Squirrel Hill Book Club ft. American Sirens

Pittsburgh's premier independent bookstore, Riverstone Booksfeatures a well-curated selection of literary and popular fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books.  In addition, we offer a variety of gift items, greeting cards, and children’s puzzles, educational games, and literary stuffed animals. Our experienced booksellers are voracious readers who love to match people to books they will love.

Riverstone Books

This month, we're discussing American Sirens by Kevin Hazzard.

Book Clubs

Our community gatherings at both locations include monthly book clubs with non-fiction and fiction titles selected by their members, cookbook clubs, and Sip & Stitch evenings.

Need to order a copy of the book? You can do so <a href="https://shop.riverstonebookstore.com/book/9780306926099" title="https://shop.riverstonebookstore.com/book/9780306926099" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.About the book:The extraordinary story of an unjustly forgotten group of Black men in Pittsburgh who became the first paramedics in America, saving lives and changing the course of emergency medicine around the world. Until the 1970s, if you suffered a medical crisis, your chances of survival were minimal. A 9-1-1 call might bring police or even the local funeral home. But that all changed with Freedom House EMS in Pittsburgh, a group of Black men who became America’s first paramedics and set the gold standard for emergency medicine around the world, only to have their story and their legacy erased—until now. In American Sirens, acclaimed journalist and paramedic Kevin Hazzard tells the dramatic story of how a group of young, undereducated Black men forged a new frontier of healthcare. He follows a rich cast of characters that includes John Moon, an orphan who found his calling as a paramedic; Peter Safar, the Nobel Prize-nominated physician who invented CPR and realized his vision for a trained ambulance service; and Nancy Caroline, the idealistic young doctor who turned a scrappy team into an international leader. At every turn, Freedom House battled racism—from the community, the police, and the government. Their job was grueling, the rules made up as they went along, their mandate nearly impossible—and yet despite the long odds and fierce opposition, they succeeded spectacularly. Never-before revealed in full, this is a rich and troubling hidden history of the Black origins of America’s paramedics, a special band of dedicated essential workers, who stand ready to serve day and night on the line between life and death for every one of us.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Squirrel Hill Book Club ft. American Sirens

More events from Riverstone Books

Discover more events from Riverstone Books, from Hobbies to other experiences you might love.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Pittsburgh and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.

Squirrel Hill Book Club ft. American Sirens

More events from Riverstone Books

Discover more events from Riverstone Books, from Hobbies to other experiences you might love.

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Pittsburgh and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.