Zuster Barton, derdejaars

Sue Barton #2

by Helen Dore Boylston

Sue doet steeds meer ervaring op, vooral nu ze ook moet werken in de operatiekamer en later de zorg krijgt voor pasgeboren kinderen en hun moeders. Daarnaast strijdt ze innerlijk voor haar beroep en haar groeiende genegenheid voor dokter Bill Barry.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Medical, Historical

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

An only child, Helen Dore Boylston attended Portsmouth public schools and trained as a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. Two days after graduating, she joined the Harvard medical unit that had been formed to serve with the British Army. After the war, she missed the comradeship, intense effort, and mutual dependence of people upon one another when under pressure, and joined the Red Cross to work in Poland and Albania. This work, often in isolation and with little apparent effect, wasn't satisfying. Returning to the U.S., Boylston taught nose and throat anaesthesia at Massachusetts General for two years. During this time Rose Wilder Lane read Boylston's wartime diary and arranged for it to be published in the Atlantic Monthly. - Source

- More information

Series:
* Sue Barton
* Carol Page

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hammers home just how young Sue is. I love her experiences in the operating room - that she isn't as good as she expects to be, until she comes across a person she can help - and her relationship skills are terrible, but relatable nonetheless.

It's the asides that make this book, though: the parents who don't want their child - Connie going for anesthetics but giving everything up as a given when she gets married, frustrating Sue - Sue wanting a career before she gets married - Miss Cameron -

Sometimes I find myself weirdly emotional in parts. Always in the same parts, too. And I'll persist in saying there's just a quality in the writing that's oddly evocative, even if I can't pin it down precisely.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

On rereading the second Sue Barton book, in which Sue completes her nursing training, for the first time as an adult my main reaction was simply that this book is a really enjoyable read. It has the "school" flavor that I enjoyed in the first book, but now Sue and her friends are not wide-eyed impressionable newcomers, but more active players in the world of the hospital. It was still very familiar to me, despite my having let it lie fallow for decades, but not to the extent that the first book was, so that didn't detract from my enjoyment. My favorite part is Sue and Connie's operating room training, and the different expectations and outcomes they have of that experience. At their best these books are good when it comes to character development. My least favorite part is Sue's romantic conflict -- Boylston gets a little formulaic here, and Bill Barry doesn't really exist for me as a character. When he appears he seems not much more than a fine jawline and a pair of deep blue eyes, and his jealousy is rather tedious. Likewise Sue's wishes of "oh, can't we just be good friends like we've always been," are a bit tiresome, hearkening back as they do to an earlier more old fashioned style of series fiction in which the heroine lives in such a bubble of innocence and purity that the thought of marriage with a male companion simply never crosses her mind (and of course in this sort of fictional world female desire does not exist). The part of the book that I now look at with a much different perspective than I did as a child is naturally enough Sue's stint in a maternity hospital, which just boggled my mind this time around -- mothers being separated from their babies for something like three days after birth! And then the babies (who meantime have been fed on whey in the nursery) are ceremonially brought in for their "first feeding." Boylston is a little coy, but I thought the implication was that this meant breast feeding. How could this even have been possible when mother and baby have been separated for so long? But apparently this is some sort of reflection of historical reality as the first two books delve deeply into Boylston's own experience of nursing training. My last observation is just a small bit of minor griping. In the Christmas dance scene, when Sue is dancing with Connie's love interest Phil, he asks her tell him something about Connie, and Sue responds with the story of how the three girls came home late one night and were locked out of the nurses' dormitory and Sue climbed up the ivy on the wall to get in an open window. Ostensibly this shows how special Connie is, because she boosted Sue up and then waited out in the cold to be let in. "I always knew Connie was wonderful" laughs Phil, which even in my youth irritated me enormously because the story is 100% about Sue. It irritated me this time around as well. Sue comes dangerously close to being a Mary-Sue at times, which is frustrating because Boylston can do better, and usually does.

[Ginny Messina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as "Student Nurse," but still an enjoyable read with more fun information on nursing in the 1930s. I loved reading about those truckloads of babies being carted around the hospital! I can't wait to read about Sue's experience with the Henry Street Settlement, but until I can find that book, I'm off to see how Cherry Ames has held up after all these years.

