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Tears Before Exaltation
National Indie Excellence Awards for Friendship (2018)
National Indie Excellence Awards for Medical (2018)
When Ben Ava, a struggling medical student facing insurmountable financial worries, receives a scholarship offer for a Medical Center in Memphis, he thinks that his tenuous future is finally secure. But Ben’s past will not leave him alone. His fellow scholarship winner is his old friend Brenda—a young medical student with extraordinary talent whose troubled past has made her self-destructive and dangerous. In Memphis, their lives become increasingly tangled as Ben is pulled into Brenda’s orbit. Soon, he finds himself risking his medical education, his new romance, and his entire future in the hopes of steering himself and Brenda through the tumult of their shared loneliness and trauma.
Tears Before Exaltation is a literary drama about coping with the past, surviving the present, and the blurred lines between courage and insanity, hate and love.
National Indie Excellence Awards for Medical (2018)
When Ben Ava, a struggling medical student facing insurmountable financial worries, receives a scholarship offer for a Medical Center in Memphis, he thinks that his tenuous future is finally secure. But Ben’s past will not leave him alone. His fellow scholarship winner is his old friend Brenda—a young medical student with extraordinary talent whose troubled past has made her self-destructive and dangerous. In Memphis, their lives become increasingly tangled as Ben is pulled into Brenda’s orbit. Soon, he finds himself risking his medical education, his new romance, and his entire future in the hopes of steering himself and Brenda through the tumult of their shared loneliness and trauma.
Tears Before Exaltation is a literary drama about coping with the past, surviving the present, and the blurred lines between courage and insanity, hate and love.
- GenresFiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2018
16 people are currently reading
1382 people want to read
About the author
Fidelis O. Mkparu
6 books66 followersFidelis O. Mkparu was born in Onitsha, Nigeria, a Harvard-trained cardiologist who has written medical articles for both scientific and lay audiences. He is a professor of Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University and a senior attending cardiologist at Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio. Previously, he was a Spaulding fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. His preceding novels include Love’s Affliction and Tears Before Exaltation (CIPA EVVY Awards Winner, Literary & Contemporary Fiction 2018). He lives in Canton, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 14, 2018
Note-Trying something new with doing the review on Kindle vs paperback. My mind is in 🧟♀️ mode.
Only Read Once
Tears Before Exaltation, by Fidelis O. Mkparu, had potential. The main character, Ben, is a medical student. The book describes his experiences during his four years in medical school. We meet the people who come into his life during this time. The book discusses how Ben is struggling financially. He has scholarships to help him through school. The story does not end with a cliffhanger. Everything is brought to closure.
This is a book I would recommend to those in the health field. I give it two out of five stars as I felt the mental illness concerns in the book could have been developed better. I mean no disrespect to the author, who is a doctor. The mental illness of many of the characters is not confirmed till toward the end. I thought that having the reader make assumptions about the characters was embracing the stigma of mental illness more than helping. Having a mental illness myself, I understand the stigma and the assumptions many people make about folks like me.
My last reason for giving this book two stars is that I could not bond with any of the characters. The main character needs to grow a backbone. This is my taste. Everyone has their own opinion.
Only Read Once
Tears Before Exaltation, by Fidelis O. Mkparu, had potential. The main character, Ben, is a medical student. The book describes his experiences during his four years in medical school. We meet the people who come into his life during this time. The book discusses how Ben is struggling financially. He has scholarships to help him through school. The story does not end with a cliffhanger. Everything is brought to closure.
This is a book I would recommend to those in the health field. I give it two out of five stars as I felt the mental illness concerns in the book could have been developed better. I mean no disrespect to the author, who is a doctor. The mental illness of many of the characters is not confirmed till toward the end. I thought that having the reader make assumptions about the characters was embracing the stigma of mental illness more than helping. Having a mental illness myself, I understand the stigma and the assumptions many people make about folks like me.
My last reason for giving this book two stars is that I could not bond with any of the characters. The main character needs to grow a backbone. This is my taste. Everyone has their own opinion.
March 27, 2018
A GLOOMY DRAMA ABOUT TWO MENTALLY-INSTABLE MEDICAL STUDENTS
Knoxville, Tennessee. Benjamin Ava is the main character and first-person narrator. He works in a hospital. There he sees a skinny woman with blue eyes who reminds him of someone he knows, but with a fuller face. Brenda Galant was a beautiful girl from his first year of medical school. He is worried for Brenda, since she has lost much weight in just three months. Ben and Brenda are 23 years old. They are both third-year medical students.
Ben is spending the summer working. He has just finished his second year of medical school and he needs two jobs to survive because he can’t work during the academic year. He works as an emergency room assistant, or orderly, and in a library. He lives in a university apartment and has just been selected for a scholarship. He has to move to Memphis (still in Tennessee, but far away from Knoxville). He owns a car, but he has to leave his two jobs and his girlfriend.
Ben’s mother was an only child and so was his father. She had a stroke and he died three months after her. Ben’s girlfriend is a surgery resident. Deborah Linger is very disappointed. After two years with Ben, she doesn’t want a long-distance relationship. Since she’s almost thirty years old, her priority is having children before it’s too late.
When Ben arrives in Memphis, he finds out that also Brenda has just been sent there. Brenda gets soon drunk and phones Ben because she wants him to drive her to her room, but when they arrive there she follows him into the shower, situated in the common area. Ben is scared by the situation. He doesn’t want to be falsely accused of having sex with a drunken woman, so he finally accompanies the girl into her room. Brenda is a hideous character. An instable and dangerous woman, but also Ben is to be blamed because he’s too weak. He’s paranoid and incapable of staying away from Brenda.
