On the 5th Day of Christmas my librarian got me to read...

MARY ON HORSEBACK

Three Mountain Stories

BY  Rosemary Wells

The practice of modern medicine was practically nonexistent in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky in the 1920s. Diphtheria, typhoid, and small pox ravaged the mountain dwellers' lives. Mary Breckinridge,  decided to change things. This pioneering nurse-midwife who founded the Frontier Nursing Service is introduced through the eyes of three fictional characters whose lives are irrevocably changed by their encounters with her.

The life of Mary Breckinridge is inspiring.  When her four year old son, "Breckie" dies from a burst appendix Mary is grief stricken.  Having outlived her husband and her two children, she decides she wants to make a difference in the world.  If you would like to read the behind the scene story that let up to the founding of the Frontier Nursing Service click on this link... This is an online book.

http://www.archive.org/stream/breckiehisfourye00thom#page/n9/mode/2up