Don't be fooled by the title, nor by the 'Bridget Jones' Diary' plug on the cover, 'Karma Suture' is not chick-lit, but rather a soul-searching, humorous and equally hard-hitting take on modern-day South Africa ? particularly the healthcare system and how it has failed us.

First-time novelist Rosamund Kendal draws on her own experiences as a doctor in SA to flesh out the character of Sue, a medical doctor battling to keep her head above water as she tries to balance an increasing workload with her social life ? complete with neurotic friends and a penchant for risky sex.

While the subject matter of 'Karma Suture' is, at times, a little hard to take in ? it is, after all, set within hospital after hospital ?, Kendal does well to keep it from sinking into total melancholy and self-pitying prose. There is light at the end of this tunnel.

It is much the same with the character of Sue. She is incredibly bitter and at times tends to feel more than a little sorry for herself, but you can't fault her heart, which is bursting over to help everybody else ? usually to her own detriment.

'Karma Suture' is one of a host of local novels currently hitting the shelves which are finally beginning to focus on current South African issues as opposed to what has happened in the past. It is a refreshing and welcome change of pace.

We spoke to the author to find out more.

The book is obviously based on your own experiences, but where can the reader separate fact from fiction?

Although Sue is a completely fictitious character, and her personal life is not autobiographical at all, I tried to keep the medical scenarios as authentic as possible. The hospital conditions are an accurate reflection of what I experienced as a young doctor in different state hospitals from 2000 to 2005.

The character of Sue at times comes across as bitter at her situation ? do you think that is a fair statement?

Yes. I think it would have been unrealistic to make her a Pollyanna-type character. I wanted her to be slightly bitter and cynical, without being self-pitying. There is a very fine line between bitterness and self-pity and I hope that I managed not to cross it.

The book paints a vivid picture of what is wrong with the health services in SA. Was that your original intention?

Absolutely. I wanted to make people aware of what the vast majority of our population experiences when they try to access health care. I also wanted to expose, contrary to popular denial, the crisis that we are facing in SA in the form of HIV. And I wanted to do all of this in a form that was easily accessible and not all 'doom and gloom'. It wasn't an easy task and I know that it has created some dichotomy in the novel but I hope that I managed to achieve a balance between the serious and the light-hearted.

Sue seems incredibly disillusioned with her role as a doctor in SA ? and it's hard to blame her ? I gather that this is exactly how you felt during that period of your career?

Yes, I did go through a phase of feeling very disillusioned. I had initially studied medicine because I wanted to make a difference in people?s lives and after my internship and community service I felt as though I was just damage controlling all the time. Health care is not divorced from social and public services and it is difficult to treat a patient and then send him or her back into exactly the same unhealthy environment. I think that my disillusionment stemmed from that sense of helplessness and futility.

One thing that is so enjoyable about the book is that it looks at South Africa in its current state as opposed to the usual trend of re-hashing the past. Do you think we will begin to see more local authors tackle present-day SA?

I hope so. I often think that the writing that a country produces is a reflection of the psyche of the nation. It was important that the past was written about in order for the healing process to take place, but the time has come to start dealing with the challenges that are facing us as a country at the moment so that we can begin to move forward.

Some of the conversations Sue has in the book hit pretty close to home, were you ever worried that people may be offended?

It is a work of fiction and all the characters are fictional. I didn't base any particular character on any one person.

It must have been pretty cathartic writing the book.

I have always written as a therapeutic process. I avoided writing a novel in the medical genre for ages, and when I eventually caved and succumbed to writing 'Karma', it all seemed to come rushing out of me. So yes, it was very cathartic.

While the book is marketed as a 'Bridget Jones' Diary'-ish novel, but it is in reality far more than that, do you feel the need to change that perception at all?

Honestly, that perception sells, so no. I hope that reviews of the book will reflect the serious side of the novel and that that will entice those who avoid chick-lit to give 'Karma' a chance.

By all accounts 'Karma Suture' has done well locally, so can we expect a follow-up for the character?

No, I don't like sequels. I think they rarely live up to the standard of the first novel.

If not a follow-up to 'Karma Suture' what is next for you?

I am writing another novel in the medical genre, but with different characters and set in a different hospital. I think that there is still so much that needs to be said, especially surrounding HIV. In writing about what is going on, I feel like I am at least taking the first step towards tackling the problems that we are faced with.