Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Lynn Hamilton brings Frances Parthenope Nightingale Verney to life in this book, bringing her out of her younger sister’s spotlight. Parthe, as the Nightingale family and Hamilton call her, received the same wonderful education as her famous sister, but Parthe used her education to follow a very different path, eventually marrying and becoming a moderately famous author. Hamilton highlights the strange dynamic between Parthe and her sister Florence, who often acted like the elder sister, and explores their relationship and their different perspectives on their relationship. Hamilton’s analysis of Parthe and Florence’s personal papers helps her unpack their relationship and the difficulties of sustaining a relationship between two very different personalities. Hamilton appropriately gives Parthe her due, going into detail about Parthe’s three books and her many other pieces and fully unpacking their significance within the context of the Victorian era. While Florence Nightingale does have a significant role in the book, she does not, for once, overshadow her sister, and Hamilton handles this well, spotlighting their relationship but still focusing on Parthe, not Florence. Hamilton’s prose and analysis enhance the primary documents and create a vivid picture of Parthe and her life in the nineteenth century.

NetGalley, Lily Amidon

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this insight in to the sister of Florence Nightingale. I found it an easy read. As a nurse myself I have always been interested in FN and this was an added bonus. Well recommended

NetGalley, Carole Crowson