Chronicling Compassion: Tracy Kidder Profiles Boston’s Top “Street Doctor”
Nobody pays attention to you until they trust you. And it takes a lot of time to earn that trust.
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In his new book, Rough Sleepers, author Tracy Kidder tells the remarkable story of Dr. Jim O’Connell, a Boston physician who has dedicated his life to providing healthcare to homeless people. Through the doctor’s eyes, Kidder also immerses us in the lives of the unsheltered population—their back stories, daily risks, survival mechanisms, and unmet human needs. In a society that has dehumanized those who live on the streets, Kidder reminds us that there are opportunities to heal the broken among us. A master of narrative nonfiction, he also talks about how he chooses his topics and crafts tales that awe and motivate us.
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