The Blood of Strangers: Stories from Emergency Medicine

by Frank Huyler

A collection of short essays set in the ER introduces a neurosurgeon who practices witchcraft, a trauma surgeon who commits suicide, a wounded murderer, and a man chased across the New Mexico desert by a missile. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.

Genres: Medical, Medicine, Nonfiction, Memoir, Short Stories, Health Care, Biography

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Born 1964, in Berkeley, CA; married, 2000. Education: Williams College, B.A., 1986; University of North Carolina School of Medicine, M.D., M.P.H. Addresses: Home: Albuquerque, NM.

CAREER:

Emergency medicine physician, educator, and author. University of New Mexico Hospitals, Albuquerque, resident, 1993- 96; physician, 1996--; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, assistant professor of emergency medicine.

Reviews

[CanadianReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I have been one acquainted with the night.”
—Robert Frost

Spare, nuanced, and often dark, Huyler’s first volume of literary stories, based on his experience as a medical trainee and young ER doctor, focuses on patients, hospital staff, and his responses to both. Some of these pieces aren’t for the faint of heart. I’m talking not only about some truly gruesome medical details How about a young man on on a ventilator in whose mouth maggots breed and writhe? Or the Frankenstein-like procedures involved in growing back the skin of a burn patient? but also about psychological disturbances, including those in Huyler’s colleagues. For example, a steely neurosurgery attending physician is addicted to an array of drugs (she even shoots up before performing procedures); she’s intrigued by the occult (particularly the more cruel practices of voodoo) and is also guilty of domestic abuse. Luckily, someone informs on her. This is a stunning collection characterized by sharp, brilliant, always economical prose. Some of the stories are so fragmented and cryptic that I wasn’t clear about what had actually occurred or about Huyler’s authorial intentions. Those weren’t my favourites. Most are brief and propulsive. During pandemic times, many want to cast doctors and nurses as one-dimensional heroes. Huyler’s collection is a corrective to that. I’m not sure everyone wants to have their illusions so corrected.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfectly small and extremely vivid stories. I devoured this book on a plane trip and then tried to get the guy sitting next to me to read it.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Medicine is only for those who cannot imagine doing anything else." - Dr. Luanda Grazette MD

This quote is especially true for those who work in the Emergency Department. I began my medical career in physiotherapy. I've been working in the ER for just over four years now. There are days where I feel that I can't do it anymore. There are days where I can't imagine being anywhere else.

This book was recommended to me by an ER Physician and good friend that I work with. It's an easy read but one that will show a glimpse of what it's like to walk through those ominous doors. The writing is smooth and lyrical enough for those who've never worked in medicine to understand. I recommend it to any one who has any interest at all in this life.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blood of Strangers, by Frank Huyler, contains several stories based on Huyler's personal experiences in the ER. Some of these accounts are unbelievably gory, while others are melancholy, tragic, or downright scary. Whatever the story, Huyler describes all of them with such vivid detail and accuracy that it just draws the reader in. I was absolutely captivated by his lyrical yet somewhat detached writing style, which made his experiences with the characters - the patients and doctors alike - so much more interesting. This was a wonderfully insightful book, not only focused on medicine, but the thin line between life and death, and also what it means to be human.

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was great to read an account of what it means to be a physician through a realistic account compared to the often glamourized lense of the media. Dr. Huylers stories were gripping, vivid, and intense, I believe they will stick with me for a while. The only reason I did not credit this book with five stars is because at times the writing was not my favourite.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

At about 3/4 of the way through, I thought this would be four stars at least. But the stories in this book get progressively disgusting. Not because of procedures, but because of this man's pshychology. The thoughts he has and shares regarding his patients.

There were so many disgusting quotes that you might as well read the whole book.

[Ashley Branoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these stories were wild! I just wish he didn't end some so abruptly. Def not a book for those that can't handle bodily fluids.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at the stories of emergency medicine as experienced by a young resident in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Most stories are heartwarming, others quite gross. But, overall this is a four star rating book told with authenticity and depth of feeling.

This is a well-written, in-depth book.

[Casey Hamlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me want to go into medicine when I read this my freshman year of college! Dr. Huyler writes a beautiful and honest portrayal of life as a physician and how patients can change our view of the world. I love reading uplifting stories from physicians that make me excited for the years ahead of me in medicine, but it is refreshing to see the perspective of an ER doctor who has at times been disillusioned with this career.

Of all the medical creative nonfiction and autobiographies I have read, this one has resonated with me the most now that I am in medical school. Dr. Huyler is friends with my professor at W&L and came to speak to my senior year writing class, and it was incredible to hear his experiences practicing during the AIDS epidemic and now the COVID pandemic.

As someone who loves both creative writing and medicine, this book means a lot to me it is exciting to see how someone can pursue both.

[Clairsreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️


So as most of you know by now I really have 2 personalities……..kissin’ + killin’
But as many of you probably don’t know, I’ve worked in the medical field for the past 10+ years.
I had this book recommended to me by one of the midwives I work with and while non fiction is not a genre I read a lot, its nice to break out of the mold and spice up your life a little bit.
In this case with true stories of life in the ER.

