Cherry Ames, Clinic Nurse

Cherry Ames #13

by Julie Tatham, Helen Wells (creator)

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Juvenile, Childrens

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Julie Campbell Tatham
aka
Julie Campbell, Julie Tatham and Julie C. Tatham

Julie Tatham, née Campbell, took over the writing of the Cherry Ames series after World War II and repositioned Cherry as the heroine of a peacetime mystery series.

Tatham worked as the assistant society editor of the New York Evening Post before marrying Charles Tatham, though she later returned to the newspaper.

Subsequently, she worked as a secretary, a hotel hostess, and the head of her own literary agency. She wrote both the Trixie Belden and Ginny Gordon series, under the name Julie Campbell, eventually becoming a full-time writer.

Both those series were for younger readers; Trixie was especially successful, and was continued by ghostwriters long after Tatham left the series. Trixie is still popular today; the books are being reissued.

Tatham also wrote for adults, especially on Christian Science.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because it fits the time period requirement for this class. It was an okay book, but I thought it was too predictable (I know, Sister Soper, it's a YA book, I should be ahead of them) and I didn't find myself all that motivated to keep reading. It took me multiple sitting. The characters were too cheesy (I could never figure out if Cherry was acting dumb or if she just had stupid tendencies), and it seemed pretty goofy. Cherry's detective techniques drove me bonkers because it seemed to have no real logic behind what she decided to share or not share. I'm not even sure how she drew some of her conclusions. It was bizarre.

However, it's clean, it's simple, and appropriate for young readers. That's for sure. It's not something I would recommend to any mature reader or adult, but I would probably recommend it to any young girl wanting to pursue a career in the medical field. I found it to be an uninteresting read and it took me all weekend, but someone with interested in this kind of subject might get through it faster. It's definitely a book for young readers.

Warnings: None (except that Wilks isn't looking at the clipboard!)

[erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i believe after reading this book you will love it! it has suspense and mystery! a great family favourite!

[Brit Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got excited when I saw the cover art, and the inside picture. It reminded me of the Nancy Drew books I read in my youth, stylistically. Additionally, it was an out of time period book which can always be interesting books, and I was hoping for a little slice of life from another era. In a way, I got what I wanted, but not quite. The slice of life was acquired, but it was an idyllic such, clearly presenting an unrealistic individual who was just too perfect. It felt like I was being a bit brainwashed. I can only imagine what those novels did to the youth of that time, where that was a cultural expectation. Some parts did bring me back to the oldest of the Nancy Drew Books, but in a far worse way.

The plot of this one is that Cherry, back in her hometown is helping at a local clinic. On her eayh home from work, she is kidnapped by criminals. I say kidnapped, but more accurately, a stranger cliaims to be a famous doctor who was coming to time ,and tells her to get in the car. Obediently, she complies. Threatened at gunpoint, she then assists with a surgery. (After being a total pansy about walking blindfolded, for some reason she's physically weakened. Seriously. Three pages of that) When its over, they blindfold her again to let her go. While they are explaining where she should go to get home, she foolishly tells them she isn't going to go home ,she's going to go to the police! To their faces.

Luckily, they have as little respect for her opinion as she does, and tell her no one will believe her and still let her go instead of killing her on the spot. This was the first time I had to put the book down and come back to it later. Some parts were just painful like that. I didn't get very far though. When she gets back to clinic, she comes in (still dirty) and tries to tell the youngest doctor what happened, he suggests to her that she dreamed it, and that she should calm down. At the end of the chapter, she THINKS ITS A DREAM TOO. Luckily, she doesn't When they go to investiage its truth or not, he continues to insist she was just dreaming. Then when she finds substantial evidence? She hides it instead of sharing it. Cue her doing things by herself, and evnetually finding the mysterious place she went to blindfolded and leading herself to accidentally leading to saving herself after she does a heroic thing in a less than intelligent matter.

