The Scalpel and the Silver Bear - Sisters of the Desert Sun Read Dr. Lori Alvord

This November, Sisters of the Desert Sun will be reading Lori Alvord's The Scalpel and the Silver Bear, a wonderful opportunity to discuss culture and traditions of healing and their place in mainstream medical practice.  SDS invites members and friends to join us as we explore Alvord's experience and what it means in the wake of the national discourse on affordable healthcare and preventive medicine.  For more information about this selection and other Sisters of the Desert Sun book recommendations and events, please e-mail us at sistersofthedesertsun@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

From the Publisher:

A spellbinding journey between two worlds, this remarkable book describes surgeon Lori Arviso Alvord's struggles to bring modern medicine to the Navajo reservation in Gallup, New Mexico—and to bring the values of her people to a medical care system in danger of losing its heart.

Dr. Alvord left a dusty reservation in New Mexico for Stanford University Medical School, becoming the first Navajo woman surgeon. Rising above the odds presented by her own culture and the male-dominated world of surgeons, she returned to the reservation to find a new challenge. In dramatic encounters, Dr. Alvord witnessed the power of belief to influence health, for good or for ill. She came to merge the latest breakthroughs of medical science with the ancient tribal paths to recovery and wellness, following the Navajo philosophy of a balanced and harmonious life, called Walking in Beauty.