How to Treat People

A fascinating and poignant memoir of the body and its care, told through the experiences of a young nurse.

As a teenager, Molly Case underwent an operation that saved her life. Nearly a decade later, she finds herself in the operating room again—this time as a trainee nurse. She learns to care for her patients, sharing not only their pain, but also life- affirming moments of hope. In doing so, she offers a compelling account of the processes that keep them alive, from respiratory examinations to surgical prep. But when Molly’s father is admitted to the cardiac unit where she works, the professional and the personal suddenly collide.

In rich, lyrical prose, Case illustrates the intricacies of the human condition through the hand of a stranger, offered in solace, and in a person’s last breaths. Weaving together medical history, art, memoir, and science, How to Treat People explores the oscillating rhythms of life and death in a tender reminder that we can all find meaning in the lives of others.

About the Author: Molly Case was born and raised in London, where she works as a cardiac nurse specialist at St. George's Hospital. Also a poet and spoken- word artist, her works have appeared in the Guardian, the Independent, the Times, Elle, and the Huffington Post.