I grew frustrated at the social propaganda in the novel. Characterizations are flat, and it largely feels like a cheap shot at trying to make a heroine while still firmly drawing the lines between male and female roles. The only dynamic character in the book, Midge, is made fun of constantly for that spirit, even though she is, in the end, valuable. The gender role effects were stifling, and the characters largely cheesy. Side characters were more engaging than main characters. At one point, fawning over her baking, young Wilk (they actually refer to him that way, in text) says he'd like to marry Cherry. I thought he was serious, even after her father makes a joke about it. That's the sort of air the book has. But, the mystery was something I'd never read before at least!

Warnings:
Violence: Gunplay, non-graphic surgery, Kidnapping.
Language: None particularly strong enough to mention.
Sex: Nothing.
Drugs: Nothing illegal.
Rock and Roll: Just a play no one takes seriously.
Other: Cheesy, and somewhat painful naivete. Not a good read for feminists, or the impressionable youth.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Oh me, oh my!"
Cherry Ames is a beautiful young nurse with curly dark hair and rosy cheeks. She is good and smart and sincere and loves solving mysteries in her crisply-starched uniform.
In this exciting adventure, a young diabetic newspaper editor is determined to find the man who may have caused his diabetes by hitting the back of his head. Cherry is KIDNAPED! early in the story, but the handsome doctor Wilk thinks her pretty little brain is just overworked. But Cherry won't give up until the mystery is solved, and of course she helps needy patients at every turn.

1952! My mom was born in '56, so it is really hard to wrap my mind around. The book was sexist and not all at once. The characters say some things that make me go "gasp" in an offended-type way, but then the book sometimes suggests that it was unreasonable of the character to make that statement. I won't be reading any more of this series, but it was interesting anyway.

[Haylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the first Cherry Ames book I have ever read, it was quite a fascinating experience to read. It wasn't completely dull to read, but rather a complete surprise. I had thought it would be all about a woman named Cherry who had troubles being a clinic nurse and how she overcame them. I was happily surprised to find that it was somewhat of a mystery to find out why she had been kidnapped. I felt that she was a proper young woman who wanted to help everyone. Although this is ideal, did she really have any faults. Major ones that is? I thought for sure that she and Dr. Wilk would have something going on, but maybe because of the time period it was written in, love was not so important to be portrayed in the Cherry Ames series.

Warning: If you are a girl, don't go looking for trouble like Cherry Ames did, unless you have a body guard.

[Nicole Modugno · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was ridiculous. I had to read this book for my young adult class. Typical of the 1950s, Cherry is a suppressed and dismissed woman. She accepts the way the doctor and men in general treat her, and it drove me nuts. The kidnap was somewhat entertaining, but then went back to being ridiculously aggravating when the doctor convinces Cherry that the whole thing was a dream.

The fact that this book was written by a woman is simply humiliating. I wonder if Tatham is laughing at this dim-witted woman of the 1950s, or if she honestly believed a woman should believe so little in herself. I would recommend reading this in quick spurts because it is a quick read and it's too patronizing to read all the way through once.

I would suggest this book to anyone interested in the 1950s society or supression of women's opinions.

Warnings:
None...a little suspense and guns.

[Chelsea Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a classical book that was written in 1952. The Cherry Ames series follows a girl in her many different jobs as a nurse. There is mystery and crime riddled throughout this specific book and for a book written before my time, it is not all that bad of a book.
When I started to read this I went in with a bad attitude because I heard that books like this were cheesy and unsatisfying. I have to admit I probably won't go and pick up another Cherry Ames again, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was a bad book. The story was still good and you got to know the characters and their stories. I do have to admit the dialogue is very cheesy at times and the main protagonist is way to innocent for my taste, but it was not all that bad.
Warnings:
There is not much swearing, violence, drugs, sex or rock and roll of any kind in this book.

[Amanda Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wonderfully awful :) What surprises me most about this book, was that this was the 13th book in the series!!!!!! How many of these books are there-does Cherry ever die? Of course not-she just may be invincible. This book will leave you on your toes, and oh me oh my is this a page turner, if the chapters (A Troubled Patient, A Possible Clue, A concrete Clue, Wilk Makes a Diagnosis,etc.) don't make you want to read this book, then a passage from the first paragraph will [insert humor here],"It was a hot June morning and she hoped that her stiffly starched white uniform wouldn't wilt before she reached the clinic". I would defiantly recommend this book to absolutely....no one.

