Cherry Ames, Staff Nurse

Cherry Ames #23

by Helen Wells

When Cherry Ames learns that the new patient in her ward is using the proceeds from her deceased husband's life insurance to speculate in stock, she judges her foolish. And when the young woman explains the Pell Corporation investment program, Cherry suspects that her patient is being swindled. Even more serious, Peggy Wilmot is jeopardizing her health. For emotional tension over the delayed arrival of her weekly dividend check is retarding her recovery. But how can Cherry influence the headstrong young woman who seeks financial help from the wrong people? Find out the truth about the Pell Corporation, Cherry decides, and let the facts speak for themselves. Some of the vital questions to which Cherry must find the answers What are the Pell Corporation's actual operations as distinguished from the fantastic claims made in its impressive brochures? Is the mysterious Cleveland Pell really the financial wizard he claims to be? Busy with ward duty and a training program for teen-age junior volunteers at Hilton Hospital, Cherry does not have much time for another extracurricular task. But the plight of Peggy Wilmot is too serious to be ignored. What Cherry learns in the mysterious world of the "high finance" confidence game will surprise the reader as much as it does America's favorite nurse heroine.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Adventure

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1961

About the author

Original 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.

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one!!! the business side was interesting, as was the Jayvee volunteers at the hospital during WW2!

[Tweety · Rating 3 out of 5]

,Frankly, this was one of the dullest in the series. I enjoyed Cherry Ames Boarding School Nurse, Cherry Ames Veterans' Nurse, Cherry Ames, Rural Nurse, Cherry Ames, Country Doctor's Nurse and Cherry Ames Boarding School Nurse best.

Oh, and Cherry Ames, Dude Ranch Nurse.

[James Crawford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another rather disappointing story in the series as once again the mystery theme dominates the book and it's quite obvious who the main villain is almost from the beginning. There is a section about teenage volunteers working at the hospital which is good but the rest involves a woman with severe arthritis being fleeced by a crooked investor.

The Cherry Ames-oriented nature of the earlier volumes seems to become almost a Nancy Drew-type of story in the later volumes with many of the mysteries being rather obvious as to the nature of the villain.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love these mid-20th century books, with the perky, perfect heroine and all the old retro attitudes. Helps to make you appreciate life now so much better! Will probably be reading a few more of these "nurse propaganda" books just for the sheer enjoyment of looking at how nursing has changed. I suspect they will all be super-heavy on "Cherry solves another mystery and saves the world!" twist, but they are a fun Saturday morning diversion.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cherry becomes an expert in securities fraud. Dull.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book I read a long time ago...

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely don't remember this one from when I was growing up. As soon as her patient started talking about this amazing investment, all I could think was, "It's a Ponzi scheme!"

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The line that stood out to me in this one is that if your investments are promising 10% or more return, that should be a reason to be suspicious. (Nowadays financial firms expect 10-15% at minimum! Which should be reason to be suspicious.) Unfortunately, scams like the one Cherry encounters here are still rampant, if constructed a bit differently these days. Cherry's energetic involvement in dealing with it seems a bit more on the derring-do side than some of the other volumes.

The other highlight was the condition that Miss Wilmot was experiencing, a form of arthritis, is definitely treated a different way nowadays. Cherry's efforts to organize the junior volunteers seem a little outdated, but not much....

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cherry doesn't seem to be that interested in her job as a staff nurse at Hilton Hospital. What's gotten her attention is the plight of a young widow who has invested most of her husband's insurance money with an investment house, which turns out to be a big scam. Although Cherry is helping train high school students as volunteers, most of her time is spent running down information about the scam and finally going to Chicago, where she meets the head of the company and engages in a dangerous cab ride with him until the federal authorities are able to step in.

[Karen Szyszko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Snooze! Talk about boring! The author must have been really desperate for a topic when she devoted an entire book to the explanation of securities fraud. The only good thing I can say about the story is that it does end. Our heroine is a staff nurse at Hilton Hospital working in orthopedics when a patient with rheumatoid arthritis is brought in. So much for Cherry's nursing abilities. Who knew that healing RA patients involved becoming a securities fraud investigator? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather odd story. In addition to her regular duties, Cherry is helping to oversee the Jayvees — Junior Volunteers, teenagers who volunteer at the hospital. Much of the medical details may be outdated by this time; and the mystery isn't actually a mystery.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.