for Liberty and FreedomFest conferences, where she discusses the powerful role of fiction in portraying ideas, as well as other topics. She’s had the distinction of being an invited participant at Liberty Fund colloquia.
On the personal side, Gen is engaged to a university professor; she and he live in the Midwest.
Prior to fiction writing, Gen worked as a pharmaceutical chemist, business consultant, and corporate writer. She holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Polytechnic Institute of New York and a graduate degree in philosophy from Columbia University.
Her variety of life experiences—in science and business, as well as in philosophy and writing—brings vibrant characters, urgent issues, thematic depth, and an outside-the-box approach to Gen’s novels. Their sweeping themes of self-sovereignty and the triumph of the individual attract thoughtful readers across genre lines.
To contact Gen, send her a message: genlagreca[at]hotmail[dot]com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 12, 2021
2013 - VERY, VERY highly recommended. All about a surgeon/researcher/innovator, who struggles against time, politics and bureaucracy to save a patient with a new procedure.
Anyone in the medical profession or anyone concerned about the growing takeover of it by government, SURELY should be able to relate to this story.
More broadly, anyone concerned about the difficulty of leading a moral life will find this a 'can't put down' read. You might think by that statement that the book is "preachy." By no means. It just lets real-world type situations play out that involve life and death, action and inaction.
LOTS of nifty dialog that really skewers the ulterior motives and methods of the governmental system of regulations, politics, interest groups and power plays vs. the private doctor-patient relationship. It really gets the reader into the issues, and there are many issues covered, without long speeches, or slowing down the fast pace of the tense plot.
On a personal note, I thought the first 20-30 pages were a bit too contrived, not my style. So I put the book down... for a year or more. My mistake.
When I finally picked it up again, I found after getting past the beginning, the dialog, plot, characterization, and setting to be fantastic! Very uplifting. Extremely gripping. The book caused me to confront just how scary and just how bad our actual system has been getting over the years, especially the last several. The next few years, with the coming of Obamacare, could make this book quite a terrible prophesy.
But the potential for a happy ending can be greater if sharp, principled people read, get inspired by this book and then take action.
Read this book and see for yourself. You may be like me and want to recommend this to every doctor, nurse or any person involved in or concerned with the future of medicine.
Anyone in the medical profession or anyone concerned about the growing takeover of it by government, SURELY should be able to relate to this story.
More broadly, anyone concerned about the difficulty of leading a moral life will find this a 'can't put down' read. You might think by that statement that the book is "preachy." By no means. It just lets real-world type situations play out that involve life and death, action and inaction.
LOTS of nifty dialog that really skewers the ulterior motives and methods of the governmental system of regulations, politics, interest groups and power plays vs. the private doctor-patient relationship. It really gets the reader into the issues, and there are many issues covered, without long speeches, or slowing down the fast pace of the tense plot.
On a personal note, I thought the first 20-30 pages were a bit too contrived, not my style. So I put the book down... for a year or more. My mistake.
When I finally picked it up again, I found after getting past the beginning, the dialog, plot, characterization, and setting to be fantastic! Very uplifting. Extremely gripping. The book caused me to confront just how scary and just how bad our actual system has been getting over the years, especially the last several. The next few years, with the coming of Obamacare, could make this book quite a terrible prophesy.
But the potential for a happy ending can be greater if sharp, principled people read, get inspired by this book and then take action.
Read this book and see for yourself. You may be like me and want to recommend this to every doctor, nurse or any person involved in or concerned with the future of medicine.
April 18, 2017
A true story of hope
To be honest the first few chapters of this book felt slow and barely held my attention at the beginning, but I am so glad I persevered with it because I was pleasantly surprised. This story is one of hope, perseverance, fear of the unknown with some love thrown in too.
To be honest the first few chapters of this book felt slow and barely held my attention at the beginning, but I am so glad I persevered with it because I was pleasantly surprised. This story is one of hope, perseverance, fear of the unknown with some love thrown in too.
March 17, 2013
Noble Vision was such a refreshing breath of fresh air from the other books I have read this year. Romanticism is alive and well in this book, and it is so touching. I loved and enjoyed every moment of the vivid descriptions and detail-oriented look into government-run healthcare and the dangers is poses; I loved the characters of David Lang and Nicole Hudson, they are not unlike Howard Roark and Dominique from The Fountainhead. Goodness, I loved David's poetry and the sensuality of sending flowers and hand-written letters to an artist, by appreciating someone's art and very existence. Is anything better? As icing on the cake, this led to a political and philosophically-fueled debate between my husband and I about checks and balances, free market capitalism, and Obamacare. I'm fortunate to have met and married such a man. That had nothing to do with the book, but it just reminds me of how much my husband appreciates and values me for my creativity and for my mind, and inner self, as much the same as David and Nicole. I am so grateful to have been led to Gen and her creativity, this book is a work of art.
