Joanna Cannon is the author of the Sunday Times bestsellers ‘The Trouble with Goats and Sheep’, which was published in 15 languages, and ‘Three Things About Elsie’, longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2018. Her novels have sold over half a million copies in the UK alone. Her love of narrative had always drawn her to psychiatry, but it wasn’t until her thirties that she decided to go to back to university to study medicine. Before specialising in psychiatry, she rotated through a series of hospital jobs, from A&E to palliative care.

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Joanna Cannon

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A junior doctor’s stories of compassion & burnout

Breaking & Mending

One of the most beautiful books you will ever read.

In this powerful memoir, Joanna Cannon tells her story as a junior doctor in visceral, heart-rending snapshots.

We walk with her through the wards, facing extraordinary and daunting moments: from attending her first post-mortem, sitting with a patient through their final moments, to learning the power of a well- or badly chosen word. These moments, and the small sustaining acts of kindness and connection that punctuate hospital life, teach her that emotional care and mental health can be just as critical as restoring a heartbeat.

In a profession where weakness remains a taboo, this moving, beautifully written book brings to life the vivid, human stories of doctors and patients – and shows us why we need to take better care of those who care for us.

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