‘Molly Case reminds us that humanity and moments of true care are as healing as the medicine modern science can deliver’ Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works

'This fascinating and erudite book takes us through one woman's lovely relationship with her father interspersed with poignant and searing tales from the world of the nurse, as these two worlds move towards an emotional collision. Anyone who needs any more convincing that the NHS is our most invaluable asset will find that many times over within the pages of this book' Jo Brand

‘A profound reflection on the way we live and die' Bookseller

‘Poetic and compassionate, offering a joyous celebration of life’

Sunday Times best memoirs of 2019

‘Outstanding’

Melanie Reid, The Times

‘Case's book will restore your faith . . .’

New York Times

‘an eloquent homage to the NHS..a hymn to the art and science of nursing itself’

The Guardian

‘remarkable, lyrical account of life as a cardiac nurse.’

The Times

'It will buoy your faith in humanity' 

Stylist

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The hand of a stranger offered in solace. A flower placed on a dead body as a mark of respect. A gentle word in response to fear and anger. It is these moments of empathy, in the extremis of human experience, which define us as people.

Nobody knows this better than a nurse and Molly Case has witnessed countless such moments. In How to Treat People, she documents these extraordinary points, when two people truly connect. In rich, lyrical prose, she introduces us to patients with whom we share the pain, but also the experience of illness when life is at its most vivid. And when her father is admitted to the high dependency unit on which she works, Molly confronts care in a whole new way, when two worlds - the professional and the personal - suddenly collide.

Weaving together medical history, art, memoir and science, How to Treat People beautifully illustrates the intricacies of the human condition and the oscillating rhythms of life and death. Most of all, it is a heart-stopping reminder that we can all find meaning in being part, even for a moment, of the lives of others.

'Intense, powerful, moving and very enlightening' Gerard Woodward

'How to Treat People gets to the heart of who we are' Nina Stibbe