Tips for Tuesday - Books: Crazy Ambulance Tales & The Claimant

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Books: Crazy Ambulance Stories and The Claimant

Today we are recommending Crazy Ambulance Tales by Chris Treece. Although it may seem like a memoir written by someone who worked in an ambulance would be nothing but bleak and depressing, that is not the case. In fact, there are plenty of life-affirming uplifting, and even humorous stories in this book. 

Of course, that is not to say that there aren't any sad parts. We are all aware, as all ambulance crew members know all too well,  that not everyone can be saved. Thus, there are some stories in this book that are quite sad.  

Although Chris does not go into the gory details when describing any of the tragedies he has witnessed, if you find the mere mention of injury and/or death triggering you may want to skip this book. However, if you do not, and you are interested in learning about what it's like to work in an ambulance crew, you will definitely want to read this fascinating and informative book. Doing so will surely give you a new appreciation for these frontline workers whose own lives often take a backseat to the care of others they don't even know.

Today we are talking about The Claimant by Rachel Weinhaus. This is a memoir by a woman who received a package in the mail identifying her as a possible claimant against a university doctor for sexual misconduct. Not only does she have that to deal with, but the event also leads to her recovery of a long-buried memory of a sexual assault in the woods when she was a child. This book is her attempt to process both of these traumas. 

The story is not told in a linear fashion but jumps around in a kind of stream-of-consciousness way. Accordingly, if you find that kind of thing confusing you may not enjoy this book. You also may find reading this book stressful if you don't like reading about sexual assaults or if you have suffered one yourself. 

For many of us, events like these are unimaginable although we know these things happen to numerous people every day. We cannot imagine how we would go on if it happened to us. Rachel Weinhaus bravely sharing her story proves that it is possible to get through such tragedies and you don't need to be ashamed and hide in the corner if it happens to you because you are not at fault.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.