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Sensing Light
“A POWERFUL WORK OF FICTION THAT AUTHENTICALLY EVOKES THE BAD AND THE GOOD.” —Eric Goosby, MD, US Global AIDS Coordinator, 2009–13
“A MOVING STORY OF DOCTORS NAVIGATING THE INTERSECTIONS OF SUFFERING, AMBITION AND DISCOVERY.” —Krista Bremer, My Accidental Jihad
This breakout book by Mark A. Jacobson, a leading Bay Area HIV/AIDS physician, follows three people from vastly different backgrounds, who are thrown together by a shared urgency to find out what is killing so many men in the prime of their lives. Kevin, a gay medical resident from working class Boston, has moved to San Francisco in search of acceptance of his sexual identity. Herb, a middle-aged supervising physician at one of the nation’s toughest hospitals, struggles with his own emotional rigidity. And Gwen, a divorced mother raising a teen daughter, is seeking a sense of self and security while endeavoring to complete her medical training. Mark A. Jacobson, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco and attending physician at San Francisco General Hospital, began his internship in 1981, just days after the CDC first reported a mysterious, fatal disease affecting gay men.
“A MOVING STORY OF DOCTORS NAVIGATING THE INTERSECTIONS OF SUFFERING, AMBITION AND DISCOVERY.” —Krista Bremer, My Accidental Jihad
This breakout book by Mark A. Jacobson, a leading Bay Area HIV/AIDS physician, follows three people from vastly different backgrounds, who are thrown together by a shared urgency to find out what is killing so many men in the prime of their lives. Kevin, a gay medical resident from working class Boston, has moved to San Francisco in search of acceptance of his sexual identity. Herb, a middle-aged supervising physician at one of the nation’s toughest hospitals, struggles with his own emotional rigidity. And Gwen, a divorced mother raising a teen daughter, is seeking a sense of self and security while endeavoring to complete her medical training. Mark A. Jacobson, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco and attending physician at San Francisco General Hospital, began his internship in 1981, just days after the CDC first reported a mysterious, fatal disease affecting gay men.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2016
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April 26, 2016
Mark A. Jacobson, is a professor of medicine at the University of California
San Francisco and an attending physician at San Francisco General Hospital. He began his internship days after the Center For Disease reported a mysterious, fatal form
of immunodeficiency in five gay men and was soon after assigned responsibility
for critically ill patients with this syndrome.
This is a heartrending Historical Fiction of the onset of the AIDS epidemic.
Living in the Bay Area, having lived through this period of history myself I can't help but wonder if Mark knew two our friends, Don, and Richard, who lived in the Castro district in SF, both are no longer alive today. I was working on California Street in SF during these years...living in Berkeley. Many of the Gay men I was friends with worked in theater as actors, directors, voice teachers. We lost so many bright talented people during the early epidemic of AIDS. The loss of those friends is still sad. I'm filled with beautiful memories of them.
Given, Mark A Jacobson's experience, he was more than qualified to write this book.
I've read other books about these early days of the AIDS epidemic, by qualified doctors. "My Own Country", by Abraham Verghese comes to mind...but that story was set in the South (with its own set of problems), this book is where I live...in my own neighborhood. While I reflect back to those 'sad-sad' days, ( remembering the park celebrations for my dying friends before they died), this book gave me a deeper appreciation to the doctors - their pain - their perseverance - and their hope...
like no other book I've read on this subject.
We take a journey with three doctors, their families, partners, issues in their personal lives, and their patients. We feel like we are in the hospital room when a patient is talking to the doctor --- just hoping they can figure out what's wrong with them. Then we feel as if we are sitting next to the doctor waiting for another test result to come back...or with them before they know 'what-the-fuck' is going on.
It's not TB...it's not this or that. At some point -- they called it "the gay cancer" ..as that was all they were seeing....'at first'.
Kevin, is one of the three physicians. We watch him grow as the leading expert on this disease. He comes from Boston, where his parents still live. He has zero support from his father - no praise of how far he is advancing in his career, nothing. His father won't talk to him because he is gay. He found love...and lives with Marco, and is being noticed by the medical community. The new chief of medicine at the public city hospital has been very encouraging - wanting Kevin to succeed. His own family never cared as much 'for him' as the people he worked with or his partner.
The day came when Kevin was invited to speak to a room of over 500 people. It was a great honor.
This was one of the happy moments in this book for me --(as my emotions were so invested from how hard Kevin had been working, with an asshole for a dad, and patients dying that he cared deeply for. Kevin was ahead of his day--when it came to 'doctors' feeling a responsibility to focus on compassion to support patients to die.
Kevin was introduced by Ray Hernandez, chief of medicine at City Hospital:
"Our opening lecture will be given by one of the world's experts on a new disease that
has captured the medical community's attention, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ---AIDS for short. Many of you know the syndrome by its former name
GRID, which was changed when it became obvious the disease is not exclusively 'gay-
related."
The other doctors Herb and Gwen are also wonderful. They each have their issues, their history - family also...
These 'characters/ doctors'.....feel very real. I cared about them. I was thankful for all they were doing!!!!
Gwen started a clinic exclusively for women, and Herb was a supervising physician with more responsibility than one could imagine.
Just the smallest advancement was a big deal. Breathing pentamidine mist for only thirty minutes once a month significantly reduced the risk of developing
Pneumocystis pneumonia. At some point the number of cases at the City Hospital were dropping.
I was in tears when Mark A Jacobson wrote about the massive quilts in front of City Hall. The details of this section just took me back...to so much loss - so much sadness - and yet such remarkable people - love - colors - textures - togetherness - hugs! Love of hugs!!!!!
Thank You Ulysses Press, and Mark A Jacobson ....( thank you for writing this book...I'm honored to have read it: it was beautiful)
San Francisco and an attending physician at San Francisco General Hospital. He began his internship days after the Center For Disease reported a mysterious, fatal form
of immunodeficiency in five gay men and was soon after assigned responsibility
for critically ill patients with this syndrome.
This is a heartrending Historical Fiction of the onset of the AIDS epidemic.
Living in the Bay Area, having lived through this period of history myself I can't help but wonder if Mark knew two our friends, Don, and Richard, who lived in the Castro district in SF, both are no longer alive today. I was working on California Street in SF during these years...living in Berkeley. Many of the Gay men I was friends with worked in theater as actors, directors, voice teachers. We lost so many bright talented people during the early epidemic of AIDS. The loss of those friends is still sad. I'm filled with beautiful memories of them.
Given, Mark A Jacobson's experience, he was more than qualified to write this book.
I've read other books about these early days of the AIDS epidemic, by qualified doctors. "My Own Country", by Abraham Verghese comes to mind...but that story was set in the South (with its own set of problems), this book is where I live...in my own neighborhood. While I reflect back to those 'sad-sad' days, ( remembering the park celebrations for my dying friends before they died), this book gave me a deeper appreciation to the doctors - their pain - their perseverance - and their hope...
like no other book I've read on this subject.
We take a journey with three doctors, their families, partners, issues in their personal lives, and their patients. We feel like we are in the hospital room when a patient is talking to the doctor --- just hoping they can figure out what's wrong with them. Then we feel as if we are sitting next to the doctor waiting for another test result to come back...or with them before they know 'what-the-fuck' is going on.
It's not TB...it's not this or that. At some point -- they called it "the gay cancer" ..as that was all they were seeing....'at first'.
Kevin, is one of the three physicians. We watch him grow as the leading expert on this disease. He comes from Boston, where his parents still live. He has zero support from his father - no praise of how far he is advancing in his career, nothing. His father won't talk to him because he is gay. He found love...and lives with Marco, and is being noticed by the medical community. The new chief of medicine at the public city hospital has been very encouraging - wanting Kevin to succeed. His own family never cared as much 'for him' as the people he worked with or his partner.
The day came when Kevin was invited to speak to a room of over 500 people. It was a great honor.
This was one of the happy moments in this book for me --(as my emotions were so invested from how hard Kevin had been working, with an asshole for a dad, and patients dying that he cared deeply for. Kevin was ahead of his day--when it came to 'doctors' feeling a responsibility to focus on compassion to support patients to die.
