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Cherry Ames #8
Cherry Ames, Visiting Nurse
Cherry reunites with her old Spencer classmates--Gwen, Bertha, Josie, Vivian, and Mai Lee--when they all decide to take an apartment together in New York City, and work for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Greenwich Village is a far cry from Hilton, Illinois, and farm-raised Bertha is ready to mutiny when she tries to cook in their tiny kitchen. Assigned to a specific neighborhood, Cherry marvels at the many countries her patients come from--and is determined to resolve the loneliness of a few of them by having them all meet at an "Around the World" Dinner at the local settlement house. But who is the mysterious woman who lives in the Victorian mansion at the center of his district? Why hasn't she been seen by anyone in the past 18 years?
Springer Publishing Company is delighted to be bringing Helen Wells's beloved heroine back into print for a new generation of younger readers (as well as a host of nostalgic older ones). The books are available as beautifully rendered facsimile hardcover editions and in boxed sets of four.
Springer Publishing Company is delighted to be bringing Helen Wells's beloved heroine back into print for a new generation of younger readers (as well as a host of nostalgic older ones). The books are available as beautifully rendered facsimile hardcover editions and in boxed sets of four.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 1946
5 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Helen Wells
112 books75 followersOriginal name: Helen Weinstock. Social worker turned full-time young adult writer, born in Illinois but moved with family to New York City when she was seven. In 1934 Wells graduated from New York University [where she'd been the first female editor of the literary quarterly], with a major in philosophy and a minor in sociology and psychology.
During World War II, she served as a volunteer with the State Department's Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, escorting Latin American visitors in the United States.
Author of Cherry Ames, Nurse books, a series for young teens.
She was also the author of the Vicki Barr books, about a young mystery-solving flight attendant. And, as Francine Lewis, she penned the short-lived Polly French series (1950s), aimed at a younger readership.
After writing the first eight books of the Cherry Ames series and the first three Vicki Barr books, Wells decided to abandon both series to write for television and radio, and Julie Tatham took over (however, both the ninth Cherry Ames book and the fourth Vicki Barr book were published under Wells's name). Tatham later returned the Vicki Barr books to Wells in 1953 and the Cherry Ames books in 1955.
During World War II, she served as a volunteer with the State Department's Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, escorting Latin American visitors in the United States.
Author of Cherry Ames, Nurse books, a series for young teens.
She was also the author of the Vicki Barr books, about a young mystery-solving flight attendant. And, as Francine Lewis, she penned the short-lived Polly French series (1950s), aimed at a younger readership.
After writing the first eight books of the Cherry Ames series and the first three Vicki Barr books, Wells decided to abandon both series to write for television and radio, and Julie Tatham took over (however, both the ninth Cherry Ames book and the fourth Vicki Barr book were published under Wells's name). Tatham later returned the Vicki Barr books to Wells in 1953 and the Cherry Ames books in 1955.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 25, 2022
The mystery is totally perfunctory, necessary for publication I suppose but not what’s going on. The books remain noteworthy for their depiction of a delightful working woman who is energized by and satisfied with her career and her friendships with other women, with the obligatory boyfriend in the background. I don’t think I read this one when I was a child, but if I had, I’m sure I would have been captivated by midwestern Cherry’s encounters with the diversity that is post war Greenwich Village. Expanding horizons.
September 11, 2024
Cherry and the Spencer Club all get jobs in Greenwich Village. The first 4 chapters are the girls getting settled into their shabby rental house. As usual, Cherry is the positive peacemaker of the group. I liked the showcase of NYCs diverse communities. There is a mystery involving a reclusive lady in a Victorian mansion. Cherry gets a surprise visit from Wade and there is a Christmas party at the end. I enjoyed the social work services Cherry provided in her district. Sweet story with lovable characters!
March 27, 2018
Wonderful nostalgia.
July 10, 2015
When I was a child, I read Cherry Ames books and wanted to be a nurse. My mother objected to this-- why don't you want to be a doctor?-- seeing it as unfeminist. As a result, I remembered the Cherry Ames books as being unfeminist.
