The Story
"Is this the day you start fixing people, Mommy?"
Rechy Wolner is a Boro Park wife and mother, a typical woman in her Chassidic community with an atypical goal... to be a nurse. To reach out to the sick and suffering. To heal.
She has dreamed of professional nursing for years, and now it is time to make that dream come true. It won't be easy. Rechy has to contend with the doubts of friends and family, and her own difficult questions: How to balance her desire to do chesed with cool, detached professionalism. How to keep a tight hold on her Yiddishkeit in a secular environment. How to deal with her family's personal issues — her youngest daughter's hyperactivity, her oldest son's upcoming shidduch — while keeping her focus on nursing as well.
Featuring a rich cast of characters, including Rechy's many varied patients, The Nurse leads us into many different worlds — the world of Chassidus, of nursing, and of women's multi-faceted roles. Like Rechy herself, The Nurse brims with humor, compassion, authenticity, and vibrant life. You'll love Rechy — and you'll love this intriguing and readable novel.
Description
"Is this the day you start fixing people, Mommy?"
Rechy Wolner is a Boro Park wife and mother, a typical woman in her Chassidic community with an atypical goal... to be a nurse. To reach out to the sick and suffering. To heal.
She has dreamed of professional nursing for years, and now it is time to make that dream come true. It won't be easy. Rechy has to contend with the doubts of friends and family, and her own difficult questions: How to balance her desire to do chesed with cool, detached professionalism. How to keep a tight hold on her Yiddishkeit in a secular environment. How to deal with her family's personal issues — her youngest daughter's hyperactivity, her oldest son's upcoming shidduch — while keeping her focus on nursing as well.
Featuring a rich cast of characters, including Rechy's many varied patients, The Nurse leads us into many different worlds — the world of Chassidus, of nursing, and of women's multi-faceted roles. Like Rechy herself, The Nurse brims with humor, compassion, authenticity, and vibrant life. You'll love Rechy — and you'll love this intriguing and readable novel.
