Riding the Lightning Unabridged POD

A Year in the Life of a New York City Paramedic

by Anthony Almojera

On Sale: 06/14/2022

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Riding the Lightning Unabridged POD

A Year in the Life of a New York City Paramedic

by Anthony Almojera

On Sale: 06/14/2022

Format:

Amazon Indigo

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Author Info

About the Book

The education of a New York City EMS worker, whose tales of tragedy and transcendence over a single year culminate in the greatest challenge the city’s medical first responders have ever faced: COVID-19

As a seasoned medical technician and union leader, Anthony Almojera thought he understood the toll of the job on first responders. They carried the traumas of the city, but also its triumphs, whenever a baby was born on a subway platform or an elderly man in cardiac arrest was brought back from the brink of death. So when a strange new virus began spreading in New York, Anthony thought that his life and training had prepared him for this new challenge. The months ahead would prove him wrong, and would test the strength of the entire EMS system: a critical thread in the fabric of the city, but one that quickly found itself at the breaking point.

Following one paramedic into hell and back, Riding the Lightning tells the story of New York City’s darkest days through the eyes of one extraordinary medic and the New Yorkers he serves—and serves with: ordinary people who will continue to make New York an extraordinary place long after it has been reborn from the ashes of 2020.

Critical Praise

"From the moment I picked up Anthony's book, I couldn't put it down. His account of fighting on the frontlines of the pandemic in New York City is raw and riveting, and reveals in unforgettable detail how humanity was tested in the early days, weeks, and months of the pandemic. Anthony's gifted storytelling invites the reader to sneak a glimpse of that little something we all keep hidden inside us, and assures us that embracing our vulnerability will only make us stronger. I can't recommend this book enough for everyone to read." - Andrew Gounardes, New York State Senator