But reading this old volume, set in the 1950s, I see how they were a big step for young women. These books showed young women leaving home, taking on a career, even moving to the big city; dealing with issues (such as landlords, janitors, and transport) on their own; interacting with other women about work; being respected for the work they do; and feeling that their work was important, even as important as the men in their lives!
Cherry and her friends got to the big city and take an apartment in Greenwich Village, having been accepted to work for the Visiting Nurse Association. They are professional, caring, and independent young women, who also are social and even have beaux (at least some of them). Their jobs demand a lot of mental and physical energy and work from them, and they enjoy their work. In fact, Cherry hooks her love interest, Wade, who appears on a trip to the city after several months, into helping her with several projects and hanging out with her friends, though as he points out he really would consider spending every moment with her, just her, the pinnacle of his trip! :) (Cherry's father wonders why Cherry won't just stay at home, but her mother supports her in working.)
The interesting details of (sanitized) Visiting Nurse work in the 1950s add a little spice. This series is absolutely recruiting propaganda for various types of nursing (nobody dies in Cherry's care in her 3 months as a visiting nurse as far as we can tell, and there are no bugs), and I can see it would have worked. There's a lot of paternalism here-- the settlement house, the visiting nurse association telling people how they can help themselves-- and yet the VNA and the settlement houses did help people, and Cherry and her cohorts are depicted acting the way we want social services to act now towards the elderly, sick and lonely.
Are there stereotypes? Absolutely. The kind grocer who worries about the lonely shut in in the district and whose wife is always trying to feed Cherry? Jewish. The policeman? Irish. Are there any blacks? No. One of Cherry's classmates is Chinese-American, but that's as far as it goes. This is a period piece, whitewashed and sanitized; and yet it is, for its period, quite progressive. Compare it with, say, Call the Midwife and you'll see the bones, I think. So, 4 stars for effort in its period.
But reading this old volume, set in the 1950s, I see how they were a big step for young women. These books showed young women leaving home, taking on a career, even moving to the big city; dealing with issues (such as landlords, janitors, and transport) on their own; interacting with other women about work; being respected for the work they do; and feeling that their work was important, even as important as the men in their lives!
Cherry and her friends got to the big city and take an apartment in Greenwich Village, having been accepted to work for the Visiting Nurse Association. They are professional, caring, and independent young women, who also are social and even have beaux (at least some of them). Their jobs demand a lot of mental and physical energy and work from them, and they enjoy their work. In fact, Cherry hooks her love interest, Wade, who appears on a trip to the city after several months, into helping her with several projects and hanging out with her friends, though as he points out he really would consider spending every moment with her, just her, the pinnacle of his trip! :) (Cherry's father wonders why Cherry won't just stay at home, but her mother supports her in working.)
The interesting details of (sanitized) Visiting Nurse work in the 1950s add a little spice. This series is absolutely recruiting propaganda for various types of nursing (nobody dies in Cherry's care in her 3 months as a visiting nurse as far as we can tell, and there are no bugs), and I can see it would have worked. There's a lot of paternalism here-- the settlement house, the visiting nurse association telling people how they can help themselves-- and yet the VNA and the settlement houses did help people, and Cherry and her cohorts are depicted acting the way we want social services to act now towards the elderly, sick and lonely.
Are there stereotypes? Absolutely. The kind grocer who worries about the lonely shut in in the district and whose wife is always trying to feed Cherry? Jewish. The policeman? Irish. Are there any blacks? No. One of Cherry's classmates is Chinese-American, but that's as far as it goes. This is a period piece, whitewashed and sanitized; and yet it is, for its period, quite progressive. Compare it with, say, Call the Midwife and you'll see the bones, I think. So, 4 stars for effort in its period.
July 18, 2018
Cherry Ames, Visiting Nurse by Helen Wells in the eighth book in the Cherry Ames series.
The first half of the book was cute, and I enjoyed reading it. I thought it was fun how all the Spencer girls were living together and I liked reading about their adventures with decorating their apartment. However, the second half which mostly involved the mystery was awful. The mystery was rushed and boring, and the conclusion was only on the last two pages. It left me with a bad impression of the book and overshadowed the good parts.
2.5 stars out of 5.
The first half of the book was cute, and I enjoyed reading it. I thought it was fun how all the Spencer girls were living together and I liked reading about their adventures with decorating their apartment. However, the second half which mostly involved the mystery was awful. The mystery was rushed and boring, and the conclusion was only on the last two pages. It left me with a bad impression of the book and overshadowed the good parts.
2.5 stars out of 5.
January 17, 2016
Cherry's brother is going to engineering school. Her friend Dr. Joe is not well. Nancy gets a visiting nurse's job in Greenwich Village and has some difficulty in adjusting to the different environment. Some of the other girls from Spencer are there and they all live together, although the place they live is is not really great and the janitor is very nasty.
They are also working in a very poor part of the town so their job is quite difficult. Then there's the mystery of a woman who has lived in a house for 18 years without ever seeming to leave the house for anything. Kids make fun of her and no one seems to know what her story is.
Cherry, though, gets to find out what the truth is about the woman and works to get her to overcome her problems and finally take her place in society. It's a very good story, and somewhat sad in parts.
They are also working in a very poor part of the town so their job is quite difficult. Then there's the mystery of a woman who has lived in a house for 18 years without ever seeming to leave the house for anything. Kids make fun of her and no one seems to know what her story is.
Cherry, though, gets to find out what the truth is about the woman and works to get her to overcome her problems and finally take her place in society. It's a very good story, and somewhat sad in parts.
November 15, 2016
This time Cherry moves to New York with her nurse friends to try her hand at being a visiting nurse. It felt very much like "Call the Midwife," each nurse having their own area to cover, a home base where the nurses report to, and bringing the medical care to others' homes rather than to a clinic or hospital. The mystery in this one is a woman who has stayed in her home for almost two decades, seeing and speaking to no one in all that time. We also get to see an old love interest of Cherry's return. I wonder if anything will come of that later...
January 5, 2013
Cherry joins several of her nursing friends in renting an apartment in Greenwich Village. As is obvious from the title, she is a visiting nurse. It was fascinating learning about nursing and social work from that time. And the people were poor but self sufficient. Naturally, Cherry comes in and changes everyone's life. Heartwarming and simple story.
October 6, 2013
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.
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.
August 29, 2015
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.
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March 24, 2016Really good!
May 3, 2016
Set in New York City in the 1940s with plenty of familiar, favorite characters, intrigue, and highlighting another facet of nursing, this was my 2nd favorite in the series so far.
September 8, 2023
This is one of the better later Cherry Ames novels and it provides a touchstone for much of the rest of the series. Cherry and five of her friends from Spencer all move to NYC to become part of the Visiting Nurse Service. They have issues with the sort of rundown apartment that Gwen rented sight unseen and spend much of the volume painting both walls and furniture and other redecorating. Then they try to avoid the janitor who wants them evicted for making changes without consulting the landlord. Luckily, the landlord is a friend of their married friend Ann, who introduces them to the landlord and a wonderful local Italian restaurant. Both Capt. Wade Cooper and Dr. Lex Upham appear towards the end, to see the apartment and Cherry--and glare at each other
On the medical plot side, Cherry learns about being a visiting nurse and eventually gets her own district. There are multiple patients that are focused on, Miss Gregory, who lives in a Victorian home and hasn't been seen in years; Miss Emily Culver, an older woman with few funds, but an eye for beauty; and Gustave Perrson, an elderly Swedish immigrant with a heart issue, made worse because can no longer do building work. Cherry befriends them all, and learns about the loneliness endemic in the big city. She eventually works with a local settlement house to bring people together: Miss Emily shows an affinity for painting, Uncle Gustave teaches boys how to use tools in the shop, and Miss Gregory finally admits to Cherry about her sad life and fear of leaving the house. Cherry locates a lifelong friend of hers and contacts her and her daughter, bringing happiness to them all.