April 19, 2014
Actually, the date I finished was the date I finished WITH this book. At the risk of sounding elitist, I attended Objectivist functions when I was younger. I loved Ayn Rand, I met Nathaniel Brandon and seeing this novel getting so many positive reviews from Libertarians makes me wonder if the gene pool in this country is getting shallower and shallower. OK, it is. So much for others' reviews. Now to LaGraca, who wears his politics on his sleeve and embeds it in every sentence here. That can be a blessing or a curse, here it is a curse because I think this book could have been excellent had the author not had such a grudge against government regulation of the health care industry that he defied logic. He can write, though, so perhaps future novels will bury the philosophy and concentrate on plot and characters. In that case, he will likely have a book that will appeal to more than the far right.
February 15, 2013
Thoroughly fantastic tale of Exceptionalism pitted against the System. A brilliant neurologist, on the cusp of a fate-changing medical breakthrough, is stymied at every turn by CareFree, the state-run medical system. As with all socialist programs, CareFree doesn't so much raise the standard for the poor as it drags everyone else down to the lowest level. But hey - just so long as everyone gets equal treatment, that's the important thing! Dr. Lang, however, refuses to be bound by a corrupt and arbitrary system and he passionately forges ahead in his research, at crippling personal cost. His struggle for freedom and excellence is enhanced by his love for his beautiful patient, Nicole, a gifted ballerina tragically blinded in an accident. The love story is very Randian in that the attraction is based on mutual appreciation, but the prose isn't as stiff and heavy-handed. LaGreca's characters are more human than Rand's, even as they are models of virtue. At any rate, there are already many reviews here so I won't take up a lot of space. Just want to recommend this book whole-heartedly if you are looking for an intelligent, thrilling, rebellious and uplifting read.
December 14, 2014
Noble Vision is a terrific read and a poignant social commentary. The romanticism is a refreshing approach compared to gloomy distopianism that has become so popular. While the best and worst of the major players are exaggerated a bit, the characters are still believable and their motives are compelling. Clearly the author was influenced by Ayn Rand (or maybe it's just me)as parallels to The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged were seemingly abundant. I found this modern story with contemporary dialogue to be a more enjoyable read than the classics. Gen really surprised me with one major plot twist that I never saw coming. At a few points there were events that seemed a little to convenient but what the heck, it's fiction and those bits helped drive a fast paced plot. I found it hard to believe that this was the authors first novel. Well done and congratulations to Gen LaGreca!
December 30, 2016
I loved this book. I have read b4 sometime in the past prior to 1998 since I have those years all in a spreadsheet. Wonderful story of 2 people going against the flow a wonderful love story is tied in too. Look forward to more of her books
March 5, 2017
Noble vision
Omg! Omg! I have no words. None. I've read many books in my life. None have ever affected me like this one. What a powerful book.
This amazing story left me literally breathless. My heart pounded as hard as David's. What a hero! I loved that man! A romantic hunk! The Phantom deal was sensual and sexy as hell. His love notes to Nicole made me want to cry tears of love! It reminded me of Phantom of Opera, the glorious musical, but with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman.
I want to give this a zillion stars because it was that good.
I feel it was a story that needed to be told, as it pretty much epitomizes where the future of our healthcare is headed. The Affordable Care Act is going to be nothing more than a single payer government run health care system where the bureaucrats will decide who gets what types of treatment, and bullying the dedicated doctors into submission if they fail to comply. It will drive the specialists out of the profession. Every scenario in this story I could totally envision.
Carefree reminds me of Romneycare, remember Mitt started a program like the fictitious Carefree in Massachusetts. Look how popular that turned out.
That fictitious governor Burrow was typical of the politicians who love this kind of bureaucracy. I'm happy he was defeated.
Nicole. She was courageous, beautiful, and determined. I could see why David fell in love with her. She represented that freedom of expression, like in her dancing, and his vision of his research into neurological breakthroughs. She was his muse as he watched her on stage. I loved how their love story developed. It was poetic and tender. I loved her reaction when she removed the bandages. The joy in his face and her look of shock when she finally realized he was her beloved Phantom all along. I cried tears of joy!