Kevin was introduced by Ray Hernandez, chief of medicine at City Hospital:
"Our opening lecture will be given by one of the world's experts on a new disease that
has captured the medical community's attention, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ---AIDS for short. Many of you know the syndrome by its former name
GRID, which was changed when it became obvious the disease is not exclusively 'gay-
related."
The other doctors Herb and Gwen are also wonderful. They each have their issues, their history - family also...
These 'characters/ doctors'.....feel very real. I cared about them. I was thankful for all they were doing!!!!
Gwen started a clinic exclusively for women, and Herb was a supervising physician with more responsibility than one could imagine.
Just the smallest advancement was a big deal. Breathing pentamidine mist for only thirty minutes once a month significantly reduced the risk of developing
Pneumocystis pneumonia. At some point the number of cases at the City Hospital were dropping.
I was in tears when Mark A Jacobson wrote about the massive quilts in front of City Hall. The details of this section just took me back...to so much loss - so much sadness - and yet such remarkable people - love - colors - textures - togetherness - hugs! Love of hugs!!!!!
Thank You Ulysses Press, and Mark A Jacobson ....( thank you for writing this book...I'm honored to have read it: it was beautiful)
August 8, 2016
Broke "write" wrist--review to follow...
I'd like to thank Ulysses Press, Goodreads Giveaway, and Mary Bisbee-Beek for an ARC of "Sensing Light: A Novel."
Because of a broken wrist, it has been almost two months since I finished reading this book and able to write my review. Through Mark A. Jacobson's ability to write such a deeply-moving account of the AIDS epidemic; the history of the research involved through such dedicated scientists and physicians; and the fictional characters that I quickly grew to care about, its contents have stayed freshly in my mind.
In 1983, I transferred to San Francisco for business, where I was fortunate to meet Jim. He later became one of my closest friends. I had heard from others before we met that Jim was gay. It never was an issue for me, and because of the way gay people were shunned and treated so cruelly, I honored Jim's decision to not share this. Jim contracted AIDS and passed it off as cancer. He bravely kept working and never complained, always trying to reassure me that he would be fine.
After I lost my dear friend to this vicious disease, my husband and I met with his partner. He told me Jim didn't believe I knew he was gay. I suppose he couldn't conceive being loved with the stigma that came with it and even more with the fear and disdain that AIDS patients were subjected to. To this day, it hurts to think he never knew.
This book evoked all these memories and allowed me the opportunity to become aware of the history that very few of us know.
This is a must-read for everyone. Even if you have not experienced a personal loss or known someone who has suffered greatly from AIDS, you should read this incredible book.
I'd like to share a profound quote from this book:
"The void surrounding us is what makes our being in the world possible. It doesn't threaten us. It embraces us. If you can believe this, you'll be past all fear and sorrow."
Thank you Mark Jacobson for writing this book and touching my heart.
I'd like to thank Ulysses Press, Goodreads Giveaway, and Mary Bisbee-Beek for an ARC of "Sensing Light: A Novel."
Because of a broken wrist, it has been almost two months since I finished reading this book and able to write my review. Through Mark A. Jacobson's ability to write such a deeply-moving account of the AIDS epidemic; the history of the research involved through such dedicated scientists and physicians; and the fictional characters that I quickly grew to care about, its contents have stayed freshly in my mind.
In 1983, I transferred to San Francisco for business, where I was fortunate to meet Jim. He later became one of my closest friends. I had heard from others before we met that Jim was gay. It never was an issue for me, and because of the way gay people were shunned and treated so cruelly, I honored Jim's decision to not share this. Jim contracted AIDS and passed it off as cancer. He bravely kept working and never complained, always trying to reassure me that he would be fine.
After I lost my dear friend to this vicious disease, my husband and I met with his partner. He told me Jim didn't believe I knew he was gay. I suppose he couldn't conceive being loved with the stigma that came with it and even more with the fear and disdain that AIDS patients were subjected to. To this day, it hurts to think he never knew.
This book evoked all these memories and allowed me the opportunity to become aware of the history that very few of us know.
This is a must-read for everyone. Even if you have not experienced a personal loss or known someone who has suffered greatly from AIDS, you should read this incredible book.
I'd like to share a profound quote from this book:
"The void surrounding us is what makes our being in the world possible. It doesn't threaten us. It embraces us. If you can believe this, you'll be past all fear and sorrow."
Thank you Mark Jacobson for writing this book and touching my heart.
July 7, 2016
This is an incredibly well written, historically accurate novel set in the first 10 years of the AIDS epidemic at its epicenter in San Francisco. Through beautifully written prose, this book touches on many of the controversial and challenging issues that were faced by the patients, the community, the healthcare system, and the health care providers in those early years, when the disease was hardly understood, the community was deeply afraid and many were angry that more was not being done on every level to help people affected by this epidemic. Through the lives of the frontline physicians and nurses and their partners and families, the reader can understand how profoundly HIV affected them all and how committed they needed to be to continue to help their patients and their community through those toughest of times.
This book belongs right next to Randy Shilts' book, And The Band Played On, and Peter Piot's book, No Time to Lose.
This book belongs right next to Randy Shilts' book, And The Band Played On, and Peter Piot's book, No Time to Lose.
September 25, 2019
As I read, I kept having to remind myself that this book is fiction. I was active in the AIDS pandemic from 1991-2004; the last ten of those years in San Francisco. Jacobson's characters may have been fictitious but I knew them - I held the hands of and did laundry for those infected with HIV and I listened and bore witness to those who were providing support...the professionals and the peers. From my experiences and perspective, the author absolutely captured the best and worst of the pandemic. The final chapters were a bit breathtaking - I was reminded of why and how I developed my sense of peace around the concept of death. I am blessed for the opportunity to revisit my experiences in the pandemic...after all, they led me to know who I really am:)
November 16, 2016
Also posted on Eva Lucias blog
In 1979, an epidemic begins… AIDS. Four deadly letters. ”Sensing Light” is a novel based on the topic and written by Mark A. Jacobson.
The novel presents with a heavy topic that been on people’s mind for a while. Even though, it was brought to our attention a long time ago, it is still a topic. Every now and then, the media takes it up. Not long ago in Denmark, a “kissing video” was made – whether or not, people dared to kiss people who had AIDS or HIV. The first novel I read which focused on the issue was “Tell the Wolves I’m home” by Carol Rifka Brunt. I was very impressed while reading it, and it was interesting to see when describing the early 80s, AIDS and HIV were still taboo.
“Sensing Light” is beautifully written, and it is obvious that the author has done his research (working as a professor in medicine at university level). I enjoyed reading the novel as it presents a heavy issue while giving us an insight of different characters with different dilemmas, while the truth on AIDS is finally coming to people’s attention.
While reading the novel, I felt that the characters were somehow “hard” to reach. It was as it was simply unknown individuals – pieces of a big puzzle – which were supposed to bring us the truth.
“The sadness doesn’t stay with you, doesn’t bleed into the rest of life?”
“Not anymore.”
“That’s a neat trick,” sighed Gwen. “I need to learn how to do it.”
At times, I personally think that the language filled terminology made my reading more difficult, but I still enjoyed it. I just had to stay more alert. Mark A. Jacobson knows how to use storytelling in his literary universe. It is easy to feel and sense the feelings, issues and psychological aspects of the characters, which made it very real to read. Very honest, brutal – but real.
“Sensing Light” is a very interesting novel which focuses on many issues and how the individual tries to survive it all. The plot makes the reader wonder and you suddenly get the feeling that life is fragile but worth living to the fullest.
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In 1979, an epidemic begins… AIDS. Four deadly letters. ”Sensing Light” is a novel based on the topic and written by Mark A. Jacobson.
