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Going Under

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Going Under

By: Sonia Henry
Narrated by: Sarah Blackstone
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About this listen

Dr Katarina 'Kitty' Holliday thought that once she finished medical school and found gainful employment at one of Sydney's best teaching hospitals that her dream was just beginning. The hard years, she thought, were finally over. But Kitty is in for a rude shock. Between trying to survive on the ward, in the operating theatre and in the emergency department without killing any of her patients or going under herself, Kitty finds herself facing situations that rock her very understanding of the vocation to which she intends to devote her life.

Going Under is a rare insight into the world of a trainee female medic that takes an unflinching look at the reality of being a doctor. It explores the big themes - life, death, power and love - through the eyes of Dr Holliday as she loses her identity and nearly her mind in the pressure-cooker world of the hospital. But it is also there that Kitty might find her own redemption and finally know herself for the first time. Darkly funny, sexy, moving and shocking, Going Under will grip you from the first minute and never let you go.

©2019 Sonia Henry (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Fiction
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I love how Dr Sonia Henry has woven an incredibly powerful and important message into an engaging story. I am an American living in Australia who’s been witness to friends going through medical doctorate programs & have been a patient who’s directly suffered at the hands of the horrendous medical systems in both countries. The inhumane, slave-like workplace culture in hospitals for Doctors in training is unspeakable. It’s no wonder as patients we often feel like nameless meat sacks sitting in beds for doctors to practice on with little regard for our shared humanity. It’s given me more empathy from a patient’s perspective but it gets all of us no closer to a systemic change. I don’t know what I can do being outside of the medicos system but Dr Sonia, please let us know. You have such an incredible talent and way of teaching and reaching into our hearts with your words. Thank you for being one of the good ones who is taking the system on. I’ve LOVED both your books, please keep writing! 💖

Should be required reading for all involved in western medicine

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The brilliant writing with its gentle, self-deprecating humour and eloquent handling of uncomfortable topics, coupled with really great narration and relatable human foibles makes this an audio book I will revisit many times for sure. Can't recommend highly enough.

Awesome

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I loved this book. From start to finish. I laughed, cried, and felt it intently. As a nurse of over 20 years, our induction in the 90’s was not so dissimilar.... preceptors who didn’t care about you, one educator for 100’s of inexperienced grads, and the knowledge that practically every thing you did (or didn’t) do could kill someone. Horizontal violence and bullying runs rife through our hospital systems today, and bullying is accepted as normal behaviour. Thanks Sonia for giving a voice to those wide eyed terrified interns that are thrown in the deep end. I’ve watched it happening for decades. The narration was addictive and the story had me glued from the first chapter.

Exposing toxic culture

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I found myself completely invested in Katerina and her friends and hoping they all made it through the intern year. It’s really hard to listen to in some parts and I was feeling exhausted for them. I’ve read a couple of books about this topic-Adam Kay being my favourite- which have opened my eyes to how hard Doctors (and nurses) have it. Overall a great read

Hard to listen to but worth it

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Don't know why, I was expecting it to be about a doctor who themselves and up in the system... surprise... it's not. It's more like peeking into a doctors dairy as they pour interactions, feelings and general day stuff down.

more interpersonal than medical

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Inspiring ,having worked in the hospital system . Your stories were entertaining ,funny ,sad ,but most of all Australian . The narrator was excellent ,i not long completed your latest book ,then went looking for this ,it well worth listening too. Thanks for the honesty

True account

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Absolutely brilliant. Honest. Insightful.
Every hospital administration should read this. You’ve done a wonderful job Sonia!

Brilliant

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A big novel, difficult yet important issues, light humour, genuine friendship, honestly Australian.

Dr Katarina 'Kitty' Holliday is a Junior doctor with her eyes set on being a surgeon, something she's had her eye on since ... well since her mother noticed her long "surgeon fingers" when she was born.

Surrounded by her fellow 20-something also-junior-doctor friends, they navigate a system which offers little support in one of the more stressful jobs imaginable. With superiors that verbally abuse them, laud their power over them, leaving any senior doctor/consultant that shows kindness as a shining beacon of humanity. With little to no mental health support, as well as being left on their own in medical situations they are yet to be trained in/need specialist support to get through.

The characters (all bar a few) are loveable, believable, and deeply human. Their friendships are their life boat, with out which they may not have made it through.

There's light hearted humours and romps, sexy romps (or almost romps), honest depictions of feelings and relationships, and an honest spotlight shone on what is a serious flaw in our medical system. Those attempting to save lives should not be driven to questioning whether to end their own.
There's heavy, yet vital, subject matter addressed alongside the light casual storyline.

This novel is written by a Doctor who knows what it's like behind hospital walls - and it's also written so truthfully australian that I felt completely at home. No cliches, no shoving it's australianism down your throat, but the subtle vernacular is of the kind all sydney siders are used to.

The narration by Sarah Blackstone greatly aids this. She is now one of my favourite Australian narrators. She made every character come to life, and allowed for you to fall deeply in love with Dr. Kitty Holliday. Easy, entertaining, respectful, fun narration.
I'll be on the lookout for more audiobooks narrated by Sarah Blackstone.

I devoured this novel in a day, I couldn't take it out of my ears. A great Australian work which will hopefully open up more conversations about our heros in scrubs - and the human beings that inhabit them.

Eye opening, entertaining, beautifully read. A++

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A dark subject told authentically and light heartedly. I found myself laughing out loud at Kitty and co and their antics. An eye opening read and beautifully narrated.

Eye opening read

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A sad and amusing book with not too much laughing out loud but enjoyable. Easy to listen to and great ending that had my partner hooked

Interesting book with juicy details

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