The Story of a Union Nurse

Beyond All Price is a historical novel about a real life person, Nellie Chase Leath, a volunteer Civil War nurse. The author provides a skeleton history of the various battles experienced by Nellie as she travels alongside the Pennsylvania 100th Regiment.

Initially, there were quite a few typos in my Kindle edition (Geordy and Geordie; intent for intend; distain for disdain; and periods for commas). Luckily these lessened as the book continued.

Nellie is a simple, girl-like character. Her knowledge base encompasses so many subjects (home medicine, sailing, and poker) as to be a bit unrealistic. She is wildly emotional, melodramatic and disobedient to her superior officer. I never did feel I could relate to Nellie.

The dialogue sounded a bit modern and casual to my ears, not the formality I suspect was used in an era when husband and wife called themselves by their title and surname.

The author provides good background on the Soldiers’ camp life; transport by train and the medical procedures of the day.

My interest picked up when Nellie finds herself managing a household of slaves, whose owners have fled the Union forces. The hierarchy of the slaves and their Xmas traditions provided interesting encounters for the soldiers and Nellie.

I found the story more interesting as it went on, especially as the scope of Nellie’s responsibilities grew to setting up the Nashville hospital. The last part of the story details her married life.

A fair piece of writing, given nothing much at all was known of the private life or thoughts of Nellie Chase. ( )