Hospital Sketches

An Army Nurse's True Account of Her Experience in the Civil War

By: Louisa May Alcott

Narrated by: Anne Hancock

Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

In Little Women, Mr. March went off to war. But in real life it was Jo (Louisa May Alcott herself, an avowed abolitionist) who traveled to Washington to nurse Northern soldiers. Despite the subject matter, her account is full of amusing anecdotes as she makes her way alone from Concord to DC, trying to finagle a free ticket and convinced she will drown during the journey. Profiles of the soldiers she tended are full of compassion, pathos and even humor, and the book was hugely popular among those at home eager for war news. Its publication introduced Alcott's unique voice to the public and launched the career of a great American writer. Sharp-eared listeners will discover that the names and personalities of three soldiers were inspirations for characters in Little Women.

Public Domain (P)2015 Anne Hancock

Such A Wonderful Story Beautifully Read

"Hospital Sketches" by Louisa May Alcott was a beautifully written short story. I thought the prose was poetic and at that time she had to have a light sense of humor to help the wounded. This was a very nicely executed accounting of her experiences during the Civil War.

Anne Hancock did a fabulous job narrating the story. Her voice inflections were perfect. She did this story justice. She brought it to life and made it extremely enjoyable. I would go on to recommend giving this one a listen. It's another great pairing.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

Ha no time to read for class, glad I listened.

Anne Hancock is most enjoyable to listen too and made this very short historical account fly on by.

Alcott's Memoir is raw & honest.

As an avid reader of Civil War histories, I found that this short, sometimes humorous, always honest and frank retrospective an important addition to my understanding of that era.. Her devotion to the care of these soldiers' bodies and spirits is inspirational.

Louisa May Alcott's heartfelt book.

I loved this book, laughed and cried to this true story. Highly recommended.

Added note: The writer's 19th century vocabulary is a wonderful way to learn many additional english words. I grew up reading Little Woman and other such books. As a result I now have a wonderful time reading and listening to such rich, enjoyable stories. No thesaurus needed back then. People actually used all those types of words in their daily speaking and writing; as also seen in other books of that era such as Swiss family Robinson, etc.

so whitty

The reader would benefit by having some general knowledge of the civil war before reading this book.

Excellent Story of Civil War Nursing

It must have been very difficult to have been a nurse. Miss Alcott was brutal honest.

Excellent Story by Miss Alcott, Excellent Reading by Miss Hancock

I completely enjoyed this excellent narration of an excellent work. Louisa May Alcott served in an Army Hospital during the Civil War and wrote a first person account using a fictional name for the nurse. The account is very well written, very interesting, and at times poignant.

Anne Hancock narrates this audiobook. She is faithful to the text. Her narration is clear and well paced, with just enough feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading and learning experience. Thank You...

Fair

I was disappointed. I expected more action and humor with the books description. I seemed like she wrote with a thesauruses and looked for the the biggest words she could find. They were used correctly, but it felt overdone.
Also the reader was both a little fast and fairly flat. I suspect It would have been better with a different reader who added more feel, and pauses. Overall, I expected it to be better.