"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Friday, September 1, 2017

Friday Quotes: Five Days at Memorial

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City ReaderShare the opening quote from the book.
Th
e Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's VoiceFind a quote from page 56.

Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest, or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading. This is the book I'm reading right now---



Title: Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink

Book Beginning:
Prologue--- At last through the broken windows, the pulse of helicopter rotors and airboat propellers set the summer morning air throbbing with the promise of rescue.
Friday 56:
At 4:55 a.m., the supply of city power to the hospital failed. Televisions in patient rooms flicked off. Memorial's auxiliary generators had already thumped to life and were playing counterpoint to the shrieks of the storm.
Comment: It is timely that I am currently reading this book, about a hospital in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, as the events in Texas emerge after Hurricane Harvey. I read just the other day about the ordeal in a Houston hospital. The events in Memorial Hospital in 2005 after Katrina were horrific and I am reading this book with my mouth agape. Tragic and sickening, horrifying, and maddening. Is there any way to really be prepared when the worst storm in history (up to that point) hits and all plans are completely inadequate? This book is not a light and fluffy read by any means. It is long and detailed and has dominated my thoughts since I started it last week. I am reading this for one of my book clubs. I know we will have a lot to discuss.


18 comments:

  1. Sounds like you are reading this one at a perfect time. I hope lessons were learned. This week I am featuring Her Dark Half by Paige Tyler. Happy reading!

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    1. Yes, the timing is perfect. I just read today that FEMA arranged for the transfer of 30 children who needed dialysis. Things sound more organized than they were in NOLA 12 years ago.

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  2. Ooh, this one sounds timely! Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.

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  3. Very intense. You will have a lot to talk about at book club.

    Thanks for visiting, too.

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    1. I bet a lot of the ladies will have a tough time with this book, though, because it is so intense and so long.

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  4. This is a very timely read. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. What a great book to be reading right now. Sounds good.

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  6. This does seem like the perfect book to read right now. One can only imagine how terrifying a situation like this would be like. I hope that you enjoy this one.

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    1. It is almost torture to read. It was so horrible what happened.

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  7. Interesting. Thanks for mentioning the book.

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  8. Sounds very intriguing!! Happy long weekend!

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  9. Certainly sounds like a thought-provoking read.

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  10. Wow I can only imagine how bad it was, and is right now in Texas. So awful. This looks like a really good and timely book.

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  11. Very relevant indeed. The stories coming out of Texas are heartbreaking.

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  12. Hi Anne,

    This probably isn't one for me, however I can only admire Sheri for her tenacity in gathering the facts and information, sometimes with great opposition from the authorities I am sure, for this revealing documentary.

    As a Brit, we have only been given access to the bare bones of both the disasters following Katrina and now Harvey. However I often wonder from events in my own country, just how many lessons are learned and changes made to ensure that we don't keep living through the same nightmares, every time a disaster happens!

    Thanks for sharing this excellent piece of dedicated journalism :)

    Yvonne

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  13. I have had this book on my wish list for quite a while. It is a real life horror story, and one I think is important to remember. Thank you for sharing!

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  14. Can't say I've heard of this before, but I want to know more.

    Lauren @ Always Me

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