From Amazon
Chronicles of the journey into the medical field as a young nurse and beyond, told with raw sensitivity and compassion. The Ones Who Stayed with Me offers small glimpses into the world of an L.P.N. put in difficult, often touching or humorous, situations—and Nurse Sammy’s courage, vulnerability, and insight are a gift to us all. In these pages, Nurse Sammy tells her story and that of those she met along the way.
My 5-Star Review
Having worked in the health care industry, I was intrigued when I read about this book on the WordCrafter Press blog. I’m glad I picked it up.
I like how Nurse Sammy starts with a chronological listing of all the places where she worked that includes how much she was paid, how long her shifts were, and other information plus her thoughts on each position. She then tells a touching story about how her great-grandmother, in a way, inspired her to become a nurse.
Like me, Nurse Sammy worked primarily with the geriatric population. Some of her stories reminded me of similar experiences I had as a registered music therapist with nursing home residents. Some pieces made me laugh while others made me mad. Those interested in a career in nursing will appreciate her tips on surviving nursing school at the end.
As a child, I wanted to be a nurse before realizing my visual impairment might be a problem and before I threw up after dissecting frogs in eighth grade science class. Though it can be rewarding, even for those with good eyes, nursing is a challenge not for the faint of heart. I like how Nurse Sammy helps readers understand this.
At age 64, I’m trying to avoid being a resident in a rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility. But if I end up in one of those places, I’d want someone like Nurse Sammy taking care of me. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys honest yet heartwarming stories by medical professionals.
Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography
Photo Resize and Description
by Two Pentacles Publishing
New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories
Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor
Published independently with the help of DLD Books.
Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.
As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.
In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.
The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.
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