Sue Barton, Neighborhood Nurse - Helen Dore Boylston

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Title: Sue Barton, Neighborhood Nurse Author: Helen Dore Boylston Genre: YA, classics Rating: 7/10 # pages: 135 Date read: January, 2008

Summary: Sue Barton has been married to Bill Barry for several years in this story. They have three young children: six-year-old Tabitha, and three-year-old twin boys, Johnny and Jerry. Sue has been happy at home taking care of their children, until she and her friend, Kit, visit their old nursing school, and Sue realizes how much she misses nursing. Is Sue's nursing training being wasted as a stay-at-home mom?

During the story, Sue gradually realizes that her training is being utilized in other ways. She does first aid for the neighborhood; and she uses her natural gift for helping people to try to bring her new teenage neighbor, Cal, together with the girl's mother, aloof artist Mona Stuart. But will all this be enough for Sue in place of her formal career?

Review: Just like with the Anne series, the later books are more about Sue's kids than about herself. Unlike Anne though, this switch doesn't seem strained, as we still hear of the children's experiences through the eyes of Sue, rather than through them themselves. I never thought I should say it, but Montgomery could have learned something from this. Too bad chronology didn't allow it ;)

Honestly though, the further I get into this series, the less I understand why I haven't read the last 4 books in so many years. No, they're not nearly as good as the first 3, but neither are they nearly as bad as I remembered them. I'm greatly enjoying this read-through.

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