For Better, For Worse: Patient in the Maelstrom

by Carolyn Perry

A hospital. A hurricane. An English professor in the throes of chemotherapy, his wife at his side. Carolyn Perry and her husband Bob were that couple, trapped by Katrina and marooned at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans after the levees breached, flooding the city. In "For Better, For Patient in the Maelstrom," Carolyn Perry tells the gripping story of two people in a loving marriage, fighting a relentless disease and swept up in the chaos of a man-made disaster.

210 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2011

Reviews

[Celeste Berteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are fast approaching the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and a number of new books are being released in conjunction with the historic tragedy. "For Better, For Worse; Patient In the Maelstrom," first published in 2011, is an honest and touching memoir that should not be lost in the shuffle.
The author, Carolyn Perry, a resident of New Orleans, tells the story about how she and her husband Bob, a cancer patient, rode out the storm at Memorial Medical Center in uptown New Orleans where Bob was being treated. The author describes how the hurricane was bad enough, but the loss of power and rising water after the storm was much worse. She takes the reader on her journey where she, Bob, and hundreds of others were stranded in the hospital, sleeping in the parking garage, and where doctors and nurses worked around the clock for days while waiting for rescue.
A retired college English professor, Perry is a fine writer and knows how to end a section and a chapter to keep the reader turning the pages. We care about Carolyn and Bob and we want them to be rescued, to be reunited when they are finally rescued and separated, and for Bob to survive such a harrowing experience. We want them both to survive the aftermath of Katrina, and we hope for the survival of everyone affected by the storm.
The book is more than a Katrina memoir. Perry beautifully balances the recounting of how Katrina and the flood affected her world, with touching and often humorous flashbacks of her 36 years with Bob. It is also obvious that she cares much for their adopted home of New Orleans, sharing with the reader many lovely snippets of life in the Crescent City. It seems that in spite of the threat of hurricanes, Carolyn Perry has partnered with New Orleans for the long haul. Kudos to her.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I liked how honest the author was about her experiences, but not in a 'complaining' way. She pointed out both the good and bad aspects of the hurricane, the response, and how she was treated. It was a great inside look at what it was actually like during and after Katrina, as compared to media reports. She also spoke of things I hadn't heard before, like what it looked like when the flooding began, and the disgusting refrigerator she came home to! It is, however, a heartbreaking story and was hard to read at times

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unflinching view of Katrina, from the inside. At times difficult to read, but a tale that must be told. We all witnessed Katrina on tv and never really knew the struggle. Read this book and you begin to understand.