Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I (Signed Book) by Lindsey Fitzharris

8 reviews

draven_deathcrush's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

I usually don't rate nonfiction, but this really clicked with me. I appreciated the narrative style that it was told, because it was easy to follow. I also appreciated the epilogue, and I'm glad to know that Harold Gillies really was a great man.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Violence, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury

sakisreads's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

4.0

I found this book challenging to comprehend initially, but once I persevered it got better! Lindsey Fitzharris's writing was uncomplicated and unpretentious; she used layman terms and explained Harold Gillies's actions and life brilliantly. I felt drawn to the stories throughout and was relieved to see that the chapters were short. 

 

The horrors of the war were evident throughout this book and need content warnings, which I will include below as usual. 

 

All in all, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars ✨ I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the world wars' atrocities as well as Gillies, the plastic surgeon who was the catalyst of facial surgeries in a time where it didn't seem possible 😳 Thank you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and War

pandin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative inspiring tense medium-paced

4.5

Absolutely tore through this one. Loved the prose, and so well researched. Immediately went and got "The Butchering Art" by the same author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and War

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

readwithmarie23's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Mental illness and Grief

Minor: Vomit, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

pardonmylord's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

4.5

While I love the book, I do think there was something lost in audiobook vs physical book, but I liked it so much I’d be interested in seeing the physical book and flipping through it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Death and Fire/Fire injury

lady_bountiful's review against another edition

3.5

Gets repetitive 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Grief

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

An extraordinary history of the doctor who perfected plastic surgery and facial reconstruction on WWI soldiers whose faces had been destroyed. Dr Harold Gillies didn’t know much about facial reconstruction when he first began trying to save patients from a lifetime of isolation and depression caused by the stigma of facial disfigurement. He came to pioneer new methods of surgery that not only saved soldiers’ physical lives but their emotional lives as well. 

For soldiers with mangled faces whose fiancées left them or whose children ran away screaming in terror, Dr Gillies was a savior. He suffered many failures as he was learning along the way but they were outstripped by his successes. He went on to perform facial reconstruction in WWII, working in private practice in times of peace. His two books on plastic surgery of the face are still valuable. 

Lindsey Fitzharris gives an overview of the wartime medical complex on the Continent and its expansion to England, and shows how Gillies continued to grow his knowledge as he did all he could to return his patients to lives as normal as possible. An excellent medical history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

mscalls's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail