AustLit

An 18 year-old Joan Alids, is orphaned by her father's death at sea. Forced to earn her own living and disinclined or unable to pursue the usual teaching occupations she gains entry as a nurse in a large city hospital. The matron, Miss Warner, considers her unsuitable for the position - too young and slight and impressionable; and even her kindly supervisor Nurse Walton has doubts. Strong evocations of the stress of being an outsider and unable to help in busy ward duties. Fever from overwork and mistreatment introduces her to a new roommate Mary Winton whom she comes to love. Together they begin to teach the ward maids to read. On a convalescent visit to the Winton farm she comes to love Mary's brother Tom and to see how deep the family's faith was compared to her own. The outbreak of war in Egypt and Mary's call home to nurse her mother prompt Joan to volunteer for the battlefront. She has to battle her matron, Miss Warner, to go, eventually resigning. She becomes engaged to Mary's brother Tom before she levaes but her love for Mary is troubled by Mary's grief for the clergyman she loved, Christian Conquest, who has gone over to the Roman Catholic faith. Joan's anger at his defection is calmed when she nurses him on his deathbed in Egypt - he too having volunteered as a priest there. After two months Joan returns to England to discover that Mary has died too ... the family saga concludes with marriages and prosperity. (PB)