The Unimaginable Storm

For readers of Atul Gawande, Henry Marsh, and Danielle Ofri, a deeply personal insider's account of the fight against Covid-19 — from an intensive care doctor on the front lines.

In early 2020, the world changed. As early reports of the Covid-19 coronavirus made their way across the globe, intensive care doctor and pulmonary specialist Daniela Lamas, MD, braced herself, along with thousands of other doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers across the country. By the end of the summer, thousands and thousands of Americans had died, with infection rates continuing to climb. And while millions locked down in isolation, Dr. Lamas and her colleagues put their health and safety on the line every day to contain the virus, treat its victims, comfort devastated families, and save as many lives as possible.

In THE UNIMAGINABLE STORM, Dr. Lamas offers a gripping, front line account of the Covid-19 response in Boston’s Brigham and Women’s hospital — beginning with the emergence of the virus through its first spike and beyond — and tells the stories of the doctors, caregivers, patients, and families affected by this merciless disease. With remarkable insight and intimacy, Dr. Lamas shares stories of devastation and heartbreak, but also of miraculous survival, resilience, teamwork, perseverance, and tenderness, all with an eye toward the human side of medicine that is so frequently obscured by an industry, government, and media culture obsessed with data.

Riveting, gorgeously told, and deeply personal, THE UNIMAGINABLE STORM is a compassionate, uncompromising look at the human cost of the coronavirus pandemic and the people who’ve done everything in their power to help.