[Kristine Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a delightful view of a bygone era. I highly recommend this series for all ages.

An interesting bit of trivia......Helen Boylston was living with Laura Ingalls Wilder while writing some of the Sue Barton books. Helen and Rose Wilder were friends.

[Lydia Willcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just as good as the first book. I loved every minute, and enjoyed each incident. Connie's story took a surprising turn, but I liked it. And as for Sue and Bill... I wasn't sure how that was going to turn out, but I shipped them so hard.
The parts with the babies were my favourite, but really I loved all of it. It's a book I found I just couldn't put down. Funny, engaging, and sweet - highly recommend!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these characters so much. I loved the nursing experiences in the different wards, too, and seeing how Sue and co grew from their first year. It made me sad that Sue was so frustrated that the training was wasted on Connie, and that, really, it was. Relatedly, ugh, Bill. Boring. I think Visiting Nurse remains my favorite of the series.

[Camilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sue Barton was fictional. I admired Clara Barton and Florence Nigtengale, but Sue was a [in the 60's:] a modern day nurse.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in the series and just as enjoyable as the first. It's sad that women back in the 30s had to choose between a career in nursing and marriage.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the Sue Barton series was as enjoyable as I remembered it.
It was fun getting to see Sue, Connie, and Kit again. Connie is more in this story than Kit is. I liked seeing Sue’s reactions to different situations at the hospital.
The care of babies especially has changed since the 1930s when this book was written, so I felt a mixture of emotions over that part of the story.
There is some sweet romance in this book, but nothing is objectionable except maybe a lack of communication at times, but thankfully those were short. A few kisses were mentioned, but they were not detailed.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another nostalgic read, catching up with books I missed out on many years ago.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this book makes Sue looks so perfect that I was wondering for a moment what happened to the girl that used to fall down laundry chutes and sneak through second-story windows. Although some of Sue's (endearing) probationer klutziness is absent, this book is still loads of fun. I love Boylston's vivid descriptions, and I especially enjoyed the part describing the Amphitheatre. Sue's terror at assisting Dr. Carson reminded me of a similar plotline later used in the first Cherry Ames book (with Dr. Wylie, in Cherry's case). I know nothing about this stuff, so it's interesting to learn what kind of training and work nurses actually do . . . well, did--I'm sure a lot has changed. For instance, it's clear that infant care is very different today than it was in 1937.

I know this type of story isn't meant to be over-thought, but it did seem a little sudden for Bill to ask Sue to marry him, considering they had never even formally dated. Hadn't the no-fraternizing rule eased up enough that they could've managed it?

I love the fact that they have a real dance in this. It sounds like it would be so much fun, and I imagine Sue's, Connie's, and Kit's gowns as being right out of a 1930's movie!

I'm still a bit confused about the differences between house officers and interns (or "internes" as the book spells it). I also had a hard time keeping track of all the nurses mentioned with "m" names: there's a Miss Mason, a Miss Matthews, a Miss Martel, and a Miss Masters! And who is Ted Hanscom? He's mentioned twice in the book, on pp. 32-33 and p. 206. (He's a different Ted than Sue's brother of the same name.) Is he an orderly? It's bothering me that I couldn't figure out who he was. I'm amazed that Sue doesn't have a single visit home during this whole book (which spans a year or two, I think). Perhaps the author just didn't mention it? Also, I found it very amusing that Connie's rather poor fiancé tells her he can only afford "one maid" (179)! Ha.

I look forward to reading (well, re-reading, but it's been so long that it feels new) about Sue and Kit's experiences at the Henry Street Settlement! I'm glad she's waiting a bit to marry Bill. It feels like they hardly know each other.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Two sees Sue, Kit, Connie and the gang back on the wards. Connie is scared of her turn as an operating nurse and only the intervention of Bill stops her fainting during her first operation. Sue struggles to keep her mind on her job, finding it boring to be away from the patients. George seems to drive a wedge between Bill and Sue, and the nurses start to think about the next stage of their career as graduation approaches.