It's a shame he and Randy lost their father throughout David's horrible ordeal, but I guess it added something to the story. Their father was played for a fool by the politicians and the bureaucrats. Somewhere along the way he sold his soul to Carefree. Going after his son was painful to read. My heart broke for David as he watched his once beloved father and boyhood idol turn into what he said he would never be. I admire David's unwavering courage as he stood up to all of them.
Marie, David's former wife. She too was a victim of the whole Carefree fiasco. She should have stuck with her opera singing or cardiology. I'm amazed he stayed married to her for as long as he did, because they pretty much drifted apart. I'm sure he loved her at one time, but their ideological differences were too strong to keep their marriage together.
Randy and his brood of budding geniuses. I loved how his family came together when he told them he quit his job. It took courage to do what he did, but he gained the peace of mind knowing what he did and what David did was right. In my mind, their success with her second surgery was mind blowing.
All I know is that this book blew me away. I want to reread it again. It had everything! It deserves to be made into a movie! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Omg! Omg! I have no words. None. I've read many books in my life. None have ever affected me like this one. What a powerful book.
This amazing story left me literally breathless. My heart pounded as hard as David's. What a hero! I loved that man! A romantic hunk! The Phantom deal was sensual and sexy as hell. His love notes to Nicole made me want to cry tears of love! It reminded me of Phantom of Opera, the glorious musical, but with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman.
I want to give this a zillion stars because it was that good.
I feel it was a story that needed to be told, as it pretty much epitomizes where the future of our healthcare is headed. The Affordable Care Act is going to be nothing more than a single payer government run health care system where the bureaucrats will decide who gets what types of treatment, and bullying the dedicated doctors into submission if they fail to comply. It will drive the specialists out of the profession. Every scenario in this story I could totally envision.
Carefree reminds me of Romneycare, remember Mitt started a program like the fictitious Carefree in Massachusetts. Look how popular that turned out.
That fictitious governor Burrow was typical of the politicians who love this kind of bureaucracy. I'm happy he was defeated.
Nicole. She was courageous, beautiful, and determined. I could see why David fell in love with her. She represented that freedom of expression, like in her dancing, and his vision of his research into neurological breakthroughs. She was his muse as he watched her on stage. I loved how their love story developed. It was poetic and tender. I loved her reaction when she removed the bandages. The joy in his face and her look of shock when she finally realized he was her beloved Phantom all along. I cried tears of joy!
It's a shame he and Randy lost their father throughout David's horrible ordeal, but I guess it added something to the story. Their father was played for a fool by the politicians and the bureaucrats. Somewhere along the way he sold his soul to Carefree. Going after his son was painful to read. My heart broke for David as he watched his once beloved father and boyhood idol turn into what he said he would never be. I admire David's unwavering courage as he stood up to all of them.
Marie, David's former wife. She too was a victim of the whole Carefree fiasco. She should have stuck with her opera singing or cardiology. I'm amazed he stayed married to her for as long as he did, because they pretty much drifted apart. I'm sure he loved her at one time, but their ideological differences were too strong to keep their marriage together.
Randy and his brood of budding geniuses. I loved how his family came together when he told them he quit his job. It took courage to do what he did, but he gained the peace of mind knowing what he did and what David did was right. In my mind, their success with her second surgery was mind blowing.
All I know is that this book blew me away. I want to reread it again. It had everything! It deserves to be made into a movie! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
October 5, 2017
More a diatribe against socialized medicine than a novel, this book is filled with stereotypes and overblown language that does little to engage readers. It's a series of info dumps and monologues, with unbelievable and largely unlikeable characters. And dear goddess, who told the author to beat the reader over the head by using the word "noble" at least three times per chapter? On the plus side, the evil bureaucrats lose at the end, while free enterprise wins. Yay?
June 25, 2019
Noble Vision is one of the best novels I've read in quite a while. It captured my attention from the very beginning to the end. As much as I wanted to reach the conclusion, I was a tad reluctant to leave the characters I had grown to love behind.
September 24, 2020
Excellent book!
The subject was very thought provoking. The author demonstrated great familiarity with the issues surrounding socialized medicine. She was able to convey this in an engaging, suspenseful story. Highly recommend!
