The Hummingbird Author:Stephen P Kiernan From the author of The Curiosity comes a thrilling, heart-wrenching new adventure that is at once a tantalizing wartime mystery and a moving tale of living, loving and dyingDeborah Birch is a seasoned hospice nurse who never gives up—not with her patients, not in her life. But her skills and experience are fully tested by the condition her husba... more »nd, Michael, is in when he returns from his third deployment in Iraq: haunted by nightmares, anxiety and rage that has left him cold and withdrawn. Grateful that he is home at last, Deborah is determined to heal Michael and restore their loving, passionate marriage.But Michael is not her only challenge. Her primary patient is Barclay Reed, a retired history professor and fierce curmudgeon. An expert on the Pacific Theatre in World War II, he has terminal kidney cancer, as well as ghosts from his past which include the academic scandal that ended his career.Barclay?s last wish is for Deborah to read to him from his final, unfinished book--a little-known story from World War II that may hold the key to helping Michael conquer his demons. Together, nurse and patient and soldier embark on an unforgettable emotional journey that transforms them all, offering astonishing insights into life and death, suffering and finding peace.Told with piercing empathy and heartbreaking realism, The Hummingbird is a masterful story of marital commitment, service to country, the battles we fight for those we love, learning to let go and finding absolution through wisdom and acceptance.« less