Moreover Ben is unfair because he thinks that a cross, a rosary and holy water are religious paraphernalia when he sees them next to an elderly female patient, but he gets angry when he watches people on TV demonstrating in front of a mosque, because they don’t want that kind of believers in America and eagerly greets a patient in Arabic when he hears that his surname is Hassan and sees him praying. One religion deserves contempt and the other respect. I felt deeply offended.
Brenda is such an ungrateful slut that she thinks that Ben abused her while she was drunk. She flirted with a married man and got drunk, he went home with his wife, she called Ben in the dead of night because she wanted him to go for her and now she’s accusing him of sexual assault! She’s completely crazy! Despite this, Brenda asks him to let her in because she’s scared by wind and hail. Ben reluctantly accepts, but when he receives a call from Deb, Brenda yells that she’ll take a shower. Deb is obviously furious, but soon after this unpleasant episode, Ben meets an attractive nurse and he starts dating her.
Ben has only his scholarship. Fifteen thousand dollars a year and a free tuition. Didn’t he inherit anything from his parents? Moreover, there are too many women in his life. They are the source of all his problems. For example, when Brenda cuts her wrist and Ben calls an ambulance she says she will accuse him of trying to kill her! Then Deb calls Ben to tell him she has a lump in her breast and that she’s having a biopsy. She needs him and his new girlfriend Rita gets angry. Of course, Ben goes back to Knoxville to support Deb but she’s with Mike, her new boyfriend. Why did she call him then? Vengeance?
Ben is such a fool! Dr Trophy says that he hates losers looking for attention with fake suicide attempts and Brenda starts crying because she knows he’s hinting at her. And what does Ben do? He reacts defending such an undeserving witch like Brenda! The result? He’s suspended. What did you expect, idiot? Ben is forced to move out of his dorm room. He’s just become homeless in Memphis. Fortunately for him, his suspension and homelessness are over after just two days. Dr Haber will be his new supervisor and Rita forgives him.
Anyway, Ben hasn’t learned his lesson yet. He is having sex with Rita and what does he do? He stops it all because he hears Brenda crying! He wants to help her! Why isn’t he able to mind his own business? Brenda. The aggressive anorexic girl with depression and suicidal tendencies. Brenda’s reaction: she destroys Ben shirt and scratches his face. It’s Rita who pushes her away. Ben doesn’t move!
When Brenda is finally admitted in a mental hospital, Ben goes to visit her. Three years before, Brenda had asked Ben to have lunch together, but he turned her down. He had no money and he didn’t want a woman to pay for him. At that time Brenda hoped that they could be more than just friends, but Ben didn’t realize it. This is why she hates him. Brenda has nightmares and anxiety attacks. She feels depressed. Doctors say she’s bipolar. Her father abused her when she was ten.
Now Ben wants to convince Rita to join him in supporting Brenda. Rita doesn’t care for her, but Ben insists that she needs friends. What a pity that he has forgotten that friendship, like love, should be a mutual and sincere feeling and not an arranged one.
After Brenda is dismissed from the hospital, Ben invites her to eat with him every day, so that he can monitor her weight loss problems. But Rita will be furious! She doesn’t deserve to share Ben’s company with another woman.
Brenda goes back to work and when the surgery resident Dr Green flirts with her she’s so happy that she hugs Ben. Rita sees them and she thinks they’re having an affair. This is why she stops seeing Ben. Brenda gains some weight and Ben starts admiring her buttocks, but now she’s interested only in Dr Green.
Ben he’s convinced he didn’t do anything wrong and that Rita left him twice over minor misunderstandings (involving Deb and Brenda). He repeatedly acted like a fool and he still thinks he’s right! He’s really a desperate case! Fortunately for him, Brenda explains to Rita that they’re just friends and she forgives him.
Brenda is accepted by the surgery team. She feels comfortable with scalpels and sutures, but Ben is interested in talking and comforting people. Rita reveals that she was also abused by her father. He began when she was 12. Another incest?!
After completing his fourth year and his graduation from medical school, Ben is going to move back to Knoxville for a residency in internal medicine and psychiatry. He leaves a note to invite Deb to his graduation. Incredible, but true: she accepts! Deb is going to marry soon and Ben proposes to Rita. Also Brenda and Paul are moving to Knoxville.
Is this the happy end? Poor Rita! I don’t believe in real friendship between a woman and a man. At least one of them will always have a dangerous sexual interest. Not the ideal situation for jealous partners of such “friendly” people. Does Ben really want to become a psychiatrist?! But he’s a paranoid, insecure, impulsive and depressed man who has been ruining his own life for most of the book! I’m perplexed!
Tears before Exaltation is an engaging story that won’t leave you indifferent, a page-turner that will keep you reading eagerly until the end. I anyway recommend this book to selfless, optimistic and not jealous people who won’t be affected by Ben’s paranoia and often irresponsible behavior and Brenda’s self-destructive depression.
As for the cover, instead of the nightmarish crying face that made me think of a horror movie, I would have preferred a painting with a grey sky with heavy rain and a rainbow: Tears before Exaltation.
If Ben hadn’t been after his humanitarian mission of saving Brenda, he wouldn’t have lost the chance of winning Deb back, he wouldn’t have been suspended from medical school and he wouldn’t have risked losing his new girlfriend Rita forever.
Ben’s taking care of too many women reminded me of my former boyfriend and that was one of the reasons that led me to the decision of breaking with him. After four years and seven months. Because such men will never change and they will always find new “friends” to help. This happened so many years ago, in 2005, when I was still a 22-year-old college student.
I received a free digital copy from the author in exchange for an early feedback and I would like to thank him for such a privilege. As for you, my dear readers, I invite you to check also Fidelis O. Mkparu’s previous novel, the wonderful Love’s Affliction.
Knoxville, Tennessee. Benjamin Ava is the main character and first-person narrator. He works in a hospital. There he sees a skinny woman with blue eyes who reminds him of someone he knows, but with a fuller face. Brenda Galant was a beautiful girl from his first year of medical school. He is worried for Brenda, since she has lost much weight in just three months. Ben and Brenda are 23 years old. They are both third-year medical students.
Ben is spending the summer working. He has just finished his second year of medical school and he needs two jobs to survive because he can’t work during the academic year. He works as an emergency room assistant, or orderly, and in a library. He lives in a university apartment and has just been selected for a scholarship. He has to move to Memphis (still in Tennessee, but far away from Knoxville). He owns a car, but he has to leave his two jobs and his girlfriend.
Ben’s mother was an only child and so was his father. She had a stroke and he died three months after her. Ben’s girlfriend is a surgery resident. Deborah Linger is very disappointed. After two years with Ben, she doesn’t want a long-distance relationship. Since she’s almost thirty years old, her priority is having children before it’s too late.
When Ben arrives in Memphis, he finds out that also Brenda has just been sent there. Brenda gets soon drunk and phones Ben because she wants him to drive her to her room, but when they arrive there she follows him into the shower, situated in the common area. Ben is scared by the situation. He doesn’t want to be falsely accused of having sex with a drunken woman, so he finally accompanies the girl into her room. Brenda is a hideous character. An instable and dangerous woman, but also Ben is to be blamed because he’s too weak. He’s paranoid and incapable of staying away from Brenda.
Moreover Ben is unfair because he thinks that a cross, a rosary and holy water are religious paraphernalia when he sees them next to an elderly female patient, but he gets angry when he watches people on TV demonstrating in front of a mosque, because they don’t want that kind of believers in America and eagerly greets a patient in Arabic when he hears that his surname is Hassan and sees him praying. One religion deserves contempt and the other respect. I felt deeply offended.
Brenda is such an ungrateful slut that she thinks that Ben abused her while she was drunk. She flirted with a married man and got drunk, he went home with his wife, she called Ben in the dead of night because she wanted him to go for her and now she’s accusing him of sexual assault! She’s completely crazy! Despite this, Brenda asks him to let her in because she’s scared by wind and hail. Ben reluctantly accepts, but when he receives a call from Deb, Brenda yells that she’ll take a shower. Deb is obviously furious, but soon after this unpleasant episode, Ben meets an attractive nurse and he starts dating her.
Ben has only his scholarship. Fifteen thousand dollars a year and a free tuition. Didn’t he inherit anything from his parents? Moreover, there are too many women in his life. They are the source of all his problems. For example, when Brenda cuts her wrist and Ben calls an ambulance she says she will accuse him of trying to kill her! Then Deb calls Ben to tell him she has a lump in her breast and that she’s having a biopsy. She needs him and his new girlfriend Rita gets angry. Of course, Ben goes back to Knoxville to support Deb but she’s with Mike, her new boyfriend. Why did she call him then? Vengeance?
Ben is such a fool! Dr Trophy says that he hates losers looking for attention with fake suicide attempts and Brenda starts crying because she knows he’s hinting at her. And what does Ben do? He reacts defending such an undeserving witch like Brenda! The result? He’s suspended. What did you expect, idiot? Ben is forced to move out of his dorm room. He’s just become homeless in Memphis. Fortunately for him, his suspension and homelessness are over after just two days. Dr Haber will be his new supervisor and Rita forgives him.
Anyway, Ben hasn’t learned his lesson yet. He is having sex with Rita and what does he do? He stops it all because he hears Brenda crying! He wants to help her! Why isn’t he able to mind his own business? Brenda. The aggressive anorexic girl with depression and suicidal tendencies. Brenda’s reaction: she destroys Ben shirt and scratches his face. It’s Rita who pushes her away. Ben doesn’t move!
When Brenda is finally admitted in a mental hospital, Ben goes to visit her. Three years before, Brenda had asked Ben to have lunch together, but he turned her down. He had no money and he didn’t want a woman to pay for him. At that time Brenda hoped that they could be more than just friends, but Ben didn’t realize it. This is why she hates him. Brenda has nightmares and anxiety attacks. She feels depressed. Doctors say she’s bipolar. Her father abused her when she was ten.
Now Ben wants to convince Rita to join him in supporting Brenda. Rita doesn’t care for her, but Ben insists that she needs friends. What a pity that he has forgotten that friendship, like love, should be a mutual and sincere feeling and not an arranged one.
After Brenda is dismissed from the hospital, Ben invites her to eat with him every day, so that he can monitor her weight loss problems. But Rita will be furious! She doesn’t deserve to share Ben’s company with another woman.
