An NHS Angel

Uplifting, heart-breaking,(particularly the children with terminal illnesses), heart-warming, horrifying (the liquids which can torrent from a human body!), frightening (the reality of some deaths), heart-stopping... I'm in awe of Christie Watson's super-humanity, resilience, patience and above all her love, tenderness and kindness towards all her patients from little scraps of premature babies to the desperately sick and those ravaged by mental illness and even those who are violent. She has given out all this caring for 20 years whilst struggling with her own difficulties (becoming a broken-hearted single parent reliant on after-school clubs), utterly selfless, making the difference between life or death, or merely helping someone drink or holding a hand. The whole book is a wonderful affirmation of human goodness.

It's totally scandalous that she and all other nurses often struggling to pay household bills and travelling long distances to work at all hours should be paid so little, but Christie never complains even as she lays bare the shortcomings of our present state of affairs.

Christie reads well but I gave her only a 4 because her voice is that of a very young woman and it doesn't fit with her many years of experience. I'm sure it's very charming in real life, but I found it disconcerting in the audiobook.

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2 people found this helpful

So emotional - so true

What an amazing book!
Can relate to it all being a nurse myself
Cried so much during this book, expressing what some of us can’t speak as we hide in a box in our brains to get through our daily work ♥️
Thank u!!

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1 person found this helpful

I really enjoyed this book

I found this book thought provoking and given me more understanding of hospital life and death. very well written and narrator also author excellent

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Moving, funny, thought provoking

This was a wonderful insight into the life of a nurse. Christie makes you realise how tough the life of a nurse is. I laughed and I cried. An amazing true life story.

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Breathtakingly penetrating

Haunting, astonishing, powerful, beautiful, humbling, critical, heartbreaking. One of the most difficult reads of my life, but also one of the best and most essential. I will never forget this book, the author and the impact her story has had on me.

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So beautiful, so powerful

This is a tenderly written account of Christie’s experiences, much akin to what all nurses will encounter in their roles. I feel humbled and educated by the stories she has shared so gracefully. I really enjoyed listening to the book.

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Just brilliant

I myself worked as a trained nurse for years and am thinking of going back.this book has had a healing effect on me.Beautifully written and at times all I could do was weep.a homage to all the people who work in the NHS tirelessly and the care they give.Many times at a cost to their selves.

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2 people found this helpful

Amazing!

This is an incredible book. Compelling, emotional and humbling. It reminds us of the fagility of life and to live everyday as if it's our last.

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Couldn’t stop listening

Absolutely brilliant book, so well written and a great insight into the life of a nurse within the NHS.

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Enjoyable and educational

Having worked in the NHS for many years I had an open mind about this and looked forward to reading it I found the narration good once I became used to her reading style and the content of the book Is interesting I feel there is the right balance of factual information and anecdotal content and I must confess to a few tears as it brought back some memories of my own experiences I can thoroughly recommend this book My grandson saw it and bought it for his Mum who is halfway through her nurse training She is finding it very relevant to her up to date experiences too It is comparable with the Call the Midwife series

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