seeking representation
SCHRÖDINGER'S HEART
Listen to this while you read
“The end,” is a satisfying pair of words if the story was worthwhile.
Otherwise, we ask ourselves why we didn’t quit before wasting the gift of time.
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SCHRÖDINGER'S HEART is an original fresh authentic take on an important subject that potentially impacts everyone in some way. With tension and anticipation foreshadowing effectively what’s to come, and still shocking, this is an un-put-downable read.
It’s also oh so engaging, realistic, believable, and interesting, as it highlights systemic problems in health care and social welfare with realistic portrayals of patients through a truly insider’s actions and interactions.
The writer portrays patients in a way that's sensitive to their humanity, even those who are unlikeable. This fits with the main character’s personality, as we’re always seeing them through her compassionate eyes.
Lucia jumps off the page. Her conversations with herself are delightful. She’s someone easy to imagine knowing—smart, witty, funny, and self-aware. It’s a pleasure to witness her growth. The writer has clearly found her own voice.
With its expansive ocean views and natural beauty, California's central coast provides a magnificent contrast to the heavier moments. Breathtaking scenery and descriptions make one pause to savor.
Gradually the burdens the system places on Lucia and her patients weigh her down. It’s effective how author John Steinbeck is weaved in, and oh so appropriate. These characters would have been familiar to Steinbeck.
The theme of movies and literature beautifully blends with Lucia’s character. Her film knowledge is near-encyclopedic, phenomenally weaving references and quotes throughout. What are other people’s stories, if not an escape?
That Lucia has, as she mentions, seen all the movies she’s wanted to see and read all the books she’s wanted to read, speaks in many ways to her immersion in worlds where the life she encounters every day isn’t present for her.
Great use of humor counterbalances the heavier material. There’s an unexpected welcome comic relief that’s effective however sardonic. This well-constructed story lends itself as well to the page as it would to the screen.
It should be eye opening for those who don’t work in
the field of healthcare or know anyone who does. The reader is put right in the middle of the action, yet the story unfolds in a way that feels natural, like many favorite films.
This is fiction, sure, but it’s not far from reality. That the many, daily, systemic injustices these people experience cost them their quality of life and often, their lives, is appalling and gives a lot of weight, by which I mean importance and meaning.