The subject was very thought provoking. The author demonstrated great familiarity with the issues surrounding socialized medicine. She was able to convey this in an engaging, suspenseful story. Highly recommend!
August 5, 2023
Overly Noble
This was a nice story with a happy ending. The problems with government controlled healthcare were very realistic and merit discussion. The use of the word “noble” was nauseating and had me rolling my eyes after about the 10th time. The theme was definitely over used.
This was a nice story with a happy ending. The problems with government controlled healthcare were very realistic and merit discussion. The use of the word “noble” was nauseating and had me rolling my eyes after about the 10th time. The theme was definitely over used.
March 17, 2017
Best book I have read in a Decade.
This book actually deserves more than 5 Stars, I could easily give it 10. The main characters were well developed and were very likeable. The author , in her choice of words made me feel David's frustration with Carefree. The contrast with Nicole's world of dance was great but easily countered David's. The Plot was outstanding, just the right level of drama and suspense. I really did not want to put this book down until I finished it. Since the author has written the screenplay I will have to see the movie is when it comes out. The whole issue with power and politics with medicine is scary. The social commentary underlying the novel should not be ignored.
This book actually deserves more than 5 Stars, I could easily give it 10. The main characters were well developed and were very likeable. The author , in her choice of words made me feel David's frustration with Carefree. The contrast with Nicole's world of dance was great but easily countered David's. The Plot was outstanding, just the right level of drama and suspense. I really did not want to put this book down until I finished it. Since the author has written the screenplay I will have to see the movie is when it comes out. The whole issue with power and politics with medicine is scary. The social commentary underlying the novel should not be ignored.
August 24, 2018
Wonderful Read!
Would have given it 5 stars if I hadn't had to skip so many pages of duplicate content. It's a marvelous tale of a scenario that could easily be in our futures!
Would have given it 5 stars if I hadn't had to skip so many pages of duplicate content. It's a marvelous tale of a scenario that could easily be in our futures!
August 25, 2022
quit the book early, couldn't get into it.
December 16, 2012
It is a joyful experience when one is able to enjoy a book with a well knitted plot, whose suspense holds one’s attention for hours on end, whose characters are so well defined that one finds himself so emotionally invested in them so as to continuously think about their fate even while not reading the book . Such is what Gen LaGreca’s first novel Noble Vision delivers.
Noble Vision is the story of David Lang, a brilliant neurosurgeon whose chirurgical breakthrough, a way of re-growing damaged nerves of people with spinal-cord and brain injuries, is facing unwieldy opposition from CareFree, New York’s socialized health system which is at risk of imploding for not having the money to pay for what it set out to do. Despite such opposition, David��s desire to continue working on his discovery is prompted when Nicole Hudson, a Broadway ballerina whom David fell enamored with after seeing her perform and for whom he became a secret admirer, suffers an accident which leaves her blind and whose only hope of ever seeing again is David’s forbidden operation.
Throughout the course of the book, Gen LaGreca presents a carefully devised series of events, all necessarily leading to the next – a skill lost in many modern authors, – so well crafted that it will not be hard to suddenly find oneself immersed in it’s world, wanting to find out what the characters will do next and how are they going to get past the many hurdles that are thrown at them. Such immersion is achieved by the gripping suspense that comes from Nicole not knowing that David, her doctor, is the Phantom, her secret admirer who has been regularly sending her delicate flower arrangements and from whom Nicole has developed a longing for. Combined with a number of sub-plots carried out by the book’s secondary characters that directly influence the odds of David being able to cure Nicole of her blind demise, the book builds up the suspense in such a way that one will find himself caring for the characters fate as if they were one’s closest friends – so much so that, when it occurred to me that this book might be a tragedy and not have the happy ending I was hoping it would have, I had to put down the book and think whether I wanted to continue reading, and risk the characters’ calamity, or fill in the blanks myself with the ending I wanted it to have, such is the book’s ability to grip it’s reader in. When the book hits it’s climatic point, in the last few moments before David is able to do the necessary second surgery to give light back to Nicole’s eyes, which by the nature of the procedure must happen precisely in the right moment or it will not work, the twists and turns the story takes will find you almost shouting “Oh no, not that!” when something bad happens, or “Hell Yeah!” when something good does.
