Five Days at Memorial

Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital

By: Sheri Fink

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

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

©2013 Sheri Fink (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

2014, Carnegie Medal, Short-listed

2013, Los Angeles Times Book Prizes—Current Interest—Winner

2014, National Book Critics Circle Awards, Winner

2015, PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction, Winner

2014, Ron Ridenhour Book Award, Winner

“The journalist and doctor Sheri Fink published a meticulous investigation of these deaths in the New York Times Magazine and on the Web site of ProPublica, in 2009. Her work won a Pulitzer Prize. And now comes the book. In Five Days at Memorial, the contours of the story remain the same, yet Fink imbues them with far more narrative richness, making the doctors seem both more sympathetic and more culpable. Fink also expands on the ethical conundrums, which have festered over time and seem to gain fresh urgency.” (The New Yorker)

"“That so many people, starkly divided over the question of whether crimes had been committed, come off as decent and appealing makes this book an absorbing read. Dr. Fink brings a shimmering intelligence to its many narrative cul-de-sacs, which consider medical, legal and ethical issues. . . . By reporting the depth of those gruesome hours in Memorial before the helicopters came, and giving weight to medical ethics as grounded in the law, Sheri Fink has written an unforgettable story. Five Days at Memorial is social reporting of the first rank.” (Jason Berry, The New York Times)

Katrina's Deadly Affect on One Hospitlal

What did you love best about Five Days at Memorial?

I was blown away by the story of courage and sacrifice represented in this valuable look at the affects of Hurricane Katrina upon one hospital and its staff. I was devastated by the conclusions of forensic experts of murder and euthanasia delivered by a few Health Experts. This is an intense and honest story of the human condition under extreme stress and fear. It is told in a non-biased presentation that left me somewhat conflicted.I highly recommend this book!

What did you like best about this story?

I especially appreciated the strength of character, the self sacrifice and the sense of responsibility for those unable to care for themselves. This is a story revealing the pinnacle of selflessness and courage in the face of unthinkable devastating conditions. In the light of seemingly insurmountable barriers a small group of professionals sought out answers and implemented difficult solutions.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene I especially enjoyed was the successful conclusion of the transportation of the first evacuees, tiny infants, preemies, from Memorial Hospital. It was thought that they would not survive the evacuation but for the work of volunteers they were saved!

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The fear of the lawlessness outside, outside of the walls of this tiny enclave, was palpable. I can not imagine forgetting very soon those scenes that produced such terror in the hearts and minds of the health specialists dedicated in saving those who could not care for themselves.

Any additional comments?

For those who love the back story of major events, this is a must. This will leave you breathless and at times proud of those individuals working for a common cause in the face of such insurmountable problems.

Hospital Emergency Preparedness and Response

Well resourced and written. Highly recommend read for hospital administrators and staff. Plan, Prepare, and Respond!!!

Painfully Too Long

Much too long, an abridged version should be offered (could easily be half the length.) Also, the first words of many sentences are clipped as if a voice-activated microphone is being used. Makes for an annoying experience.

Too many facts

So much of the book couldve been edited out to present a more interesting story. Way too many facts and details that the average reader may not care about. I labored through it but I actually started and stopped it for several years! Until the tv mini series came out, I had left the book.

Couldn’t Press Pause

This book hits so close to home, having read this after working as an ICU nurse through the COVID pandemic. This author is not just successful, but fair, at presenting multiple sides of this story as both a journalist and riveting storyteller. So often we seek information that endorses one opinion of what happened- this book gives you every angle and detail of the historical setting and of the clinical decisions that were made, letting you form your own opinion. This book brings up uncomfortable debates on end of life care, and how working through a mass casualty emergency may change your beliefs on this issue. As someone who has been responsible for the lives of others during an emergency, I think this book is an admirable representation of how well intentioned, yet fallible these healthcare workers were in a desperate situation… along with the systemic and political failures that put them there.

Well researched and powerfully retold

My wife was a physician at NYU during hurricane Sandy. She carried patients in stretchers down the stairs as the hospital flooded. She still lives with the trauma as to how her patients were impacted from that event. Lesser men and women cast judgement on moral dilemmas that they will never face. This book highlights the misplaced moral piety of the prosecution and the corporate greed that runs the healthcare system in America.

Whilst mispronunciations abound in the audiobook, the narrator is otherwise very good. Highly recommended.

Mind blowing

This book is absolutely worth the long listen. It is (often) disturbing at times but very thought provoking. I recommend to anyone especially those who work in hospitals.

No justice

This book is about a woman that gets away with murder because she has doctor in front of her name no justice for the victims

Wow!

I’m a serial self proclaimed “partial book reader”. I was introduced to the book by the Apple TV drama series and was drawn to know more of the actual facts. I cannot believe the non partisan overview this book explored in all angles of medical ethics. As a nurse my heart hurt. As an advocate in jist and equitable end of life care I saw glimmers of hope and also deep sorrows. I devoured every page. I learned. I grew. I thought. It’s truly a marvel.

If you enjoyed the apple series…then definitely listen!

I enjoyed the show on apple and saw it was a book. I was surprised by a lot of the story- I think I was too involved in my own personal life to remember this happening. But what I find most amazing is that this occurred post 9/11 and now after covid has occurred - we are still so unprepared. When will we learn?
Very gripping story. Crazy to think what this hospital and everyone involved went through.