This book was a wild ride. Not only did it include actual medical cases and details that were captivating and mind blowing….
It also included the very accurate reality of interpersonal relationships among medical staff and how that affects your life.
I really enjoyed this short essay style book documenting some of the more memorable moments from the authors POV.
Makes me consider writing down some of my crazy stories to publish one day 😉

[Martha Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprising book, a sleeper.
It was very well written, almost lyrical. This is a window into the world of the Emergency Department physician.
Dr. Huyler exposed the other side of the physician, not always the professional with no feelings of empathy. Yet this gave, also, a glimpse of true human reactions to situations and people.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

He writes about his experiences during his residency. I was not impressed. If the goal was to humanize doctors, he failed. He doesn't seem to want to see patients as people, he sees them as assigned tasks in his rotation. Nursing students learn about the arts of nursing - compassion, empathy, dignity. Medical students don't have room in their curriculum and in this book, it shows.

[Rainierstranger]

Wow. I read this in 2002. I forgot the book until I found an old reading journal, but this book affected me deeply. It completely scared me away from medical institutions, and I stayed away for years. Probably not the intended effect.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure I added this book, but looks like I didn't. Read it around 2006/7. 4 and a half stars really, very good.

[Beachback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collected short stories depicting the life of an emergency physician. The writing was very eloquent and lyrical; it was beautifully written, however I did feel that the imagery and lyricism dropped off by the end of the book/rest of the short stories in comparison to the beginning stories. It bears hints of somber nostalgia etched in its pages as the author narrates his memories and emotions tied with his cases, as well as his regards of other patients and physicians, though most importantly of himself and his own character.

The issues I found was there seemed to be a very clear cynicism with the author and I found I disliked his character reading it. I did not particularly like how he painted his views of patients and I found him often careless at times. I also heavily disliked his regards to the 15 year old girl he had to conduct a procedure on her: it felt vaguely sexual and aware of his power as a man and as a doctor. There is another short story entitled "Power" which comments on his status of doctor and patient, and it left me feeling slightly uneasy, though not as bad.

Otherwise it is a fairly easy read, I read this in less than 2 1/2 hours.

[SHR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huyler is a doctor, working in the ER or the ICU. He writes about his experiences, and although there is a little medical jargon and some barking of medical instructions, it isn’t about the procedures or the medical outcomes but about his human perspective.
It is about the people (the patients and medical professionals) he encounters, about how people see the world and alter their experiences through the applications of their world views and preconceptions and naturally, about his perceptions.

The pieces are short, mostly only 3 or 4 pages and are easy to read. I liked the way he writes, the simplicity and directness – it was evocative and thought provoking. The first thing I did when I’d finished reading it was look up if he’d written anything else.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it was not at all what I was expecting. I’ve read other doctor’s books talking about their personal stories in medicine. This book is a collection of VERY short stories which is noticeably different from the more longer form stories I’ve read. Most of the stories are 2-6 pages long. There are some that are really good and then there are others that are rather lackluster. If you enjoy other books based around medical stories then I guess you can’t go too wrong with this one. It’s an extremely quick read as well so even if you feel it was a waste of time you won’t have wasted much of it.

[Rachel Woodbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man this book was intense! I'm fascinated by medical stories and each chapter was about a different patient the author worked with as a surgeon. I love the way that Huyler describes each patient and talks in such detail about the problems and procedures. Some of the details were super disturbing! But super intriguing at the same time. Other parts of the book were very sad, as Huyler talks openly about his failures as a surgeon. I appreciated his vulnerability. All in all this was a great read.

[Zachary Ransom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty quick read but was also interesting, captivating, and even humorous on a couple occasions. Overall it is very well written with great stories selected from the experiences of the author as a Physician. I really applaud the authors introspection and acknowledgment of his mistakes. These were great stories that remind us to always keep our guard up and avoid tunnel vision. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it for readers interested in the experiences of emergency medicine providers.

[Juhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection - it’s raw and bursts with the messy complicated chaos of the ED. The vignettes are short and very much to the point, but they feel so alive as he searches for hope and meaning with every word. It feels like emergency medicine at its best and makes me just want to be so back on the wards 😭

[Robert Weiss, · Rating 5 out of 5]

short stories are brief almost to the point of telegraphy.

This book, written in the early years of this ER doctor’s career, is excellent for its human interest, its humor (hard to believe in such a book). You feel engaged with both the characters and the narrator. A good read.

[Jennifer Hamlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful essays about working in the ER

[Nicki Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat entertaining, easy read. Quality of writing was about that of a doctor’s handwriting.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

His sparse gut-punching style is very effective.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very well done. The structure is short stories/vignettes, and it is a really simple, powerful way to tell stories of life and death. Short and easy to read but impactful.

[Theo Malings · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Hot Light is the superior book, but this is still excellent. Lyrical and elegant - I'm going to be seeking out some of the author's fiction.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful essays about being a doctor.

[Joan Fung-Tomc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blood of Strangers is a quick read. It gives you a flavor of the workings inside of an ER....the doctors and the patients.

[Christa Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories, we should all fear healthcare sometimes and love it other times.