Reviews
Reader Praise for Eight Fought to Live
"You think you’re buying a “Books›Medical Books›Medicine,” as Amazon lists it, but it’s really a TV series, Season 1. Author Rosiello, a just-graduated psychiatrist, is introduced into her trade by working with a group of doomed yet spirited AIDS sufferers in New York City in an era in which they had no hope of survival.
“Each of the men has his story, each of them makes a pledge – against science, logic, and hope – not to die. This isn’t a “medical” book; rather it’s a human-interest story embodying drama, sadness, and, surprisingly, humor. Rosiello is a New Yorker, and is not reluctant to incorporate her own adventures into the story of the group. True, a plaster cast couldn’t have been fun when she acquired one, but it and other episodes in her psychiatric (and life) apprenticeship make this book, as another reviewer commented, a Great Read.
“Not exactly a spoiler: Yes, the men do die, but not until we learn more about them as individuals, and about the AIDS milieu before anti-retroviral drugs were available. Some men sadly exit the group, others join it at least temporarily, each with an interesting narrative as Rosiello sees and remembers it.
“That this book was written from memory is astonishing given that it took her 30 years to write! While her post-AIDS-group career isn’t detailed, I suspect that it has been as poignant and entertaining as was her apprenticeship, and could provide more seasons of drama and New York humor. Hopefully she will write about it. Or perhaps it will be picked up as a fictionalized series. Either way, enjoy the book now, before it hits the small screen!”
"The AIDS epidemic did not impact my life personally; it was something that happened to others. Dr. Rosiello’s book made it real, not just a historical event in the past, and her writing had me sitting in a chair as part of this group I felt for Jason and the others, marveling at their resilience despite how much shame they had to endure just because they insisted on being seen, in sickness and in health. I was also grateful Dr. Rosiello shared so much of her inner struggles as a new therapist, and the fear I’ve known, and most of us do, that we live our way into our expertise and learning. It takes courage and owning and learning from missteps or mistakes. If anything, I just wanted the book to be longer!"
“A story woven with such precision, it will stay with you long after the last page is turned. These men are brought back to life, years after they have left this earth by a brilliant rising psychoanalyst. This is a story that needed to be told, and she does so masterfully.”
“Dr. Rosiello was brave! I’m not talking about the fear of catching AIDS that was a phobia for many at that time. I know of some that were afraid to go to funerals of those that died of that of that epidemic. She was brave to expose herself to such sadness that was the inevitable death that would come to her subjects. Her compassion and her empathy was evident despite having a commitment to the profession that she was ready to embark. In my opinion , it was more than that. It laid the groundwork for the strength that she knew that she had to have to be successful in the career that was just beginning for her. She went in head first! It reminds me of what actors do to prepare for their roles. Robert DeNero comes to mind. He grinds his teeth down, gains weight, lives in Sicily to learn the dialect and the accent, etc. etc… Ok, maybe that’s not the best comparison, but she was preparing herself in the most vulnerable position. Her account is definitely a five star!”
“This memoir by Dr. Rosiello tells the story of her first solo group therapy, which happened to be with a group of 8 men all afflicted with AIDS. She skillfully balances the story of their lives with her own personal growth as a person and psychotherapist and manages to bring each of the men to life for the reader, including past joys, family conflicts (one truly feels the absolute alienation of the AIDS sufferer in some of these families), and current sorrows. Thus, as the men begin their inevitable final declines to a painful death, one feels a strong sense of loss for each one who passes away – the reader has really come to know each of them. There are moments of terrible sadness, as when one of the men discusses the death of his lover and states that when he dies, no one will be loving him as did that lover.
“However, this memoir is not all sadness. Part of the richness of the book are the moments of humor that Dr. Rosiello weaves into the narrative, included anecdotes about both her patients and herself. Finally, she captures how close this group of strangers has grown together with an incredible chapter involving the proposed entrance of two new men (replacing two who have died), and how the survivors of the original group of eight men reject the two newcomers (one of whom provides a fascinating insight into the underworld of gay street hustlers.)
“Highly recommended.”
“Dr. Rosiello writes of a time long forgotten by some, but forever burned into the memory of others. Her book brings you back to the AIDS crisis of the late 80’s through the stories of 8 men in her psychoanalytic group. This book gives an intimate portrait of the experiences of people with AIDS during a time when this was a death sentence. It also takes you to the inner world of Dr. Rosiello and allows the reader to have a deeper understanding of what it was like for her to navigate and witness the life and death of these incredible men. As a therapist, it was fascinating to read how what one is trained to do as a psychoanalyst and what the actual real-life situation requires can be very different! Dr. Rosiello weaves together storytelling, psychoanalysis, group process and humor. A must read!”
“What a wonderful book and written with so much emotion. You are there when the therapist is trying to ease the pain and emotions of 8 men dying from AIDS. A read for anyone irrespective of age, political or social leanings. So much feeling and sadness about what these men and their therapists went through.”
“It is 1988, a time when an AIDS diagnosis was a death sentence. It also marked the time when an inexperienced psychoanalyst stepped into the world of eight beautiful, young men who were forced to stare down their mortality. The author offers the reader a chair in her therapy circle, where her candid, self-deprecating style encouraged honest, unvarnished, and intimate discussions to unfold. Dr. Florence Rosiello looks back and remembers her reluctance to continue with sessions that promised enrichment but ensured profound loss. She chose to abandon textbook solutions in order to connect emotionally with ‘her men.’ Her riveting story reveals an extraordinary slice of life – and death.”