Though only a secondary value, though an important one, Noble Vision’s concrete presentation of what happens when the government steps in into the medical affairs between doctors and patients is at the same time both maddening and empowering. Maddening, because one cannot phantom how is it that people actively support having hordes of bureaucrats, who cannot distinguish between a common cold and a pneumonia, being the ones who get to make the decision of whether the patient really does necessitate this or that treatment, as if that choice does not belong to the doctor and its patient. Empowering, because once you get to see how evil government enforced medicine is, it stops being this monster or which you have only a foggy awareness of, but instead is a tiny little bug, armless against your full knowledge of it’s true nature.
The book is not without flaws, though they pale in comparison to what the book does tremendously well. Some of the characterization and dialogue feel, in some instances, contrived so as to make explicit the fact that both David and Nicole are egoistical characters – in the sense that their primary value is their happiness – instead of letting the reader reach that conclusion by himself by watching how the characters act throughout the book. In fact, such a conclusion would not be hard at all to arrive to given that both are highly heroic characters who use the best of their judgment to reach their desired goals and passions, and are unapologetic about pursuing their own values. Take Nicole Hudson, for example: Born Cathleen Hughes, daughter of a missing father and a drunkard mother that often left her to sleep on the entrance door of their sorry home until she finally abandoned her daughter and left her on her own, where she fought tooth and nail so that when she was given up to her adoptive parents she wouldn’t be far away from Madame Maximova’s School of Ballet, her favorite place in her youth.
With Noble Vision, Gen LaGreca delivers a wonderful story, all tightly knitted together with characters one cares for and whose essence one will strive to be like, because Noble Vision is exactly what good art should be: Fuel for man’s soul.
Noble Vision is the story of David Lang, a brilliant neurosurgeon whose chirurgical breakthrough, a way of re-growing damaged nerves of people with spinal-cord and brain injuries, is facing unwieldy opposition from CareFree, New York’s socialized health system which is at risk of imploding for not having the money to pay for what it set out to do. Despite such opposition, David��s desire to continue working on his discovery is prompted when Nicole Hudson, a Broadway ballerina whom David fell enamored with after seeing her perform and for whom he became a secret admirer, suffers an accident which leaves her blind and whose only hope of ever seeing again is David’s forbidden operation.
Throughout the course of the book, Gen LaGreca presents a carefully devised series of events, all necessarily leading to the next – a skill lost in many modern authors, – so well crafted that it will not be hard to suddenly find oneself immersed in it’s world, wanting to find out what the characters will do next and how are they going to get past the many hurdles that are thrown at them. Such immersion is achieved by the gripping suspense that comes from Nicole not knowing that David, her doctor, is the Phantom, her secret admirer who has been regularly sending her delicate flower arrangements and from whom Nicole has developed a longing for. Combined with a number of sub-plots carried out by the book’s secondary characters that directly influence the odds of David being able to cure Nicole of her blind demise, the book builds up the suspense in such a way that one will find himself caring for the characters fate as if they were one’s closest friends – so much so that, when it occurred to me that this book might be a tragedy and not have the happy ending I was hoping it would have, I had to put down the book and think whether I wanted to continue reading, and risk the characters’ calamity, or fill in the blanks myself with the ending I wanted it to have, such is the book’s ability to grip it’s reader in. When the book hits it’s climatic point, in the last few moments before David is able to do the necessary second surgery to give light back to Nicole’s eyes, which by the nature of the procedure must happen precisely in the right moment or it will not work, the twists and turns the story takes will find you almost shouting “Oh no, not that!” when something bad happens, or “Hell Yeah!” when something good does.
Though only a secondary value, though an important one, Noble Vision’s concrete presentation of what happens when the government steps in into the medical affairs between doctors and patients is at the same time both maddening and empowering. Maddening, because one cannot phantom how is it that people actively support having hordes of bureaucrats, who cannot distinguish between a common cold and a pneumonia, being the ones who get to make the decision of whether the patient really does necessitate this or that treatment, as if that choice does not belong to the doctor and its patient. Empowering, because once you get to see how evil government enforced medicine is, it stops being this monster or which you have only a foggy awareness of, but instead is a tiny little bug, armless against your full knowledge of it’s true nature.
