What do you think?
Rate this book
Matron at Last
"'When do you have a bath?' I asked Mrs Turgoose. 'I hope you're not suggesting that I don't look after meself properly,' she said crossly. 'There was a woman who used to use it, but that was because she was a bit stuck up. She soon went off the idea when it started to get cold.'" After working as a nurse for thirty years, Evelyn left the hospital to become a full-time Matron at The Lodge—a home for elderly ladies of reduced circumstances. Evelyn was nothing like the matrons she had known and feared in the past. In spite of broken nights and hot dinners left to get cold, Mrs. Peters with her temper and Mrs. Harrison with her 24-hour piano playing, her new role offered a chance to make a difference to her ladies' lives. Even though it did mean she was on call twenty-four hours a day, this is Evelyn's funny and affectionate memoir of her years—at last!—as a Matron.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
25 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Prentis
7 books16 followersBrought up in Lincolnshire, Evelyn Prentis (real name Evelyn Taws) left home at eighteen to become a nurse. She later moved to London during the war, where she married and raised her family. Like so many other nurses, she went back to hospital and used any spare time she might have had bringing up her children and running her home.
Evelyn Prentis died in 2001 at the age of 85. Her daughters Judith Campbell and Barbara Mumford say: ‘We have always felt that these books are special, as indeed was our mother. She was a larger than life character with a disarming and extreme sense of humour. We are delighted that our mother’s books are being republished. We miss her greatly and are thrilled that her legacy lives on for another generation.’
Evelyn Prentis died in 2001 at the age of 85. Her daughters Judith Campbell and Barbara Mumford say: ‘We have always felt that these books are special, as indeed was our mother. She was a larger than life character with a disarming and extreme sense of humour. We are delighted that our mother’s books are being republished. We miss her greatly and are thrilled that her legacy lives on for another generation.’
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 16, 2017
Diving into Evelyn's story first with the 3rd book and then with the last, I am now even more excited to read the others that I missed to fill in the blanks in her charming story. In this, her last account she has finally become matron of 'the Lodge', a set of flats for elderly women, all with their own irritating, loveable and downright strange personalities. Evelyn tells her story with warmth and delicacy, and is such a relatable person that you can't help but love her.
May 26, 2018
great true story light hearted in the series from Evelyn Prentice who at last being a matron takes over the running of a set of flats occupied by senior citizens. not the easy job she thought it would this is the story of the varying true characters their foibles and strange ways of living! good book easy to read and quite heart warming
March 12, 2019
One of the up sides of having a sick kid, is I got to finish this book last night. It was interested reading about the very first nursing homes and the their start up, however I did find this book quite dull in some parts, but if you're interested in the history of the NHS I'd recommend this book.
September 13, 2024
Ms. Prentis's memoirs have been a joy to read, I have enjoyed a couple of the five she has published. Hoping to read the others. The author's style is captivating and her books are filled with fun anecdotes.
April 20, 2022
A good read
Interesting and enjoyable book to read. Liked the antics of the residents of the Lodge. Would recommend as a lighthearted memoir.
Interesting and enjoyable book to read. Liked the antics of the residents of the Lodge. Would recommend as a lighthearted memoir.
September 26, 2023
Matron in an early nursing home of sorts ,
October 26, 2012
Candid and frank this memoir of a Matron is full of wit and sharpness, as to make you laugh and cry and the same time.
Evelyn Prentis is a writer who tells it like it is with such honesty and candor, as to enthrall and fascinate so many readers about her life as a nurse. Matron at Last is her latest work in a series of books, which capture her life as a newly qualified nurse working up the career ladder to more senior roles and eventually Matron. Her story began with her debut release ‘a nurse in time’ about her story as a freshly qualified nurse, alongside the retelling of her trainee years in 1934. ‘A nurse in action’ is an account of her years as a staff-nurse, with the sequel ‘a nurse and mother’ another fantastic edition to add to the collection. Continuing her story during and beyond the Second World War, Evelyn’s work spans the majority of her interesting and remarkable career. After working as a nurse for thirty years she then decides to take a full-time Matron post at The Lodge, which was a home for elderly ladies of reduced circumstances. Her job surprisingly differed from that of the stereotypical hospital ward Matron, as her new role allowed her to make a real difference to those patients’ lives under her care. The ups and downs of the job are brought to light as Evelyn reminisces about the cold dinners, early mornings following a sleepless night and those unforgettable people (such as Mrs. Peters with her temper and the piano playing Mrs. Harrison). After years of hard work and dedication I am sure that it was both a joy and a delight for the author to recount her years as a Matron, at last!
