Sagebrush Surgeon

by Florence Crannell Means

The young doctor washed his hands over and over, stuck them into the sterilized gloves, and held them stiffly before him while the nurse tied the surgeon’s gown across his broad back. The girl who lay waiting on the operating table was his first Navajo surgical patient. Her family, sitting on the hall floor, were pioneers in the unknown.

When Dr. Clarence Salsbury, his wife, and their son move to the Navajo reservation as medical missionaries, they are faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. The Salsburys quickly discover that they must not only work to construct a hospital, provide irrigation, and train Navajo nurses, but also overcome other obstacles such as isolation and cultural differences. Before they know it, what was intended to be a two-year mission turns into the work of a lifetime.

Faced with the daunting tasks ahead, the Salsbury family seeks the help of other missionaries, translators, and the Navajo People to realize their dream of bringing Christianity and modern medicine to the Navajo Nation.

126 pages

The Mission of The Good and the Beautiful Library
-To bring back wholesome, high-quality books that were previously hard or impossible to find
-To offer new, uplifting literature and clean-language versions of worthy classics
-Give parents a place to buy books that are always clean, uplifting, and of the highest value

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Read For School, School

126 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Florence Crannell Means was an American writer for children and young adults.

In 1946, her novel about Japanese internment, The Moved-Outers, won a Newbery Medal honor award and the Children's Book Award (now Josette Frank Award).

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[brenna {hiatus} · Rating 1 out of 5]

had to read this for school, was very much not my favorite assignment.

[Annabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very educational and inspiring, but if it weren’t assigned as homework I probably wouldn’t read it. 2.5 stars.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes books are equally interesting and boring at the same time. This book was both. I found the history during this time period to be fascinating, but somehow it managed to put me to sleep every night. Maybe I should have read this in the morning and not in the evening.

[Avery]

for school

[Adia · Rating 3 out of 5]

would not read of my own volition, but it was decent.

[Rory Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartwarming and intriguing

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ -School Read

I enjoyed the story of this book, however I didn’t like the writing style. I feel like if it had been written with more detail, focused more on one event instead of ten in every chapter, and wrote more clearly then I would have enjoyed it so much better.

[Chloe M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

While a mildly interesting story (and admirable on the side of the Salsburys!) I felt like the writing was lacking in much description or elements to keep readers engaged. Maybe it’s just a personal problem, but I don’t think this was the book for me. 🤷‍♀️

[Bella Rowell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this for school. Not my personal cup of tea but really interesting.

[Mary Dalman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring story on what two people can accomplish with God's blessing and decades of hard work