THE BLOOD OF STRANGERS

by Frank Huyler

Review by Alina Kapric
Contact the author via the editor by e-mail at christopher.johnstone@ntlworld.com

Frank Huyler’s debut novel, a powerful and frank account of his time in the ER department of a US hospital, might be short, but its effect on the reader will resonate long after the final page. From his experience with a patient who is a murderer to a colleague’s suicide, the author blends the shocking and the surreal with profound and moving honesty.

Any student into whose hands this book falls will be immediately hit by a realisation that no amount of ethical debating will prepare them for the stark reality of a hospital environment nor the inner moral conflicts that await. Huyler does not shy from reality nor does he pander to stereotypes - being a doctor is not about the white coat, warm hands and a Hollywood smile but a profession heavily burdened with responsibility and a potentially personal price to pay.

His writing is emotional and thought-provoking. He, in a most wonderful way, puts a person in a white coat, a character into a hospital bed and a personality behind a grieving relative. Above all, the way in which he talks about issues that are facing all those in the medical profession, yet often swept under the carpet, will restore your faith in humanity. He truly is a writer in the making.

This book is a reason and a reminder why one should do medicine and for those that have lost their way – this is your road back. ER writers – read and learn.

hoolet is the magazine of RCGP Scotland. It is supported intellectually, financially and emotionally by RCGP Scotland.

This issue maintained by Robert Hallam.