The novel presents with a heavy topic that been on people’s mind for a while. Even though, it was brought to our attention a long time ago, it is still a topic. Every now and then, the media takes it up. Not long ago in Denmark, a “kissing video” was made – whether or not, people dared to kiss people who had AIDS or HIV. The first novel I read which focused on the issue was “Tell the Wolves I’m home” by Carol Rifka Brunt. I was very impressed while reading it, and it was interesting to see when describing the early 80s, AIDS and HIV were still taboo.
“Sensing Light” is beautifully written, and it is obvious that the author has done his research (working as a professor in medicine at university level). I enjoyed reading the novel as it presents a heavy issue while giving us an insight of different characters with different dilemmas, while the truth on AIDS is finally coming to people’s attention.
While reading the novel, I felt that the characters were somehow “hard” to reach. It was as it was simply unknown individuals – pieces of a big puzzle – which were supposed to bring us the truth.
“The sadness doesn’t stay with you, doesn’t bleed into the rest of life?”
“Not anymore.”
“That’s a neat trick,” sighed Gwen. “I need to learn how to do it.”
At times, I personally think that the language filled terminology made my reading more difficult, but I still enjoyed it. I just had to stay more alert. Mark A. Jacobson knows how to use storytelling in his literary universe. It is easy to feel and sense the feelings, issues and psychological aspects of the characters, which made it very real to read. Very honest, brutal – but real.
“Sensing Light” is a very interesting novel which focuses on many issues and how the individual tries to survive it all. The plot makes the reader wonder and you suddenly get the feeling that life is fragile but worth living to the fullest.
Blog ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Youtube ~ Spotify
April 12, 2016
Edelweiss copy in exchange of an honest review.
The story starts in 1979, when Kevin Bartholomew, young ER doctor faces a strange case he can’t seem to solve. Larry Winton, 27, young male prostitute with no medical history, is dying. No one knows why. Is it TB? Is it pneumonia? it doesn’t fit the whole case.
They can’t save him.
Fast forward three months later, and they still haven’t pierce the secret of this strange case, despite the autopsy. Larry’s death remains a mystery.
Now it’s 1981. A new patient has been admitted. He’s gay, 42, with no medical history. And he’s dying. And they can’t put their finger on what is wrong.
As Keving discovers new paths in his life, the reader is thrown into a terrifying new era of our lives and history.
By 1984, the disease has a name.
AIDS.
We witness the “birth” of our modern world with this new, terrible, disease, from the perspective of the doctors who want to help and develop efficient drugs.
The story extends from 1979 to 1991, two years before I was born. This is the story of a team of doctors against a disease we still haven’t cured today.
I am a mess.
It’s the first time I read a fiction based on AIDS-related subjects, and I feel very sad but happy that this book was the first one. I feel like everyone should read it.
It was impossible for me to stop reading. The characters are really great and I developed a strong attachment for them throughout the story. The writing style can be quite complex at times, but you get past it at some point. The story is intense and you want to know what happens next.
It was heartbreaking, but very educational. The story is very, very well-researched. We truly dive into the complexity of what AIDS entails, in terms of medical aspects but also the whole political division of it, which I thought was incredibly interesting. Plus, we see patients from all walks of life, which was important to me.
I repeat, I am a mess.
The story starts in 1979, when Kevin Bartholomew, young ER doctor faces a strange case he can’t seem to solve. Larry Winton, 27, young male prostitute with no medical history, is dying. No one knows why. Is it TB? Is it pneumonia? it doesn’t fit the whole case.
They can’t save him.
Fast forward three months later, and they still haven’t pierce the secret of this strange case, despite the autopsy. Larry’s death remains a mystery.
Now it’s 1981. A new patient has been admitted. He’s gay, 42, with no medical history. And he’s dying. And they can’t put their finger on what is wrong.
As Keving discovers new paths in his life, the reader is thrown into a terrifying new era of our lives and history.
By 1984, the disease has a name.
AIDS.
We witness the “birth” of our modern world with this new, terrible, disease, from the perspective of the doctors who want to help and develop efficient drugs.
The story extends from 1979 to 1991, two years before I was born. This is the story of a team of doctors against a disease we still haven’t cured today.
I am a mess.
It’s the first time I read a fiction based on AIDS-related subjects, and I feel very sad but happy that this book was the first one. I feel like everyone should read it.
It was impossible for me to stop reading. The characters are really great and I developed a strong attachment for them throughout the story. The writing style can be quite complex at times, but you get past it at some point. The story is intense and you want to know what happens next.
It was heartbreaking, but very educational. The story is very, very well-researched. We truly dive into the complexity of what AIDS entails, in terms of medical aspects but also the whole political division of it, which I thought was incredibly interesting. Plus, we see patients from all walks of life, which was important to me.
I repeat, I am a mess.
May 4, 2016
I am proud to know the author of this book through a friend I used to teach with for many years! I received an "Advance Copy" to read and then review. This is a must read, a work of historical fiction that will effectively and easily teach readers about the AIDS epidemic in the late seventies, and eighties.
In 1979, a few men walked into San Francisco's City Hospital with pneumocystis, a profoundly impaired immune system. The doctors did not know what was behind this disease. They saw men struggling to breathe in air before they died a brutal death. Kevin, a gay doctor who had left his estranged father and loving mother in their South Boston home, went to live in San Francisco where he could be himself, hopefully without guilt. He was smart, calm, and passionate. Kevin was determined to investigate what caused GRID, the "Gay Related Immune Deficiency," which later became known as AIDS in 1984, (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.") The number of men acquiring the AIDS disease became an epidemic, often called a plague. Kevin's own lover died painfully before his eyes. His Chinese mentor at the hospital had a gay son, and Kevin helped Herb work through his fright that his own son could contract the AIDS virus. Kevin, Herb, and another close colleague who was a local expert on immune diseases named Gwen wrote articles and applied for grant after grant that would allow them to investigate the causes and use new medicine that could "relieve" such a cruel disease. Sensing Light is a personal and medical insight into the understanding and treatment of people with AIDS in the 80's, whether contracted at a communal bathing place, a dirty needle, or through a tainted transfusion. This book also stresses that the new collaboration of doctors in the eighties was essential to the treatment of AIDS.
In 1979, a few men walked into San Francisco's City Hospital with pneumocystis, a profoundly impaired immune system. The doctors did not know what was behind this disease. They saw men struggling to breathe in air before they died a brutal death. Kevin, a gay doctor who had left his estranged father and loving mother in their South Boston home, went to live in San Francisco where he could be himself, hopefully without guilt. He was smart, calm, and passionate. Kevin was determined to investigate what caused GRID, the "Gay Related Immune Deficiency," which later became known as AIDS in 1984, (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.") The number of men acquiring the AIDS disease became an epidemic, often called a plague. Kevin's own lover died painfully before his eyes. His Chinese mentor at the hospital had a gay son, and Kevin helped Herb work through his fright that his own son could contract the AIDS virus. Kevin, Herb, and another close colleague who was a local expert on immune diseases named Gwen wrote articles and applied for grant after grant that would allow them to investigate the causes and use new medicine that could "relieve" such a cruel disease. Sensing Light is a personal and medical insight into the understanding and treatment of people with AIDS in the 80's, whether contracted at a communal bathing place, a dirty needle, or through a tainted transfusion. This book also stresses that the new collaboration of doctors in the eighties was essential to the treatment of AIDS.
April 14, 2017
"Sensing Light" is historical fiction that reads like a slowly unfolding mystery: it is an insider’s view of the AIDS crisis in America. Why were all these men becoming terribly ill and dying? This was the beginning of a horrific epidemic, but no one knew that in 1979.
The author, Dr. Mark A. Jacobson, who works in the HIV program at San Francisco General Hospital, was an intern when the first cases of “GRID” appeared; he was thus perfectly situated to personally witness the emerging history of the pandemic. The novel moves gracefully between the driving pace of the narrative and the characters’ backstories with a powerful underlying tension throughout.
As readers we know this unfathomable disease is AIDS, but we’re drawn into the lives of people who have NO IDEA what’s going on. We’re plunged into the time - the Castro district in San Francisco, bathhouses, the “Summer of Love,” the Vietnam War, Archie Bunker on TV. How did doctors and researchers solve the myriad puzzles of this virus? What was it like to be a gay man in the United States in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s? How did young people grapple with “coming out of the closet” when they knew they would be rejected by their families? What role did politics play in funding research to find a cure for this disease?
There was a time in my life when I thought about AIDS every single day. People were sick, friends were dying, but now - ? "Sensing Light" is mesmerizing. Once I began reading I didn’t want to stop. I read – compelled, pulled in, yet at the same time, immersed in the worlds of these memorable characters, I didn’t want the book to end. This is an extraordinary, deeply moving story that is incredibly relevant today. It begs our reflection on a multitude of topics and is a perfect novel for book clubs to read and discuss.
The author, Dr. Mark A. Jacobson, who works in the HIV program at San Francisco General Hospital, was an intern when the first cases of “GRID” appeared; he was thus perfectly situated to personally witness the emerging history of the pandemic. The novel moves gracefully between the driving pace of the narrative and the characters’ backstories with a powerful underlying tension throughout.
As readers we know this unfathomable disease is AIDS, but we’re drawn into the lives of people who have NO IDEA what’s going on. We’re plunged into the time - the Castro district in San Francisco, bathhouses, the “Summer of Love,” the Vietnam War, Archie Bunker on TV. How did doctors and researchers solve the myriad puzzles of this virus? What was it like to be a gay man in the United States in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s? How did young people grapple with “coming out of the closet” when they knew they would be rejected by their families? What role did politics play in funding research to find a cure for this disease?
There was a time in my life when I thought about AIDS every single day. People were sick, friends were dying, but now - ? "Sensing Light" is mesmerizing. Once I began reading I didn’t want to stop. I read – compelled, pulled in, yet at the same time, immersed in the worlds of these memorable characters, I didn’t want the book to end. This is an extraordinary, deeply moving story that is incredibly relevant today. It begs our reflection on a multitude of topics and is a perfect novel for book clubs to read and discuss.
July 4, 2016
An extraordinary novel about the AIDS epidemic as it unfolded in the 1980s. I too was a young physician in San Francisco during this time and am tremendously impressed by Dr. Jacobson’s handling of this material and the resulting wonderful novel that he has given us. We were overwhelmed and horrified by the staggering numbers of young bright talented patients being affected, by their unspeakable deterioration and untimely deaths, while simultaneously dealing with our own profession’s inadequacy to find meaningful treatment and the frustrations we were feeling towards a society that in many ways did not seem to be paying attention. We were losing large numbers of our own friends and colleagues as well as suffering the occasional paranoia of whether or not we personally might become infected. The author addresses all of these challenges with the authenticity of a physician who could have only faced the emotions of this tragedy on a daily basis for many years. Mark Jacobson and his colleagues at San Francisco General Hospital are amongst the true heroes of this epidemic. His sensitivity and compassion towards his patients throughout the years of this battle is extraordinary, and his talent in writing about these experiences is a gift for which I am profoundly grateful.
July 9, 2016
Sensing Light is a gripping, fast-paced novel that puts the reader in the midst of the evolving AIDS crisis, as experienced through the eyes and lives of the medical professionals who faced it.
As I read this novel from Mark Jacobson (who was there on the medical front lines himself during the period covered), I was reminded of historian Davis McCullough's warning that when we look back on history we must remember that historical figures were flesh and blood human beings just like us...people with families, day to day struggles, and emotional ups and downs who didn't know what was going to happen next, or how it would turn out. And this creates the kind of personalized drama so well portrayed in Jacobson's book.
Because it's written by physician who was there on the scene as a participant, the novel also gives the reader a new appreciation for the mystery and doubt and uncertainty of cutting edge medical science...tied directly to the individual physicians and patients for whom it was all a matter of life and death.
You can read a lot about the medical battle against AIDS and not experience the same ground-level empathy for the individuals who fought it you can reading Sensing Light. It's a humane and moving novel. Highly recommended.
As I read this novel from Mark Jacobson (who was there on the medical front lines himself during the period covered), I was reminded of historian Davis McCullough's warning that when we look back on history we must remember that historical figures were flesh and blood human beings just like us...people with families, day to day struggles, and emotional ups and downs who didn't know what was going to happen next, or how it would turn out. And this creates the kind of personalized drama so well portrayed in Jacobson's book.
Because it's written by physician who was there on the scene as a participant, the novel also gives the reader a new appreciation for the mystery and doubt and uncertainty of cutting edge medical science...tied directly to the individual physicians and patients for whom it was all a matter of life and death.
You can read a lot about the medical battle against AIDS and not experience the same ground-level empathy for the individuals who fought it you can reading Sensing Light. It's a humane and moving novel. Highly recommended.
November 13, 2016
I really enjoyed this book it might be fiction, but the author was a doctor who was on the front lines when AIDS hit so it read more like nonfiction. Therefore, you learn a lot about how the disease started, the research for finding medications to treat it, also how researchers found how to test people for the disease. In Addition to, the politics behind the disease, how it was first called GRID = Gay-Related Immune Deficiency to changing it to HIV and AIDS.
The doctors who were on the front lines when the disease first presented itself were very invested in every aspect of this disease. These characters are highly developed and as a reader, you can feel how caring they are. This book is an amazing learning experience for people who love science or just like learning new things. Additionally, it explains what diseases presented first in patients such as Pneumocystis and Cryptococcal meningitis, how AIDs genetically replicated itself in an infected person's body, including how the disease was originally medically treated. One of the best books that I have ever read about HIV/AIDS. It is an intriguing, well-written book.
July 6, 2016
I loved this book. It has wonderful characters, an intriguing story line (and one that has personal interest for me - but more on that later) and it helped my mind to wander and think about some of those serious and important life questions.
So, why personal for me? As a hospital nurse in the 1980's and onward, I took care of sick people who had AIDS before we knew what that was. I remember the fear and the confusion; the few doctors who declared they'd never care for one of 'those' patients and all the wonderful people who did - both inside and outside of hospitals
If you're a medical person who lived through the 80's and you love a good novel, you'll love this book. If you're a younger medical person who has lived through similar events related to Ebola - or now, zika -read this book. If you're a non-medical person who loves those medical movies or tv series, here's a new entry into that world.
And it leaves you with lots of stuff to think about. My favorite kind of book!
So, why personal for me? As a hospital nurse in the 1980's and onward, I took care of sick people who had AIDS before we knew what that was. I remember the fear and the confusion; the few doctors who declared they'd never care for one of 'those' patients and all the wonderful people who did - both inside and outside of hospitals
If you're a medical person who lived through the 80's and you love a good novel, you'll love this book. If you're a younger medical person who has lived through similar events related to Ebola - or now, zika -read this book. If you're a non-medical person who loves those medical movies or tv series, here's a new entry into that world.
And it leaves you with lots of stuff to think about. My favorite kind of book!
July 4, 2016
This engrossing novel about the early years of the AIDS epidemic is a considerable achievement for a new novelist. Dr. Mark Jacobson, who has spent most of his career taking care of AIDS patients, tells a memorable and important story spanning nearly fifteen years from the point of view of three physicians committed to understanding the mysterious new disease and caring for patients who, at that time, had no hope of survival. Readers old enough to have lost friends and loved ones to the scourge will appreciate the authenticity of Sensing Light. Readers too young to remember that time will gain a more vivid sense of it than a conventional history could convey. Yes, many scenes take place in a hospital, but there are also political confrontations and scenes of domestic intimacy. Sensing Light would be a fine choice for a book club discussion or to take on a long plane ride. It would also make a great gift for a young person who is thinking of becoming a doctor.
July 5, 2016
This is a wonderful novel that allows us to experience the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. The book is gripping, the dialogue snappy realistic and fresh. We are transported into the heart of a medical profession who are scrambling to understand what the hell is causing such wreckage and death to so many young healthy men and their desperate bid to turn the tides on this disease. The three main characters are compassionate interesting human smart and embody the kind of people who dedicated their lives to understanding curing and healing the devastation of AIDS.....Dr Mark Jacobson being one such being.
