The oasis by Anne Buist & Graeme Simsion

Readers who enjoyed The glasshouse will thoroughly enjoy this latest book by Buist and Simsion. It has the same central group of characters, trainee psychiatrists who went through the Acute Unit, and who are now in different departments. Hannah Wright is now in the psychiatry training program in an outpatient clinic. Some of the patients she sees are carried over from her time in Acute, others are new. She continues to be answerable to Professor Gordon who pushes for her to undergo private therapy for her hesitancy around dealing with suicidal cases.

It all sounds very serious but the authors have an amazing way of imbuing many of the stories with a sense of the absurd, beginning with the opening chapter about patients in the Extended Care unit escaping via a rope ladder over a wall while the actual intended escapee calmly walks out the front doors amidst all the chaos. The escapee patient’s name is DJ Voices and her accomplice is Frodo.

Each chapter begins with an often quite bizarre situation, and then the background to each case is gradually revealed as Hannah works to diagnose the problem. The stories are completely absorbing as complex personal dynamics are revealed. Cases range from family dysfunction, child abuse, emotional abuse, schizophrenia, narcissism . . .  the list goes on. Threaded throughout is Hannah’s gradual realisation that she has her own childhood trauma to work through. And there are problems in the relationships between staff as well. As Hannah’s group of colleagues debrief together we learn about all the challenges of an overloaded medical system.

The book has the ability to appeal to a range of readers; there is a bit of romance, mysteries to solve, detective-like piecing together the clues in psychiatric cases, realistic workplace relationships and conflicts, and lots of cutting humour. Some cases deal with adolescent issues, others deal with adults, but often with links back to childhood traumas. There is something there for everyone, but especially for those interested in mental health. The oasis can be read as a stand-alone, but if you haven’t read The Glasshouse, I would recommend that one as well.

Themes: Psychiatry, Mental health, Counselling, Trauma, Parent child relationship.

Helen Eddy