The book is not without flaws, though they pale in comparison to what the book does tremendously well. Some of the characterization and dialogue feel, in some instances, contrived so as to make explicit the fact that both David and Nicole are egoistical characters – in the sense that their primary value is their happiness – instead of letting the reader reach that conclusion by himself by watching how the characters act throughout the book. In fact, such a conclusion would not be hard at all to arrive to given that both are highly heroic characters who use the best of their judgment to reach their desired goals and passions, and are unapologetic about pursuing their own values. Take Nicole Hudson, for example: Born Cathleen Hughes, daughter of a missing father and a drunkard mother that often left her to sleep on the entrance door of their sorry home until she finally abandoned her daughter and left her on her own, where she fought tooth and nail so that when she was given up to her adoptive parents she wouldn’t be far away from Madame Maximova’s School of Ballet, her favorite place in her youth.
With Noble Vision, Gen LaGreca delivers a wonderful story, all tightly knitted together with characters one cares for and whose essence one will strive to be like, because Noble Vision is exactly what good art should be: Fuel for man’s soul.
May 7, 2024
I am trying to update my list with some of my older but notable reads.
Therefore this book, although its been a while, was wonderful. A book about a surgeon and dancer.
I enjoyed the entire book and remembered I couldn't put it down.-- One I know made an impact.
I would recommend.
Therefore this book, although its been a while, was wonderful. A book about a surgeon and dancer.
I enjoyed the entire book and remembered I couldn't put it down.-- One I know made an impact.
I would recommend.
June 13, 2014
The reason I rated the book so low is not that the stories plot was not good it was the execution that was not great. There was so much fluff in the book with these long drawn out over decribed scenes. I normally can finish a book of this size in a day or two since it was only 334 pages, but this one literally took me a week and it was because it was sooo drawn out. the author should have cut the book in half and it would have been better, still not perfect but better. For those not wanting to have anything spoiled stop reading now since I will go more in detail about the other issues I had with the book below.
******************** SPOILER ALERT *****************************************
Well i will start with the base of pretty much any book, its characters. The only character I really liked and found 100% believeably was Randy. The rest there were so many issues. First take Nicole, her back story was good but could have been explored so much more and the detective found out about her changing her name and running away and it was just told to David and he was like yeah ok, which anyone would know that wouldn't happen they would have at least been a tad bit surprised. So the author should have explored the back story more and made it a bigger mystery and shock for David. As well as the other major issue I had with Nicole was how flippy floppy she was. When she went blind she was all hysterical and asking David to kill her, but when he goes out of his way to make sure she has the surgery even if it means he will go to jail she was like "NO I can't let you do it" I as a reader was like "HUH? thought you would rather die than be blind and never dance again?!?" I know I know they were falling in love blah I still think if she would rather die than be blind she would let him do the surgery no matter what.
Next character that I had issues with was David. For those of you who are animal lovers you might wanna avoid this book since he harms animals to then fix them and some die and he doesn't care, kind of psychopathy to me and this is made even more so when he tells his wife he would beat her up and then does try to when she tries to shut down his lab. I know the character is a bitch but damn dude still not okay to wanna beat her. There is an old saying that there is a line between genious and insanity, well David in this book is a prime example of this and sometimes I feel he falls over the line to the more insanity side.
Also this book really too is a huge medical and governmental conspiracy theory book. I litterally skipped many pages when they got to preachy and still understood the whole book. and that to me shows how those parts were not needed.
So in conclusion this plot had so much potential but was not executed properly so it just becomes long and boring, with a side of animal killing and conspiracy theories. and the "love" part is soo small and at times unbelieveable.
******************** SPOILER ALERT *****************************************
Well i will start with the base of pretty much any book, its characters. The only character I really liked and found 100% believeably was Randy. The rest there were so many issues. First take Nicole, her back story was good but could have been explored so much more and the detective found out about her changing her name and running away and it was just told to David and he was like yeah ok, which anyone would know that wouldn't happen they would have at least been a tad bit surprised. So the author should have explored the back story more and made it a bigger mystery and shock for David. As well as the other major issue I had with Nicole was how flippy floppy she was. When she went blind she was all hysterical and asking David to kill her, but when he goes out of his way to make sure she has the surgery even if it means he will go to jail she was like "NO I can't let you do it" I as a reader was like "HUH? thought you would rather die than be blind and never dance again?!?" I know I know they were falling in love blah I still think if she would rather die than be blind she would let him do the surgery no matter what.
Next character that I had issues with was David. For those of you who are animal lovers you might wanna avoid this book since he harms animals to then fix them and some die and he doesn't care, kind of psychopathy to me and this is made even more so when he tells his wife he would beat her up and then does try to when she tries to shut down his lab. I know the character is a bitch but damn dude still not okay to wanna beat her. There is an old saying that there is a line between genious and insanity, well David in this book is a prime example of this and sometimes I feel he falls over the line to the more insanity side.
