Wool-Gathering with The Wolf

Unexpectedly diagnosed with lymphoma Lina finds herself, for the first time ever, as an inpatient in a southeast London Hospital. She anticipates the worst, having heard the usual woe about the current NHS. Instead, she meets and array or quirky, interesting patients and a multicultural team or hard-working staff who wrap her in a cloak of care, validation, and warmth. This book of her funny, but poignant short stories take the reader through her first chemo treatment and her three weeks stay in hospital.

A very readable and engaging book. Lina is an inspiration with her optimistic attitude towards her surroundings and her positive efforts to connect with the diverse characters she meets -both staff and patients. She empathetic and clever, a keen observer of people and a born raconteur. The reader very quickly finds they start to care for the characters she writes about. With an uplifting and cheerful outlook, her emotional enlightening glimpse of her treatment also celebrates the diversity of the NHS and London. This book hones in on a curious, other world of both strength and vulnerability with stories of folk getting by with humanity, humility, and humour. An upbeat, inspiring read that leaves the reader wanting more.

Author Biography

Lina Lazaretto is the nom de plume of Corinna Percario who was born in Kuala Lumpur, to an Italian father and English/Scots Mother. She lives in London with her partner and three dictatorial felines. Having travelled extensively, she is fascinated by other cultures and languages. She worked for the East German tourist office in London (when it existed), a Japanese travel company, a Chinese incoming travel operator and then finally the NHS – ironically, in Oncology and Haematology – before retirement. Her childhood memories were influenced by her parents’ remarkable careers in both Nigeria and Malaysia in the sixties, later for European Royality and the rich and famous. Her first spoken language was Chinese and as a child, she danced to the Nigerian highlife music and thought the Beatles were a group made up of glamorous Chinese women with beehive hairdos. She has lived in numerous countries and considers herself to be a citizen of the world. With this highly international background it is not surprising that she loves London in all its multicultural glory and is proud to call it her home.