Cherry Ames Rural Nurse and Staff Nurse

In Cherry Ames #22, Cherry Ames, Rural Nurse, Cherry becomes the county nurse for a county in rural southeastern Iowa.  Cherry soon learns that many of her patients are taking a homemade remedy for illness.  The remedy is made from ginseng, and Cherry suspects that the source is a local abandoned farm.  Cherry suspects that the remedy is making her patients ill, and an investigation is launched.

As typical with the Cherry Ames books, the story is a little slow to get started, although still interesting from the beginning.  Once the plot completely develops, the story is quite engaging.  I read this book quickly and greatly enjoyed it.

In Cherry Ames #23, Cherry Ames, Staff Nurse, Cherry is back at Hilton Hospital.  One of the patients, Peggy Wilmot, has been investing large sums of money in the Pell Plan.  Peggy receives payments of 10% on her investment each week.  Cherry suspects that the Pell Plan is some type of fraud, and she searches for answers.

This book is very slow to get started.  A lot of text is devoted to the extensive training of the Jayvees, Midge and her friends, who are volunteering at the hospital.  I was so very bored and skimmed almost everything having to do with the Jayvees.  For instance, I didn't find it interesting to learn how the Jayvees are supposed to answer the phone. 

Slowly, we learn about Peggy and how Pell might be defrauding her.  I gradually became interested as more information was revealed.

I couldn't help thinking of Pell Grants the entire time I read this book.  Pell Grants were created in 1965.  This book is from 1962.  I think if this book had been written a decade later that a name other than Pell would have been used. 

The last chapter bored me.  I get tired of books that spend many pages telling the reader in great detail exactly how the villain perpetrated his crimes.  We actually already know the main details.  We don't need a lengthy play-by-play.  I skimmed the last chapter.

I enjoyed most of the second half of this book.