Martin McKenzie-Murray is professionally drawn to trauma and wanted to explore trauma and recovery by looking more closely at the people. Rather than provide a general treatment, Sirens has a focus on three ‘first responders’, jobs that may have ‘made the person’ yet damaged them at the same time (by continual exposure to traumatic situations). Given the opportunity to debrief with work crew after a traumatic shift, good sergeants ask: ‘Tell me what happened?’ and take the time to listen. Sirens takes a similar approach, with readers listening in on the intimate conversations.
Sirens takes a close and human look at post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The author spoke with Peter, a paramedic; Brett, a police officer; and Tara, a firefighter. The stories are compelling, confronting and graphic, with details of assorted and well-known Australian crimes, accidents and rescues. The stories also share the emotional and psychological impact on the individuals responding. (To complicate matters, the trauma of an event isn’t always acknowledged or realised at the time.)
Every page is soaked in interest, sympathy, patience, and compassion, with McKenzie-Murray offering his own traumatic memories and insights.
In this distressing territory, there is a tendency to suppress or shut down, which often leads to emotional distancing in other areas such as personal lives. While Sirens is intense reading, it is a positive book offering valuable insights into human motivation, survival, trauma and recovery.
Reviewed by Mark Parry
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Martin McKenzie-Murray is The Saturday Paper’s associate editor and a staff writer for The Monthly. He is a two-time Walkley finalist and winner of the Melbourne Press Club’s Quill Award for commentary. He has worked as a teacher, speechwriter, columnist for The Age and adviser to the chief commissioner of Victoria Police. His first book, A Murder Without Motive, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards for crime writing. His second, The Speechwriter, won the Russell Prize for Humour Writing.
0 Comments