Wide Neighborhoods: A Story of the Frontier Nursing Service [Paperback]

Mary Breckinridge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1981

"The autobiography of Mary Breckinridge, the remarkable founder of the Frontier Nursing Service. Riding out on horseback, the FNS nurse-midwives, the first of their profession in this country, proved that high mortality rates and malnutrition need not be the norm in rural areas. By their example and through their graduates, the FNS has exacted a lasting influence on family health care throughout the world."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ashland Daily IndependentAn intensely personal account by an indomitable woman, born to the purple, who dedicated herself to delivering health care to Eastern Kentucky mothers and babies." -- Louisville Courier-Journal

"A moving and provoking book." -- Nursing Times

"No Kentuckian should fail to read this story of unequaled dedication, unyielding determination, selfless devotion, resolute courage, and exceptional adventure." -- Ashland Daily Independent

"For anyone interested in the Appalachian people, in nursing, or in a woman who had a dream and worked with other women to make that dream a reality, this is an excellent book." -- Ashville Citizen-Times

"This will be a welcome reprint for those who want to know about a dynamic woman who rendered such a worth-while service for her people." -- Back Home in Kentucky

"This unusual and interesting book is recommended reading for persons interested in the history of medicine, public health medicine, and international health." -- Journal of the History of Medicine

"An intensely personal account by an indomitable woman, born to the purple, who dedicated herself to delivering health care to Eastern Kentucky mothers and babies." -- Louisville Courier-Journal

"Ashville Citizen-TimesThis will be a welcome reprint for those who want to know about a dynamic woman who rendered such a worth-while service for her people." -- Back Home in Kentucky

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky; 2 edition (December 31, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813101492
• ISBN-13: 978-0813101491
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #487,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest woman in Kentucky history., May 14, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Richmond, Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wide Neighborhoods: A Story of the Frontier Nursing Service (Hardcover)

A woman surrounded by wealth, widely traveled, followed her "calling" to come to the poorest, most remote area of Kentucky to establish the Frontier Nursing Service in the 1920's. She, almost singlehandly, established a hospital in Hyden, Ky, started a Midwifery School (still very active) and provided, with her nurses, medical and midwifery service on horseback - later jeeps - to several counties in southeast Kentucky.

It is my intent to present this message to those who might be interested in bringing about the long needed story of this woman's life and contributions in a full length motion picture.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dry treatment of a fabulous story, December 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Wide Neighborhoods: A Story of the Frontier Nursing Service (Hardcover)

As a registered nurse who is interested in nursing history and
fascinating medical cases, I bought this book with the expectation that the author would not only detail how she accomplished all her noteworthy achievements, but also tell in interesting clinical detail about the cases she treated. Instead, she details at great length the names of people she knew, and where she traveled, and the "administrative" aspects of her career, while covering very little of actual patient cases. The clinical stories are far between, and you must slog through "who was her favorite accountant" for the nursing service, to get to the touching story of how she helped a boy with a congenital heart condition through a flood on a makeshift raft to float downstream to the hospital. She had a fabulously interesting life, and did a great work, and I admire her, I would only suggest that she should have focused on the actual patients in her stories, and left out every little single detail of how the paperwork was done, whom she talked to at the bank, who she had supper with on June 12, 1920, etc, etc. It could have been a much more interestingly written memoir. But still a story very worthy of being told written by a great woman.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wanted to like it, August 4, 2011

By 

PBC "pbc" (seattle, wa) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wide Neighborhoods: A Story of the Frontier Nursing Service (Paperback)

I bought this book after reading "Mary on Horseback" to my kids and loving it. This book was such a disappointment. What a shame - because the story of how the FNS started is so interesting. The author does say that she didnt use an editor or basically get any help writing this, and it shows. I really wanted to like it. Like others have said, more stories about actual patients would've been nice.