Official Review: Blessings & Sudden Intimacies
Posted: 06 Jun 2016, 17:22
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blessings & Sudden Intimacies" by Greg Stidham, MD.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Blessings & Sudden Intimacies by Greg Stidham is the memoir of a man who wears many hats and plays many roles. It is the story of a husband who is not without responsibility, compassion, or his fair share of blame. It is the journey of road trips, growing up, and making amends. It is the emergence of life and the quiet, humbling mystery of death. This is the story of a man growing into the person he is today.
This memoir begins in an urgent setting as the author offers an account of an accident involving a young boy he is meant to tend to as the ICU physician on call. The memory Stidham shares with the readers is chilling and fast paced. As the novel unfolds, we see the author in many different capacities: pediatric physician, student, husband, father, grandfather, enemy. We take road trips from Memphis to Canada to exotic lands with the author and the important people in his life. We experience small details that might seem insignificant to many, but meant so much to Stidham and his family. It is in this way that the reader comes to understand the title of the book is so appropriately chosen. The sudden intimacies showcased here will leave you feeling as though you just witnessed the most delicate of miracles.
One of the best things about the style with which the author conveys his message is that he never puts other people down. He is a talented doctor and has accomplished greatness in his practices. He has impacted underdeveloped countries and changed the lives and futures of so many; yet there is nothing but humility and gratitude coming from the pages of his book. Regardless of the organic nature through which his good deeds grew, there were times where he allowed the reader to see the flaws. Through snippets of dialogue between the author and others he interacted with, there were times when a need for the reader to infer the context of the conversation was in order. Sometimes the inference landed on Stidham being the bad guy. There was a particular chapter where the author was forced to face a difficult truth about his wife. It was hard to read. Not because it was poorly written. Just the opposite. For the small glimpses of pain the author shared with the reader, it was real. There was such an honest reality to the suffering of his wife that I had to look away and be okay with his decision. I was emotionally invested in this book from the beginning. It is difficult not to be.
Some of the medical procedures are lightly touched on throughout the memoir. He was a doctor, after all. The procedures and techniques, while not gruesome, are very detailed. Readers with a sensitivity to that sort of thing should be aware that those descriptions are in the book. Death is also very prevalent throughout his story. Personal deaths, as well as patients' deaths, grace many of these pages. It is, perhaps, in this dealing with death that the author has such a gentle and positive outlook on life.
This book was fantastic. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. At times it felt like reading an engaging medical drama. At others it felt like a casual conversation with a best friend on a country porch, contemplating everything from life to the closing day. In reality, this memoir is the touching, humbling journey of a doctor and the people he's encountered along the way. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a reminder of the things to be thankful for, to those interested in the struggles of doctors, and to people who want a refreshing read to add to their list of books. Check this one out. You won't be disappointed!
******
Blessings & Sudden Intimacies
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Blessings & Sudden Intimacies by Greg Stidham is the memoir of a man who wears many hats and plays many roles. It is the story of a husband who is not without responsibility, compassion, or his fair share of blame. It is the journey of road trips, growing up, and making amends. It is the emergence of life and the quiet, humbling mystery of death. This is the story of a man growing into the person he is today.
This memoir begins in an urgent setting as the author offers an account of an accident involving a young boy he is meant to tend to as the ICU physician on call. The memory Stidham shares with the readers is chilling and fast paced. As the novel unfolds, we see the author in many different capacities: pediatric physician, student, husband, father, grandfather, enemy. We take road trips from Memphis to Canada to exotic lands with the author and the important people in his life. We experience small details that might seem insignificant to many, but meant so much to Stidham and his family. It is in this way that the reader comes to understand the title of the book is so appropriately chosen. The sudden intimacies showcased here will leave you feeling as though you just witnessed the most delicate of miracles.
One of the best things about the style with which the author conveys his message is that he never puts other people down. He is a talented doctor and has accomplished greatness in his practices. He has impacted underdeveloped countries and changed the lives and futures of so many; yet there is nothing but humility and gratitude coming from the pages of his book. Regardless of the organic nature through which his good deeds grew, there were times where he allowed the reader to see the flaws. Through snippets of dialogue between the author and others he interacted with, there were times when a need for the reader to infer the context of the conversation was in order. Sometimes the inference landed on Stidham being the bad guy. There was a particular chapter where the author was forced to face a difficult truth about his wife. It was hard to read. Not because it was poorly written. Just the opposite. For the small glimpses of pain the author shared with the reader, it was real. There was such an honest reality to the suffering of his wife that I had to look away and be okay with his decision. I was emotionally invested in this book from the beginning. It is difficult not to be.
Some of the medical procedures are lightly touched on throughout the memoir. He was a doctor, after all. The procedures and techniques, while not gruesome, are very detailed. Readers with a sensitivity to that sort of thing should be aware that those descriptions are in the book. Death is also very prevalent throughout his story. Personal deaths, as well as patients' deaths, grace many of these pages. It is, perhaps, in this dealing with death that the author has such a gentle and positive outlook on life.
This book was fantastic. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. At times it felt like reading an engaging medical drama. At others it felt like a casual conversation with a best friend on a country porch, contemplating everything from life to the closing day. In reality, this memoir is the touching, humbling journey of a doctor and the people he's encountered along the way. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a reminder of the things to be thankful for, to those interested in the struggles of doctors, and to people who want a refreshing read to add to their list of books. Check this one out. You won't be disappointed!
******
Blessings & Sudden Intimacies
View: on Bookshelves
Like P_hernandez's review? Post a comment saying so!
