58 pages 1 hour read

Sheri Fink

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2013

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Published in 2013, Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink details the harrowing experiences of patients and staff trapped in New Orleans' Memorial Medical Center during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Amidst inadequate resources and escalating conditions, doctors face heart-wrenching decisions leading to patient deaths. Written in a journalistic style, it includes extensive backgrounds on key individuals and thorough documentation.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink offers a harrowing, detailed account of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina at a New Orleans hospital. Praised for its investigative rigor and compassionate storytelling, it effectively humanizes complex ethical dilemmas. However, some readers find the narrative structure disjointed. Overall, it's a thought-provoking read on medical ethics and disaster response.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Five Days at Memorial?

Readers who are captivated by medical ethics, disaster response, and human resilience will find Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink compelling. Fans of Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City will appreciate its investigative narrative and emotional depth.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Crime / Legal

Science / Nature

History: World

Themes

Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Genre

Journalism