Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O'Connell's Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People
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- Author：Tracy Kidder
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Summary
In Rough Sleepers， Tracy Kidder shows how one person can make a difference， as he tells the story of Dr。 Jim O’Connell， a man who invented ways to create a community of care for a city’s unhoused population， including those who sleep on the streets—the “rough sleepers。”
When Jim O’Connell graduated from Harvard Medical School and was nearing the end of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital， the chief of medicine made a proposal: Would he defer a prestigious fellowship and spend a year helping to create an organization to bring health care to homeless citizens？ Jim took the job because he felt he couldn’t refuse。 But that year turned into his life’s calling。 Tracy Kidder spent five years following Dr。 O’Connell and his colleagues as they served their thousands of homeless patients。 In this book， we travel with O’Connell as he navigates the city， offering medical care， socks， soup， empathy， humor， and friendship to some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens。 He emphasizes a style of medicine in which patients come first， joined with their providers in what he calls “a system of friends。”
When Jim O’Connell graduated from Harvard Medical School and was nearing the end of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital， the chief of medicine made a proposal: Would he defer a prestigious fellowship and spend a year helping to create an organization to bring health care to homeless citizens？ Jim took the job because he felt he couldn’t refuse。 But that year turned into his life’s calling。 Tracy Kidder spent five years following Dr。 O’Connell and his colleagues as they served their thousands of homeless patients。 In this book， we travel with O’Connell as he navigates the city， offering medical care， socks， soup， empathy， humor， and friendship to some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens。 He emphasizes a style of medicine in which patients come first， joined with their providers in what he calls “a system of friends。”
Reviews
Deb Richardson-Moore
，
The experiences of our homeless citizens are surprisingly the same， all over the country。 This book is an important look at the frustrations and the small victories of our brothers and sisters working in Boston。
Cc Thrower
，
This book provides a first hand insight on the plights of homeless people and the professionals that take care of them。 Being a non-profit worker myself and involved in grassroots organizing， none of the work done by Dr。 Jim and his team really surprised me- they drive a van to bring services and aid to homeless people， provide health care in their McInnis house and try to give people on the fringes of society hope and healing。 I have always respected people doing this work。 Working with the men This book provides a first hand insight on the plights of homeless people and the professionals that take care of them。 Being a non-profit worker myself and involved in grassroots organizing， none of the work done by Dr。 Jim and his team really surprised me- they drive a van to bring services and aid to homeless people， provide health care in their McInnis house and try to give people on the fringes of society hope and healing。 I have always respected people doing this work。 Working with the mentally ill and homeless is tricky- especially due to the systemic barriers and lack of funding for these types of programs。 The way Dr。 Jim approaches every patient with respect and dignity is truly inspiring and I wish to be as kind and level headed throughout my career as Dr。 Jim had been。 Unfortunately， I found this book to be extremely poorly written and incredibly dense。 Kidder's writing style is all over the place and isn't chronological- some characters had passed away in one section but Kidder seems to 'go back in time' in later sections and tells stories of when they were alive。 As you can imagine， this makes for very confusing storytelling。 Kidder also heavily uses medical jargon which can make it difficult to follow along at times。 Dr。 Jim wasn't even much of a focal point in the story （not as much as I would have liked） despite the book being about him。 I also wish that the book continued to touch on systemic barriers that have led and continue to led to the problem of homelessness in America。Overall， this is a really important story and unfortunately it had the wrong storyteller。 The book was such a chore to get through despite me enjoying the subject and wanting to learn more。 This book would have been more effective if it was a bit more simplistic。 It sets out to do too much， rather than focusing more on Dr。 Jim and going through his years of practice。 I really wanted to love this book and recommend it to everyone I know。 But I just can't due to the poor storytelling。 。。。more
Cari Allen
，
