This is told in a highly personal style—the author is the daughter of one of the nurses trained at the hospital—but above all it is the story of courage and faith seldom talked about and the longevity of a mission that is still in existence. This would be most appropriate for collections with an interest the history of India, the missionary movement, and the Catholic Church.
... vivid and uplifting ... Though students didn’t hesitate to point out the racist attitudes of teachers and administrators, Thottam doesn’t linger on disharmony, preferring to focus on the hard work and dedication of all the women of Nazareth Hospital. She also doesn’t sugarcoat the stresses of missionary work, documenting how illness and exhaustion forced chief surgeon Mary Wiss to choose between her health, her medical career, and her commitment to the order. Full of complex characters and intriguing historical tidbits, this is a rousing story of hope and determination.
... vivid ... The author offers candid, sympathetic portraits of the doctors and nurses who arrived through the years to staff the hospital and especially of the six original founders ... An inspiring story of faith and dedication.
This immersive, transportive read starts with the hospital’s founding in 1947, in the midst of the Partition of India into India and Pakistan ... Thottam has done an excellent job of transforming numerous interviews, letters and records into a compelling narrative that conveys the hardships and triumphs of these dedicated nuns and the nurses they trained ... seems like such an unlikely story. It’s a good thing Thottam has documented this little-known saga so that generations to come will know it really happened.
