Bibliotherapy: Books to Read When in Hospital

Symptom: Hospitalised 

Cure: Books to Distract and Aid Recovery

I am very thankful to have spent barely any time in hospital as a patient.  However I have spent a large part of my adult life working in them.  I think this makes me vaguely qualified to suggest some appropriate reading material for if you find your self in the unfortunate position of being hospitalised.

Assuming you are well enough to read whilst you are in hospital, you will have without doubt have a few basic reading requirements.

Sleeping is notoriously difficult in hospital so you will need something you can read in the wee small hours when those around you are snoring and coughing and spluttering.  Something that will distract you from the never ending opening and closing of doors and noisy nurses ‘quietly’ going through the rigmarole and routine of a night shift.

In hospital at a time when you probably need uninterrrupted rest, you will be disturbed constantly, night and day.  Blood pressure checks, blood tests, more blood tests, different people asking the same questions, the food trolley, the drinks trolley.  You will be whisked of without a moments notice for an unexpected x-ray or worse.  There is little calming or healing about being in hospital which is why you need books which will be.

I would recommend leaving all reading material on full display and within easy reach.  Firstly, this will lead to immediate conversations with fellow bookworm nurses and doctors who cannot resist the lure of a novel.  Striking up any positive relationship with those caring for you will always be to you advantage (you heard it here first).

Secondly, having you book to hand at all times mean you can instantly whip it out to hide behind when you can  no longer stand conversation with the irritating patient in the bed opposite or worse still his/her irritating relatives who delight in sharing stories of their own (much worse) ailments.

So my prescription on this occasion is books which will bring comfort, make you look good in front of health professionals and ultimately make you feel better about yourself.  I think the following meet all of those criteria.

I am I am I am by Maggie O’Farrell

At first glance this may not seem like appropriate hospital reading.  It is the story of Maggies 17 brushes with death. However the experiences and recoveries Maggie has been through in her own life will make you feel ultimately thankful for your own life and thankful that at least you haven’t had to endure and perhaps help you face what ever lies ahead with courage and resilience as Maggie has done 17 times! This is a useful reminder, that life is very precious, and we all need to be reminded of than now and again, even when laying in a hospital bed! (You can read my full review of this book here.)

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

This book is set in a hospital which is only part of the reason I believe it qualifies for meeting in hospital reading needs.  This is not just the story of Lucy’s recovery from surgery but of her relationship with her estranged mother who has arrived and sitting in vigil at Lucy’s bedside. She remains an ever present figure at Lucy’s bedside for a short but intense 5 days.  Mother and daughter reach out to each other through talking about other people, shared memories and events. Lucy uses this imposed time, as a way of trying to make sense not just of her relationship with her mother, but of her childhood too.  This book may serve as welcome prompt to make best use of the enforced period of rest.  Being in hospital is horrible and boring so why not take inspiration from Lucy and use the time to reflect and make sense of your own life while you have the time!

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

A much lighter read than the other two but that does not take away from its poignancy and inspiring qualities.

Loss, heartbreak, mending broken hearts, the strength of human bonds and kindness all feature heavily in this book.  If you are languishing in hospital feeling alone and miserable, this book will bring a ray of welcome sunshine and distraction and a reminder that there is a lovely world out there just waiting for you to rejoin it.

If you do happen to be in hospital or feeling under the weather I hope you will take a little cheer from these suggestions and find yourself feeling very quickly better again.