An exceptional look into the life of Dr。 Jim O’Connell and the dedication he put forth into bringing not only medical care to the homeless of Boston， but humanity as well。Kidder paints a compelling portrait of the difficulties in caring for the “Rough Sleepers” or chronically homeless of Boston。 Dr。 Jim and the Street Team have spent their professional medical careers providing check ups and preventative care to the city’s most hardened and yet most vulnerable population。 Written with both grace An exceptional look into the life of Dr。 Jim O’Connell and the dedication he put forth into bringing not only medical care to the homeless of Boston， but humanity as well。Kidder paints a compelling portrait of the difficulties in caring for the “Rough Sleepers” or chronically homeless of Boston。 Dr。 Jim and the Street Team have spent their professional medical careers providing check ups and preventative care to the city’s most hardened and yet most vulnerable population。 Written with both grace and compassion， Kidder focuses on several “old classics” as they navigate the struggles of finding permanent housing， managing mental health crises， and simply struggle with the stress of previous life choices that led them to a life of sleeping on the streets。 Highly recommended for anyone in the medical field or anyone who has compassion for lesser seen and highlighted populations of our cities。Huge thank you to Netgalley， Random House， and Tracy Kidder fir an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kris
，
I got a NetGalley advanced copy of this book。 I haven't ready anything from Tracy Kidder for awhile and forgot how good he is。 Upon reading the first chapter I pre-ordered this book for my dad。 Kidder presents a humanitarian view of the homeless and helps us to understand just how complex this situation is （really for many starting in early childhood）。 The compassion and dedication of Dr。 Jim and his team is inspirational。 Homelessness is a growing problem in this country that we ignore or overl I got a NetGalley advanced copy of this book。 I haven't ready anything from Tracy Kidder for awhile and forgot how good he is。 Upon reading the first chapter I pre-ordered this book for my dad。 Kidder presents a humanitarian view of the homeless and helps us to understand just how complex this situation is （really for many starting in early childhood）。 The compassion and dedication of Dr。 Jim and his team is inspirational。 Homelessness is a growing problem in this country that we ignore or overlook or even condemn and I think this is an important read to help us to retain our own compassion and humanity。 The homeless are not the problem， by systems and society are。 。。。more
Fiona Griffin
，
So excited to read this book。 I worked for Jim O Connell in Boston in 2018， and I cannot wait to see what Tracy reveals about this incredible man and his family！
Alisa
，
I'm gutted and inspired。 Such an honest， raw portrait of Dr。 Jim and the circumstances and characters he's encountered taking care of Boston's unhoused population。 I'm gutted and inspired。 Such an honest， raw portrait of Dr。 Jim and the circumstances and characters he's encountered taking care of Boston's unhoused population。 。。。more
Suzan Ball
，
Tracy Kidder is a past master at writing engrossing， and engaging narrative prose about unpublicized people who accomplish worthwhile activities and achievements。 He makes the complex simple， and the commonplace fascinating。 This book， Rough Sleepers， does not disappoint。 Dr。 Jim O’Connell is a doctor who has treated homeless people in South Boston since 1985。 The term “rough sleepers'' is his term for those homeless people who sleep outside or in makeshift shelters。 He and his colleagues， mostl Tracy Kidder is a past master at writing engrossing， and engaging narrative prose about unpublicized people who accomplish worthwhile activities and achievements。 He makes the complex simple， and the commonplace fascinating。 This book， Rough Sleepers， does not disappoint。 Dr。 Jim O’Connell is a doctor who has treated homeless people in South Boston since 1985。 The term “rough sleepers'' is his term for those homeless people who sleep outside or in makeshift shelters。 He and his colleagues， mostly nurses， work many hours a week to help these individuals whose life expectancy is much shorter than those of us who have stable housing。 This is his story， and it is a moving and interesting tale。 Back of the book has good references for anyone wanting more information。 。。。more
Irene
，
A stunning， heart-stopping， exciting， powerful book。 Brilliantly written…inspires me to become one of “a system of friends”。
Janalyn Prude
，
Rough sleepers is a British term for homeless people in in the book roughly it is about Boston’s homeless in a doctor‘s promise to give the year of his life to them and it has lasted over 30。 Dr。 Jim seems to be able to connect with everyone he meets about though he didn’t start his life of wanting to give his time to the less fortunate it seems when we are meant to do something that is what we always wind up doing in a Dr。 James case that’s helping Boston’s homeless。 He rides around in a van wi Rough sleepers is a British term for homeless people in in the book roughly it is about Boston’s homeless in a doctor‘s promise to give the year of his life to them and it has lasted over 30。 Dr。 Jim seems to be able to connect with everyone he meets about though he didn’t start his life of wanting to give his time to the less fortunate it seems when we are meant to do something that is what we always wind up doing in a Dr。 