The Fortune Teller's Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor

When a military coup in Ghana leads to the abrupt closure of Lally Pia's medical school, she is stranded thousands of miles away from her family - and left with no educational prospects, no money, and a botched American Green Card. But a Sri Lankan priest told Lally's father that she will one day become a "Doctor of Doctors" - a laughable outcome, given her current predicament.

This multicultural roller coaster illustrates the power of self-determination as Lally takes on obstacle after obstacle - an abusive relationship, the welfare state and a gruesome job where she has to dismember human bodies - in order to fulfill her dreams. A searing examination of the immigrant experience. The Fortune Teller's Prophecy is a nail-biting, four-continent quest for ultimate triumph.

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The Fortune Teller's Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor

When a military coup in Ghana leads to the abrupt closure of Lally Pia's medical school, she is stranded thousands of miles away from her family - and left with no educational prospects, no money, and a botched American Green Card. But a Sri Lankan priest told Lally's father that she will one day become a "Doctor of Doctors" - a laughable outcome, given her current predicament.

This multicultural roller coaster illustrates the power of self-determination as Lally takes on obstacle after obstacle - an abusive relationship, the welfare state and a gruesome job where she has to dismember human bodies - in order to fulfill her dreams. A searing examination of the immigrant experience. The Fortune Teller's Prophecy is a nail-biting, four-continent quest for ultimate triumph.

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The Fortune Teller's Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor

The Fortune Teller's Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor

by Lally Pia

Narrated by Lally Pia

Unabridged — 11 hours, 51 minutes

The Fortune Teller's Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor

The Fortune Teller's Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor

by Lally Pia

Narrated by Lally Pia

Unabridged — 11 hours, 51 minutes

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Overview

When a military coup in Ghana leads to the abrupt closure of Lally Pia's medical school, she is stranded thousands of miles away from her family - and left with no educational prospects, no money, and a botched American Green Card. But a Sri Lankan priest told Lally's father that she will one day become a "Doctor of Doctors" - a laughable outcome, given her current predicament.

This multicultural roller coaster illustrates the power of self-determination as Lally takes on obstacle after obstacle - an abusive relationship, the welfare state and a gruesome job where she has to dismember human bodies - in order to fulfill her dreams. A searing examination of the immigrant experience. The Fortune Teller's Prophecy is a nail-biting, four-continent quest for ultimate triumph.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

2024 IPPY Awards Bronze Winner in Multicultural Nonfiction (Adult)
2023 CIBA Hearten Book Awards Winner


“Lally's memoir is a testament to both the intense work it takes to achieve [the American Dream] and the sacrifices she made that would be unthinkable to the average American fortunate enough to be born into that dream. The writing is clean and concise and reads like a conversation rather than a series of events . . . Excellent, excellent work. Very highly recommended.”
Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review

“An intriguing, emotionally powerful, and culturally informative read.”
Kirkus Reviews

“[Pia’s] memoir The Fortune Teller’s Prophecy is a testament to the importance of resilience and hope. . . . an inspiring memoir about refusing to give up on medical school, despite massive political and interpersonal obstacles.”
Foreword Reviews

“Lally Pia is an extraordinary writer who has led many extraordinary lives and has written an extraordinary book about several of them. An exile, immigrant, friend to cadavers, and a doctor of doctors, this extraordinary human’s story is full of light, dark, inspiration, and love. You must read it.”
—David Henry Sterry, author of Chicken

“Resilience at its best. From the first sentence I was hooked! The Fortune Teller’s Prophecy is written in the most beautiful and deep way. I believe everyone will resonate with something in this memoir that will make them look at their own life in a new way. This masterpiece is so raw and captivating, I could not put it down. Lally is resilient and strong, vulnerable and human. She is a true inspiration! This is a must-read for everyone. Period.”
—Ingrid Christine Abild-Pedersen, certified professional coach, speaker, and author of Unmasked: A Triumphant Memoir of Recovery from Childhood Trauma, Eating Disorder, and PTSD

“A remarkable memoir that will engage you from start to finish. Discover how a prophecy made by a Hindu priest impacted and shaped the life of author Dr. Lally Pia. The reader will learn how the author’s perseverance and hard work helped her to reach her goals despite the challenges of being an immigrant and having to deal with trauma and loss.”
—Harry Wang, MD, Adolescent Psychiatrist

“The Fortune Teller’s Prophecy is an epic tale of fulfilling one’s true destiny. What seems impossible to imagine becomes Lally Pia’s reality as she pursues her dreams against all odds. This memoir reads like an adventure story and you will root for the protagonist all the way until the very end.”
—Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month

“Dr. Pia’s inspiring life story is both an adventure and a lesson to never give up. Through her courageous sharing, we deepen the understanding of our human nature, what we are truly capable of, and the mysterious workings of the universe. Her journey is evocative, soul searching, and illuminating.”
—Marty Rubin, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, California Northstate University

Kirkus Reviews

2024-01-02
Pia recalls her journey from a childhood in Sri Lanka to a career as a doctor in the United States—fulfilling the prediction of a Hindu priest—in this memoir.

The author, her parents’ first child, was born in Sri Lanka in 1961, a time when the island was undergoing political turmoil and violent persecution of the Tamil minority. When she was three months old, her father traveled to attend a gathering welcoming a renowned Hindu priest. Looking into her father’s eyes, the priest spoke the words her father would repeat throughout the subsequent years: “Take good care of her. Your daughter will become a doctor of doctors.” Three months later, she and her parents moved to Kumasi, Ghana, to escape the increasing Sinhalese violence. Life in Ghana was good: Her father was an architect, her mother was a teacher, and the country was experiencing prosperity—until a series of revolutions began. Pia was 22 in 1983 when her family, which now included three younger siblings, received their green cards to enter the United States. She had two months left at her university, where she would complete her pre-med undergraduate degree. Then the medical school closed indefinitely, and the U.S. State Department discovered it had made an error that invalidated the author’s green card. She was adrift, without family, home, or country. In a compelling, albeit occasionally repetitious, memoir that reads more like a novel, Pia meticulously leads readers through an immigrant journey filled with twists. A riveting opening introduces us to the author in 1994, when she was the 33-year-old director of the Donated Body Program at the University of California, Davis, removing the head from a female corpse. The skillfully penned narrative, packed with vivid images of adventure, betrayal, and triumph, has an intimacy that will leave readers sighing during the long years of her painfully abusive marriage and cheering when she strikes out for independence.

An intriguing, emotionally powerful, and culturally informative read.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940160290515
Publisher: Lally Pia
Publication date: 11/16/2023
Edition description: Unabridged
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