Also this book really too is a huge medical and governmental conspiracy theory book. I litterally skipped many pages when they got to preachy and still understood the whole book. and that to me shows how those parts were not needed.
So in conclusion this plot had so much potential but was not executed properly so it just becomes long and boring, with a side of animal killing and conspiracy theories. and the "love" part is soo small and at times unbelieveable.
February 27, 2013
Someone once said, "If you think medical care is expensive now, wait until it's free." That seems to be the case in Noble Vision. Medical care in New York state is now under the control of the bureaucrats who have created a network called CareFree. Indeed, care is free, but instead of lowering costs, the expense has gone through the roof, and CareFree can't meet its next payroll. The bureaucrat-in-chief, the governor, singles out the physicians as the culprits. With all their unnecessary procedures and treatments they're obviously the ones driving up costs. His solution is to regulate everything the docs do.
David Lang, a neurosurgeon, is constantly at odds with the "establishment." Indeed, he must confront his own wife, a CareFree physician, who has mismanaged a patient by neglecting to investigate her headaches after head trauma. David is called in to evacuate a massive subdural hematoma that would have killed the patient.
The author has chosen a worthy protagonist, because so much of neurosurgical work is done on an emergency basis. Waiting around for approval by a committee would be a catastrophe in many cases.
So the central conflict is David vs. CareFree, but there are others: David vs his wife, his brother, even his own father, a former surgeon now turned establishment hack.
David falls for a young ballerina who has risen from homelessness and abandonment to star status. But she needs his help. In a tragic accident, her optic nerves have been severed and she's blind. Only David's experimental, and thus, illegal, procedure will save her.
This is a fast-paced, nicely crafted work with many twists and turns, plenty of internal conflict. It certainly kept this reader's attention. Highly recommended.
David Lang, a neurosurgeon, is constantly at odds with the "establishment." Indeed, he must confront his own wife, a CareFree physician, who has mismanaged a patient by neglecting to investigate her headaches after head trauma. David is called in to evacuate a massive subdural hematoma that would have killed the patient.
The author has chosen a worthy protagonist, because so much of neurosurgical work is done on an emergency basis. Waiting around for approval by a committee would be a catastrophe in many cases.
So the central conflict is David vs. CareFree, but there are others: David vs his wife, his brother, even his own father, a former surgeon now turned establishment hack.
David falls for a young ballerina who has risen from homelessness and abandonment to star status. But she needs his help. In a tragic accident, her optic nerves have been severed and she's blind. Only David's experimental, and thus, illegal, procedure will save her.
This is a fast-paced, nicely crafted work with many twists and turns, plenty of internal conflict. It certainly kept this reader's attention. Highly recommended.
April 6, 2016
This book was a work of fiction but it hits on a lot of issues that have come to the the surface during the last 20 years as health care and its delivery has drastically changed from fee for service to the many other options of payment. These became available as cost cutting measures. Many have proved unacceptable. Billing and regulation was probably necessary as there were abuses of diagnostic testing and treatments. There were articles written as far back as the mid 90's stating the results of unqualified persons making decisions as to what was acceptable for patient care. Many of these decisions resulted in poor patient care. Dr's felt their hands were tied and when they objected, no one listened or came up with excuses. Dr's carry high amounts of liability insurance just to continue to practice. Many have left the profession to teach or pursue other jobs. Healthcare continues to be big business. Medical practices have office managers, schedulers, billing professionals and quality Assurance employees to make sure all regulations are followed. These costs are then passed down to the insurance companies and the patients. Sadly this still often results in minimal patient care and too often patient concerns fall through the cracks. The answers are still out there to be solved. This book is also a story of persistence and dedication by a physician who was able to put his patient first amid all of the negative and political pressure around him. i found it well written and a good read.
September 27, 2014
I definitely enjoyed reading this novel.. In spite of my own views about health care being quite different from the author's (which reminded me of "Atlas Shrugged" in it's strict preference for individualistic individualism over compassionate community), I couldn't stop myself from reading through to the final pages--in fact with gathering interest. I was originally attracted by the title, "Noble Vision", because of my respect for "Vision" as the first step of the Buddhist "Noble" Eightfold Path. In an unexpected way my orgiginal interest was satisfied by this unusual work of fiction. Although not overtly spiritual, this novel celebrates the vital aspirations that can only be realized through how we live our lives. The narrative arc and the characters are vividly realized. In the real world of American Healh care, I believe that the sins of "Carefree" (the fictional public healthcare system of "Noble Viison") are actually inflicted on the American people by for-profit agencies, whose most convenient source of profits is to with-hold benefits. But with a slight shift of focus (interpreting the presentation of Carefree as a symbol for beaurocratic indifference to the suffering of ordinary people) this fictional send-up is engaging and very well-written.