James case that’s helping Boston’s homeless。 He rides around in a van with supplies to help the homeless make it through winter and sweltering nights。 I absolutely love this book and found myself not wanting to put it down and when I did I would think about Dr。 Jim and all the different characters he would run into nightly but just like so many have made an impression on him it seems he has made a lasting impression on them。 When they refuse to speak to certain people they seem to always want to talk to him。 I love the sky and wish I could donate to whatever charity that found him。 This is truly an inspirational book about people helping people and making the world better one cup of cocoa at a time。 I loved it and highly recommend it。 I received this book from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and I dictate my review。 。。。more
Shelley Bueche
，
I can’t wait to read this book！
Natalie
，
Rough SleepersBy Tracy KidderMr。 Kidder tells the story of a program which， in conjunction with Mass General in Boston， was initiated to provide healthcare to the homeless of that city。 The story is especially about Dr。 Jim O'Connell， who went from wanting to be an oncologist to making medicine for the homeless his life's work。 "Dr。 Jim" wore many hats over the years， including as team leader for the Street Team， who rode the streets at night， trying to connect with the "Rough Sleepers" – those Rough SleepersBy Tracy KidderMr。 Kidder tells the story of a program which， in conjunction with Mass General in Boston， was initiated to provide healthcare to the homeless of that city。 The story is especially about Dr。 Jim O'Connell， who went from wanting to be an oncologist to making medicine for the homeless his life's work。 "Dr。 Jim" wore many hats over the years， including as team leader for the Street Team， who rode the streets at night， trying to connect with the "Rough Sleepers" – those homeless who literally lived in the streets （many by choice）。Mr。 Kidder spent a lot of time riding shotgun with Dr。 Jim and his team learning about all the various causes of homelessness – abuse， addiction， mental illness just to name a few。 The stories of patients presented here are at once horrifying and eye-opening。 The task of helping the homeless is never-ending。 Although in many ways a thankless job – Sisyphean as Dr。 Jim would say – those who choose to take on this task have learned that homeless people no matter what their circumstances are people just like you or me。 They need kindness and compassion， a helping hand and understanding。This book should be a must read for all of us who have been fortunate enough to avoid this fate！ 。。。more
Rita
，
A tender and illuminating account of our vulnerable neighbors and those that go to heroic lengths to serve them。 These stories， brilliantly told by Tracy Kidder， should be read by everyone who has an influence on public policy。
sarah morgan
，
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review。 We’ve all seen them。 Some of us have given them clothes or food or money。 Dr Jim gave them his life。 Tracy Kidder （Mountains Beyond Mountains） followed Dr Jim for five years watching and learning about caring for the rough sleepers- those homeless people who don’t use shelters。 Amazing book。 Five big stars！
Caitlin
，
I was a little underwhelmed by this book。 After reading Mountains Beyond Mountains， which had a really tight narrative focused on Dr。 Paul Farmer， this book did not have the same narrative focus。 While purportedly about one doctor providing medical care to the unhoused community in Boston， this book took a lot of detours into other people。 I did not feel like I got to know Dr。 Jim O'Connell very well or that he was the most interesting person in the story。 I was more drawn to the stories of the I was a little underwhelmed by this book。 After reading Mountains Beyond Mountains， which had a really tight narrative focused on Dr。 Paul Farmer， this book did not have the same narrative focus。 While purportedly about one doctor providing medical care to the unhoused community in Boston， this book took a lot of detours into other people。 I did not feel like I got to know Dr。 Jim O'Connell very well or that he was the most interesting person in the story。 I was more drawn to the stories of the Rough Sleepers。 Overall， I am glad I read it but it did not have the same gripping story telling of Mountains Beyond Mountains。 。。。more
Ellen
，
The title of Rough Sleepers comes from a British term for people who sleep outside， but in this case it could also refer to the life that unhoused people endure。 Kidder， a Pulitzer Prize winner for The Soul of a New Machine， takes a similar approach in this book of presenting an issue many of us know little about and illuminating it with superb storytelling and accessible information backed by solid research。 The center of the story is Dr。 Jim O’Connell， longtime director of a program serving Bo The title of Rough Sleepers comes from a British term for people who sleep outside， but in this case it could also refer to the life that unhoused people endure。 Kidder， a Pulitzer Prize winner for The Soul of a New Machine， takes a similar approach in this book of presenting an issue many of us know little about and illuminating it with superb storytelling and accessible information backed by solid research。 