Hospital Sketches

This book is a classic. Wirten by Louisa May Alcott, yes the one that would later write the chlidrens classic "Little Women", tells the story of her service during the Civil War through the eyes of Nurse Tribulation Periwinkle. Although it is a short work, this edition is only 55 pages it brings to focus war and its cost and who pays the bill. Nurse Periwinkle will have two assigments before she, her self becomes a victum... Read Full Review

What aroused my interest in this book? No snazzy title. No enticing aroma of mystery or intrigue about it at all. But am I glad that I did read it? Unquestionably! From start to finish this book never falters, never flags in evoking the times, the place, and the human experience. Louisa's style may require some adjustments and patience from modern readers, and it probably will appeal to a more mature audience. (I don't see... Read Full Review

This book allows the reader an indelible insight into a life of service that indubitably was a character building experience for Alcott. One can see where she might have developed a truer compassion for her characters because she partook of such hard and sacrificial work during such a turbulent time as the Civil War. This book tears at your heart at times and at others makes you laugh. What a wonderful gift to have read... Read Full Review

Hospital Sketches is an indispensable volume for anyone seeking to know about a neglected aspect of Civil War history: the struggles of the underpaid and often inexperienced women who nursed the wounded. Although Alcott worked as a nurse for only six weeks before nearly dying of typhoid pneumonia, hers is the most compelling and most literary account of the realities of nursing in the Civil War. The book is also significant... Read Full Review

Louisa May Alcott was the first Civil War army nurse to publish an account of her service. Not yet famous at the author of "Little Women," the appearence of "Hospital Sketches" in the summer of 1863 was the also the first of her works to win her widespread attention. Bored with life at home and wanting to contribute something to the war effort, Alcott volunteered to serve as an nurse. After a wait of several months, she... Read Full Review