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Seven Signs of Life

Stories from an Intensive Care Doctor

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Seven Signs of Life

By: Aoife Abbey
Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Seven Signs of Life by Aoife Abbey, read by Caroline Lennon.

Grief. Anger. Joy. Fear. Distraction. Disgust. Hope. All emotions we expect to encounter over our lifetime.

But what if this was every day? And what if your ability to manage them was the difference between life and death?

For a doctor in Intensive Care this is part of the job. Fear in the eyes of a terminally ill patient who pleads with you to not let them die. Grief when you make a potentially fatal mistake. Disgust at caring for a convicted rapist. But there are also moments of joy, like the rare bright spots of lucidity for a dementia patient, or when the ward unexpectedly breaks into song.

Dr Aoife Abbey shows us what a doctor sees of humanity as it comes through the revolving door of the hospital and takes us beyond a purely medical perspective. Told through seven emotions, Seven Signs of Life is about what it means to be alive and how it feels to care for a living.

(c) 2019, Aoife Abbey (P) 2019 ISIS

 Medical Medicine & Health Care Industry Professionals & Academics Grief Health Care Medicine Emotions

Critic reviews

A brilliant, compelling account of what it is like to spend your days caring for patients "on the fringe of existence" ... A hugely life-affirming book. In between the many grim situations encountered on a daily basis, Abbey shows us moments of both joy and deep emotional connection (Kathryn Hughes)
Heartfelt, honest, illuminating and wise – a wonderful book that I would urge everyone to read (Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works)
A powerful glimpse into the high stakes of intensive care …Above all this book is insightful about the grey areas where a doctor must go ... Some readers may be wearying of doctor memoirs. This one ... has a freshness and a sincerity that moved me. She is a gifted writer ... honest, compassionate, sensitive… [and] the doctor we would crave in our greatest need (Melanie Reid)
Abbey’s book stands out among the current crop of doctor-penned memoirs for its thoughtful, compassionate reflections on life in Intensive Care. Abbey presents the usual case studies with an unusual depth of feeling and evident love for those in her care. She may be in the earlier stages of her career, but the author writes with a maturity and vocational fervour well beyond her years. An unsung classic of the genre
A thoughtful and necessary book about a world all of us might inhabit at some point in our lives (Rosita Boland)
A wonderfully frank assessment of the emotions shared – and unshared – between doctors and their patients ... Dr Abbey writes movingly ... and asks us all to think about what we want for ourselves at the end.
Bold, courageous and most welcome ... Abbey imparts a wisdom concerning human emotional life that is sophisticated, and also simple and poignant ... Abbey is brave; she is lion-hearted in her no-holes-barred account of what it is like to care for a living ... If she is representative of an emerging generation of healthcare professionals, there is reason to be optimistic for the future of healthcare. (Paul D'Alton)
A sensitive, honest, unsentimental and, yes, brave piece of writing that makes for compulsive reading (NIGELLA LAWSON)
A beautiful insight into the extraordinary highs and lows of intensive care. Dr Aoife Abbey writes with such sensitivity and obvious kindness about the emotions that define us all, doctors and patients alike. I was deeply moved by this wonderful book. (Rachel Clarke, author of YOUR LIFE IN MY HANDS)
All stars
Most relevant
A worth while read for with an interest in ICU medicine & the emotions of the doctors behind the stories. A very personal, reflective & honest book. The book does lack a little in structure & meanders a little from patient to patient without a clear direction or context but this doesn't take away from the insight & feeling of the other side of the 'ICU curtin'

A good easy read

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This book really brings it to earth how hard doctors really do get it at times, not just from awake patients. Truly humbling and I enjoyed it immensely.

Gripping and humbling.

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I work in ICU and was hoping for an inspirational or even a humorous read but was bored by the monotony of this book. It was neither of the above although the author attempted to on a few occasions. The book ended suddenly after a rambling memory was cut short. A disappointing purchase

Boring

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This book was a difficult listen but for all the right reasons.
It gives a real insight into the many difficult decisions an intensive care doctor has to make day in day out and to some of the tragic things that can happen when least expected.

Brilliantly narrated by Caroline as always.

I’d recommend.

Humbling listen

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