The center of the story is Dr。 Jim O’Connell， longtime director of a program serving Boston’s homeless community。 Throughout， we learn much more about many of Dr。 Jim’s patients and the patchwork network of support for these people than we do about Dr。 Jim himself。 Quite a bit of the story outlines the very different ways people deal with being unhoused - including the fears and traumas that keep them on the streets。 We see how unhoused people create community and care for each other’， and what compels them to return to the streets even when better options are available。 One person pitched a tent in the living room of a new apartment because he felt more secure than sleeping in a bed。 Another steals cigarettes to give away to his friends。 Drugs are omnipresent but many don’t trust doctors or hospitals， even though they end up being hospitalized frequently。Dr。 Jim’s method is to go to where they are instead of making them come to him。 Because of this， we learn much more than we would by taking the homeless out of their environment。 We also are forced to confront some of the inconvenient realities about homelessness and the frustrating fact that there is no one size fits all solution。 In fact， some of the “solutions” are literally impossible to implement。 Take， for example， a shelter that requires no arrests in the previous thirty days， when the unhoused are routinely cited for sleeping on benches or under bridges。 Or， a facility may insist on cleanliness when there are no public options for showering。 Some of this made me uncomfortable but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book。Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this outstanding book。 。。。more
Pam Schwartz
，
From the author of "Mountains Beyond Mountains" comes another in-depth look at a Harvard-educated doctor who has made a career of serving a vulnerable population， this time it is Boston’s homeless。 Kidder followed Dr。 Jim O'Connell and his patients for years to gather the stories and impressions he uses to report on the personalities behind a model Health Care for the Homeless Program。"Rough Sleepers" shines a light on both the medical providers and their homeless patients， reporting on the prac From the author of "Mountains Beyond Mountains" comes another in-depth look at a Harvard-educated doctor who has made a career of serving a vulnerable population， this time it is Boston’s homeless。 Kidder followed Dr。 Jim O'Connell and his patients for years to gather the stories and impressions he uses to report on the personalities behind a model Health Care for the Homeless Program。"Rough Sleepers" shines a light on both the medical providers and their homeless patients， reporting on the practical realities that street life imposes on them。 I felt like "Rough Sleepers" made me a witness to the struggles faced by these caregivers and their patients as well as their victories。 Given the subject-matter， I think it is a credit to Kidder's writing that I never felt like I was being preached to or castigated。 I don't know what to do with the stories Kidder passed on， but I won't forget them。 This would be a great pick for your next non-fiction book club。 。。。more
Meghan
，
“Rough Sleepers” was one of the most impactful books I read this year。 Chronicling the work of Dr。 Jim and the pioneering Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program， this book details the brokenness & shortcomings of both health programs and social welfare programs in the United States while also highlighting the value， individuality and deeply personal stories of the rough sleepers in a way that leaves room for hope， joy and community。 From the annual， grassroots candlelight vigils organized by “Rough Sleepers” was one of the most impactful books I read this year。 Chronicling the work of Dr。 Jim and the pioneering Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program， this book details the brokenness & shortcomings of both health programs and social welfare programs in the United States while also highlighting the value， individuality and deeply personal stories of the rough sleepers in a way that leaves room for hope， joy and community。 From the annual， grassroots candlelight vigils organized by the rough sleepers for the members of their community lost， to the way “Tony” protected others on the streets in ways that society failed to protect him， to the deep respect the patients hold for Dr。 Jim， Tracy Kidder puts our shared humanity on display in a way that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking。 The book doesn’t shy away from the complexity— and more often than not， ineffectiveness— of one-size-fits-all solutions （just see the example of the man who， once housed， pitched a tent in the living room because rough sleeping was all he knew， or the story of the woman whose only mistake was doing everything right）。 Yet， it emphasizes the importance of empathy， community， friendship， and genuine care for the individual as a person worthy of dignity， respect and truth。 “For sleeping， they had favorite doorways， park benches， alleys， understories of bridges， ATM parlors。 Rough sleepers were like homebodies without homes。”