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Flower of the Nettle
Work had been her cure for sorrow
Ursula Craig had not always meant to be a nurse; once she had hoped to be a loving wife to Denis. But Denis had died, and Ursula had buried her broken heart in work. When Dr. Matthew Lingard, the hospital's new surgeon, arrived, he made clear his ideas about women who chose a career instead of marriage. But Matthew didn't know the facts.
Ursula's first experience with the famed surgeon had beenone of anger and annoyance. Her acquaintance with the medical doctor, began badly with misunderstanding and disagreement. After that, though they worked together professionally with harmony, their personal relationship seemed to have settled down to a level of slightly acid indifference. What interest could Ursula's problems hold for him anyway, when the newly widowed Averil Damon seemed to be enjoying all of his time and attention?
She soon began to realize, though, that herfeelings for him were changing - and Ursula suddenly realized that she wanted something very unlike indifference. But about beautiful Averil who was going to marry him?
Ursula Craig had not always meant to be a nurse; once she had hoped to be a loving wife to Denis. But Denis had died, and Ursula had buried her broken heart in work. When Dr. Matthew Lingard, the hospital's new surgeon, arrived, he made clear his ideas about women who chose a career instead of marriage. But Matthew didn't know the facts.
Ursula's first experience with the famed surgeon had beenone of anger and annoyance. Her acquaintance with the medical doctor, began badly with misunderstanding and disagreement. After that, though they worked together professionally with harmony, their personal relationship seemed to have settled down to a level of slightly acid indifference. What interest could Ursula's problems hold for him anyway, when the newly widowed Averil Damon seemed to be enjoying all of his time and attention?
She soon began to realize, though, that herfeelings for him were changing - and Ursula suddenly realized that she wanted something very unlike indifference. But about beautiful Averil who was going to marry him?
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
10 people want to read
About the author
Jane Arbor
103 books11 followersEileen Norah Murphy Owbridge was born on 8 September 1903 in Yeovil, Somerset, England, she lived in Preston, Sussex, England, and passed away on 4 February 1994 in Worthing, West Sussex.
Under the pseudonym Jane Arbor she wrote over 55 romance novel for Mills & Boon from 1948 to 1985. She started writing doctor-nurse romances, and many have been reedited with diferent titles, that included the words "nurse", "doctor" or "surgeon". Later, she focused her writing in foreign settings like the continental Europe, the Caribbean, Morocco...
Under the pseudonym Jane Arbor she wrote over 55 romance novel for Mills & Boon from 1948 to 1985. She started writing doctor-nurse romances, and many have been reedited with diferent titles, that included the words "nurse", "doctor" or "surgeon". Later, she focused her writing in foreign settings like the continental Europe, the Caribbean, Morocco...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 12, 2013
2 1/2 Stars ~ Ursula took up nursing when the young man she loved had been killed in war. Believing that her only consolation was hard work, she built her life around her career and advanced to ward nurse. Travelling to London on her vacation home, she shares her train compartment with two men who are commenting on a newspaper account of the shortage for nurses. The younger of the men, blames the ward nurses for their strictness as the cause for scaring away new recruits. Of course, Ursula can't keep quiet and she lets the men know that she is a ward nurse and that all nurses on a ward must work in harmony or it won't work at all, and this can only be achieved with discipline so that each crisis could be handled with quickest of responses. Later Ursula discovers that the younger man, Mathew, is the new orthopedic surgeon at her hospital and that they'll be working closely together. Circumstances keep putting them together, and Ursula falls in love with him, only she thinks Mathew holds only contempt for her. He sees her only as a career nurse who hasn't the least bit of interest in a personal life.
This story was written in the 50's and is clearly dated in to that time. Ursula, should she find love again, would have no qualms of making marriage and motherhood her life. Mathew has strong opinions but he doesn't hesitate to admit when he's wrong. With Ursula, he's hardened because while she's the angel of her ward and well loved, he believes she's ambitious. These two spark easily, but neither see that sparking as anything but mutual dislike. When Ursula realizes she loves him, she's also sure that he loves someone else. And Mathew learns that Ursula has only had unselfish motives for her past actions that he'd deemed purely self serving.
It took me the first few chapters to get used to Ms. Arbor's voice and really warm up to the characters. I was surprised that in this 50's written story, we are actually given a few moments of Mathew's reflections. Without these rare glimpses, he was a hard character to like. While often the older Harlequins read somewhat like an historical romance, this one was harder to read that way. Perhaps in it's day this was a huge hit, today I found it rather just a pleasant hour of reading.
This story was written in the 50's and is clearly dated in to that time. Ursula, should she find love again, would have no qualms of making marriage and motherhood her life. Mathew has strong opinions but he doesn't hesitate to admit when he's wrong. With Ursula, he's hardened because while she's the angel of her ward and well loved, he believes she's ambitious. These two spark easily, but neither see that sparking as anything but mutual dislike. When Ursula realizes she loves him, she's also sure that he loves someone else. And Mathew learns that Ursula has only had unselfish motives for her past actions that he'd deemed purely self serving.
It took me the first few chapters to get used to Ms. Arbor's voice and really warm up to the characters. I was surprised that in this 50's written story, we are actually given a few moments of Mathew's reflections. Without these rare glimpses, he was a hard character to like. While often the older Harlequins read somewhat like an historical romance, this one was harder to read that way. Perhaps in it's day this was a huge hit, today I found it rather just a pleasant hour of reading.
July 8, 2023
Did I read this one? Really? I barely remember it, which is not a good sign -- but all right, after some Googling around, I remember enough to confirm that I read it and it was fine. Our heroine Ursula turned to nursing after her first love died and has climbed the ranks and learned to love her career, although it is definitely a second-best to happy marriage in her mind. She ends up arguing on the train with a guy who is talking about how ward nurses are too strict and keep young women from wanting to do the job, and then he turns out to be the new hire at her hospital! They have to work together and end up grudgingly respecting each other, although he dislikes her because he thinks she's a Hard Career Woman and she dislikes him because he's always misjudging her. There are various shenanigans with Ursula's family -- her younger step-sister (?) is throwing herself at the doctor, plus there's an Other Woman who is the doctor's widowed sister-in-law, but eventually it does work out. I liked it enough to finish it but not enough to keep a copy in my collection.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews