CanadiansurgeonDrNormanBethuneDonaldSutherlandjourneys1,500milesintoChinatoreachMaoZedong'seighthrouteArmyintheWuTaimountainswherehewillbuildhospitals,providecare,andtrainmedicsFlashbacksnarratetheearliereventsofhislife:aboutwithtuberculosisattheTrudeausanatorium;theselfadministrationofanexperimentalpneumothorax;theinventionofoperativeinstruments;hisfascinationwithSocialism;ajourneyintomedicalRussia;andthefoundingofamobileplasmatransfusionunitinwartornSpainBethunetwicemarriedandtwicedivorcedhiswifeFrancesDameHelenMirren,whochoosesabortionoverchildrearinginherunstablemarriageBy1939,BethunehadbeendismissedfromhisMontrealHospitalfortakingunconventionalrisks,andfromhisvolunteerpositioninSpainforhischronicproblemsofdrinkingandwomanizingAshisfriendstates:"Chinawasallthatwasleft"Eventhere,BethuneconfidentlyignorestheadviceofChineseofficialsuntilheavycasualtiesmakehimrealizehismistakeandleadhimtoaspectacularapology