The chapter on Foot Soaking also stood out: “Foot soaking in a homeless shelter—the biblical connotations were obvious。 But for Jim， what counted most were the practical lessons， the way this simple therapy reversed the usual order—placing the doctor at the feet of the people he was trying to serve。” This role reversal， coupled with the ability— through the “van rides” and clinics— to spend time getting to know the rough sleeper patients in a way that commercial healthcare （where profits are made through RVUs and maximizing “efficiency”） doesn’t afford illustrated a clear positive impact on people and outcomes and underscores the “upside down” nature of modern medicine。Policymakers， physicians and other medical providers， healthcare administrators， and all of us who encounter unhoused individuals / rough sleepers （yes， that means all of us） have much to gain from reading this book。 。。。more
Alison Kain-Werner
，
This book was heart breaking and heart warming。 It brings awareness to one of our country's biggest problems。 Homelessness。 I love the dedication of Dr。 Jim and everyone involved in this initiative。 Can't wait to read more by Tracey Kidder。 This book was heart breaking and heart warming。 It brings awareness to one of our country's biggest problems。 Homelessness。 I love the dedication of Dr。 Jim and everyone involved in this initiative。 Can't wait to read more by Tracey Kidder。 。。。more
Celesta Carlson
，
I have loved everything I have read by this author。 This was another compelling story。 Though at times I had a hard time figuring out what he was trying to saying when relaying stories about the people in the book。 It jumps around a lot which is kind of confusing。 All in all this is a beautiful story of a man who devotes his life to those who are mostly forgotten and the stories behind those he serves。
Becky Deal
，
This is a book about the homeless in Boston， a dedicated （to say the least） doctor who stayed on years past his initial one year commitment， his stalwart compatriots who educated and supported him， and finally， the writer who put it all together in a highly readable， informative way。 Kudos all around！！Dr。 Jim O'Connell began his supposed one year stint with Boston Medical Center's Street Van and homeless clinic。 His team consisted of a variety nurses， PAs ， other doctors and mental health profes This is a book about the homeless in Boston， a dedicated （to say the least） doctor who stayed on years past his initial one year commitment， his stalwart compatriots who educated and supported him， and finally， the writer who put it all together in a highly readable， informative way。 Kudos all around！！Dr。 Jim O'Connell began his supposed one year stint with Boston Medical Center's Street Van and homeless clinic。 His team consisted of a variety nurses， PAs ， other doctors and mental health professionals。 He made assessments/referrals （to the clinic） and treated the issues he was able to on site。 He and his team would have weekly team meetings to discuss who they were concerned about， be it physical， mental issues and or drug/alcohol addictions。 The one recurring acknowledgement that the team had to make was that each person they came in contact with， "have the right to make their own decision even in the face of death，" of whether they wanted any treatment or help。Over time， burnout did affect the workers。 The mental health worker on the team stressed that they had to stop trying to "be everything to everybody"。 and that boundaries and limits had to be set。（p。 2693）。 Dr。 Jim's feelings on this， "I think one of the burnout issues is， most people get to the streets for way complicated reasons。 The process of trying to fix those can be lifelong。（p。 2693）。Successes were woven throughout the book， shortlived as some/many were。 What I found exciting is that one of Dr。 Jim's inner circle （a possible solution here？） felt that homelessness "。。。is really about accountability， system design， performance。" （p。 2890）。This same person also felt "homelessness was a function of fragmentation， among social service agencies， both public and private。" This "bureaucratic complexity" needed to be done away with and replaced with "。。。a system with a command center made up of all the relevant agencies in a city or region"。 （p。 2859） Each homeless person would be the responsibility of whatever jurisdiction they were in。 "This system would rely on constantly updated data， keeping tract both of the community's overall homelessness problem and of each local homeless individual， with the causes of their homelessness diagnosed and appropriate solutions tailored to each，。。。described as a public health approach---science-based， data driven， collaborative， prevention-oriented"。 （p。2868）。The author described this approach as having "measurable success"， such that by 2021 they were the recipient of 100 million dollars from the MacArthur Foundation "to accelerate their work"。 。。。more
Jenny
，
