Sunday, July 17, 2011

Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott

Alcott’s short book provides a glimpse into the life of a Civil War hospital in Washington, DC from the viewpoint of nurse Periwinkle (Alcott herself) who came from the Boston area. It shows a contrast between the way various hospitals were run. I loved her descriptions of the towns as she was traveling through them in the early chapters of the book. Very descriptive; good writing. 4 stars.

1 comment:

Susan Bailey said...

This was the first book I read by Louisa May Alcott although I've been fascinated by her life since I was a child. I found her description of the soldier John especially poignant. She had an instinctive understanding of life and death even if she hadn't seen much of the world outside of New England. I blog regularly on Louisa at http://louisamayalcottismypassion.wordpress.com if you'd like to stop by for a visit. I've written some posts on Hospital Sketches and nursing during the Civil War.