WARNINGS

NONE!!!!!!

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I could think while reading this book was, "Poor Cherry." She is criticized by her peers, made to believe she is imagining things, and doubted just because she is a woman. She even doubts herself. I picked this book because it reminded me of the Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon books from my childhood. Cherry does not compare with either one of those fine ladies. Though she does work to solve a mystery as both Trixie and Nancy do, her lack of self-confidence throughout the process is a little too disheartening for me.
I would recommend this book to someone in need of a good ego boost. After reading about all of Cherry Ame's doubts, one would be sure to never doubt oneself again.
Warnings: None

[Sara Fitzhugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drugs: No
Sex: No
Rock and Roll: I guess if you think getting kidnapped is rock and roll
Language: Oh me, oh my.....no
Violence: Some

I chose this book because I needed to read a book that was written before or during the 1960's. Overall, it was what I expected, it was corny and silly. But honestly, I kind of liked it. I liked that it was just a good read, you don't find those often these days. It did take me longer to read than other books because it wasn't very fast paced. It was a good story line, and I think it would be interesting to see an author today rework it into something that teens today would read. Overall, I'd recommend it, but I'd have to be sure on the audience I would recommend it to just because I think only a specific audience would enjoy this book.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gag me with a spoon! This was just awful... Makes me soooo glad I didn't live in this era. Something tells me I would have loved this book in elementary school when I was into Encyclopedia Brown and The Boxcar Children. Now, however, the pathetic mystery the unbelievably stilted dialogue were unbearable. Cherry was far too perfect; she always knew what to do about everything, which I believe is truly awful characterization. I'm glad to be done with this book, and I will never read another as long as I live. Oh the drama! Gag... (And it's "kidnapped", not "kidnaped"! Two P's!)

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to beat my head into the wall, repeatedly. I really hope this wasn’t what life was like. Cherry Ames is too perfect for words, and has no real depth, I felt like she was constantly undermined by Wilk. I would classify this book as sexism trying to be classy, because it wasn’t huge section of rant, but little comments here and there.
The thing I learnt from this novel, is to be glad I live now and not then, cause I would have gone crazy.

Alcohol/ Drugs- None.
Sex- No.
Violence- No.
Swearing- No.

[Savannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

HAHA! Oh please. This is hilariously fantastic in the sense that it makes you glad you don't live in an era like this. Feeling down? pick up this book and live a day in the life of sweet...dumb...beautiful airhead of Cherry Ames. What a real heroine.... (that was sarcastic) Still i found myself enjoying it just out of sheer disgust. What can i say? i love the book on the sole purpose to hate it.

watch out for these warnings now---

sex- no
language- no! OH ME! OH MY!
drugs- no
violence- i mean...there is a kidnapping! OH DEARRR!

[Chandler Bowen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this book mainly because my mother is a nurse and I thought it would be funny to read Cherry Ames. I rated this book 3 stars because I felt it was a little slow and it took me some time to get into the plot.

I would recommend this to students 14 and up. Female students would most likely prefer this book over male students.

Warnings:
Kidnapping
Some violence and blood (Duh! She is a nurse)
Language- None
Really this is a pretty tame book for students to read. It was written in the 50's so there isn't going to be too much of anything bad.

[Betty]

It has been a long time since I have seen this series. I don't think I have read this book, but the series was a favorite in high school. It help convince me to take medical classes in college. The way women were portray in it, is the way women were considered. Nursing was one of the few occupations open to woman.

[wanderer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, how I longed to be Cherry Ames. I’m still shocked I didn’t become a nurse, just because of her.

If I had girls, I'd buy these books for them. Cherry Ames was smart and hardworking and she didn't go all googly over every guy that passed.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the description I thought I'd love this book. It was predictable but kept me entertained as long as I didn't read it for too long. Very stereotypical and if Barbie was a novel this would be it. Good read for a laugh. Reminds you how lucky you are to live in this time.

