In the heart of Hurricane Katrina, a hospital in New Orleans faces dire circumstances, leading to harrowing choices about life and death. 'Five Days at Memorial' unveils the ethical dilemmas faced by medical staff as they confront overwhelming odds and moral quandaries during a catastrophe. With tension mounting and resources dwindling, the narrative explores the complexity of human decision-making under extreme duress. Sheri Fink's gripping account questions what constitutes mercy and justice in dire situations. This powerful true story will keep you on the edge of your seat, pondering the implications long after you've turned the last page.
By Sheri Fink
Published: 2016
"In the face of unimaginable tragedy, the choices we make reveal the depths of our humanity."
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The award-winning book that inspired an Apple Original series from Apple TV+ • A landmark investigation of patient deaths at a New Orleans hospital ravaged by Hurricane Katrina—and the suspenseful portrayal of the quest for truth and justice—from a Pulitzer Prize–winning physician and reporter “An amazing tale, as inexorable as a Greek tragedy and as gripping as a whodunit.”—Dallas Morning News After Hurricane Katrina struck and power failed, amid rising floodwaters and heat, exhausted staff at Memorial Medical Center designated certain patients last for rescue. Months later, a doctor and two nurses were arrested and accused of injecting some of those patients with life-ending drugs. Five Days at Memorial, the culmination of six years of reporting by Pulitzer Prize winner Sheri Fink, unspools the mystery, bringing us inside a hospital fighting for its life and into the most charged questions in health care: which patients should be prioritized, and can health care professionals ever be excused for hastening death? Transforming our understanding of human nature in crisis, Five Days at Memorial exposes the hidden dilemmas of end-of-life care and reveals how ill-prepared we are for large-scale disasters—and how we can do better. ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, Entertainment Weekly, Christian Science Monitor, Kansas City Star WINNER: National Book Critics Circle Award, J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Ridenhour Book Prize, American Medical Writers Association Medical Book Award, National Association of Science Writers Science in Society Award
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“In the face of unimaginable tragedy, the choices we make reveal the depths of our humanity.”
Five Days at Memorial
By Sheri Fink
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Sheri Fink is an acclaimed author and journalist known for her profound narrative style and investigative storytelling. Her notable works include the bestselling non-fiction book 'Five Days at Memorial,' which examines the ethical dilemmas faced by medical staff during Hurricane Katrina, and 'War Hospital,' a gripping account of the life-saving efforts in a Bosnian war hospital. Fink's writing often blends careful research with compelling human stories, highlighting complex issues within healthcare and disaster response.
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