This is a brilliant book that I found incredibly hard to put down, because it was such fun to read. I found it totally absorbing finding out about her job as a Matron, with her different and wonderful patients and the home’s staff. I would recommend this to all those who work within the care and medical industry, whether that is a care or nursing home or a hospital, as I think that you will be hard pressed to find anything more entertaining nor accurately correct ‘strait from the horses mouth’ figuratively speaking. But you do not have to work within a nursing industry to appreciate and enjoy Evelyn’s story, as it is one that captivated me right from the very beginning. I am thrilled about the up coming release of ‘Matron in charge’ that is coming soon to a bookstore near you, and whilst I sit here with much anticipation and excitement I shall be rereading this book one more time. If I could give Evelyn Prentis a pat on the back then I would for it is memoirs like this that inspire, fascinate and enthuse many nurses or aspiring nurses today. For it is those real stories that are so important being the ones that tell it as it is, letting the reader glimpse a part of something that is very special.
Evelyn Prentis is a writer who tells it like it is with such honesty and candor, as to enthrall and fascinate so many readers about her life as a nurse. Matron at Last is her latest work in a series of books, which capture her life as a newly qualified nurse working up the career ladder to more senior roles and eventually Matron. Her story began with her debut release ‘a nurse in time’ about her story as a freshly qualified nurse, alongside the retelling of her trainee years in 1934. ‘A nurse in action’ is an account of her years as a staff-nurse, with the sequel ‘a nurse and mother’ another fantastic edition to add to the collection. Continuing her story during and beyond the Second World War, Evelyn’s work spans the majority of her interesting and remarkable career. After working as a nurse for thirty years she then decides to take a full-time Matron post at The Lodge, which was a home for elderly ladies of reduced circumstances. Her job surprisingly differed from that of the stereotypical hospital ward Matron, as her new role allowed her to make a real difference to those patients’ lives under her care. The ups and downs of the job are brought to light as Evelyn reminisces about the cold dinners, early mornings following a sleepless night and those unforgettable people (such as Mrs. Peters with her temper and the piano playing Mrs. Harrison). After years of hard work and dedication I am sure that it was both a joy and a delight for the author to recount her years as a Matron, at last!
This is a brilliant book that I found incredibly hard to put down, because it was such fun to read. I found it totally absorbing finding out about her job as a Matron, with her different and wonderful patients and the home’s staff. I would recommend this to all those who work within the care and medical industry, whether that is a care or nursing home or a hospital, as I think that you will be hard pressed to find anything more entertaining nor accurately correct ‘strait from the horses mouth’ figuratively speaking. But you do not have to work within a nursing industry to appreciate and enjoy Evelyn’s story, as it is one that captivated me right from the very beginning. I am thrilled about the up coming release of ‘Matron in charge’ that is coming soon to a bookstore near you, and whilst I sit here with much anticipation and excitement I shall be rereading this book one more time. If I could give Evelyn Prentis a pat on the back then I would for it is memoirs like this that inspire, fascinate and enthuse many nurses or aspiring nurses today. For it is those real stories that are so important being the ones that tell it as it is, letting the reader glimpse a part of something that is very special.
May 31, 2015
A pleasant story about a semi-retired matron and her elderly charges. Amusing anecdotes about the particular ladies which display the kind heart and dedication of the author.
February 8, 2023
I enjoyed this more than the earlier books in the series as it had more humour and personal stories.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews