Your Life in My Hands

Your Life in My Hands - review

Synopsis:

In this heartfelt, deeply personal account of life as a junior doctor in today's health service, former television journalist turned doctor, Rachel Clarke, captures the extraordinary realities of ordinary life on the NHS front line. From the historic junior doctor strikes of 2016 to the 'humanitarian crisis' declared by the Red Cross, the overstretched health service is on the precipice, calling for junior doctors to draw on extraordinary reserves of what compelled them into medicine in the first place - and the value the NHS can least afford to lose - kindness.

Your Life in My Hands is at once a powerful polemic on the systematic degradation of Britain's most vital public institution, and a love letter of optimism and hope to that same health service and those who support it. This extraordinary memoir offers a glimpse into a life spent between the operating room and the bedside, the mortuary and the doctors' mess, telling powerful truths about today's NHS frontline, and capturing with tenderness and humanity the highs and lows of a new doctor's first steps onto the wards in the context of a health service at breaking point - and what it means to be entrusted with carrying another's life in your hands.

My Review:

A book that is more political than medical, though does have a few interesting anecdotes. Dr Clarke writes in a raw and emotional way, stating the facts while adding emotional stories to clearly show the terrible state of the NHS in 2016 (from which it has never recovered)

I did find the book quite repetitive at times, with some facts and events being repeated past being effective. However I did think it showed a comprehensive account of the junior doctor strikes and fully explored a lot of the politics behind the series of events more than I would have thought.

I would recommend this book as an eye opener to the struggles of NHS workers and the unbelievable stupidness of the British government. Just be warned that it is very politics heavy.

My Rating: 7/10

Comments

The Babylonian Empire review

Synopsis: The Babylonians were indisputably a formidable force in the ancient world’s stage, but how did they rise to power three separate times in Middle Eastern history? What led to their cataclysmic falls? And why did everyone keep stealing their chief god Marduk? Dive into the riveting stories of the remarkable Babylonians, who transformed the Middle East and left an enduring legacy. Thoroughly researched, engaging, and easy to read, this book will guide you through the fascinating history of a civilization that has left an indelible mark on our world. My review: A very thorough review of the Babylonian empire, includes some interesting facts and stories yet unfortunately was a little bit confusing and uninspiring. I felt that some parts of the book could have been written in a more clear manner. However, lots of good images and diagrams which helped to tell the history of this ancient kingdom. I particularly enjoyed the chapters about Babylonian culture and innovation - i di...

The Watchers - review

Synopsis: You can't see them. But they can see you. This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time. Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers and why are these creatures keeping them imprisoned, keen to watch their every move? My Review: A brilliant debut novel with an eerie, dark atmosphere, filled with tension and a twisty story. I loved how the story focused on only a handful of characters which meant that each one...

The Split review

Synopsis: The remote Antarctic island of South Georgia is about to send off its last boat of the summer – which signifies safety to resident glaciologist Felicity Lloyd. Felicity lives in fear – fear that her ex-husband Freddie will find her, even out here. She took a job on this isolated island to hide from him, but now that he's out of prison, having served a term for murder, she knows he won’t give up until he finds her. But a doctor delving into the background of Felicity and Freddie's relationship, back in Cambridge, learns that Felicity has been on the edge for a long time. Heading to South Georgia himself to try and get to her first is the only way he can think of to help her. My Review: A good thriller with some great twists that I didn’t seen coming, and others that were blindingly obvious, set in the isolated polar island of South Georgia, as well as the picturesque city of Cambridge I enjoyed how the plot was separated into 4 parts, the first in present d...

Liv’s Book Corner

Search This Blog