Like Tracy Kidder's other books， Rough Sleepers finds an extraordinary person and provides a realistic profile of that person and their work。 This time， Dr。 Jim O'Connell and the homeless people in Boston， Massachusetts are profiled。 As Kidder rides along， he gets to know not only Dr。 Jim， as the patients call him， but also some of the chronically unhoused people he serves。 Clearly the doctor and his staff are doing nearly impossible work， beating back bureaucratic BS， red tape， and low funding Like Tracy Kidder's other books， Rough Sleepers finds an extraordinary person and provides a realistic profile of that person and their work。 This time， Dr。 Jim O'Connell and the homeless people in Boston， Massachusetts are profiled。 As Kidder rides along， he gets to know not only Dr。 Jim， as the patients call him， but also some of the chronically unhoused people he serves。 Clearly the doctor and his staff are doing nearly impossible work， beating back bureaucratic BS， red tape， and low funding to treat and place their clients into housing。 The main conflict I found in the book was that the main client profiled， Tony， was hard to provide housing for because of his conviction as a sex offender。 While the book provides a sympathetic portrait of Tony， his current situation， and his past convictions， and Dr。 Jim's many attempts to help him， the fact that Tony is a sex offender makes it a little difficult to completely feel that he has been given a raw deal。 But it does leave the reader with the question of when enough is enough。 Readers of Kidder's past books will no doubt find this compelling。 。。。more
JoAnn
，
Writing this review on a weekend when most of the country is experiencing record low temperatures， snow， and dangerous windchill conditions， I think of the nation’s homeless， especially those who sleep outdoors， the so-named rough sleepers of Tracy Kidder’s new book about Boston’s most vulnerable homeless people。 Caring for them became the career work of Dr。 Jim O’Connell， a Harvard-trained physician， but O’Connell didn’t mean for it to be。 His job with the Boston Health Care for the Homeless pr Writing this review on a weekend when most of the country is experiencing record low temperatures， snow， and dangerous windchill conditions， I think of the nation’s homeless， especially those who sleep outdoors， the so-named rough sleepers of Tracy Kidder’s new book about Boston’s most vulnerable homeless people。 Caring for them became the career work of Dr。 Jim O’Connell， a Harvard-trained physician， but O’Connell didn’t mean for it to be。 His job with the Boston Health Care for the Homeless program was meant to be a yearlong job right after O’Connell completed his medical residency。As they say， life is what happens while you’re making other plans， and O’Connell became a fixture on the streets of Boston: a friend and counselor as well as a medical doctor。 Pulitzer Prize winner Kidder accompanied Dr。 Jim （as he was known） as O’Connell drove the Program’s van in search of those who needed help。 This book is the result of those travels。 Dr。 Jim and his fellow workers at the program work tirelessly for their clients， treating their wounds and illnesses， helping with referrals to housing if wanted， working with substance abuse agencies， trying to cut through bureaucratic red tape to obtain whatever was needed。 Readers will meet some unforgettable people from the streets and from Boston Health Care for the Homeless and will witness the successes， failures， frustrations， and friendships of the people on the cold streets and the extraordinary people who advocate for them。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy in exchange for this review。 What I read will stay with me for a long time。 。。。more
Andrew Chan
，
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC！Rough Sleepers is a great snapshot of Dr。 O'Connell's work with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless and some of the people he cares for。 It provides an overview of both the program's history and Dr。 O'Connell's role within it。 There's also a focus on the stories and lives of a few notable 'rough sleepers' that Dr。 O'Connell provides longitudinal care for。 Drawing on the experiences of those working to help and Boston's homeless， Kidder provides an Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC！Rough Sleepers is a great snapshot of Dr。 O'Connell's work with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless and some of the people he cares for。 It provides an overview of both the program's history and Dr。 O'Connell's role within it。 There's also a focus on the stories and lives of a few notable 'rough sleepers' that Dr。 O'Connell provides longitudinal care for。 Drawing on the experiences of those working to help and Boston's homeless， Kidder provides an overarching critique of the ways homelessness can be politically created， from the dizzying amount of bureaucracy that keeps people from receiving housing to the lack of support homeless people receive once in housing。 And Kidder also shows the way in which medicine is practiced differently when working with the homeless， which may be a larger critique of how medicine is practiced now， with its focus on efficiency and financial/insurance-related constraints。 Nevertheless， Kidder also highlights the agency of both physicians and those they care for within these systems of disenfranchisement。 A major focus of this book is the difference between caring and curing: while we may think of physicians as people who cure， the root problems of homelessness are not necessarily something that can be fixed by a physician， and instead the role of the physician is to care， showing how they can still do their best to mitigate the challenges faced by those without housing。All in all， much like Mountains Beyond Mountains， Kidder shows the ways people are working to fill in （some of） the gaps within the healthcare and social systems。 。。。more
