The Article in Brief

The Dark Bridal Canopy

Jeffrey M. Borkan, MD, PhD

Background This true story depicts a challenge faced by the author while serving as a family physician in a desolate, desert region in Israel's Southern Aravah Valley, where he practiced for a decade. The episode, a fatal car crash in which a newlywed Druse woman was killed, involved much more than just the terse details listed in the emergency log. The essay illustrates the important role of narrative in capturing some of the intangible sights, sounds, and emotions that are a part of family medicine and in providing meaningful insights into disease, illness, suffering, and the nature of healing.