Read
July 5, 2016Hard to put down this novel about the personal and professional lives of three physicians in SF at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. The realistic and insightful portraits of the characters and their lives in academic medicine hooked me. Like other historical events, we have needed 30 years to process the pain before looking back on this era. Sensing Light allows us to relive some of that time as we continue to make progress.
January 23, 2017
The work done in ward 86 in the 80s and 90s is a vital part of the history of the AIDS epidemic. But this was not the right book to do it justice. It had the flat, mechanical feeling of a lot of biography, but wasn't about any actual people. I didn't connect with any of the main characters. All of their emotions seemed blunted and watered down. I think it would have worked much better as a memoir, or maybe a series of research-heavy personal essays.
June 3, 2016
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway. I was little reluctant to read a book on this subject matter having lost my brother to the epidemic. I was however very moved by the story as it was told from the beginning. This book was very well written and tastefully done. I would highly recommend for anyone whether they had first hand experience or not will the aides epidemic.
July 3, 2016
A gripping and fast-paced account of the early days of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. You get to know the central characters very well, and they are vividly portrayed and quite believable. It is also a great introduction to a world that I knew nothing about: the emotional and professional lives of doctors faced with a constant stream of dying patients.
July 8, 2016
Brings to life what it was like to be at the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic, San Francisco in 1979, from the point of view of 3 doctors who had no idea what was coming their way. Mark A . Jacobson weaves a story with great sensitivity and compassion. A compelling read.
October 18, 2016
First off, I just wanted to thank Poetic Book Tours for letting me host a book blog tour of this book. It is such an honor. And thanks to the author too, for letting me read and review his book.
Let’s start the review.
This book is about the story of the three doctors who had the same goal during the outbreak of AIDS in 1979, which is to find out what AIDS is; what’s causing it; and what could be the possible cure for it.
I’ll start talking about Kevin Bartholomew because he was the first person to be introduced in the book. Kevin was still a researcher at the time. At first, I ignore the part where Kevin was gay and was searching acceptance about his sexuality. I wasn’t prepared to let that part sink in. Though as the story went on, I turn to love Kevin’s character in the book. He has such the biggest character development in all three of them, for my opinion that is. Just imagine from being just a researcher at first and then becoming a fully-fledged doctor with his own clinic and his own team studying about GRID, the first name of AIDS. His personal story is also easy to follow. How he ended up in San Francisco and becoming a doctor; he’s family issues; and even his love life. It was so easy to recall and follow his story and because of it, I loved his character even more. He’s understanding, thoughtful, and caring. He’s got all the personality of a soft hearted man in my description but he is not weak at all. In his journey on studying AIDS, he encountered a lot of obstacles. Like not having enough support for his study from the higher people in their hospital, the part where he almost gave up but he didn’t, and many more. Kevin is strong. I like the part where Kevin talked to the people who were demanding a cure for the disease and showed them who the boss is. That was where Kevin showed his strong personality. I like when heroes in the book don’t let other people boss them around or let other people oppress them. It gives me some sort of pride towards the character when he/she won’t let other people bully him/her. In short, I don’t like heroes that are being bullied. Like seriously, they are heroes and they became the main character of a book for a reason and that reason is to not be bullied. And I love Kevin for that.
Next is Gwen Howard. Her first appearance was as a clinic doctor referring a patient to the hospital where Kevin is working. Although she’s the last one to be introduced to the three main characters, I will talk about her in second because I just like it. Haha! Well, back to Gwen. Gwen is a fine character. She has some, or maybe a lot, of issues about herself that she’s dealing with throughout the book. She’s a single mother of a teenage kid. In her point of view, she seems to have no idea on how to deal with her daughter when she reached the teen age. And when she found a lover, her issues or problems got doubled. Sure Gwen is really busy dealing with patients in the hospital and studying about AIDS at the same time but that doesn’t mean that she’s always the one who needs to be understood by her boyfriend, Rick. It seems to me that some tiny part of here doesn’t really like having a boyfriend. Like, really. Being a couple needs two people and in this book, it’s like it was just Rick who’s doing all the work to make their relationship stay. Though apart from that part, Gwen is a pretty understanding character. Aside from her issues about herself, I like her character. She’s a good help to Kevin in dealing not just with AIDS but also as his friend. She’s there for him in every step of the way and it only shows how compassionate and thoughtful she is as a friend.
Lastly is Herb Wu. Herb’s first impression to me is a very intelligent doctor. Smart and observant. Though out of all three of them, his life was somehow hard to follow. He’s an Asian with unsolved problems with his parents. It actually took him thirty years to let the death of his father go and just enjoy life. He also has a lot of philosophies in life, for me that is. And the part where they talk about him having some sort of magic towards knowing when a person believed in God, yeah, that was cute. Haha! Just like Gwen, Herb was having a bad time connecting with his kids. Like really? Why is it so hard for them to deal with their children than to deal with patients in the hospital? I mean, their children are their flesh and blood but their patients aren’t but they seem to connect easily to patients. Does it come being a doctor? Sure, but they are also parents! They’ve been with their children long enough to know how their minds work even though it somehow change throughout their growth. Still! You get my point? My parents didn’t have that hard time dealing with us right now that we, me and my brother, are on our teen age years. They seem to do it just fine. But why are they struggling? Though the part where Herb found out that his son, Martin, was gay, his reaction was actually understandable. Though I laughed on this part. Lol!
The story got me hooked by the topic, AIDS. Dude, I love reading things that are about AIDS. I even read that one portfolio my father brought back from a seminar about AIDS. I have some knowledge about it to relate to the story of the book. I wasn’t actually having a hard time following the symptoms and effects and how it is transmitted. Though I was seriously lost on all of those medical terms in the book. Seriously lost. I even goggled some of it! Hehe.
The book is the kind of book where you can easily get distracted by the outside world while reading it. And it’s also the kind of book that you could easily get back into after being distracted. I admit that there are some parts where I feel sleepy and not just into it. Frankly, this book doesn’t have the kind of action I’m used to reading so I was really adjusting and adjusting and adjusting. It took me a couple more days than usual to finish this book. That is because I received this book few days before my midterm’s week. Though after the exams, I immediately jumped into it but then the week after midterm is training week in preparation for the annual sports fest we celebrate in our university which is happening right this week (I actually have a game tomorrow. Wish me luck, peeps!). So it really took a couple more days than usual to finish this book.
I’m glad that I was given the chance to read and review this book. This is seriously an amazing read. It’s a historical fiction and I’ve never read any historical fiction in my life but I enjoyed this one because it’s helpful and an informative one. You could actually learn a lot of lessons here not just about the disease AIDS but also in life.
If you are the kind of reader who loves historical stuff and into medicine, this one is perfect for you! You could actually picture the AIDS outbreak while reading this book even though you weren’t there!
I rate this 4.1/5 according to its genre and according to how the book took me in a medical adventure!
Let’s start the review.
This book is about the story of the three doctors who had the same goal during the outbreak of AIDS in 1979, which is to find out what AIDS is; what’s causing it; and what could be the possible cure for it.
I’ll start talking about Kevin Bartholomew because he was the first person to be introduced in the book. Kevin was still a researcher at the time. At first, I ignore the part where Kevin was gay and was searching acceptance about his sexuality. I wasn’t prepared to let that part sink in. Though as the story went on, I turn to love Kevin’s character in the book. He has such the biggest character development in all three of them, for my opinion that is. Just imagine from being just a researcher at first and then becoming a fully-fledged doctor with his own clinic and his own team studying about GRID, the first name of AIDS. His personal story is also easy to follow. How he ended up in San Francisco and becoming a doctor; he’s family issues; and even his love life. It was so easy to recall and follow his story and because of it, I loved his character even more. He’s understanding, thoughtful, and caring. He’s got all the personality of a soft hearted man in my description but he is not weak at all. In his journey on studying AIDS, he encountered a lot of obstacles. Like not having enough support for his study from the higher people in their hospital, the part where he almost gave up but he didn’t, and many more. Kevin is strong. I like the part where Kevin talked to the people who were demanding a cure for the disease and showed them who the boss is. That was where Kevin showed his strong personality. I like when heroes in the book don’t let other people boss them around or let other people oppress them. It gives me some sort of pride towards the character when he/she won’t let other people bully him/her. In short, I don’t like heroes that are being bullied. Like seriously, they are heroes and they became the main character of a book for a reason and that reason is to not be bullied. And I love Kevin for that.