Terry
，
I found this book easy to read， but I didn’t like it enough to recommend it in our community。 I wrestled with that decision， as I believe this narrative tells it very much like it is， but it has little to tie it to our area。 It is how it is in cities， or in more populated areas， but not in our rural setting。 So I tried to convince myself that I should promote it to show our community what the life of homeless people could be like， but while the book was easy to read， very conversational really， I found this book easy to read， but I didn’t like it enough to recommend it in our community。 I wrestled with that decision， as I believe this narrative tells it very much like it is， but it has little to tie it to our area。 It is how it is in cities， or in more populated areas， but not in our rural setting。 So I tried to convince myself that I should promote it to show our community what the life of homeless people could be like， but while the book was easy to read， very conversational really， I didn’t love the rambling narrative。 Read it all， cheered for the doctor who stuck with the program， knew someone would end up dead by the end， but didn’t love the wrap up。 It left me unsatisfied， though maybe that is because there doesn’t seem to be any hint of a hope to eradicate homelessness。 I feel like I need to apologize to the author for not liking it more。 Maybe I will change my opinion as I read more news articles on the homeless in future days， looking for commonalities。 。。。more
Helen
，
Rough Sleepers refers to the homeless population of Boston who sleep outside in all types of weather。 Boston has a large amount of rough sleepers who often suffer from drug addiction and mental illness。 Dr。 Jim O’Connell has spent his entire career providing medical care， support and a listening ear to the homeless。 This book is about his decades of caring for the homeless。 The author， Tracy Kidder， has followed Dr Jim and has captured the doctor’s selfless devotion to Boston’s Rough Sleepers。 T Rough Sleepers refers to the homeless population of Boston who sleep outside in all types of weather。 Boston has a large amount of rough sleepers who often suffer from drug addiction and mental illness。 Dr。 Jim O’Connell has spent his entire career providing medical care， support and a listening ear to the homeless。 This book is about his decades of caring for the homeless。 The author， Tracy Kidder， has followed Dr Jim and has captured the doctor’s selfless devotion to Boston’s Rough Sleepers。 The book also introduces the reader to many of the individual homeless and to the many of the other medical personnel who work with Dr。 Jim。 I was very moved by this wonderful tribute to Dr。 Jim and to all of the people who work with the homeless。 。。。more
Kerry Pickens
，
Tracy Kidder addresses a very real problem in American society， and that's homelessness。 He focuses on a physician working in a Boston clinic for the homeless。 Kidder addresses the political issues that impacted public health and closed many mental health facilities going back to Reagan administration。 He also addresses that many of the homeless are victims of childhood trauma， resulting in problems with addiction。 A failing child protective system contributes to homelessness， yet the homeless a Tracy Kidder addresses a very real problem in American society， and that's homelessness。 He focuses on a physician working in a Boston clinic for the homeless。 Kidder addresses the political issues that impacted public health and closed many mental health facilities going back to Reagan administration。 He also addresses that many of the homeless are victims of childhood trauma， resulting in problems with addiction。 A failing child protective system contributes to homelessness， yet the homeless are blamed for their circumstance。 Kidder relates of many of them are so sick by the time they get housing， they either are not mentally able to live in housing or they die from chronic illness。 In large cities， there are programs to aid the homeless， but not enough funding。 In smaller cities， it's left up to individuals to start a nonprofit。 Nothing much changes。 。。。more
Sage
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was a real kick in the teeth， and equal parts inspiring， sad， hopeful， heartbreaking。 Dr。 Jim O’Connell has cared for the homeless population in Boston since the 1980s。 His first task while on a one-year stint backed by Mass Gen was not to dispense medical advice， it was to wash the feet of the homeless。 Stirring and biblical。 He then learned that traditional medicine isn’t a fit for many rough sleepers， and instead doctors and nurses etc need to take a much more holistic approach rath This book was a real kick in the teeth， and equal parts inspiring， sad， hopeful， heartbreaking。 Dr。 Jim O’Connell has cared for the homeless population in Boston since the 1980s。 His first task while on a one-year stint backed by Mass Gen was not to dispense medical advice， it was to wash the feet of the homeless。 