Monday, July 22, 2013

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J MacLeod

Imagine a small island with an aged doctor, one nurse, lots of snow, and completely cut off from everywhere.  Now imagine living there and being the nurse.  That's it, you've got the memoir figured out!

Skyhorse Publishing sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It's been published by Arcade Publishing, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

I found this story charming.  The author is an English nurse who wants to live the quiet life with her family.  When they visit the island and enjoy their time there, they decide to relocate.  What they do after they get there is the tale told in this book.  From finding a place to live, struggling to understand what English the residents had and learning how the folks of the isle responded to crisis is great fun to read about.  

One of my favorite parts is the resident who never uses the correct word for what she's trying to impart.  She gets close, but it's not quite right and some make you laugh.  My grandfather on my father's side did that.  He immigrated from Czechoslovakia and he had two mispronounced words.  He depreciated everything you did instead of appreciated it.  And while others had anniversaries, he and his wife had another university.  The worst part is you can't laugh at them when they do that.  This author had to face that, too.

Moving to the island led this family to a simpler, more meaningful life.  Both of them held good, important jobs to the islanders and they welcomed them into their hearts.  This story will make you laugh and cry, but it's a well written tale about a life many will envy.  Why not give it a read and see what you think?  I think you'll like it.

Happy reading.

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