Inspirational little book that I picked up from the library. The name Mary Seacole rang bells but I couldn't have told you why. Now I could, she was the Jamaican nurse who managed to get to the front in the Crimean War and nurse the wounded soldiers on the spot, unlike Florence Nightingale who won all the glory and acclaim and dismissed the efforts of Mary Seacole to the authorities at the time. That part quite shocked me. We revere Florence Nightingale and she appears on our banknotes, yet this brave lady Mary Seacole is practically unknown. She deserves better acknowledgement.
A must read for anyone who has the slightest interest in the Crimean War, Black history or nursing. Mary Seacole is a lady of huge character and determination who was able to give soldiers excellent nursing much closer to the front line than her peer, Florence Nightingale. Even through adversity she was able to gain the soldiers respect and admiration, even after the war and she was left in poverty. Highly recommend.