Nonfiction book club to discuss ‘Five Days at Memorial’

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Kona Stories hosts a nonfiction book club discussing “Five Days at Memorial” by Sheri Fink on Tuesday.

Kona Stories hosts a nonfiction book club discussing “Five Days at Memorial” by Sheri Fink on Tuesday.

Fink, a physician and reporter, investigates patient deaths at a New Orleans hospital ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. She reconstructs five days at Memorial Medical Center and draws the reader into the lives of those who struggled to survive and to maintain life amid chaos. After Katrina struck and the floodwaters rose, the power failed, and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers chose to designate certain patients last for rescue. Months later, several health professionals faced criminal allegations that they deliberately injected numerous patients with drugs to hasten their deaths. She unspools the mystery of what happened in those days. In this book, she exposes the hidden dilemmas of end-of-life care and reveals just how ill-prepared we are in America for the impact of large-scale disasters, and how we can do better.

The group meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the store. Book groups are free if books are purchased at Kona Stories, or a $5 donation is requested.

Info: www.konastories.com.