Rough SleepersDr. Jim O'Connell's Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People
Review posted February 6, 2024.
Books on Tape, 2023. 8 hours, 42 minutes.
Review written January 3, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review
2024 Sonderbooks Standout:
#6 More Nonfiction
I've read a few of Tracy Kidder's in-depth biographies now: Among Schoolchildren, Strength in What Remains, and Mountains Beyond Mountains. Like those amazing books, this one takes a deep dive into a man who has given his life to helping people who need it.
In this case, we're looking at Dr. Jim O'Connell, who got drafted into a program of providing medical care for the homeless in Boston after he'd finished his internship. His plan was to simply help out for a year, but the people there and the need pulled him in, and his work has gone on for decades.
Tracy Kidder traveled along with Dr. O'Connell and gives a picture of the day-to-day and night-to-night work he and his organization do. They've got a van that goes out to rough sleepers, bringing blankets and cocoa. They've got a home where people can go when they're discharged from the hospital but not yet able to care for themselves. Most of all, the homeless people of Boston have doctors looking out for them, caring for them. I'm honestly a little envious - but at the same time glad that this vulnerable population has people in their corner.
And the portrayal of Jim O'Connell makes him shine like Mr. Rogers -- someone who sees people, who cares about his patients. He sees them as wonderful people, looking far beyond their difficult circumstances.
The book doesn't sugarcoat the situation. Many of their patients die, and sleeping rough is still associated with shorter lives. Even efforts to get them housing doesn't always work because the patients don't necessarily know how to conduct themselves in that situation. We also get stories of some of the striking characters, with all their complexity, whose lives have been touched by Dr. O'Connell's work and whose lives in turn touched others.
This doctor shines because he sees the beauty and wonder in vulnerable people and cares for them. This book shines because it helps the reader see that, too.