The narrative begins when Tracy Kidder, a young journalist at the time, makes his way to to Haiti with the goal of reporting on the country’s government, current leadership, and military. Shortly after his arrival, Kidder runs into Paul Farmer: a respected doctor who also deals heavily with the humanitarian aspect of the country. Not much time passes before Kidder and Farmer fly back to the United States, and the two do not cross paths again until five years later when Kidder spots Farmer at Harvard Medical School, where several of his patients refer to him as a “saint.”
He seemed to have a strong connection with Haitians even when he wasn’t in their native country, and was the one that proved many Haitians believe in both Voodoo, the traditional medicine avenue, as well as Western medicine. He also flaunts a very radical and strong view on American foreign policy, claiming that the United States has ensured that Haiti remains impoverished by sponsoring military dictatorships in the country for hundreds of years. Kidder is obviously impressed with Farmer’s charisma and love towards his profession and patients. This prompts him to return to Haiti in 2000 in order to observe Farmer’s medical facility (Zanmi Lasante) and nonprofit (Partners in Health) which he created with the help of his Harvard friend Jim Yong Kim and Boston donors.
Kidder lets the readers know that Farmer’s upbringing was in no way glamorous. He was born into a lower-class family where his father participated in jobs that were considered “negro work.” He contrasts this with the fact that Farmer was an excellent student, studying at Duke and eventually Harvard Medical School. Farmer meets Ophelia Dahl, a beautiful young British woman, in the earlier years of his charity work in Haiti. Farmer eventually proposes to her when they are in their late twenties, but Ophelia ultimately refuses his proposal - but continues to work closely with Farmer’s organization, eventually serving as its budget director.
Farmer was banned from Haiti for a brief time in the early 90s, but by the late 90s, Farmer has an extremely busy schedule. He is now much more than a stagnant contributor to the medical field as he travels around the world giving lectures, and writes multiple books as well as articles. He eventually gets back into his hands-on work in Peru and Haiti, dedicating several hours every day to individual patients. Kidder is taken aback when he finds out that Farmer is married to a woman named Didi Bertrand with whom he has a child. Kidder seems to think that Farmer practically abandoned these two in order to pursue his charity work. In the year 2000, the Gates Foundation gives Partners in Health 45 million dollars to eradicate tuberculosis in South America. Although this is a substantial victory, Farmer continues to work in Haiti, as well as lecture and meet around the world.
While Farmer is in Europe, Kidder is in Haiti to observe a young Haitian boy named John as he transitions into critical condition because of facial cancer. John is flown to Boston for emergency treatment. Once in the U.S., John receives the best treatment possible, but dies anyway. From here, Farmer is crushed by John's death and continues to practice medicine in Third-World countries. Kidder ends on the note that he believes that Farmer is genuinely devoted to aiding the needy.