Brenda goes back to work and when the surgery resident Dr Green flirts with her she’s so happy that she hugs Ben. Rita sees them and she thinks they’re having an affair. This is why she stops seeing Ben. Brenda gains some weight and Ben starts admiring her buttocks, but now she’s interested only in Dr Green.
Ben he’s convinced he didn’t do anything wrong and that Rita left him twice over minor misunderstandings (involving Deb and Brenda). He repeatedly acted like a fool and he still thinks he’s right! He’s really a desperate case! Fortunately for him, Brenda explains to Rita that they’re just friends and she forgives him.
Brenda is accepted by the surgery team. She feels comfortable with scalpels and sutures, but Ben is interested in talking and comforting people. Rita reveals that she was also abused by her father. He began when she was 12. Another incest?!
After completing his fourth year and his graduation from medical school, Ben is going to move back to Knoxville for a residency in internal medicine and psychiatry. He leaves a note to invite Deb to his graduation. Incredible, but true: she accepts! Deb is going to marry soon and Ben proposes to Rita. Also Brenda and Paul are moving to Knoxville.
Is this the happy end? Poor Rita! I don’t believe in real friendship between a woman and a man. At least one of them will always have a dangerous sexual interest. Not the ideal situation for jealous partners of such “friendly” people. Does Ben really want to become a psychiatrist?! But he’s a paranoid, insecure, impulsive and depressed man who has been ruining his own life for most of the book! I’m perplexed!
Tears before Exaltation is an engaging story that won’t leave you indifferent, a page-turner that will keep you reading eagerly until the end. I anyway recommend this book to selfless, optimistic and not jealous people who won’t be affected by Ben’s paranoia and often irresponsible behavior and Brenda’s self-destructive depression.
As for the cover, instead of the nightmarish crying face that made me think of a horror movie, I would have preferred a painting with a grey sky with heavy rain and a rainbow: Tears before Exaltation.
If Ben hadn’t been after his humanitarian mission of saving Brenda, he wouldn’t have lost the chance of winning Deb back, he wouldn’t have been suspended from medical school and he wouldn’t have risked losing his new girlfriend Rita forever.
Ben’s taking care of too many women reminded me of my former boyfriend and that was one of the reasons that led me to the decision of breaking with him. After four years and seven months. Because such men will never change and they will always find new “friends” to help. This happened so many years ago, in 2005, when I was still a 22-year-old college student.
I received a free digital copy from the author in exchange for an early feedback and I would like to thank him for such a privilege. As for you, my dear readers, I invite you to check also Fidelis O. Mkparu’s previous novel, the wonderful Love’s Affliction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2018
Although medical student Ben Ava is the central character and storyteller in TEARS BEFORE EXALTATION, Fidelis Mkparu seems to use him to tell a story of experiences that all his characters share. Rather than just the story of how a single medical student finds his way through professional and personal challenges, Mkparu seems to be using Ben and his story to illustrate problems a lot of aspiring medical professionals encounter.
One way he does this is with the pace of the story. This is not a comfortable, leisurely read. Things happen fast, and there’s no lead-up to events. Ben finds out he has a single day to rearrange his life to obtain the scholarship he needs to achieve his career. The notice telling him about the scholarship sits in his mailbox for 3 weeks because he is so busy working—to hold things together until he hears about the scholarship. Claiming the scholarship on time, telling his girlfriend about his good fortune and his sudden move, saying goodbye to his parents’ graves and the logistics of moving get all jumbled together at a bang-crash pace very similar to the rhythm of the emergency room where he has worked.
Mkparu continues the frenetic pace and abrupt gearshifts of events to show the intense stresses, not just on Ben, but on medical professionals of all kinds. For Ben, the avatar of failure appears in the form of a homeless man who appears and disappears from his neighborhood. At one point their lives cross briefly in a very human encounter, and at different times in the story Ben encounters the very real hunger and insecurity the homeless man feels on a regular basis. His first girlfriend is on her way to a successful career but recognizes that she lacks the stamina to help him wade through the financial, personal and emotional chaos still ahead of him. A second friend, Brenda, displays dependence and anger without boundaries, a function of prolonged, untreated mental illness. Unable to care for herself, she struggles with a career based on caring for others. His third friend Rita has achieved slightly better balance between meeting her own needs and those of others but can still be easily pressured by conflicting emotions and jealousies. Other characters illustrate similar struggles between personal growth and professional development, some with admirable achievements and others with disappointing selfishness.
While the romantic ups and downs keep a reader engaged, there’s a certain bang-crash emergency-room quality to the unfolding of events, whether they are personal or professional. There’s always some new crisis rising up before other matters are settled. One can only assume this is Mkparu’s way of showing how emotionally, financially and personally stressful becoming a medical professional can be—a good thing to remember when a young doctor keeps you waiting.
One way he does this is with the pace of the story. This is not a comfortable, leisurely read. Things happen fast, and there’s no lead-up to events. Ben finds out he has a single day to rearrange his life to obtain the scholarship he needs to achieve his career. The notice telling him about the scholarship sits in his mailbox for 3 weeks because he is so busy working—to hold things together until he hears about the scholarship. Claiming the scholarship on time, telling his girlfriend about his good fortune and his sudden move, saying goodbye to his parents’ graves and the logistics of moving get all jumbled together at a bang-crash pace very similar to the rhythm of the emergency room where he has worked.
