Pandemic-era love story follows a junior doctor’s breakdown and recovery after a broken engagement

Newport, Essex, United Kingdom – October 28, 2026 – A doctor’s struggle to accept care is at the center of Soul on the Water by Stephen Green, a love story unfolding as COVID-19 disrupts everyday life. Revisiting the pandemic through personal losses and interrupted plans, the novel examines emotional vulnerability and the relationships that sustain recovery.

Set in Cambridge, Wisconsin and Mallorca, the story follows junior doctor Alex Hardson after he calls off his wedding to Evie. His relationship with Amelia, an American doctoral student, develops amid damaged trust and family pressures. Increasing reliance on alcohol and drugs, physical injuries and suspension from work bring his own need for help into focus.

Recovery involves more than romance. Medical care, family support, gardening and voluntary work become part of Alex’s rebuilding. His friendship with Rose, a woman sleeping rough, also brings social inequality into the narrative, placing his difficulties alongside the insecurity faced by someone without a home.

KEY FEATURES

The novel follows a junior doctor’s transition from caring for patients to needing care himself, alongside male friendships sustained through competitive sculling. It examines conflicting expectations of marriage and parenthood, while interconnected family stories address faith, illness and bereavement. A friendship with a woman sleeping rough adds a distinct focus on compassion and mutual support across social divides.

WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS

Set against pandemic disruption, the story examines what happens when personal difficulties overwhelm someone accustomed to helping others. Alex’s recovery involves medical care, family support and purposeful activity rather than romance alone. His experiences offer readers a basis for reflecting on emotional vulnerability, responsibility and the willingness to accept help. The narrative also looks beyond romantic relationships to consider the importance of listening to people whose circumstances differ greatly from one’s own.

For readers of relationship-centered fiction, the narrative offers a basis for reflection on trust, accountability and accepting support during periods of upheaval. The dedication also pledges half of the profits from book sales to local homeless charities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Green is a high school teacher and sixth-form tutor in Hertfordshire, England, and a Duke of Edinburgh expedition assessor. His stated aims for the novel include examining relationships and breaking down barriers between the haves and have-nots.

BOOK INFORMATION

Book Name: Soul on the Water

Author Name: Stephen green

ASIN ‏: ‎ B0DDRB3PV1

Kindle Version: Click Here

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