Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital

Author: Sheri Fink
Book Overview:

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink is a harrowing and deeply investigative account of the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans. With a journalist’s precision and a storyteller’s heart, Fink recounts the chaos, ethical dilemmas, and life-and-death decisions faced by medical staff and patients stranded in the flooded, powerless hospital.

When the levees broke and floodwaters rose, Memorial became an isolated island. With dwindling resources, no electricity, unbearable heat, and a lack of clear leadership, healthcare professionals were forced to make impossible choices.

At the center of the narrative is the question:
In times of crisis, how do you prioritize who lives and who dies?

Fink explores both the heroism and controversial actions of the medical staff, focusing on the accusations that some patients were euthanized under the belief they would not survive evacuation.

Core Themes:

1. Medical Ethics in Crisis: The moral gray area of making life-or-death decisions under extreme duress.
2. Systemic Failure: How infrastructure, government response, and hospital administration broke down during Katrina.
3. Human Resilience and Compassion: The courage and sacrifice of healthcare workers amidst unimaginable challenges.
4. Accountability and Justice: The aftermath investigation and legal proceedings surrounding patient deaths.
5. Preparedness for Disaster: The importance of having protocols for worst-case scenarios.

Key Highlights:

• Real-life Testimonies: Fink weaves together first-hand accounts from doctors, nurses, and patients.
• Legal Battle: The controversial case of Dr. Anna Pou, accused of euthanizing critically ill patients.
• Moral Dilemmas: How do you balance compassion with the cold logic of triage under impossible conditions?
• Systemic Reflection: The book raises questions about broader failures in disaster preparedness and governance.

Memorable Quotes:

1. “When faced with a crisis, what would you do? What choices would you make? And how would you live with them afterward?”
2. “In situations like this, morality and ethics become as fluid as the floodwaters that surrounded the hospital.”
3. “It’s easy to judge decisions made in hindsight, but the reality of that moment was chaos, confusion, and impossible choices.”

Why You Should Read It:

✅ Gripping Non-Fiction Narrative: Reads like a thriller but is deeply rooted in real events.
✅ Ethical Exploration: Challenges readers to confront uncomfortable moral questions.
✅ Exhaustively Researched: Backed by years of investigation and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting.
✅ Deeply Human Storytelling: Captures both the heroism and fallibility of those involved.

Who Should Read This Book?

• Readers interested in disaster response and preparedness.
• Those drawn to medical ethics and moral philosophy.
• Fans of investigative journalism similar to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
• Anyone curious about Hurricane Katrina’s untold stories.

Adaptations:

• Apple TV+ Series: Five Days at Memorial (2022), starring Vera Farmiga and Cherry Jones.

Conclusion:

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink is a haunting, thought-provoking, and necessary exploration of humanity under the most extreme conditions. It serves as both a memorial to those who suffered and a powerful call to action for better disaster planning and moral clarity in times of crisis.

📚✨ Prepare to be moved, disturbed, and forever changed by this compelling narrative.