BOGGED AND BOTHERED AT THE NARRAN
Stephanie Somerville
Elk & Ice Books
A book about the history of a Methodist nursing service in inland Australia could be a boring tome. But by highlighting one historical snippet at Brewarrina NSW, Somerville succeeds in engaging the reader whilst promoting the work of a little known group of pioneer medical missionaries. The central characters are the rollicking nurses Marj and Ethel and their companion Augustus the Ambulance. A regular health patrol does not go as planned when they encounter a boggy lakeside road, a herd of wild pigs and Bentick the rabbit trapper. Tricia Taylor’s light hearted illustrations lift the humorous flavour of the tale. A single glossary page explains some of the mid twentieth century jargon; glossy historical photos on the cover provide an extra touch of realism; and a small maze puzzle adds another geographical dimension. This brief tale should appeal to both children and adults, and leave them thirsting for more stories about these pioneer nurses. ACLA
BOGGED AND BOTHERED AT THE NARRAN
Stephanie Somerville
Illustrator, Tricia Taylor
Elk & Ice Books
This is a true story, set in the late 1940s. Two Methodist nursing sisters visit their outback patients in an old bus called, Augustus. When he gets bogged, the nurses’ campsite is attacked by wild pigs and they spend a tense night inside their bus. This is a charming account of one of the many adventures shared by the nursing sisters. WN