Lay Down Your Guns: One Doctor's Battle for Hope and Healing in Honduras by Greg R. Taylor

Book Description:  In Honduras' ''wild west'' mountain jungles, Amanda Madrid found her calling as a medical doctor to poor farmers.

When Amanda's father rejects her dream to be a doctor, eighteen-year-old Amanda strikes out alone and enters medical school in Tegucigalpa.

Her work as a medical officer, public health consultant, and director of an international holistic Christian ministry called Predisan could have resulted in prestigious luxury for her. Instead these experiences led Dr. Madrid to the mountains on horseback and prepared her for the biggest challenge of her life.

When illegal drug trafficking and murders lead to closing medical clinics, Dr. Madrid goes toe to toe with cartel mercenaries, the unarmed doctor in her signature red high heels against men in combat boots armed with AK-47s.

This is the story about the life of a Honduran doctor heartbroken about the many killings and bad medicine of cartels. Can the same kind of love and prayer she gives her patients also cause these violent men to lay down their guns?

My Thoughts:  The title of this book caught my attention, Lay Down Your Guns:  One Doctor's Battle for Hope and Healing Honduras, because when I think of a doctor I don't think of guns.  I think of healing, getting well and of helping.  And this is the true fascinating story of one doctor's will with prayer and faith in God not to give up. Meet Amanda aka. Dr. Madrid.

Amanda sets out against all odds to become a doctor.  After finishing school, Amanda could have "settled" for wealth and luxury but she chose instead to work at a clinic.  

Being a woman doctor in a land filled with drug dealers, cartels and those who love money more than life makes quite a hardship for Dr. Madrid.  But she does not give in, No! she does not give up!  When the medical clinics begin to close up because of these drug dealers and murderers, Dr. Madrid stands toe.to.toe, head.to.head, and eye.to.eye with these  ungodly ruffians.  

One of the funniest moments in my minds eye is the description of a young woman doctor in red high heels as she confronts these rough men in their combat boots.  Red for courage?  or because red means business?  Gotta love a lady doctor in her red high heels!

This is ONE of the best nonfiction reads I have read!  There is excitement and adventure.  

This is a short, fast paced, faith filled read!

*This book was provided for review by ACU Press*

Meet the Author:

Greg R. Taylor (1967- ) was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to Okie parents, one from the dust bowl panhandle and the other from Green Country in the Northeast corner of the state. Greg went off to college too young, 17, and studied journalism, wrote and eventually edited the Harding University student newspaper, and he worked in several offices where he honed his writing skills. He has lived and studied in Italy, lived and worked seven years in Uganda, and has traveled widely. He began his professional writing career as a freelance journalism in 1999 when he reported a story in East Africa about a cult mass murder for the national magazine, Christianity Today. He went on to write for many magazines, including the industry leading magazine on books, Publishers Weekly. He published his first book, a novel titled High Places, in 2003 and co-authored a book in 2004 titled, Down in the River to Pray with John Mark Hicks. He has edited and co-authored many other books. He has been a minister for many years and currently works in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Garnett Church of Christ. His latest book is titled, Lay Down Your Guns: One Doctor's Battle for Hope and Healing in Honduras. He writes true stories about people who change the world. He met his wife, Jill, a Texan, at Harding University. They both love to travel and love their three children, Ashley, Anna, and Jacob, all teenagers as of 2013!

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Leafwood Publishers (September 10, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891123423
• ISBN-13: 978-0891123422