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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
There are definite lessons to be learned from this book. Upsettingly but not shockingly, we learn that racism is rampant throughout the medical establishment. More optimistically, we see how breakdowns and moments of trauma or tragedy can be turned around into times of growth or rebirth. She also discusses the physical and mental health benefits that arise from things that don’t come in a pill: meditation, yoga and a healthy diet.
What frustrated me was that Harper seemed to offer these last solutions for herself, and perhaps for those reading her book, without much regard for the difficulty it might take for most of her ER patients to do so. How much time would someone working 2 jobs and taking care of several children have to devote to a daily yoga practice? How would someone living in a food desert find access to chickpea quinoa soup? There are undeniable and reprehensible examples of racism and bigotry that Harper has endured in this book, and her accomplishments are great. This is a memoir and not a nonfiction book offering policy solutions for systemic change, so I suppose I need to pick up another type of book to find what I am looking for.
What frustrated me was that Harper seemed to offer these last solutions for herself, and perhaps for those reading her book, without much regard for the difficulty it might take for most of her ER patients to do so. How much time would someone working 2 jobs and taking care of several children have to devote to a daily yoga practice? How would someone living in a food desert find access to chickpea quinoa soup? There are undeniable and reprehensible examples of racism and bigotry that Harper has endured in this book, and her accomplishments are great. This is a memoir and not a nonfiction book offering policy solutions for systemic change, so I suppose I need to pick up another type of book to find what I am looking for.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
“All bodies ache with a wisdom that wants to be appreciated.” Such a great memoir about brokenness & healing tied together through the eyes of an ER doc - my kind of book!!
This one missed the mark for me, but I think that’s because I came in with too high of expectations. A memoir by a black, female doctor, sharing her own struggles, and weaving that in with issues of systemic racism, classism, and sexism in medicine by sharing stories from her work in the ER?! Sign me up.
But this didn’t end up resonating with me with the exception of 1-2 of the stories. She relates various cases with lessons they’ve taught her, and it feels a bit forced at times, and just when I’d be invested in a case, she’d jump back to her personal trials.
Still, while this wasn’t a top read for me, I can see why it speaks to so many people, and if you’re feeling overworked and under appreciated (whether you’re an doctor or not), this has some great passages about honoring the contract you have with yourself (essentially your boundaries) particularly in the face of those who or belittling or cruel, as well as listening to your body when it calls out for rest or time to heal.
But this didn’t end up resonating with me with the exception of 1-2 of the stories. She relates various cases with lessons they’ve taught her, and it feels a bit forced at times, and just when I’d be invested in a case, she’d jump back to her personal trials.
Still, while this wasn’t a top read for me, I can see why it speaks to so many people, and if you’re feeling overworked and under appreciated (whether you’re an doctor or not), this has some great passages about honoring the contract you have with yourself (essentially your boundaries) particularly in the face of those who or belittling or cruel, as well as listening to your body when it calls out for rest or time to heal.
4.5 stars ⭐️ I’m not a huge memoir gal but I really did like this book. Michele Harper gives us case studies of patients that she has encountered in the ER as a physician in Washington DC. Each case study is followed with a brief discussion of what Harper learned from this patient. The writing was really beautiful and actually I found myself speeding through this book instead of dragging my heels. Harper takes an interesting perspective as a practicing buddhist, emphasizing meditation and yoga’s role in recovering from trauma and mental illness.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Child abuse, Murder
DNF @ 94 pages. Wanted to love this one. I’m obsessed with medical memoirs, but the purple prose was totally out of control and made reading the book a chore.
Great memoir that reminds me of the many facets of living life.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced