I was intrigued from the first paragraph of this engrossing memoir. Living on
a rural hippie commune? Wielding a machete with Cuban revolutionaries?
Elena Schwolsky is a woman whose idealism and courage led to her
involvement in some of the emblematic events of her time. Educated by the
civil rights and women’s movements, inspired by the activism of the 60’s, she
 became a nurse who experienced the tragedy of the AIDS epidemic personally while addressing it professionally.

Her early connection with the Cuban people later drew her back to the island and her accounts of her work and relationships there humanize a culture unknown to many of us. Elena could be your friend, or mine, telling us about a life propelled by courage, love and hard work. Read her story!

                                    Alison Moed Palercio RN MSN
Former Nurse Manager,
AIDS Unit,
SF General Hospital,
Featured in film “5B,” about the first hospital unit in the world dedicated to AIDS care