Stirring and biblical。 He then learned that traditional medicine isn’t a fit for many rough sleepers， and instead doctors and nurses etc need to take a much more holistic approach rather than see as many patients/bill as many hours as possible。 Rough Sleepers is an incredible and infuriating reminder that the health care/mental health system is incredibly broken， and yet there are people called to this kind of service all the time， hoping to catch people as they fall off a cliff， as the book puts it。 Dr。 Jim used his past as a bartender （then attending Harvard Medical school in his mid-30s） to get to know his patients and meet them as they were， and the trust that he was given in return was remarkable。 I’m not sure how he dedicated his entire career to this monumental Sisyphus-like task。 The tales of the whole Street Team through the years and how the program grew from bare bones in the 1980s to a full fledged operation was incredible to watch unfold。 In the gala chapter （sorry my ARC didn’t have page numbers）， Dr。 Jim says at a gala: “I like to think of this problem of homelessness as a prism held up to society。 And what we see refracted are the weaknesses in our health care system， our public health system， our housing system， but especially in our welfare system， our educational system， and our legal system—and our corrections system。 If we’re going to fix this problem， we have to address the weaknesses in all of those sectors。” （Quote from the book continues） “It was a bleak assessment， implying that the only cure for homelessness would be an end to many of the country’s deep， abiding flaws。”It’s also interesting to think about the decrease of SROs/boarding houses that populated cities in the 1800s and early 1900s。 Hearing about some of the street team’s patients who wanted housing and couldn’t find anything they could afford even with housing vouchers， OR people who lived in their apartments for years after being homeless for a period of time only to then be priced out of their HOMES was just absolutely disgusting and heartbreaking to read。 Overall， I read this in two nights and couldn’t put it down - it was compelling and eye opening and elicited many feelings。 。。。more
Laney Katz
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Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the early reading copy in exchange for an honest review。 This book， which basically tells the story of Dr。 Jim O'Connell and his caring for the homeless in Boston， was moving， heart-wrenching and inspiring。 While reading， I found myself often thinking that I need to do more and to give more。 I'm not sure which Kidder shines a light on more: homelessness， as a broad issue; the individuals experiencing homelessness that he profiles; or Dr。 O'Connell， and hi Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the early reading copy in exchange for an honest review。 This book， which basically tells the story of Dr。 Jim O'Connell and his caring for the homeless in Boston， was moving， heart-wrenching and inspiring。 While reading， I found myself often thinking that I need to do more and to give more。 I'm not sure which Kidder shines a light on more: homelessness， as a broad issue; the individuals experiencing homelessness that he profiles; or Dr。 O'Connell， and his optimism and selflessness in doing， what often seems， thankless work。 I will be thinking about this book for months， if not years to come。 My only criticism probably has more to do with me and feeling like it's not enough to lay out the problem--where's the solution？ Of course there are no （easy） solutions， but I did feel this all ended rather abruptly and without any sort of resolution。 。。。more
Kristen
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I received a free ebook from NetGalley for my honest review。This book was both uplifting and heartbreaking。 Dr。 Jim O'Connell has spent his entire medical career of over 40 years caring for Boston's homeless （unhoused） population。 He doesn't do it alone， though。 The Street Team is an in-the-trenches group that drive to the places where many of the "rough sleepers"， those who are sleeping on the streets rather than couch-surfing or staying in shelters or cheap motels， can be found， and offers med I received a free ebook from NetGalley for my honest review。This book was both uplifting and heartbreaking。 Dr。 Jim O'Connell has spent his entire medical career of over 40 years caring for Boston's homeless （unhoused） population。 He doesn't do it alone， though。 The Street Team is an in-the-trenches group that drive to the places where many of the "rough sleepers"， those who are sleeping on the streets rather than couch-surfing or staying in shelters or cheap motels， can be found， and offers medical care， help with resources， or just a listening ear。 Dr。 O'Connell was also the head the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program。I will admit to finding this book pretty depressing。 So many of Dr。 Jim's patients never make it off the streets for good。 There are uplifting stories of people getting clean and housed， but there are far more stories of backsliding， evictions， and early death due to substance use， weather， etc。 。。。more
Bob Brown
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