Reviews

A History of the Present Illness

“Aronson’s examination of medical culture in stories, of the brutality and tenderness at home and hospital, is a gem.”

— Washington Independent Review of Books

"Aronson effectively illustrates just how jumbled life can be. Hope is limping barely one step ahead of sadness. Human devotion and division, responsibility to self and others are only a smidgen of the subject matter examined by talented and knowledgeable Aronson." 

— Booklist

"Dr. Aronson writes lovely, nuanced stories...[and] joins the ranks of those immortalizing the small, realistic retails of modern medical care."

— The New York Times

" I felt I was seeing some truths about physicians for the first time … an outstanding book of short stories with a wealth of humanity, knowledge and warning. Highly recommended as well for its ease of reading and its ability to mesmerize."

— A Bookish Libraria

“Louise Aronson invites us --with very little fanfare, but with a profound sense of truth--to bear witness to what it really means to be a flawed, sick human being in a flawed, sick world. These stories are about medicine exactly in the way that medicine is about life.”

— Chris Adrian, author of The Children’s Hospital and The Great Night

I devoured these stories... She combines a doctor's eye with a writer's heart …

— Elizabeth Day award winning journalist and author of Scissor Paper Stone

“I was absolutely enthralled by these extraordinary stories.”

— isabel allende

"If your in search of fantastic literature (Yes, I said literature and not a series of stories told by a physician) then A History of the Present Illness is a must read. Does Louise really have time to doctor? If her writing wasn't fraught with such an accurate and profound understanding of what I have experienced, I would surely question whether one who has spent an inordinate amount of time learning how to be an MD could emote so eloquently. There is so much good here."

— Jordan Grumet MD

"Every one of the sixteen short stories in this interlocked collection is an exquisitely etched jewel… shining a spotlight on the state of American health care …" 

— Joystory

"Every one of the sixteen short stories in this interlocked collection is an exquisitely etched jewel… shining a spotlight on the state of American health care … The stories in this book and stories like them should become the underpinning of any further national discussion about health care legislation."

— Joystory Book Review

“A fascinating study of our fragile human condition, both physical and emotional. Here is a writer—and a doctor—whose empathy springs forth on every page.”

— Peter Orner

“Some of the most startling and memorable stories I’ve ever read...”

— Peter Orner, author of Am I Alone Here?

"Others have done this -- and done it well -- but Aronson's work stands out ... Her skill is in isolating the clearest, most revealing details and serving them up without sugar-coating.

— Rosina Lippi, author of Homestead and The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square

“An intimate look into how the aging process affects real lives and a non-didactic take on the importance of health care.”

— San Francisco Chronicle

"Aronson's voice is all her own. Her creative take on the social consequences of a life in medicine, whether from the perspective of a doctor or a patient, is highly original, and she is remarkably adept at variations in narrative and story style." 

— Shelf Awareness 

“The ethical dilemmas that abound in medicine are prominent but never swamp the stories: these are tales about people, as insightful as Lorrie Moore or Alice Munro.”

— The Independent

“If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the closed doors of the sick and the wounded--not on television or in movies but really--then this is the book for you....”

— Victoria Sweet, author of God’s Hotel and Slow Medicine