A Year-long Night

“A frank and compassionate account of his intern year in an unnamed hospital, told in prose as clean and precise and gleaming with promise as a surgeon’s scalpel. Klitzman emphasizes the human side of the hospital: the suffering and fragile mortality of patients; the frightening, funny, wearying routines of doctors and nurses…. What binds these tales is [his] fresh and honest voice, at times awestruck or shocked but never jaded… Klitzman’s memoir stands out for its fine writing, unblinking internal probing, external observation, and humaneness.” —Kirkus Review (Starred) “Klitzman joins the ranks of young doctors whose emotionally charged first year of internship impels them to record their initial experiences of suffering, healing and death. Each of his medical rotations is represented by short episodes, usually centered around a single patient. Indeed, what distinguishes this account from others of its kind is not only literary promise, but the author’s interest in patients as human beings with distinct personalities whose identities and wishes he respects.” —Publishers Weekly “There are extraordinary moments…[The book] describe[s] the tension between the endless stress and the fantastic learning curve of his ‘Year-long Night’”. —Washington Post “At some point in each of our lives, it’s likely we’ll find ourselves a hospital patient. Reading [this book] will go a long way in preparation for that event.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer