Best Bets: For the helpers

Shadows and Light by Heather Patterson (Goose Lane Editions)

When the pandemic began in March 2020, Calgary emergency physician Heather Patterson was already feeling burnt out. Photography had always been a way of unwinding for her, and as the pandemic gathered speed, Patterson decided to begin chronicling it. Shadows and Light presents a selection of Patterson’s images, taking readers to the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and giving them an illuminating, behind-the-scenes view of the real impact of the virus and the heroic front-line workers who have been fighting it for over two years.But you don’t have to take our word for it:

“Of particular relevance to readers with an interest in photography, medicine, and the dedication of nurses, physicians, and hospital staff having to deal with the overwhelming impact of a pandemic the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the 1918 Spanish Flu, Shadows and Light: A Physician’s Lens on COVID is a unique and inherently interesting coffee-table style volume that deftly blends full page black/white photographic images with insightful and compelling commentary — making it unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Photography and Pandemic Medical History collections.” — Midwest Book Review“Patterson’s images capture the great emotional and physical toll COVID has taken on patients and families and the personal toll taken on the professionals providing care. These intimate moments are heartwarming and heartbreaking, reflecting love and loss, kindness and grace. Shadows and Light reminds us that amongst the daily statistics we have seen about COVID, there is always a human face. This book is a gift to everyone who has worked in health care during the pandemic as well as the many patients and families affected by COVID.” — Sid Viner, MD, FRCPC, Vice President and Medical Director, Clinical Operations, AHSShadows and Light

Rescue Me by Cathalynn Labonté-Smith (Caitlin Press)

Rescue Me takes you behind the scenes of some of North America’s riskiest search and rescue operations. Author Cathalynn Labonté-Smith shares real-life stories as told by volunteer members of Search and Rescue teams, who find the lost and rescue the injured in the most extreme conditions and situations the wilds of North America throw at them. From rescuing avalanche victims in blinding snowstorms, to climbing into vehicles teetering on cliff edges to free passengers from mangled metal or crossing wafer-thin ice to save an injured cross-country skier, these thrilling first-hand accounts will forever change how you prepare for your next outdoor adventure.But you don’t have to take our word for it:

Rescue Me

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There’s more where that came from: catch up on other Best Bets books and get a sneak-peek on what’s to come, right here.If you have your own accolades for these books to add, please do! Share in the comments below or on socials @alllitupcanada, with the hashtag #ALUbestbets.