A Miracle for Maggie

Christina Pike is an English and a Learning Resources Centre teacher at
Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland.

Set in the early 1900s, A Miracle for Maggie tells two stories: one is
about a young girl named Maggie Davis and her battle against diabetes,
and the other is about Dr. Frederick Banting and his struggle to find a
cure for that disease. Maggie’s illness is compounded by the death of
her uncle, who was also diabetic, and the fact that there is no known
cure for the disease. Maggie’s father, who is a doctor, fights to
prolong his daughter’s life long enough until a cure is found.

One day, Dr. Davis happens upon an article in The Toronto Star with the
headline “Toronto Doctors on Track of Diabetes Cure.” In a desperate
attempt to save his daughter, he packs her up and makes the long journey
to Toronto in search of Dr. Banting. As the story shifts from Chester to
London, Ontario, and then to Toronto, the story of Dr. Banting and his
struggle to find a purpose for his life unfolds. The novel chronicles
Dr. Banting’s fight to find a sponsor for his research and, finally, a
cure.

Stephen Eaton Hume’s captivating story of two families succeeds in
not only realistically depicting Maggie’s struggle with diabetes but
also puts a human face on Dr. Banting. This moving account of human
endurance in the face of incredible odds is impossible to put down until
the last page is read. Highly recommended.