Next is Gwen Howard. Her first appearance was as a clinic doctor referring a patient to the hospital where Kevin is working. Although she’s the last one to be introduced to the three main characters, I will talk about her in second because I just like it. Haha! Well, back to Gwen. Gwen is a fine character. She has some, or maybe a lot, of issues about herself that she’s dealing with throughout the book. She’s a single mother of a teenage kid. In her point of view, she seems to have no idea on how to deal with her daughter when she reached the teen age. And when she found a lover, her issues or problems got doubled. Sure Gwen is really busy dealing with patients in the hospital and studying about AIDS at the same time but that doesn’t mean that she’s always the one who needs to be understood by her boyfriend, Rick. It seems to me that some tiny part of here doesn’t really like having a boyfriend. Like, really. Being a couple needs two people and in this book, it’s like it was just Rick who’s doing all the work to make their relationship stay. Though apart from that part, Gwen is a pretty understanding character. Aside from her issues about herself, I like her character. She’s a good help to Kevin in dealing not just with AIDS but also as his friend. She’s there for him in every step of the way and it only shows how compassionate and thoughtful she is as a friend.
Lastly is Herb Wu. Herb’s first impression to me is a very intelligent doctor. Smart and observant. Though out of all three of them, his life was somehow hard to follow. He’s an Asian with unsolved problems with his parents. It actually took him thirty years to let the death of his father go and just enjoy life. He also has a lot of philosophies in life, for me that is. And the part where they talk about him having some sort of magic towards knowing when a person believed in God, yeah, that was cute. Haha! Just like Gwen, Herb was having a bad time connecting with his kids. Like really? Why is it so hard for them to deal with their children than to deal with patients in the hospital? I mean, their children are their flesh and blood but their patients aren’t but they seem to connect easily to patients. Does it come being a doctor? Sure, but they are also parents! They’ve been with their children long enough to know how their minds work even though it somehow change throughout their growth. Still! You get my point? My parents didn’t have that hard time dealing with us right now that we, me and my brother, are on our teen age years. They seem to do it just fine. But why are they struggling? Though the part where Herb found out that his son, Martin, was gay, his reaction was actually understandable. Though I laughed on this part. Lol!
The story got me hooked by the topic, AIDS. Dude, I love reading things that are about AIDS. I even read that one portfolio my father brought back from a seminar about AIDS. I have some knowledge about it to relate to the story of the book. I wasn’t actually having a hard time following the symptoms and effects and how it is transmitted. Though I was seriously lost on all of those medical terms in the book. Seriously lost. I even goggled some of it! Hehe.
The book is the kind of book where you can easily get distracted by the outside world while reading it. And it’s also the kind of book that you could easily get back into after being distracted. I admit that there are some parts where I feel sleepy and not just into it. Frankly, this book doesn’t have the kind of action I’m used to reading so I was really adjusting and adjusting and adjusting. It took me a couple more days than usual to finish this book. That is because I received this book few days before my midterm’s week. Though after the exams, I immediately jumped into it but then the week after midterm is training week in preparation for the annual sports fest we celebrate in our university which is happening right this week (I actually have a game tomorrow. Wish me luck, peeps!). So it really took a couple more days than usual to finish this book.
I’m glad that I was given the chance to read and review this book. This is seriously an amazing read. It’s a historical fiction and I’ve never read any historical fiction in my life but I enjoyed this one because it’s helpful and an informative one. You could actually learn a lot of lessons here not just about the disease AIDS but also in life.
If you are the kind of reader who loves historical stuff and into medicine, this one is perfect for you! You could actually picture the AIDS outbreak while reading this book even though you weren’t there!
I rate this 4.1/5 according to its genre and according to how the book took me in a medical adventure!
February 18, 2017
Author: Mark A Jacobson.
Title: Sensing Light: A Novel.
Genre: Fiction, Medical, Gay and Lesbian, Literature, Genre Fiction, Literature and Fiction, Historical,
I got this book in exchange for an honest review. Somebody on behalf of the author contacted me through my book reviewing blog asking me to review this book. I would like to say a big thank you to Serena Agusto-Cox for taking the time to email me.
First of all I would like to say a big thank you to Mark A Jacobson for sending me this book and giving me the chance to read it and l would like to say a big thank you to Serena Agusto-Cox.
I would tell people that you should step outside your comfort zone with books because it is good to add more authors and genres to your reading portfolio even if you do not read books like this.
I normally do not read books of this genre but l stepped outside my comfort zone with authors and genres I am so glad l did because l have read so many great books and come across some great authors.
This book has 365 pages in it.
I highly recommend this book.
Synopsis: Three doctors meet at the onset of the AIDS epidemic this breakout book by Mark A Jacobson, a leading bay area HIV/AIDS physician, follows three people from vastly different backgrounds, who are thrown together by a shared urgency to find out what is killing so many men in the prime of their lives. Kevin, a gay medical resident from working class Boston, has moved to San Francisco in search of acceptance of his sexual identity. Herb, a middle-aged supervising physician at one of the nation's toughest hospitals, struggles with his own emotional rigidity, and Gwen, a divorced mother raising a teen daughter, is seeking a sense of self and security while endeavoring to complete her medical training.
Review By Other People: A compassionate, intelligent novel, part medical thriller, that only someone who was there from the start could have written. - Bill Barich, big dreams: in to the heart of California.
A powerful work of fiction that authentically evokes the bad and the good. - Eric Goosby, MD, US global AIDS coordinator, 2009 – 2013.
A moving story of doctors navigating the intersections of suffering, ambition and discovery. - Krista Bremer, my accidental Jihad.
Review: I found this books really easy to get in to and hard to put down once l started reading it. I was sad to read about all the people that passed away and I would like to say rest in peace to them and I was sad to read that Kevin's father passed away due to lung cancer. I was sad to read about Herb's accident. Herb saved his wife from being knocked over. I was sad to read one of the nurses that worked in the ICU got stuck with a used needle and she got AIDS. I was sad to read that Marco was ill with AIDS and I was sad to read that Marco's mother was poorly it was nice that Marco went to look after his mother. I can not put in to words how great this book is I would tell people to read it for themselves to know how great it is. I was sad to finish this book. I wish I could rate this book more then five stars. This book raises awareness for AIDS. I like reading about Kevin, his life and his family, Gwen, her life and her family and Herb, his life and his family. Sometimes l put on magic on and some essential oils in my humidifier and relax reading this book. It did not take me long to finish this book. Kevin, Gwen and Herb sound like great people. I was happy to read that Gwen was given the all clear after accidentally getting stuck with a used needle. I like reading reviews from other people. I love that Gwen, Kevin and Herb are really close. I was sad to read that Kevin had AIDS at first he only told Marco and his sister but then he told Gwen. I got this book in paperback. I rated this book on goodreads, amazon UK and US and my blog. Gwen, Kevin and Herb sound like fun people when they had a glass or two of wine. It was sad to read that when Herb was younger he got hit in the nose which broke glad his parents took him to the police station to get the person who hit poor Herb. Herb sounds really close with his wife. I wish the bathhouses are closed. It was sad to read that Marco passed away. It sounds like Marco made planes for his funeral. I feel for his mother no mother should have to bury their child. It was good to read that Eva and Martin had picked colleges to go to and Herb and his wife had made plans to go travelling. Glad that Gwen and Rick are still together. I was sad when Kevin was getting poorly I thought he was going to die I am glad he survived. I was happy that Kevin was close to his mother and sister again and they was going to visit him. I would love to read more about all the people in this book and more about AIDS and the treatment. I was hooked on this book after reading the first page. I was happy to read that Kevin met someone to be with after Marco passed away but Barry had AIDS too but he sadly passed away. Kevin was getting more poorly and he ended up in a wheelchair and he went in to a hospice and then Kevin sadly passed away and he wrote a letter to his sister to help Gwen and Herb from the grave. Herb's son Martin and Katherine's son Douglas had told their parents that they was gay. Herb was right to be worried but Martin does not sound stupid. It is nice that Kevin was helping his friends still even though he is not alive. Kevin sounds like a great friend and guy. I would love to read more books from Mark A Jacobson. I was happy to read that tree's was planted in memory of everybody that passed away and Kevin's sister fetched some of his ashes so they could be planted next to the tree in his memory and the rest of Kevin's ashes were put in to the sea by Kevin's two best friends Herb and Gwen which Kevin would have loved. This book is really great.
