Call the Nurse

True Stories of a Country Nurse in Scotland's Western Isles

By: Mary J. MacLeod

Narrated by: Gwen Hughes

Recalling the classic works by James Herriot and the new British hit Call the Midwife, a nurse’s heartwarming adventures with her family while practicing in rural Scotland.

Tired of the pace and noise of life near London and longing for a better place to raise their young children, Mary J. MacLeod and her husband, George, encountered their dream while vacationing on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides. Enthralled by its windswept beauty, they soon were the proud and startled owners of a near-derelict croft house - a farmer’s stone cottage - on “a small acre” of land. Mary assumed duties as the island’s district nurse. Call the Nurse is her account of the enchanted years she and her family spent there, coming to know its folk as both patients and friends.

In anecdotes that are by turns funny, sad, moving, and tragic, she recalls them all, the crofters and their laird, the boatmen and tradesmen, young lovers and forbidding churchmen. Against the old-fashioned island culture and the grandeur of mountain and sea unfold indelible stories: a young woman carried through snow for airlift to the hospital; a rescue by boat; the marriage of a gentle giant and the island beauty; a ghostly encounter; the shocking discovery of a woman in chains; the flames of a heather fire at night; an unexploded bomb from World War II; and the joyful, tipsy celebration of a ceilidh. Gaelic fortitude meets a nurse’s compassion in these wonderful true stories from rural Scotland.

©2012, 2013 Mary J. MacLeod. Foreword c. 2013 by Lady Claire Macdonald (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

No no Narrator!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Can't continue listening to this narration. Will purchase kindle edition. The narrator butchers the beautiful accents of the Hebrides and all of the British accents in general. I've been there. This is so bad it detracts from the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Call the Nurse?

The story draws you in. The narrator pushes you out!

Would you be willing to try another one of Gwen Hughes’s performances?

Only if set in North America.

Do you think Call the Nurse needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Will let you know. After I read it on Kindle.

Any additional comments?

Should have been done by a British narrator.

Funny and thought provoking

What made the experience of listening to Call the Nurse the most enjoyable?

The author used many different types of experiences, some were just about living in an isolated community. Not all were happily ever after stories, but all were interesting and some very funny. I also liked the descriptions of the islands and towns.

What about Gwen Hughes’s performance did you like?

I did like her voices. I thought the accents were good, but since I have never been there I might be wrong. Occasionally, I did not care for how she ended some sentences.

Any additional comments?

This was a fun read. The story and descriptions make the islands and the residents come alive.

Interesting book about the Hebrides Islands

This is an interesting book about the Hebrides Islands of Scotland. The examples of self-reliant living and customs that date back to feudal times are fascinating. MacLeod also paints the scenery and weather of the islands beautifully. However, the way that McLeod delves into the darker and more sordid stories of the island comes off as gossipy. She changes the names of the people and the islands, but it still feels like a breach of confidentiality. Of course, without these stories, it wouldn’t be nearly so interesting a read.
The narrator’s wispy, ethereal voice seems a contrast to McLeod’s practical demeanor, though (to an untrained outside) it seems she gets the cadence of the islands accents well.

enjoyable stories of the Hebrides!

these are heartwarming, enjoyable stories bringing to life the culture and people of the Hebrides Islands.

Dreadful Performance

I can’t describe how bad this narration is. Doing terrible accents I can live with, but mispronouncing very common words and colloquial terms just made this so difficult to listen to. I can’t imagine why this was ever released. It’s really too bad because the stories are charming and feel very real. What a disappointment.

sweet

sweet intro to a new experience, a taste of a culture now being lost. thanks

Loved

The story was wonderful and gave us a bit of old/new life to mull and love. The narrator was excellent - as if it were happening then. Perfect in all ways. ❤️

I love true stories

It took me awhile to get into the story line... each chapter is like an episode, but it paints a bigger picture of life on an island in the Hebrides. Some of the stories are very sad, but they are real and authentic. I felt like I was there.

Entertaining and worth reading

Not a stellar book but not bad either. The stories are great, but I think the narrator and author just did not put emphasis on the dramatic parts, that actually wow the listener. The narrator seemed to keep the same tone and cadence through out. However, the narrators accents were fantastic. More Rise and fall of the narrators voice, and dramatic hesitations would have elevated this book to a higher level.

Wonderful Stories, Terrible Narration

As a nurse, I loved hearing stories about patient care in a small, rural community. The author does a wonderful job welcoming you into the community and introducing you to a lovely group of people. How ever: Worse. Narration. EVER.

The narration makes listening to this work somewhat painful at times. Inaccurate accents, mispronunciations, and poorly differentiated character voices often pulls one out of the story entirely. So disappointing as this book deserves a narrator who can bring the work to life in a seamless way.