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AIAMC Book Blog:
A Resident Physician Perspective on The God of the Woods
Alyssa DeMutis, DO | AIAMC National initiative X Project
Team Member
Where to start? After
a year and a half of residency, my attention span felt permanently frayed.
Between the hustle of wards and the constant influx of data, it has been rare
for a book to truly quiet the noise. I didn’t just read The
God of the Woods by Liz Moore – I felt present in it and couldn’t help
but give it my undivided attention.
A Legacy of Loss
Set in the Adirondacks, the story centers on the Van Laar
family, wealthy socialites who own a vast estate and a renowned summer camp. The
narrative is anchored by two disappearances: 8-year-old Bear Van Laar who vanished
in 1961 and then his younger sister Barbara (born the year following her brother’s
disappearance) disappears from her camp bunk 14 years later at age 13. As the search for Barbara continues to unfold,
the story peels back decades of community and family secrets. You are left
wondering: are the Van Laar’s truly victims of a string of tragedies or are
they victims of their own ignorance and elitism?
Society’s “Sympathy Gap”
Liz Moore explores social bias and brilliantly highlights
the difference in how addiction and mental illness are perceived through the
lens of class. Such a story resonates
powerfully for me today.
Consider Alice, the mother of Barbara and Bear. When she
drowns her grief in liquor and benzodiazepines, the narrative – and society
around her – responds with sympathy. She’s a woman in pain, and understandably
so. Contrast this with Louise, a camp counselor caught in the investigation despite
her years of dedication to the family. She is the product of a single mother
struggling with addiction, and everyone knows it. She is immediately regarded
with suspicion due to her background while the socialite is viewed with
inherent grace.
As physicians we encounter these stereotypes daily. These
subconscious biases – per the “sympathy gap” above – influence how we treat our
patients. Reading this novel was a reminder to check yourself. In the rush of the
workday, it is easy to let factors outside of medicine influence practice, especially
with constant bombardment of information from the media. This novel illuminates
these uncomfortable biases and reminds us that acknowledging them is the first
step toward not just better care but treating everyone as human.
The Power in Rebellion
Finally, I was drawn to Barbara, who as a headstrong 13-year-old,
refused to fit the mold her family had provided for her. Her parents and
grandparents are appalled by her creativity and “difficult” to control emotions;
they are more concerned about how society views them than who their daughter Barbara
really is. Barbara sees through the superficiality. Her defiance to her
family’s control is a lesson in the importance of protecting your own values
and removing yourself from situations that do not serve you - a vital skill for
any high-pressure career.
Medicine is such a fast-paced environment that it’s easy to
lose yourself within in, letting society shape you into the expected “Doctor”
persona. This story was a reminder that we are allowed to take a step back and
acknowledge life outside of a career.
Final Thoughts
The God of the Woods is a not based in medicine, but
it is a profound study of the social divides and expectations that continue to
shape our culture today. By highlighting how class dictates who is granted
grace versus who is met with suspicion, Moore challenges us to look closer at
our own biases. It is emotionally and intellectually complex, and its lessons
linger long after its final page. It is a reminder that the “woods” we often
lose ourselves in are the ones that society has built around us.
About: Alyssa DeMutis, DO is a PGY3 Internal Medicine
Resident at Mountain Area Health
Education Center in Western North Carolina where she chairs the recruitment
committee. Career Interests: Hospital medicine, lifestyle medicine. Personal Interests:
hiking with my dog and husband, mountain biking, trying new restaurants, and
spending time with family/friends.