Mkparu continues the frenetic pace and abrupt gearshifts of events to show the intense stresses, not just on Ben, but on medical professionals of all kinds. For Ben, the avatar of failure appears in the form of a homeless man who appears and disappears from his neighborhood. At one point their lives cross briefly in a very human encounter, and at different times in the story Ben encounters the very real hunger and insecurity the homeless man feels on a regular basis. His first girlfriend is on her way to a successful career but recognizes that she lacks the stamina to help him wade through the financial, personal and emotional chaos still ahead of him. A second friend, Brenda, displays dependence and anger without boundaries, a function of prolonged, untreated mental illness. Unable to care for herself, she struggles with a career based on caring for others. His third friend Rita has achieved slightly better balance between meeting her own needs and those of others but can still be easily pressured by conflicting emotions and jealousies. Other characters illustrate similar struggles between personal growth and professional development, some with admirable achievements and others with disappointing selfishness.
While the romantic ups and downs keep a reader engaged, there’s a certain bang-crash emergency-room quality to the unfolding of events, whether they are personal or professional. There’s always some new crisis rising up before other matters are settled. One can only assume this is Mkparu’s way of showing how emotionally, financially and personally stressful becoming a medical professional can be—a good thing to remember when a young doctor keeps you waiting.
April 12, 2018
Ben Ava is a medical student struggling with financial woes and coping with the loss of his parents. When he lands a medical scholarship in Memphis, TN, it looks like his luck is changing. Enter Brenda - a fellow student and scholarship winner. Once a friend, she now hates him...but why?
Unfortunately, I don’t have good things to say about this book. The writing is choppy and filled with repetitive phrases and sentence fragments, which makes it hard to read. The book jumps along from scene to scene, with little development between events. Lack of appropriate detail or description makes things feel like they happen without warning.
The main character is self-centered, judgmental, and paranoid. At one point, he wondered about a doctor’s judgement and clinical competence because the doctor was wearing a tweed jacket (indoors) in Nashville during the summertime. He constantly jumps to conclusions, worrying past the point of rationale about being kicked out of the program or charged with sexual harassment (or both at once).
The rest of the characters are flat and uninteresting at best and stereotypical at worst. They speak and act with little motivation or reason evident, and change their minds just as quickly. The book tries to deal with some heavy elements but does little to draw the readers in and make them actually care about the characters.
Save yourself the time and skip this one.
Unfortunately, I don’t have good things to say about this book. The writing is choppy and filled with repetitive phrases and sentence fragments, which makes it hard to read. The book jumps along from scene to scene, with little development between events. Lack of appropriate detail or description makes things feel like they happen without warning.
The main character is self-centered, judgmental, and paranoid. At one point, he wondered about a doctor’s judgement and clinical competence because the doctor was wearing a tweed jacket (indoors) in Nashville during the summertime. He constantly jumps to conclusions, worrying past the point of rationale about being kicked out of the program or charged with sexual harassment (or both at once).
The rest of the characters are flat and uninteresting at best and stereotypical at worst. They speak and act with little motivation or reason evident, and change their minds just as quickly. The book tries to deal with some heavy elements but does little to draw the readers in and make them actually care about the characters.
Save yourself the time and skip this one.
March 26, 2018
From the very beginning of this medical thriller, we meet an intense and complicated duo. Ben and Brenda, who met in medical school and developed a close friendship, have grown apart and lost touch. From one near tragic night in Knoxville, their lives are forced back together, for better eventually but for worse at the outset. They both coincidentally win a scholarship to finish medical school in Memphis. Before they know it they are not only classmates, but they are sharing a suite in the med school dorm. They are both pushing the bounds of sanity and involved in a frustrating love/hate relationship. Ben strives to be everyone's hero, but Brenda's more than anyone else. It puts his entire future at risk when he defends her honor at work. The story moves quickly ahead and Ben has some dark days, which he in some ways deserves, as he knew every time he spoke out, he was challenging someone who could end his career. In general, Ben is a good guy, always trying to help. Though his intentions are usually good, it can be hard to see him walk the line between honor and self-destruction. The character development is sometimes shallow, but all of the players are interesting and can truly surprise the reader with their actions or reactions. Tears Before Exaltation is a compelling and rewarding read that explores the boundaries of sanity, self-destruction and love, and the strength within that allows to survive it all.
March 28, 2018
While there is a medical plot to this book, it is more of a psychological thriller. I would say there is a loose comparison to Gone Girl with this story. The book focuses on two medical students who are thrust together and develop a complicated and dark relationship. The hero of this story is weak and can become annoying at times. He isn't someone I personally cared for or could root for. There was no connection established. Also, reader-be-warned: the hero of the story has some offensive religious views that could trigger some readers. It turned me off to the story, but I know it was also part of the character. Brenda definitely felt all Gone Girly to the point I rolled my eyes. The book is an okay read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers centered around medical school.
March 26, 2018
An encouraging fiction story that gives the motivation to fight till you fulfil your dreams. The story is the journey of medical student Ben, who struggles to complete his medical education in Memphis, after losing his parents, working two jobs, losing his girlfriend, trying to help her friend who is going through emotional stress and all the other surrounding circumstances and people. The plot is engaging with lots of elements of love, romance, hatred, mental illness, fighting spirit, friendship, suspense and drama.
February 16, 2018
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (02/18)
“Tears Before Exaltation” by Fidelis O. Mkparu is an extraordinary literary medical thriller that tells the story of young medical student, Ben Ava.
