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The Tennis Partner

A Doctor's Story of Friendship and Loss

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The Tennis Partner

Written by: Abraham Verghese
Narrated by: Neil Shah
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An unforgettable, illuminating story of how men live and how they survive, from Abraham Verghese, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water, an Oprah's Book Club Pick.

“Heartbreaking. . . . Indelible and haunting, [The Tennis Partner] is an elegy to friendship found, and an ode to a good friend lost.”—The Boston Globe

When Abraham Verghese, a physician whose marriage is unraveling, relocates to El Paso, Texas, he hopes to make a fresh start as a staff member at the county hospital. There he meets David Smith, a medical student recovering from drug addiction, and the two men begin a tennis ritual that allows them to shed their inhibitions and find security in the sport they love and with each other. This friendship between doctor and intern grows increasingly rich and complex, more intimate than two men usually allow. Just when it seems nothing can go wrong, the dark beast from David’s past emerges once again—and almost everything Verghese has come to trust and believe in is threatened as David spirals out of control.

 Addiction & Recovery Medical Mental Health Professionals & Academics Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Sports
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I loved the language, the depth of examination of friendship and tennis and how very similar they are. I could read the ending over and over and over.

An examination of friendship as it parallels an intense well examined and perfected game of tennis

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The Covenant of the Water and Cutting for Stone were out of the park amazing books. The tennis player is a very good story but not quite up to his other books.

Another good book

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This was a wonderful story about friendship, and also about addiction, and what it can do to relationships and peoples lives. I enjoyed this very much as I like everything that Abraham Verghese writes. highly recommend this book.

True to life

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I loved the detailed, interwoving threads of tennis, addiction, medicine, friendship, location description that knit the story together- a very juicy slice of life. Superbly written and hauntingly real.

Superbly written and hauntingly real.

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Was not expecting an autobiography of sorts.it was very boring and very disappointing. Cutting for Stone was a masterpiece…. What happened?

It was fine

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