The Station

The Station is the first novel by Stuart Gray, a London Ambulance Service paramedic and author of the blog Paramedic's diary (www.theparamedicsdiary.blogspot.com) as well as several books on the Ambulance service.

The book follows the events occurring over the course of a shift in central London. Challenges range from the mundane to the extreme and many are evidently drawn from the author's experience.

The plot, rather than following one or two central characters, offers snippets of commentary on the lives of many ambulance service personnel and patients. Although this can, at times, make it a bit difficult to keep track of who's who and their relation to others in the story; I think it accurately reflects the experience of those that work in front-line emergency services and the fleeting interactions they have with those they help. I also liked the fact that plots were rarely taken to their full conclusion again reflecting the experience of ambulance service personnel who rarely get to find out what happened to their patient.

Stuart writes well on his blog, in his non-fiction works and now in this novel. He is a naturally gifted story teller who can relate just the right level of detail to keep the reader's interest without them becoming bogged-down. The tone of the book is, in my opinion, perfect. Gray explains complex jargon and ambulance slang clearly and without being over simplistic, much in the way I would imagine one does to a new member of the service. The result is that he draws the reader into his world and makes them feel part of it. To complete the experience, Gray clearly and articulately describes the complex feelings generated by haaving to witness some of the best and some of the worst things humanity has to offer.

I have recommended this book to friends and family. I would not hesitate to do so for anyone reading this post whether you want an insight of life in the emergency services or simply a damn good read.

JR