Doctor Margaret's Sea Chest

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A SPLENDID READ: Margaret, the main character, fascinates me from the beginning of this novel to the end. As a lovely child she charmed me with her inquisitive mind. As a young woman she impressed me with her determination to become a doctor when society adamantly blocked women from seeking careers in male dominated fields. This beautiful Margaret, this strong willed, capable, quick-witted, and resourceful woman, repeatedly triumphs over tremendous challenges to become an inspiring and admirable female role model in her time in history and in ours. Waheed Rabbani successfully creates a persuasive tale filled with international plots and guarded secrets. This story connects readers with characters living in 1965 as well as with characters that lived more than a hundred years before. American doctor Wallidad Sharif is originally from Delhi. He has returned to his birth country on a one year medical contract. When the assignment nears its end, he is asked to do a fascinating task. An ancient and securely locked sea chest has been discovered in a hospital storage room. It is believed to be over 100 years old, the property of one of America’s first female doctors, Dr. Margaret Wallace. Will Dr. Sharif take possession of her sea chest and try to locate her descendants in the United States and in Canada? Dr. Sharif and his wife Alexandra accept this intriguing undertaking and are soon thrown into a web of danger and conspiracy, being pursued by Russian agents, related to a priceless hidden royal crown, authentic war maps, and remarkable events of history not recorded in modern day history books. I highly recommend this book. It is the first in a trilogy, and its author Waheed Rabbani masterfully delivers. He is a new literary voice worthy of your attention. I anxiously await the second novel in this trilogy.

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In a hospital in New Delhi, forgotten in a small storage room, lies an unclaimed sea chest, locked and untouched, for more than one hundred years old. The sea chest once belonged to a woman named Margaret, one of the first female American doctors. In 1965 another American doctor named Sharif is given the task of searching for Doctor Margaret’s descendents who are believed to be living in Grimsby, Ontario, Canada, and return the trunk to them. But things are never simple, and when the contents of the trunk are revealed, Sharif finds himself embroiled in mystery and intrigue that will propel him into the annals of history. From Russia to India, from Canada to America, from the Charge of the Light Brigade to the Underground railroad, this novel takes the reader on a most unforgettable journey into several sensitive times and places in history. In this richly researched novel, Waheed Rabbani seamlessly weaves unrelated tidbits of history into one compelling novel. Through the words in Doctor Margaret’s diary, we get a glimpse into a time in America where slavery prevailed and to face inexplicable danger was the only escape. Rabbani knows how to write with detail, painting vivid pictures of items, places, and characters. For anyone interested in these eras of history, then this novel will certainly bring it to life with great vividness. Dr. Margaret’s Sea Chest is the first book in a trilogy about India’s struggle for freedom – Azadi from the Raj.