There was a lot of humour in this book. Having mad Tony causing trouble on the ward for Kit and Sue led to a very funny scene on laundry day which had me sniggering. The operating nurses play tricks on the new girls which puts Willie in a foul mood. Sue's operating experience with the scariest surgeon in the hospital is amusing as well. It was great to see Hilda, Willie and the others in the hospital, and seeing what they plan to do next. I certainly hope we haven't seen the last of the girls!

Sue's relationship with Bill develops further but she isn't very smart about it! She seems blind to Bill being in love with her and wanting to have a serious relationship so she is startled by his proposal, and isn't really ready to give him a proper answer. She is forced to examine her confused feelings and has to keep touch with Bill by letter when he leaves his position at the hospital. Her fears that she has lost him to another woman increase as vicious gossip comes back to her. Connie also finds love with a poet called Phil who has no interest in her money, and Sue envies the way Connie handles things.

I found Bill to be a bit annoying in this book. His childish tantrums when Sue laughed at something George said were over the top. However, had Sue just told Bill that she thought George was annoying, all this could have been avoided. George himself was annoying and far too self obsessed for someone like Sue, and you were left hoping that he wouldn't mess things up for Sue and Bill. They both need to TALK to each other instead of saying nothing and letting problems brew between them!

I enjoy the fun and problems that the nurses experience on the hospital wards so I'm wondering how I'm going to like the next few books as the girls take their experiences out into the real world, starting as visiting nurses in New York.

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short enough book to usually read in one sitting. It's not as good as the first one, as there are fewer hospital anecdotes in this one, and some of the anecdotes are somewhat exaggerated - Sue is an angel, Sue saves the day, Sue never does anything wrong ... in short, Sue is a Mary-Sue! ;)

I still like it in spite of its flaws though :)

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the books, although more because there are certain elements of the plot line that annoy me, although they accurately reflect theories at the time. The action starts to pick up with the next book; this volume has always felt like a place holder to me, one that that was necessary to cover future plot points, but not there for much more than setting up the next books.

[Trine · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason this book isn't quite up to the standards of nr. 1. Perhaps it is because the love stories takes up some space, but also the actual nursing descriptions seem more superficial. But don't misunderstand me, it is still a great book.

[Susann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance, schmomance. That part did little for me, but watching Sue progress through school was fantastic. Loved reading about the maternity hospital and was gleeful during the Miss Taffereau section.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another entertaining tale of hospital life, with the lightest of romances and plenty of human interest. I particularly enjoy Sue finding out that the operating theatre isn't for her, and Sue learning how to manage a ward.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of books I loved as a kid that was challenged to read again. Enjoyed them just as much this time around.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of these books. Helen Boylston was a very talented writer. The dialogue is fantastic very funny very snappy. The storylines are fantastic always some adventure going on. I've been reading these books on and off since 1969 and my eyes still fill with tears at certain points and I still laugh hysterically at others because they never get. I haven't read any of the reviews but people need to realize these books were written in the 1930s and were extremely accurate at that time. The author was a nurse for many many years including on the front lines in World War I and in big hospitals all over the northeast. She knows of what she speaks and she does it very well.

[Katey Lovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories of Sue as a senior nurse are just as joyous as her adventures as a student nurse. I particularly love her determination and grit, and that she stands up for what she believes in even if that goes against the grain, particularly when it comes to Dr Barry. This book also shows her flaws more than the first which adds an additional layer of reality to this book. On to the next one!

[cloudyskye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply delightful. I remember reading this when I was in my teens and liking it so much, just like my beloved Enid Blyton boarding school stories. And I'm happy to say it has lost none of its charm. 4 more to go!

[Catie Zuckerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Mai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still holds up as a great book. I'm loving my reread!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading the entire Sue Barton series as a child and loving them all

[Deb]

Nurse, not Cherry Ames...

[Donna Tarver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like these old nurse books.

[Robyn Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read about 30 years ago. Loved this series of books

[Pfotenstaben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another much enjoyable re-read of a childhood favourite, for the first time in english after countless re-reads in German. (See also my review for the first book of the series.)

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Sequel!

This book was as well written as the first one. It was a very delightful read and left me anticipated the third book.