Having lost both parents, Ben suffers their losses and struggles to finish his education on his own. He is excited to discover that he has been awarded a scholarship, which requires him to move to Memphis. While this move causes him to lose his girlfriend, it also means that he will no longer have to work two jobs. Shortly after he arrives, Ben discovers that an old friend and classmate of his, Brenda, with whom he was once close, has been awarded the same scholarship. Ben learns that Brenda is suffering from severe emotional issues and, having to share a suite with her, quickly recognizes that she despises him. Ben is also dismayed when he realizes that the doctors directing his education are pompous and egotistical. One doctor goes after Ben because he is interested in Ben's latest romantic interest Rita.
For someone trying to survive medical school, Ben has a lot of other issues on his hands. He is especially affected by the women in his life who are suffering from emotional damage caused by family members who betrayed them when they were young. Using compassion and determination, Ben does everything he can to help them heal and move forward with their lives while continuing to pursue his own dream.
“Tears Before Exaltation” is a stunning literary drama that combines key elements such as romance, suspense, and psychological intrigue. The author immediately caught my attention by creating a likable, compassionate hero who rules his life by acting with integrity. He is surrounded by several key players who do not share his ethical standards. The hero often suffers because the people surrounding him are damaged by things that happened in their pasts. While Ben came from a normal, loving upbringing, he still carries the ability to try to understand and help his friends. It is interesting to watch his character evolve and mature throughout the story. The other characters in the story are well developed and most of them are not always likable. This aspect adds even more to the drama because they rarely act in ways that help improve the protagonist's life.
The writing is contemporary and compassionate, tackling highly relevant social issues such as mental illness, including alcoholism and depression. The story has an engaging pace that makes it hard to put down with twists and excitement that will leave you wanting more.
Readers who enjoy intrigue, drama, and romance set in the medical field, will quickly find themselves immersed this novel. I highly recommend “Tears Before Exaltation” by Fidelis O. Mkparu!
“Tears Before Exaltation” by Fidelis O. Mkparu is an extraordinary literary medical thriller that tells the story of young medical student, Ben Ava.
Having lost both parents, Ben suffers their losses and struggles to finish his education on his own. He is excited to discover that he has been awarded a scholarship, which requires him to move to Memphis. While this move causes him to lose his girlfriend, it also means that he will no longer have to work two jobs. Shortly after he arrives, Ben discovers that an old friend and classmate of his, Brenda, with whom he was once close, has been awarded the same scholarship. Ben learns that Brenda is suffering from severe emotional issues and, having to share a suite with her, quickly recognizes that she despises him. Ben is also dismayed when he realizes that the doctors directing his education are pompous and egotistical. One doctor goes after Ben because he is interested in Ben's latest romantic interest Rita.
For someone trying to survive medical school, Ben has a lot of other issues on his hands. He is especially affected by the women in his life who are suffering from emotional damage caused by family members who betrayed them when they were young. Using compassion and determination, Ben does everything he can to help them heal and move forward with their lives while continuing to pursue his own dream.
“Tears Before Exaltation” is a stunning literary drama that combines key elements such as romance, suspense, and psychological intrigue. The author immediately caught my attention by creating a likable, compassionate hero who rules his life by acting with integrity. He is surrounded by several key players who do not share his ethical standards. The hero often suffers because the people surrounding him are damaged by things that happened in their pasts. While Ben came from a normal, loving upbringing, he still carries the ability to try to understand and help his friends. It is interesting to watch his character evolve and mature throughout the story. The other characters in the story are well developed and most of them are not always likable. This aspect adds even more to the drama because they rarely act in ways that help improve the protagonist's life.
The writing is contemporary and compassionate, tackling highly relevant social issues such as mental illness, including alcoholism and depression. The story has an engaging pace that makes it hard to put down with twists and excitement that will leave you wanting more.
Readers who enjoy intrigue, drama, and romance set in the medical field, will quickly find themselves immersed this novel. I highly recommend “Tears Before Exaltation” by Fidelis O. Mkparu!
November 16, 2018
Engaging page turner that was hard to put down
Tears Before Exhaltation is a fantastic read. Right from the start we are transported into the world of a young Doctor in training as he works his job as an orderly to pay his way through medical school. It is clear this author knows his way around a hospital and its inner workings from the very beginning. His insight into a patient’s emotions regarding doctors and their response to him and his colleagues is spot on.
When Ben is transferred to another hospital to accept a scholarship it feels as if his luck has turned around but not quite. Our young protagonist will find himself suffering heartache and homelessness before our story is over. Eventually after several harrowing events he finds himself at a place of happiness and peace. I found myself empathetic to his plight and finishing the story kept me up past my usual bedtime.
The story was not without flaws. The book was a little…stiff in places. Where there should maybe have been more emotion it seemed as if the protagonist was stoic. This could be do to the fact that often doctors are perceived in such a manner. There were also intimate scenes that seemed like a teenager’s fantasy as opposed to an actual adult relationship. There are instances where his friends distance themselves and sincerely it seems reasonable given the emotional depth of the character in that moment. However these flaws resolve themselves in general and don’t make the book unreadable. In fact perhaps some of this is just good story telling. It is likely that a science driven young man would struggle in these exact spaces: social circles and intimate relationships. If you’re looking for something a little different but still very good check out this medical drama.
Tears Before Exhaltation is a fantastic read. Right from the start we are transported into the world of a young Doctor in training as he works his job as an orderly to pay his way through medical school. It is clear this author knows his way around a hospital and its inner workings from the very beginning. His insight into a patient’s emotions regarding doctors and their response to him and his colleagues is spot on.