July 1, 2014
I really liked this book. It is a medical/science/social/political/romantic drama all rolled into one. One expects to be enthralled by the beauty of dance, but this book in addition shows us the beauty of 'neurosurgery' - what an acheivement. We all know that health systems are difficulty and often those who need it the most are disadvantaged the most. This book shows the flip side of what would happen if we tried to make it freely available to everyone ... how lacking and unfair it would still be. I read another review, which supported my belief that this story reflects Ayn Rand writings, which I had been thinking early on. I wish the policy deciders had read this before commencing the National Disability Scheme here, which even in the early stages seems to be mimcking the problems faced by clients/staff of Carefree.
November 15, 2016
Noble Vision is a love story first and foremost, or rather two love stories: one between a man and a woman, and another between a man and his passion for medicine. Through telling those fictional stories, LaGreca examines the all-too-real issue of how government interference is ruining medicine in the United States (in the same way that it has already been ruining medicine in Canada for decades).
Anyone who has the idea in their head that the government should guarantee free healthcare for everyone should read this book, because it spells out what is obvious to the rest of us: you get what you pay for, and that's a good thing.
Anyone who has the idea in their head that the government should guarantee free healthcare for everyone should read this book, because it spells out what is obvious to the rest of us: you get what you pay for, and that's a good thing.
September 4, 2014
This was another BookBub find for me, and I want to tell you it was incredible on multiple levels. The plot was engaging. A doctor wants to help a ballerina regain her sight after a terrible accident. The writing is superb, and targeted the medical industry in how the doctors hands are tied. The BOM monitoring organization micromanages medical procedures which stifles the best method of treatment and draws out the entire process to be not necessarily the best benefit to the patient, but rather how to save money. I liked this book! Well done!
September 21, 2013
Such a valiant struggle to stand what he believes in. David sense of life, his capacity to deal with the world, his appraisal of man an of existence was the impediment of his success but he tried to fight the hardest battle, until the end.
What a gripping novel. The plot was intricately woven that you can't wait to turn the next page. Its suspenseful at time thinking not to continue reading, because I was afraid what was going to happen. I highly recommend this book, its worth it.
What a gripping novel. The plot was intricately woven that you can't wait to turn the next page. Its suspenseful at time thinking not to continue reading, because I was afraid what was going to happen. I highly recommend this book, its worth it.
July 16, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, found it well worth the evening. A well-written, captivating medical thriller foretelling both daunting challenges and ultimate hope for humanity, this is a quick, enjoyable and educational read, particularly at this time. The characters were engaging, with believable villains and complex heroes, and believable stories of how they got that way. Even Milton Friedman and Walter Williams gave it positive reviews! Kindle edition 99 cents. I give it five stars.
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January 31, 2014Breathtaking
this book deserves 5 stars. I would have given more stars if possible ! Wonderful storyline. you become drawn into the story itself.
The only thing that I wood have liked to have been done differently was the use of some curse words .
I will read more books by this author.
this book deserves 5 stars. I would have given more stars if possible ! Wonderful storyline. you become drawn into the story itself.
The only thing that I wood have liked to have been done differently was the use of some curse words .
I will read more books by this author.
April 12, 2014
This is not only a wonderful love story, it is an inside glimpse of socialized medicine and why we should avoid it at all costs. There's no such thing as a free lunch and as soon as you turn control over to a greedy government, any hope of progress or assurance of treatment is stripped away. Highly recommended.
June 14, 2014
This is a wonderful story. Intriguing. Even as Canadian, we can relate to the reality of the healthcare system nightmares. The plot and the characters were interesting and intriguing. The philosophy, the psychology, the politics, the dreams of the individuals everything was tremendously captivating. Congratulation to the author for I do believe is her first book.
February 11, 2013
This book is at once, a medical thriller, a romance, a family saga, and a cautionary tale of the near future of medicine. You can have the book for, literally, the price of a song (99 cents) on your Kindle, or the Kindle program on your PC.
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