Warnings: None.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed these books as a kid and am enjoying them again as an adult. Like the adventures that Cherry has. Looking forward to rest of the series.

[Molly S · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun, yet again! Cherry solves yet another mystery!

[Catie · Rating 3 out of 5]

""I've never worked anywhere where there were enough nurses to go around.'" - Cherry Ames

[Nancye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found a bookstore that had some Cherry Ames books, so I was able to add 3 to my collection. This is the first one I finished. I love that she always finds a mystery and a way to solve it.

[Noelle Rohovit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was honestly a breath of fresh air for me. Well, everything except for the sexist part. I love that you really get transported back into that time period. I love, love LOVE the class that Cherry obviously has. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially ungrateful girls today. I think even someone like my great grandma would appreciate the flashback to her time.
As a future teacher, I would teach this lesson in the form of analyzation. It is obvious that Cherry is seen as a lesser because she’s a beautiful, female nurse. Phrases like, “Oh you’re just a nurse” or “Oh Cherry, you should be cooking at home” are all phrases that would not sit well with the average 21st century female. I would have my class, both males and females, analyze the perspective the book gives of women. I would then find modern books about women and have them read them and then compare the different perspectives of women. I think a class discussion would be fun, especially for my more extreme feminist students.

WARNINGS:
• Language: N/A
• Sex: N/A
• Drugs/alcohol: N/A
• Violence/Gore: N/A
• Rock & Roll: The only intense thing about this book is all the crap women had to deal with just because they were female. Oh, and I guess being kidnapped might be a little intense too.

[Zachery Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cherry Ames Clinic Nurse may not have been my first choice, but I think it perfectly encapsulates what many young girls in the fifties aspired to be. If anyone is into cheesy, "Oh Me, Oh My", stereotypical fifties America, then this is the book for them. The mystery element was very underwhelming, but I think the people who would love this book would also be more into the preppy nurse aspect of this book.
I think I would use this book in a classroom to give students an idea about what was popular in the fifties. I imagine it would be perfect exposure to pop culture. the students could compare this book with modern popular young adult novels with female protagonists. Just looking at Cherry Ames compared to Katniss from the Hunger Games, for example, would give students a look at how drastically young adult literature has changed.
Warnings
-Violence
-Rock & Roll (Kidnapped).

[Kiersha Bekker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really glad that I live in 2019 and not back in the 50's/60's. That's all I gotta say.
"Cherry Ames" was a little dorky and funny but it was a great sort-of mystery too. It was fun seeing Cherry go through clues and things and figure out what was going on. Wilk really annoyed me through most of the book, due to his constant dismissal of Cherry's words. The fact that almost no one would believe her and that everyone convinced her not to believe herself was irritating too. I'm glad I am not looked down on like that nowadays.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend this novel to anyone who wants to read a classic mystery or to those who want a good comedy.

CONTENT WARNING
*Violence
*Mild Language
*Mild medical talk

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story focusses almost entirely on mystery, and very little on nursing. It starts out with a bang when Cherry is kidnapped to assist a doctor with an operation. Once she is released, she is naturally determined to discover where she was taken, and who the villains were. But, in addition, she also comes up with a way for several of the clinic patients to help each other, thus providing them with the money they need to pay their bills. All extremely unbelievable, but still rather enjoyable.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mystery itself is a good one, but not for any of the reasons that made Cherry Ames such a compelling heroine to me when I was young. No real focus on her career, an absence of all of the female friendships that were so important in the early books, and Cherry herself has very little to do with solving the mystery.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun nursing mystery!

[Amber Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book, totally recommend it, 5 stars. Juvenile fiction but has an adult nurse main character who loves solving mysteries... Perfect for any age and a good, easy read. Couldn't put down.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting medical details, mystery not quite as interesting.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite in the series. The counterfeiting plot is overly complicated and the supporting characters less believable than usual.