When Ben is transferred to another hospital to accept a scholarship it feels as if his luck has turned around but not quite. Our young protagonist will find himself suffering heartache and homelessness before our story is over. Eventually after several harrowing events he finds himself at a place of happiness and peace. I found myself empathetic to his plight and finishing the story kept me up past my usual bedtime.
The story was not without flaws. The book was a little…stiff in places. Where there should maybe have been more emotion it seemed as if the protagonist was stoic. This could be do to the fact that often doctors are perceived in such a manner. There were also intimate scenes that seemed like a teenager’s fantasy as opposed to an actual adult relationship. There are instances where his friends distance themselves and sincerely it seems reasonable given the emotional depth of the character in that moment. However these flaws resolve themselves in general and don’t make the book unreadable. In fact perhaps some of this is just good story telling. It is likely that a science driven young man would struggle in these exact spaces: social circles and intimate relationships. If you’re looking for something a little different but still very good check out this medical drama.
November 5, 2017
This book was suspenseful and what I call a psychological thriller. The characters involved were exceptionally derived from Ben and his honesty to each one of them. He felt torn between his best friend Brenda because of their long time friendship for years and his now lover Rita. Throughout Ben's new way of living life, Brenda continually needed his attention because of her mental illness she could not overcome. Ben and Brenda have a love hate friendship while Rita and Ben have a romantic relationship. The author continues to keep the reader involved in the story even after the book is read. The trial and tribulations Ben goes through throughout this book is amazing and courageous. His life in this storyline made me feel sorry for him in so many situations and yet he continued to be an honest and true friend to Brenda. This fiction book is a great read and I would highly recommend this book to all of you to read!!!!!
March 23, 2018
Tears Before Exaltation is a fiction novel by Fidelis O. Mkparu. From the first chapter alone, you can tell the author is quite talented. The author created a perfect set, making the story grow more and more intricate and presenting us some challenging topics. Mental illness is well depicted here, treated fairly, in a compassionate way.
Both main characters, Brenda and Ben, are well displayed. We understand who they are, what they went through and their life is now deeply connected. The plot moves quite fast, which is not so normal in this kind of romances, and I quite enjoyed that. The characters are well-written, showing their strengths and their weaknesses and also how they evolve throughout the story.
A really nice story, easy to follow that goes through some tough topics with incredible sensitivity. I’m sure I’ll read something from this author in a near future as I quite enjoyed the writing style showcased here.
Both main characters, Brenda and Ben, are well displayed. We understand who they are, what they went through and their life is now deeply connected. The plot moves quite fast, which is not so normal in this kind of romances, and I quite enjoyed that. The characters are well-written, showing their strengths and their weaknesses and also how they evolve throughout the story.
A really nice story, easy to follow that goes through some tough topics with incredible sensitivity. I’m sure I’ll read something from this author in a near future as I quite enjoyed the writing style showcased here.
April 1, 2018
This is a time when mental illness is hidden because few accept it and even fewer understand the havoc it plays on the lives of those involved. Unlike some illnesses, mental disorders cannot always be detected by friends and family members and when it erupts there can be mass destruction in lives and relationships. Tears Before Exaltation shows, through Ben Ava’s life, how it affects someone first hand. When Brenda comes back into Ben’s life, after sharing a class together, he finds he is drawn to her and wants to help her overcome this illness that has a hold on her.
Fedelis O. Mkparu created a story that could have been the intern at your local medical center. I feel Ben just wants to be a friend, even if it drags him down. I love how understanding he is although he knows Brenda will bring him nothing but pain and sorrow.
Fedelis O. Mkparu created a story that could have been the intern at your local medical center. I feel Ben just wants to be a friend, even if it drags him down. I love how understanding he is although he knows Brenda will bring him nothing but pain and sorrow.
April 7, 2018
I have never read a medical thriller before and was not sure what to expect. This book was fast-paced and well-written and kept me engaged the entire time! It is combination of thriller and drama, and young med student Ben is in for some trying times. The characters were extremely relate-able as they battle through difficult times in their lives. I could totally see this book becoming a TV show! Death, mental illness, and other life-changing events occur, making the struggle to be a successful individual with a good career even more challenging. This was a great book about a young man that battles adversity while trying to help out friends, find love, and overcome the past.
November 17, 2017
An intriguing read which brings the reader into the life of Ben, a medical student faced with personal conflicts, friend conflicts, love conflicts and medical school conflicts all at the same time. As a result of his constant self examination Ben discovers that honesty, loyalty and truth do matter. The writer captures interest immediately and throughout Ben's story. A very good read.
March 14, 2018
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
This book was very compelling.
It kept me captivated.
I would definitely read more by this author.
This book was very compelling.
It kept me captivated.
I would definitely read more by this author.
April 6, 2018
Tears Before Exhalation is the second fiction novel of Fidelis O. Mkparu. Cataloged as a medical thriller, the story is replete with a dark romance and lots of drama. The story opens with the main character and medical student, Ben Ava, faced with the conflict of possibly getting fired for helping a fellow student named Brenda who was admitted to the hospital or following hospital patient privacy and protocol rules. This scene sets the tone for the entirety of the narrative as the reader witnesses Ben fall down a rabbit hole of bad decisions trying to help Brenda overcome her shadowy past and personal issues to capture her future. Ben and Brenda’s lives become further intertwined, as each is awarded a Tennessee Medical scholarship and the drama unfolds. It’s an interesting read and Mkparu has a gift for pacing and creating compelling characters. Definitely worth putting on your list of beach reads.
April 24, 2019
Honestly...the book was boring but I understood the message emphasized in the read. The author wanted readers to understand the importance of seeking help to stabilize your thoughts before spiraling out of control. This read told various psychological stories of different characters who befriended the main character Benjamin Ava. Fidelis wanted readers to realize that regardless of the type of career path one establishes, it doesn't subject them to freedom of mental illness. All of the lads in this read were on their internship as physicians, which is stressful, but they were internally battling old wounds afflicted from childhood or unexpected life circumstances. Instead of pursuing help to delegate theirselves, all relished in embedded issues that would surface at unanticipated moments. (To read the rest of my review please click the link: https://www.readerslearn.com/blog-lif...)
April 11, 2018
Grey's Anatomy meets Fatal Attraction! This book means well. It pulls on the reader's heartstrings with its downtrodden, good-guy protagonist Ben Ava. The dynamic between him and his dark and troubled fellow medical student Brenda makes for an exciting read. The plot has some good points but other than the two main players, the rest of the cast lacked for character development. It almost seems more like a very solid first draft. Major moments of the plot line seem to move along and escalate rather quickly, without much time for processing. Finally, and this is pure nitpicking on the part of the reader, but as a Memphian, the description of views and locations simply seemed as though the author was not actually familiar with the city.
Overall, it was an engaging and entertaining read, but left me with a lot of questions.
Overall, it was an engaging and entertaining read, but left me with a lot of questions.
April 24, 2018
Fantastic drama novel
Tears Before Exaltation, by Fidelis O. Mkparu is a drama which follows the main character Ben Ava. Ben is a medical student who is facing a lot of struggles in life as he tries to help his childhood friend, Brenda overcome her past, and current undiagnosed mental problems. Most of the story takes place in Memphis, Tennessee where Ben and Brenda were both given scholarships to finish medical school.
The story is fast paced and keeps you turning pages once you get into it. Mkparu really seems to know his way around the medical field, as the story is incredibly detailed right down to the smallest pieces. The story has just the right amount of romance and drama to keep it moving and interesting. I would love to read more from Fidelis O. Mkparu. His writing style is perfect for this type of novel, and his characters are deep and personable.
Tears Before Exaltation, by Fidelis O. Mkparu is a drama which follows the main character Ben Ava. Ben is a medical student who is facing a lot of struggles in life as he tries to help his childhood friend, Brenda overcome her past, and current undiagnosed mental problems. Most of the story takes place in Memphis, Tennessee where Ben and Brenda were both given scholarships to finish medical school.
The story is fast paced and keeps you turning pages once you get into it. Mkparu really seems to know his way around the medical field, as the story is incredibly detailed right down to the smallest pieces. The story has just the right amount of romance and drama to keep it moving and interesting. I would love to read more from Fidelis O. Mkparu. His writing style is perfect for this type of novel, and his characters are deep and personable.
June 18, 2018
Tears Before Exaltation is a gripping novel by author Fidelis O. Mkparu that tells the story of a medical student named Ben Ava who is trying to make a better future for himself even in the midst of his current troubles. One day, he receives a scholarship to attend a Memphis medical center. However, it turns out that a former friend of his, Brenda, also has received this scholarship. The trouble is, Brenda has become rather dangerous due to her past. Ben has to navigate around these problems while working together with her.
This novel is an excellent story that has a well-developed plot and a great mixture of characters. At 324 pages, it might be a little long for some, but it’s well worth setting aside some time to read. This medical romantic thriller will surely leave you on the edge of your seat while trying to figure out what happens next.
This novel is an excellent story that has a well-developed plot and a great mixture of characters. At 324 pages, it might be a little long for some, but it’s well worth setting aside some time to read. This medical romantic thriller will surely leave you on the edge of your seat while trying to figure out what happens next.
April 12, 2018
Tears Before Exaltation provides readers with a strong plot. Ben Ava is an all-around great guy. The author does a great job drawing out the character’s personality. There are tones of naivety and dedication. On the other hand, his close friend and medical school classmate Brenda has a dark side and troubled history. Fidelis O. Mkparu partners the two character types rarely seen in suspense and action novels. But the character development stops there. Mkparu seems to give little thought to supporting characters or their back story. Had the author provided more variety, it would be an award-winning novel.
April 11, 2018
Great book!
This was an amazing fast paced book. Ben Ava led a very intense life trying to balance med school, complicated relationships, and confusing friendships. He was a true friend to Brenda even though she tried hard to push him away. The author did a great job with detailing struggles that people go through with mental issues. I recommend this book.
This was an amazing fast paced book. Ben Ava led a very intense life trying to balance med school, complicated relationships, and confusing friendships. He was a true friend to Brenda even though she tried hard to push him away. The author did a great job with detailing struggles that people go through with mental issues. I recommend this book.
July 2, 2021
A Beautiful inspirational and soul searching read. The characters gripped you in a sea deep of tears and tribulations. The storyline was revealing, and unassuming. The conclusion was magical and unexpected.
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October 6, 2018Amazon Order Details Order #D01-1471800-1270659
Placed on Sunday, April 1, 2018
Placed on Sunday, April 1, 2018
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