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A review by bookishpip
All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
What a stunning book.
I’ve read quite a few memoirs - it’s one of my favourite genres - but although I generally enjoy memoirs, very few are so impactful that I experience strong emotional responses throughout. This is one.
Dubbed as the modern day Florence Nightingale, this is the account of a woman who, visiting a friend in hospital, comes across a door with a red x on it and someone inside crying for help, to deaf ears. She goes inside and meets a young man in his final moments, succumbing to AIDS. This was the catalyst for an enormous shift in her life as she begins to work to fight for the rights and fair treatment of those with HIV and AIDS, providing essential and human help to sufferers along the way.
I really experienced such a rollercoaster of emotions with this one. Although the content is largely heavy and sad (yet incredibly important), there are moments of humour and sass that just make me desperate to be friends with this lady. The selflessness of her actions and the way in which she navigates the world is truly such an inspiration.
Honestly, this was such a remarkable read. Highly, highly recommended.
I’ve read quite a few memoirs - it’s one of my favourite genres - but although I generally enjoy memoirs, very few are so impactful that I experience strong emotional responses throughout. This is one.
Dubbed as the modern day Florence Nightingale, this is the account of a woman who, visiting a friend in hospital, comes across a door with a red x on it and someone inside crying for help, to deaf ears. She goes inside and meets a young man in his final moments, succumbing to AIDS. This was the catalyst for an enormous shift in her life as she begins to work to fight for the rights and fair treatment of those with HIV and AIDS, providing essential and human help to sufferers along the way.
I really experienced such a rollercoaster of emotions with this one. Although the content is largely heavy and sad (yet incredibly important), there are moments of humour and sass that just make me desperate to be friends with this lady. The selflessness of her actions and the way in which she navigates the world is truly such an inspiration.
Honestly, this was such a remarkable read. Highly, highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Medical content, and Medical trauma