It would have been a 4, except for the following reasons discussed. Read this for my book group and while I really wanted to like it for its writing style, I could not look past the lack of medical and nursing knowledge to get there.

I tried to decide if the book was merely allegory and not factual, but couldn’t get there, either.

A burn victim would have his burns debrided almost every day, as well as having the burned tissue covered with special hydrocollate dressings to keep skin surface protected. None of this was done for Eden. Also, there is no signing by a next of kin to give normal care, only to make a patient a “no code,” meaning he would not receive CPR or advanced life support. It is unclear whether Eden was intubated and on a ventilator, but the text refers several times to a “breathing machine” kicking on. Not sure what that means here. Also, where he bites his tongue, he clearly does not have an endotracheal tube in place. I am really unclear what is meant by allowing for hastening his death. That is not done in hospitals. Yes, morphine for pain, which may depress respirations in a dying patient, but not something given particularly to “take him out.”

Therefore, what could have been a very good book, ends up lacking for me.