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A review by poppyjessica
Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You by Adam Kay
5.0
Adam Kay has compiled this celebration of the NHS, a wonderful collection of letters, poems and stories about how this national institution has touched the lives of everyone in this country. The ultimate message of this book is joy, love and hope; I finished it feeling uplifted and proud of all the workers within the NHS who are striving to keep us safe in these awful times. Many entries are hilarious but counterbalanced with some quite hard-hitting stories. When you read about Graham Norton being stabbed as a student, Greg James almost dying as a baby, as told by his mum, and the multiple families ripped apart by cancer, the book really packs a punch. However, it makes some entries look a bit weak (here's looking at you Joanna Lumley). Regardless, the stories which engage the reader far outweigh the less convincing entries, making this book well worth a read.
Whether you take this book in all at once, or dip in and out of the different stories, depends on your capacity to handle the grief of the book's darkest moments. Some of the stories of ailing grandparents hit too close to home for me, particularly the descriptions of those at the end of their lives. Many entries repeatedly remind the reader of their own mortality, quite a heavy burden to ponder for too long at such a draining time. Kay has done a good job of sequencing the stories to bring light and new life to some of the more harrowing contributions.
All in all, this book is 109 chapters of admiration and celebration. Who knew you needed so many stories about childbirth, appendicitis and fingers being cut off in one place! If you love the NHS, read this book and enjoy sharing in the joy and grief it brings, remembering those amazing people who work tirelessly to keep us well. Thank you Adam Kay for such a lovely project.
Whether you take this book in all at once, or dip in and out of the different stories, depends on your capacity to handle the grief of the book's darkest moments. Some of the stories of ailing grandparents hit too close to home for me, particularly the descriptions of those at the end of their lives. Many entries repeatedly remind the reader of their own mortality, quite a heavy burden to ponder for too long at such a draining time. Kay has done a good job of sequencing the stories to bring light and new life to some of the more harrowing contributions.
All in all, this book is 109 chapters of admiration and celebration. Who knew you needed so many stories about childbirth, appendicitis and fingers being cut off in one place! If you love the NHS, read this book and enjoy sharing in the joy and grief it brings, remembering those amazing people who work tirelessly to keep us well. Thank you Adam Kay for such a lovely project.