Clement Binnings, a family physician and vice-president for Primary Care Associates in Salem, VA., reveals his heart and soul in a recently released novel set in his native city of New Orleans. Dr. Binnings graduated from L.S.U. Shreveport in 1977 with a degree in English Education and was awarded the college’s Mastery in English Award. He served as the editor and a contributor for its Spectra Literary Journal. After teaching for three years, he changed careers, graduating from L.S.U. Medical Center in Shreveport in 1984. While there, he was the medical school’s editor for its Synapse Newspaper. He completed his residency training in Roanoke Memorial’s Family Medicine program in 1987 and has been practicing in Salem for the last twenty-four years. He drew from his knowledge and experiences of life in New Orleans and his insights as a seasoned physician to create this unique psychological visionary drama.
Binnings says he added the subtitle, “A Love Story,” to emphasize the book’s primary emphasis: it’s all about the “love.” The author describes the story as one that contrasts the harsh insanity of child and spousal abuse with an ideal vision that demonstrates the healing power of absolute love. Hurricane Katrina served as the catalyst that awakened the rescuer in him, compelling him to respond through writing, intertwining the personal conflicts of his characters within the context of this devastating storm. Prior to putting pen to paper, Binnings joined the medical team organized by The Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine which set up three clinic encampments along the storm-ravaged Mississippi Gulf Coast. Hurricane Rita forced their evacuation after two weeks of service.
The story’s protagonist, Lola Parrish, is a young innocent who learns early in childhood to escape the insanity of her abusive home by diving deeply into the internal realms of her being where she is soothed by the voices of angels. While panic and dissociative tendencies manifest during the storms of her life, culminating with Katrina, the “Angel” responds to her heart’s call for love in a way that transforms not only her, but those who have entered her life. The story is richly multi-layered, woven with subplots that converge surprisingly at the end.
Dr. Binnings is available to participate in Book Club groups and can be contacted by email: [email protected]. For online ordering of “Angel Through The Storms,” go to clementbinnings.com, amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. Or it can be ordered at your favorite bookstore. The novel is also available in any ebook format. A discussion and signing at The Roanoke County Library on Rt. 419 will be held on Tuesday, August 16th at 7:00 p.m.
