I have always been interested in the Outer Hebrides Islands so when I saw this book I grabbed it. “Call The Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle” by Mary J. MacLeod tells a tale of an English family going to live on a remote Hebrides Island. MacLeod gave the island a fictional name to protect the privacy of the Island and its people. She called the island Papavray.The author states her husband’s grandfather was born and raised on the island but left as a young man to find work. They decided to return to the island to live in 1969 after her two older children had left home and only the two teenage boys were left to care for. She worked as a nurse and her husband found contract work as an electrician and electronics technician.The author’s description of the island, their way of life and medical problems is a reminder of a vanishing way of life. She describes the land and seascape in vivid and glowing terms. The description of the wild rugged island is super. The island being far north, her description of the Northern lights was magnificent. I loved her tales of island lore. Gaelic is the native language but the people also spoken English; therefore she used a lot of old Scottish words as they were used on the island. Thank goodness Kindle has a dictionary build it; I used it frequently while reading the book.The book is well written. Macleod has kept the chapters short and fast moving. She has done an excellent job capturing the nuances of island life. On the Nursing side she traced many stories across the seasons of a year, from births to deaths, survival and tragedy. The author also provides us with some humor in the story. I am left with a feeling of wanting to go visit the Inner and Outer Hebrides for a different type of vacation. It is a wonderful memoir to read. I used whispersync ( for one section only) with this e-book on the Kindle app for my iPad. I loved it!! I loved the descriptions of the land, though I could use some visual helps. Being a nurse, and having just been to Scotland made it all awe-inspiring. Sad and funny and quaint and thrilling. I admire the "idyllic" life but know I could never do it. She also dealt with the never-ending plight of which is better: leave older ones in a home they love and are happy, but unsafe? or move them to where they are miserable but safer?I would happily reread b/c I still don't have all the characters straight and the stories are ones you could hear over and over.
What do You think about The Island Nurse (2012)?
Wholesome read about a different kind of visiting nurse.
—akshay786
Fun to read but not fabulous. 3.5 stars would do it
—noos
I want to be a nurse on a remote Scottish isle.
—hinkbig
Like it like I like all island-living stories.
—evielouise
