Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale

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Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale

by Gillian Gill, PhD; New York: Ballantine Books, 2004; 560 pages, $27.95

Written for the general public, this absorbing biography gives the reader an intimate glimpse into the life of Florence Nightingale and her family. When a review copy arrived at the NLN office last year, I took it home thinking that I that would scan it and pass it on to our book review editor. As I started reading, however, I was hooked. I could not put this book down, I told everyone I knew about it, and I decided to write the review myself.

The colorful story of Florence's strong, eccentric, …