Canadian surgeon Lucille Teasdale and her husband founded Lacor Hospital in northern Uganda in 1961. For 35 years the two doctors treated such contagious diseases as malaria, TB, and AIDS, and Teasdale performed thousands of operations under difficult conditions. They lived through civil war, hostage takings, and epidemics. Teasdale received the highest humanitarian awards from the U.N. for her lifes work in Africa.

Georges Vanier, who served as Governor General of Canada from 1959 to 1967, was 26 when he was one of the first men to join the newly established Royal 22nd Regiment - known as the "Van Doos." He was in his second year in the Montreal firm of Dessaules and Garneau, and very much the son of a Montreal upper-class family. His service in the First World War shaped his character, and he often described the four years spent on the battlefields of Europe as the most rewarding of his life. Vanier, described byMaclean's as "Canada's moral compass," remains one of the most respected and deeply loved figures in Canadian public life.

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Lucille Teasdale: Doctor of Courage

“I want to help poor and needy children. I’m going to do that by becoming a doctor.” At just 12 years old, Lucille Teasdale made that commitment, and in 1955, she followed through on her word, graduating from medical school as one of the first women in her native Quebec to become a surgeon. Her marriage to Piero Corti, a likeminded Italian doctor, made her a partner in accomplishing his dream: establishing a cutting edge teaching hospital, staffed by Africans, in Uganda. For 35 years, they struggled to treat people of all ages and with all ailments – including diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS.

Working tirelessly, with heroic faith, passion and energy, Lucille and Piero strived to expand the facilities and services of St. Mary’s-Lacor Hospital. Dr. Teasdale performed thousands of surgeries under often appalling conditions. The couple fought to provide compassionate, effective medical care, to protect themselves, their daughter, and their staff in the midst of a civil war which led to rebel attacks, rapes, and kidnappings that often put their beloved hospital under siege.

Despite receiving the devastating news in 1985 that she had contracted the HIV virus while performing surgery, Dr. Teasdale continued to care for patients, fundraise for the hospital, and raise awareness about AIDS. After a 10-year battle, Teasdale succumbed in 1995, leaving behind a brave legacy and a thriving hospital.

Lucille Teasdale: Doctor of Courage is a fitting tribute to Dr. Teasdale, her family, and her passionate work. It is her story, but it is also Uganda’s – that of its people, its politics, its tragedies and victories. Deborah Cowley’s book does justice to the amazing couple who gave their adopted country so much of themselves.