THE HEALERS OF HARLEM

A sweeping history of Harlem Hospital and the Black women who broke barriers shepherding this important medical institution into the present.

May Edward Chinn, “the Way Finder”; Myra Adele Logan, “the Surgeon”; Jane Cooke Wright, “the Knowledge Creator”; and Muriel Petioni, “the Connector”: Science writer and illustrator Chhita highlights these four key Black women physicians in her debut book. They’re notable for their advancements in both medical science and civil rights at Harlem Hospital during the 20th century. The institution was established as a city hospital in 1887, meaning that it was funded by taxes and didn’t charge those who couldn’t afford its services. It went on to become a place “where brilliant medical minds…pioneered new treatments for America’s leading causes of death.” The book opens with a dramatic scene from 1958, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was rushed to Harlem Hospital following an assassination attempt. It goes on to tell the story of four notable women as well as doctors, nurses, and others who advanced the struggle for racial integration in medical care. The history of Harlem is a key part of the story. Biographical details and impressions from primary sources make the subjects three-dimensional, and beautiful illustrations of people and places enhance the text. The rich narrative style, compelling storytelling, and robust research add to the appeal, although the sheer number of changemakers is somewhat unwieldy.

Bright and bracing narrative nonfiction, effectively weaving together medical, Civil Rights, and Harlem history.