Abraham Verghese’s My Own Country is a deeply moving, beautifully crafted, and profoundly empathetic memoir that documents the devastating arrival of the AIDS epidemic in rural America. Set in the conservative foothills of Johnson City, Tennessee, the story follows Verghese — then a young, immigrant infectious-disease doctor — as he finds himself unexpectedly at the epicenter of a medical crisis in a deeply traditional community. As he begins treating patients who are isolated not only by a terrifying, little-understood disease but also by social stigma, small-town prejudice, and fear, his life becomes inextricably linked with theirs. Lyrical, deeply human, and unflinchingly honest, this powerful modern classic is a poignant exploration of mortality, grace, and what it truly means to heal others in a divided world.