On the medical plot side, Cherry learns about being a visiting nurse and eventually gets her own district. There are multiple patients that are focused on, Miss Gregory, who lives in a Victorian home and hasn't been seen in years; Miss Emily Culver, an older woman with few funds, but an eye for beauty; and Gustave Perrson, an elderly Swedish immigrant with a heart issue, made worse because can no longer do building work. Cherry befriends them all, and learns about the loneliness endemic in the big city. She eventually works with a local settlement house to bring people together: Miss Emily shows an affinity for painting, Uncle Gustave teaches boys how to use tools in the shop, and Miss Gregory finally admits to Cherry about her sad life and fear of leaving the house. Cherry locates a lifelong friend of hers and contacts her and her daughter, bringing happiness to them all.
September 30, 2024
An entertaining and fun slice of life from the late 1940s. I know my mother read this series as a child, and it may have been part of the reason she became a nurse. It was also likely a fairly radical concept as these women were in an organisation run by women, and the work required skill, intelligence, bravery and stamina. Also pleasantly missing was the rescuing male. These women are definitely not damsels in distress!
As much as I enjoyed the view of Greenwich Village as an exotic and affordable place to live, there were some troubling signs of the times in the book. First, none of the patients served by the nurses, nor any of the nurses were black. There were an assortment of European immigrants and references to some Chinese immigrants but nary a single black person. And the clearly Jewish immigrant family who were described as studying Hebrew and sharing Jewish history were served their guest meat immediately after she started eating cheese. Oops!
Overall a good read and peek into a former time where social services were abundant thanks to the New Deal, and New York was someplace newly minted public health nurses could afford to live.
As much as I enjoyed the view of Greenwich Village as an exotic and affordable place to live, there were some troubling signs of the times in the book. First, none of the patients served by the nurses, nor any of the nurses were black. There were an assortment of European immigrants and references to some Chinese immigrants but nary a single black person. And the clearly Jewish immigrant family who were described as studying Hebrew and sharing Jewish history were served their guest meat immediately after she started eating cheese. Oops!
Overall a good read and peek into a former time where social services were abundant thanks to the New Deal, and New York was someplace newly minted public health nurses could afford to live.
April 14, 2023
Book #8 - This is definitely my favorite book of the series - so far. This story finds our heroine (and the Spencer Club) moving to NYC to work with the Visiting Nurses. In addition to renovating their apartment, the Club, after a probationary period, get assigned their own districts. Things get interesting when Cherry stumbles across what appears to be a vacant mansion only to learn from various sources in her district that the mansion isn't vacant. In addition to solving this mystery, she manages to get in her nursing duties and transform a lonely district into a caring neighborhood.
June 5, 2018
My mother and older sister are both nurses, so whenever I would stumble on Cherry Ames books I would always try to read them. Helen Wells did well in showing the work that nurses do and the duties that they have. In spite of its being a children's book, however, the reality and importance of nursing is still recognized. In this book Cherry is a visiting nurse, and was instrumental in helping a social outcast regain trust in society once more.
April 20, 2020
Probably 3.5 stars. In New York with several of her nursing school classmates, Cherry becomes a visiting nurse. As such she is able to help many who need it, and also comes up with an idea to encourage neighbors to meet and mix, despite different ethnicities. As usual, she also discovers a mystery, but this time it is not particularly dangerous. This story provides an interesting look at life some seventy years ago.
January 17, 2018
enjoyable fast light read
July 12, 2019
Lots of fun!
October 23, 2020
I loved the Cherry Ames books as a kid. 50 years later I still enjoy them.. Cherry has spunk, intelligence and a determination to live life to the fullest. She is a role model even for modern kids.
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January 21, 2021A nice, pleasant...nice read...very...nice...did i mention it was nice?...it was!
April 5, 2021
Not as good as earlier ones in the series but better than the previous one. They are starting to feel contrived.
April 15, 2023
Better than I thought I was going to be
December 1, 2024
Such a quaint and cozy series! The writing style and plots are so unique and I quite enjoy reading them. Especially sweet since my grandmother read these when she was a girl! 🥰
December 4, 2024
Very generous with the score….hadn’t read it since I was about 11…a very old edition. Enjoyed rereading it & how different things are today. I have a couple more I may have to read too!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews