Rough Sleepers

 

I first heard about Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder on NBC’s Nightly News. It seemed like it would be a great book for this blog. So, I was excited to get started.

In Rough Sleepers, we meet Dr. James O’Connell (Dr. Jim). Educated at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Jim helped establish the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program, a.k.a. The Program, which serves the medical needs of Boston’s homeless population. The patients who are treated by The Program are known as Rough Sleepers. Additionally, The Program dispenses other essentials like food, clothing and genuine kindness to this community.

It was enlightening to read how Dr. Jim and his team care for the Rough Sleepers, the unique challenges they face and how they overcome them. Some of the stories told in this book are both shocking and heartbreakingly sad. The team members are more than medical professionals to the Rough Sleepers. In many instances, they are friends who advocate for them well beyond the medical realm. Reading about Dr. Jim’s compassion and non-judgmental affection toward the patients is gratifying. Many of them return the fondness for their unconventional doctor.

Politics, statistics, system designs, policy explanations and The Program’s administrative activities are discussed at length, and are far less engaging to read about than the human side of this organization. Maybe, it’s the beautiful springtime weather we’re enjoying where I live, but I found my mind wandering while reading about these subjects.

Yet, from this book, I gained a better understanding of who people living on the streets are, how they became homeless and the problems they – and those who serve them - face on a regular basis. They are individuals who are complicated, surprising and moving all at the same time.  For this reason, I'm glad I chose to read about Dr. Jim and the Rough Sleepers.

For my next blog post, I’d like to read a mystery or psychological thriller. I hear good things about The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. I'm also feeling nostalgic for a Judy Blume novel since Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has been made into a movie. Any suggestions are gladly accepted and appreciated.

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