Book Summary and Reviews of The Healers of Harlem by Nina Chhita

Book Summary

For fans of Hidden Figures, an amazing history of Harlem Hospital with particular emphasis on the pioneering work done by Black women.

The story of the Harlem Hospital is entwined with the history of desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement. In this unique interdisciplinary history, Chhita chronicles the Harlem Hospital from its beginnings as a small hospital in the late-19th century to its present as a world class medical facility. She focuses on four Black women who were instrumental in the long struggle to demolish racist barriers in the hospital and overcome anti-Black bias against its work after integration.

Chhita spent years doing interviews and painstaking archival research, and the book features many previously unpublished primary sources which she skillfully weaves into a story of personal and collective struggle and triumph.

Science writer and artist Nina Chhita tells the story of Harlem Hospital from its founding to the day the hospital saved MLK after an assassination attempt to the present day. A talented artist known for her portraits of women in STEAM on Instagram (@nina.draws.scientists), Chhita's two-color illustrations will be featured throughout.