Reviews for Northern nurse

The average rating for Northern nurse based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-06-24 00:00:00 John Konopka I've read all of Elliott Merrick's books, and loved them all. But Northern Nurse is his best one, in my opinion. It's written in first person, as if his wife Kate were telling the story. And in fact she did tell him the story and he wrote the book. Kate was a young Australian nurse looking for adventure in the 1920s. She accepted an assignment working in a mission hospital in Labrador, Canada, and fell in love with the local people and harsh wilderness she found there. She also met and married her husband (the author) during her time in Labrador. Throughout the book, Kate relates in a no-nonsense voice the births, deaths, epidemics, injuries, burns and unusual medical cases she treated. She also tells affectionately of the people she served - trappers, wives, children, native Indians, fishermen, sailors, and various visitors. Some of the stories made me chuckle, and some of them made me hold my breath in suspense. She worked day and night to serve the community living around the hospital, which also served as general store and community center. The weather was dreadful most of the year, and they lived without running water, electricity, telephone, or indoor toilets. Kate reveled in the experience, often traveling hundreds of miles by dog-sled to treat sick people in out-lying homesteads. She loved the snow, ice, wind, and the dangerous ocean, and rarely complained about the primitive conditions or workload. The only complaint I have is that the book ends rather abruptly when she meets and marries Elliott (Bud) Merrick. I wanted more! She mentions another book that talks of their early married life - and that book is True North. I really enjoyed this book, and will always remember the story of a gutsy, capable nurse traveling halfway around the world to serve in an understaffed, underfunded hospital in the frozen land of Labrador.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-10-30 00:00:00 Danny Rhodes I fell in love with this book! For some reason it has been kept a secret and I have no idea why. The feats and situations that the main character is thrown into are unbelievable and yet this is a true story. Imagine coming from the warmth and light of Australia to the blustery majesty of the Newfoundland wilderness. This practical nurse finds herself tending to trappers, their families, and the native people with skills that only prepared her for the city life. Great adventure read!