About The Author: Mark A Jacobson, MD, is a professor of medicine at the university of California, San Francisco and an attending physician at San Francisco general hospital. He began his internship in 1981, just days after the CDC first reported a mysterious, fatal disease affecting gay men. Dr. Jacobson is a clinician, educator, and researcher who has specialized in HIV/AIDS and it is complications since joining the UCSF facuity in 1986. His earlier career involved developing effective treatments for AIDS – associated opportunistic infections. His subsequent research investigated protective immunity against chronic viral infections, in particular cytome galovirus (CMV). He currently directs urgent care medical services for the ward 86 HIV clinic at San Francisco general hospital and is the editor for the ward 86 medical management recommendations posted on UCSF's HIV insite website.
About The Book: I really like this bookcover and the picture of the bridge and I like the colour of it too it is my sister's favorite colour.
Star Rating: Five Out Of Five Stars.
Title: Sensing Light: A Novel.
Genre: Fiction, Medical, Gay and Lesbian, Literature, Genre Fiction, Literature and Fiction, Historical,
I got this book in exchange for an honest review. Somebody on behalf of the author contacted me through my book reviewing blog asking me to review this book. I would like to say a big thank you to Serena Agusto-Cox for taking the time to email me.
First of all I would like to say a big thank you to Mark A Jacobson for sending me this book and giving me the chance to read it and l would like to say a big thank you to Serena Agusto-Cox.
I would tell people that you should step outside your comfort zone with books because it is good to add more authors and genres to your reading portfolio even if you do not read books like this.
I normally do not read books of this genre but l stepped outside my comfort zone with authors and genres I am so glad l did because l have read so many great books and come across some great authors.
This book has 365 pages in it.
I highly recommend this book.
Synopsis: Three doctors meet at the onset of the AIDS epidemic this breakout book by Mark A Jacobson, a leading bay area HIV/AIDS physician, follows three people from vastly different backgrounds, who are thrown together by a shared urgency to find out what is killing so many men in the prime of their lives. Kevin, a gay medical resident from working class Boston, has moved to San Francisco in search of acceptance of his sexual identity. Herb, a middle-aged supervising physician at one of the nation's toughest hospitals, struggles with his own emotional rigidity, and Gwen, a divorced mother raising a teen daughter, is seeking a sense of self and security while endeavoring to complete her medical training.
Review By Other People: A compassionate, intelligent novel, part medical thriller, that only someone who was there from the start could have written. - Bill Barich, big dreams: in to the heart of California.
A powerful work of fiction that authentically evokes the bad and the good. - Eric Goosby, MD, US global AIDS coordinator, 2009 – 2013.
A moving story of doctors navigating the intersections of suffering, ambition and discovery. - Krista Bremer, my accidental Jihad.
Review: I found this books really easy to get in to and hard to put down once l started reading it. I was sad to read about all the people that passed away and I would like to say rest in peace to them and I was sad to read that Kevin's father passed away due to lung cancer. I was sad to read about Herb's accident. Herb saved his wife from being knocked over. I was sad to read one of the nurses that worked in the ICU got stuck with a used needle and she got AIDS. I was sad to read that Marco was ill with AIDS and I was sad to read that Marco's mother was poorly it was nice that Marco went to look after his mother. I can not put in to words how great this book is I would tell people to read it for themselves to know how great it is. I was sad to finish this book. I wish I could rate this book more then five stars. This book raises awareness for AIDS. I like reading about Kevin, his life and his family, Gwen, her life and her family and Herb, his life and his family. Sometimes l put on magic on and some essential oils in my humidifier and relax reading this book. It did not take me long to finish this book. Kevin, Gwen and Herb sound like great people. I was happy to read that Gwen was given the all clear after accidentally getting stuck with a used needle. I like reading reviews from other people. I love that Gwen, Kevin and Herb are really close. I was sad to read that Kevin had AIDS at first he only told Marco and his sister but then he told Gwen. I got this book in paperback. I rated this book on goodreads, amazon UK and US and my blog. Gwen, Kevin and Herb sound like fun people when they had a glass or two of wine. It was sad to read that when Herb was younger he got hit in the nose which broke glad his parents took him to the police station to get the person who hit poor Herb. Herb sounds really close with his wife. I wish the bathhouses are closed. It was sad to read that Marco passed away. It sounds like Marco made planes for his funeral. I feel for his mother no mother should have to bury their child. It was good to read that Eva and Martin had picked colleges to go to and Herb and his wife had made plans to go travelling. Glad that Gwen and Rick are still together. I was sad when Kevin was getting poorly I thought he was going to die I am glad he survived. I was happy that Kevin was close to his mother and sister again and they was going to visit him. I would love to read more about all the people in this book and more about AIDS and the treatment. I was hooked on this book after reading the first page. I was happy to read that Kevin met someone to be with after Marco passed away but Barry had AIDS too but he sadly passed away. Kevin was getting more poorly and he ended up in a wheelchair and he went in to a hospice and then Kevin sadly passed away and he wrote a letter to his sister to help Gwen and Herb from the grave. Herb's son Martin and Katherine's son Douglas had told their parents that they was gay. Herb was right to be worried but Martin does not sound stupid. It is nice that Kevin was helping his friends still even though he is not alive. Kevin sounds like a great friend and guy. I would love to read more books from Mark A Jacobson. I was happy to read that tree's was planted in memory of everybody that passed away and Kevin's sister fetched some of his ashes so they could be planted next to the tree in his memory and the rest of Kevin's ashes were put in to the sea by Kevin's two best friends Herb and Gwen which Kevin would have loved. This book is really great.
About The Author: Mark A Jacobson, MD, is a professor of medicine at the university of California, San Francisco and an attending physician at San Francisco general hospital. He began his internship in 1981, just days after the CDC first reported a mysterious, fatal disease affecting gay men. Dr. Jacobson is a clinician, educator, and researcher who has specialized in HIV/AIDS and it is complications since joining the UCSF facuity in 1986. His earlier career involved developing effective treatments for AIDS – associated opportunistic infections. His subsequent research investigated protective immunity against chronic viral infections, in particular cytome galovirus (CMV). He currently directs urgent care medical services for the ward 86 HIV clinic at San Francisco general hospital and is the editor for the ward 86 medical management recommendations posted on UCSF's HIV insite website.
About The Book: I really like this bookcover and the picture of the bridge and I like the colour of it too it is my sister's favorite colour.
Star Rating: Five Out Of Five Stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2019
I did not finish this book. I gave up on it because it was so painful to get through. I stopped at around 160pgs (the book is 365pgs) because it was 1984. That meant over half the book was set during 1984 of later. I wanted to read this book to learn about AIDS and it taught me nothing! It started by introducing a patient and after that patient died it jumped ahead three years. There was nothing about finding out what was causing the overwhelming amount of deaths, how doctors were handling the situation, learning how it spread, what doctors did to protect themselves, why it was assumed to just be part of the gay population, how society reacted, etc., etc., etc.! I wanted a lot more information than this book could provide.
The other reason I had to stop was because the writing was awful. It was atrocious. It would be talking about a patient and then have a personal moment with the doctor that was completely out of place and did not relate to the story. I think that Jacobson secretly wants to write a porno with all the unnecessary sexual references that went nowhere in the book and were between characters that had no relationship with each other. Ugh. Jacobson also tried to hard to make it fiction. I think they would have done a better job writing non-fiction and just focusing on the AIDS cases. By writing fiction there are moments that dive into the characters life that are abrupt and disruptive. I think Jacobson was trying to create interest and empathy for the characters, but it just did not work.
It was painful reading this book. Jacobson tried to hard and it was crap. I am surprised that it made it passed publishing. I really was hoping to learn about the history (specifically how the first days went) of AIDS and Sensing Light did nothing for me. It was horrible. This is the first book on my DNF list. I had to make the list just so I could put this book on it and rant about it.
The other reason I had to stop was because the writing was awful. It was atrocious. It would be talking about a patient and then have a personal moment with the doctor that was completely out of place and did not relate to the story. I think that Jacobson secretly wants to write a porno with all the unnecessary sexual references that went nowhere in the book and were between characters that had no relationship with each other. Ugh. Jacobson also tried to hard to make it fiction. I think they would have done a better job writing non-fiction and just focusing on the AIDS cases. By writing fiction there are moments that dive into the characters life that are abrupt and disruptive. I think Jacobson was trying to create interest and empathy for the characters, but it just did not work.
It was painful reading this book. Jacobson tried to hard and it was crap. I am surprised that it made it passed publishing. I really was hoping to learn about the history (specifically how the first days went) of AIDS and Sensing Light did nothing for me. It was horrible. This is the first book on my DNF list. I had to make the list just so I could put this book on it and rant about it.
May 16, 2017
As I said to the author, Mark Jacobson, this, for me, did not read as a novel. The characters could have been people I knew and depended on in the first decade of the AIDS crisis. It is not a depressing story, it is a story of strength and survival for some and loss of others that we who were HIV positive in those days lived with on a daily basis. I wasn't overly happy to be taken back to those awful days and devastating opportunistic diseases, but I also appreciate that these stories need to be told in a humane and not merely a clinical way.
November 12, 2016
If a readership could be won by earnestness and good intentions this novel would capture an enthusiastic audience. However this debut novel from a professor of medicine, who began his internship in 1981 simply moves too slowly to grab a general reader's interest. If you're interested in the early days of the AIDS epidemic and the mystification and uncertainties it engendered in the doctors at the front line you might want to give this a go.
January 21, 2025
From the onset of the AIDS epidemic to 1991, Sensing Light is seen through a medical perspective, it is a perfect mix of fiction for the characters and non fiction for the details on the disease and the research. It is hard to put the book down, though it is heartbreaking.
April 20, 2023
This ambitious book follows 3 medical professionals as they navigate their way through the AIDS crisis in San Francisco from 1979 to 1991 focusing not only on what is happening in the hospital but also in their private lives. The book is sad, thought provoking, frustrating and touching.
Some (okay, a lot) of the medical side of the book is too complicated for lay readers and while I could appreciate that what was being discussed was important, not having a medical degree made it hard to follow. The book covers a lot of time but often the focus was on small details of the illness (secondary infections) while bigger discoveries such as HIV or AZT are passed over.
Each of the 3 characters (Kevin, a young gay doctor, Gwen, a single mother and medical professional, and Hugh, an older Chinese American doctor and mentor) have their own story. For me, juggling the 3 made the book feel a bit choppy. I was very invested in Kevin's story but not so much in Hugh's.
The author touches on many philosophical issues - accepting death, euthanasia by doctors, religion, and forgiveness. I wish he would have focused on fewer and been a bit more in-depth. Perhaps this is the problem overall - this book tries to cover too much. That being said, it has made me want to read other books on the subject.
Some (okay, a lot) of the medical side of the book is too complicated for lay readers and while I could appreciate that what was being discussed was important, not having a medical degree made it hard to follow. The book covers a lot of time but often the focus was on small details of the illness (secondary infections) while bigger discoveries such as HIV or AZT are passed over.
Each of the 3 characters (Kevin, a young gay doctor, Gwen, a single mother and medical professional, and Hugh, an older Chinese American doctor and mentor) have their own story. For me, juggling the 3 made the book feel a bit choppy. I was very invested in Kevin's story but not so much in Hugh's.
The author touches on many philosophical issues - accepting death, euthanasia by doctors, religion, and forgiveness. I wish he would have focused on fewer and been a bit more in-depth. Perhaps this is the problem overall - this book tries to cover too much. That being said, it has made me want to read other books on the subject.
March 30, 2019
Strong book abou players in the early days of the AIDS crisis in SF. Good portrayal of docs caught up in an unfolding epidemic.
Having grown up in SF during this time I especially enjoyed the details of 1980’s & 90’s SAn Francisco.
Having grown up in SF during this time I especially enjoyed the details of 1980’s & 90’s SAn Francisco.
December 2, 2016
I ended up being pretty disappointed in this. I was excited about the premise, and it started out suspenseful: it's 1979 a young guy comes to the ER and it seems that his immune system has been knocked out and the doctors can't figure out why. Then suddenly it's a couple of years later and everyone knows there's some kind of immune disease attacking gay men. He totally skips the period of time when people were starting to notice a pattern and identify a new disease, which was my first clue the author was actually skipping everything interesting. There's an almost complete lack of historical details - How did people handle blood before they realized HIV was blood-born? What was common in terms of safe sex, or did the idea seem ludicrous in same-sex interactions? What was it like dying of a disease and not wanting people to know you were gay? Though the main character is a gay man, this seems to be completely fine with everyone, and he brings his partner to work parties at the boss's house. I really don't think this happened regularly in the 80s. The book seems full of meaningless sideplots and back stories, which almost entirely boil down to straight parents afraid their adolescent children aren't talking to them enough. (essentially a non-story) The writing feels very amateur - he'll stick in details like the color of someone's sweater that serve no purpose but leave out the kinds of details that would really set the scene. Also, his portrayal of AIDS activists as poorly strategizing, ignorant attention-seekers is way different from how history has told that story and it feels like the author is just touchy about the fact that doctors aren't always seen as gods.
November 1, 2016
Sensing Light was written by a doctor and it shows. It can feel very clinical at times, but plus side, the medical parts are spot-on and explained very clearly.
Still, I think Jacobson could have done a better job integrating the three main characters' stories to the general epidemic bigger story.
Kevin, Herb and Gwen often just felt like pretences to be able to talk about the beginning of AIDS (even before it was called so). Don't get me wrong, it's very interesting and the reason I've picked up this book in the first place, but if we're going to have fictional characters, I want to care about them and what's happening to them... I want to be really anxious when there's a needle stick that could have disastrous consequences, I want to be really sad when a lover dies... and it didn't work on me, I've read Sensing Light mostly like I would read a history book (a very well researched one), not a gripping novel.
Also, way too many typos... to the point of confusing your and you're at least twice, that really bothered me a lot.
Still, I think Jacobson could have done a better job integrating the three main characters' stories to the general epidemic bigger story.
Kevin, Herb and Gwen often just felt like pretences to be able to talk about the beginning of AIDS (even before it was called so). Don't get me wrong, it's very interesting and the reason I've picked up this book in the first place, but if we're going to have fictional characters, I want to care about them and what's happening to them... I want to be really anxious when there's a needle stick that could have disastrous consequences, I want to be really sad when a lover dies... and it didn't work on me, I've read Sensing Light mostly like I would read a history book (a very well researched one), not a gripping novel.
Also, way too many typos... to the point of confusing your and you're at least twice, that really bothered me a lot.
Read
August 25, 2016Sensing Light takes its name from a passage towards the end of the novel. The protagonist, Kevin, who is both a doctor researching AIDS and an AIDS patient, is dying in a hospice, a converted Catholic church. He realizes he is dying and so chooses to sit alone upstairs in the light. As he sits in his wheelchair he turns towards the light and dies. This book, by a San Francisco based AIDS/HIV doctor, is a fictionalized account of the early discovery of a number of diseases afflicting gay men who had frequented bathhouses. The story itself is both compelling and well told and peopled by characters who will live in your mind long after you have read its final words. It is a sensitive account of a sad and terrible time.
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