Before her wider fame as the author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott achieved recognition for her accounts of her work as a volunteer nurse in an army hospital. Written during the winter of 1862-63, her lively dispatches appeared in the newspaper Commonwealth, where they were eagerly read by soldiers' friends and families. Then, as now, these chronicles revealed the desperate realities of battlefield medicine as well as the tentative first steps of women in military service. Writing under a pseudonym, Alcott recounted the ...
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Before her wider fame as the author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott achieved recognition for her accounts of her work as a volunteer nurse in an army hospital. Written during the winter of 1862-63, her lively dispatches appeared in the newspaper Commonwealth, where they were eagerly read by soldiers' friends and families. Then, as now, these chronicles revealed the desperate realities of battlefield medicine as well as the tentative first steps of women in military service. Writing under a pseudonym, Alcott recounted the vicissitudes of her two-day journey from her home in Concord, Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C. A fiery baptism in the practice of nursing awaited her at Washington Hospital, were she arrived immediately after the slaughter of the Army of the Potomac at the battle of Fredericksburg. Alcott's rapidly paced prose graphically depicts the facts of hospital life, deftly balancing pathos with gentle humor. A vivid and truthful portrait of an often overlooked aspect of the Civil War, this book remains among the most illuminating reports of the era's medical practices as well as a moving testimonial to the war's human cost.
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Add this copy of Hospital Sketches to cart. $21.50, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by CreateSpace Independent Publis.
I found "Hospital Sketches" to hold remarkable insight into the daily grind of a Civil War nurse. Louisa May Alcott gathers all the right elements and emotions, mixing sorrow, humor and strength together effortlessly.
The storyline: Tribulation Periwinkle, a restless spinster, desires to contribute in the war effort, and promptly becomes a nurse for the Union Army. Once in Washington DC, Nurse P becomes a busy woman, taking care of the injured soldiers and dealing with grueling situations, such as amputations, misfortune and death surrounding her. Trib displays a true heart for helping "the boys" in their time of need and has a wonderful sense of patriotism.
Actually, this story comes from Miss Alcott's early published works, but she was already quite the writer. The pages of "Hospital Sketches" hold much truth. Miss Alcott herself was a nurse as Tribulation is, and many parts of the fictional story were based on actual experiences. In all honesty, it's rather a plain book, and some may find it too dry (especially in contrast to the author's famous works which contain great frivolity). "Hospital Sketches" suited me just fine though, and I'm glad she penned the story on paper for future generations to learn of her experiences.
