[.ca] Mary On Horseback (ISBN 014130815X)

Worthy of Praise:
MARY ON HORSEBACK by Rosemary Wells is a beautifully written account of how Mary Breckinridge devoted her life to helping people of rural Appalachia during the 1920's and 30's. In an area where there were no hospitals or doctors, Mary established a nursing service and saved the lives of many people. The story of her devotion and unselfishness is unique and worthy of praise, as is the author's style of writing. Wells does an outstanding job of capturing the dialect, emotions and soul of the mountain people of Kentucky. Black and white illustrations by Peter McCarty add to the beauty and authenticity of the book. People of all ages will enjoy this book. Younger children would love having it read to them. Middle school students can learn valuable lessons from reading it themselves, and it's complex enough to hold the attention of adults.

Pretty interesting, Ok:
This book was OK. it was pretty interesting, but I only read it because it was an MSBA nominee. The stories were pretty touching, but not a lot so. So, I give it 3 stars for a pretty good book.

Little Known Hero An Inspiration For All:
Mary Breckinridge (20th century nurse, leader, & visionary) set the standard for rural healthcare. Rosemary Wells' book takes 3 stories from the exciting life & times of a great American woman and brings them to children. This book is for all ages-young & old. I did a college-level biography on Ms. Breckinridge as I found her life and life's work so interesting (her autobiography is excellent & available through Amazon) This would be an excellent classroom reader grades 3-5 and a great read for anyone interested in history, great women, and Americans.

Inspriational Story of Triumph Over Tragedy:
I thought that this book was an incredible testament of the human spirit! The title character completed her dream of caring for the poor people of the Kentucky mountains. This was done after Mary Breckinridge herself had undergone enormous personal tragedy. As an elementary school teacher, I plan to use this book as an example of the great things a person can do inspite of one's own circumstances.

Bequtifully crafted vignettes of a quiet heroine.:
I was lucky to visit the Frontier Nursing Service and prepare oral histories of some of the people whose lives were touched by Mary Breckinridge and others heroines of the FNS. Wells captures the ridges and hollers and the communities of this side of Kentucky in simple, moving vignettes.