巫醫、動物與我：菜鳥獸醫不可思議又真實療癒的非洲奇幻冒險

by Dr. Reb, 瑞博醫師, Herbert Rebhan

「我已經等了你十六年。」

——來自古老非洲的玄妙心靈之旅
精神與物質兩極的狂野文化，原始自然與文明並存的生活奇趣
翻開本書，讓想像力馳騁於廣闊草原！

★賀！本書入選人文社科類．中小學生優良課外讀物★
Amazon網路書店、Goodreads網站讀者 紮紮實實5星滿分推薦

各位在閱讀這本書時，可能會發現自己又哭又笑，全身泛起雞皮疙瘩，正如同我三十年前所經歷過的一樣。
——作者／瑞博醫師Dr. Reb

這是一本非洲大陸版本的《哈利波特》，只是魔杖與獨角獸，被貧窮與戰火所取代。
誠摯推薦你，與瑞博醫師一起踏上這片黑暗大陸。
——動物醫院助理 工作日誌daily-logbook粉絲團團長

工作日誌daily-logbook粉絲團團長／動物醫院助理
丹妮婊姐／人氣KOL
朱永祥／社團法人台灣微客公益行動協會創辦人
張東君／科普作家
程敏淑 ／作家、《邊緣印度》作者
——感動推薦

▲▲▲

「你發現的自我，也許還不亞於在這裡習得的傳統文化。」

瑞博醫師，是非洲馬拉威當地人稱呼的「多可塔拉」（醫生）。
他跟著美國和平工作團來到馬拉威擔任獸醫志工，而救助動物、閒暇之餘來幾次異國小冒險，原本是他想像中美好的工作藍圖。但在經歷診所乏人問津、只能跟當地人喝酒搏感情的數週空轉期後，終於苦苦等到第一位病患上門——來頭還十分不尋常，竟然是位巫醫！

「我已經等了你十六年。」
「十六年前，當你決定要來的時候，我見到你了。」

九歲時立下的志願，他在獸醫院的最後一年決定履行，因而報名參加國際志工團，踏上了遠離家鄉超過一萬公里的非洲土地——難道這一切，這個巫醫都看到了？！
不過他能反駁什麼？畢竟這裡可是神奇非洲大陸啊！

巫醫的這番話彷彿是某種開關，接下来在非洲行醫的日子裡，他遭遇了一連串不可思議的人事物：被牛踢、被土狼追、為了閃避豬而摔車是家常便飯，偶爾感染一下瘧疾當鍛鍊；指導酒吧女郎下西洋棋，被誆去幫「人」接生，跟手拿刀具的不法肉販對抗；跟巫醫探討人生、幫忙驅魔，在炮火隆隆的邊界醫治動物……

七百多個日子以來，他步步改變心境，用心去了解當地文化與民眾的生活，從一個年輕的菜鳥獸醫，成為受人尊敬的「白人瘋子」。而馬拉威這塊土地上的發生的種種，更讓他的心靈震盪，翻轉了看待生命的角度，以及探尋到內心不曾發現的自我。

一位菜鳥獸醫遠赴非洲的志工日常，
在疾病與砲火橫行的異域中，藉由幽默詼諧的筆觸描繪出了奇妙不凡的人間風景。

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

H.J. Rebhan (Dr Reb) is a veterinarian and author who has practiced mixed-animal medicine across the United States, sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia for more than four decades. That breadth of experience—the strange, the sacred, and the brutally ordinary —has shaped everything he writes.
His first book, All Things Strange and Wonderful (Finch Publishing, 2016), drew on his experience as a veterinarian in Malawi, Central Africa, discovering the unexpected grace found in the Malawian people and the natural world. It was subsequently translated into Chinese.
He is currently completing a five-book literary speculative fiction series, Throne of Fear and Pain, and a work of contemplative nonfiction, The Hand at Your Throat, which draws on Christian mysticism, Sufism, Zen, and Vedantic philosophy alongside his clinical experience of life and death in the field.
He lives in Queensland, Australia.

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about a vet's life in Malawi, Africa. He relates stories about all areas of his life, not just vet medicine, which I found to be most interesting. As he had become deeply enmeshed in the locals' lives, it was hard to leave at the end of his Peace Corps stint.

3 Stars = Okay. It was worth reading.

[Sara Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

這本書描寫一個在馬拉威當獸醫的故事

很喜歡這本書主角的善良，也喜歡他融入當地文化、描寫當地文化的趣聞

一本有趣、有智慧 也溫暖的書

[Alayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a gift for Mothers Day, and I read it straight through. A humorous, sad, wonderful book, set in Malawi some years ago when the author was a young man in his mid twenties, working as a vet for the Peace Corps. Highly recommended.

[Ally Yang]

【26 April 2025 / kobo99】

[elly readz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr Reb gifted me this book last year in my final year of vet school while on placement where I met him. Reb truly has a one of a kind personality and inspired me a lot as I learnt from him in my short placement at the clinic.

This book was an easy page turner and it was fascinating to learn about Reb’s unique start to his veterinary career in Malawi. It made it even more enjoyable being able to read this book with Reb’s accent and characteristic mannerism.

I would love if the book had some photos of Reb in Malawi or even a map of all the places he frequented in his 2 years there.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting story, set in Africa, as a newly graduated vet tries to find his place in the scheme of things. Superstition, lack of education, lack of money and equipment, the terrible poverty, all play their part as this man does his humane best to help not only the animals but the people around him. I had to suspend my disbelief in some of the things that he says happened; at the same time accepting that "there are more things in heaven and earth etc etc". An easy to read story with lots of lovely anecdotes.

[Frances Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

I thought this would be another nice vet memoir. It turned out to be much more. You won't be disappointed!

[Robyn Davill · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable thought provoking read covering African mysticism, friendships with Malawi locals, Aids, arm wrestling, muddy motor bike wrangling as well as animal stories. All this happened while young Dr Reb was on a 2 year on a contract with the Peace Corp in rural Malawi.

[Jess Rivera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big white savior energy throughout the entire book. The only reason we got to 2 stars is because of Ruth and because the realization that Ewadabani is Inabadawe spelled backwards blew my mind

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could NOT put this book down! I am a slow reader, but I devoured this book in days! I found it to be so interesting and entertaining! LOVED IT!

[Clyde Yang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The way the author sounds like he is writing a non-fiction and how dramatic things went in the book made me wonder what book this is