The hospital looked like a monument to a bygone era. Northside Private nestled in bushland in a quiet outer suburb of the city. Built early in the 20th Century it resembled the gracious stately homes of the Deep South in America. An essence of charm permeated the three-storey building, from the corridors to the vast verandas that faced north. White veiled sisters sailed serenely, heels clicking efficiently on the highly polished oak floors. The large windows captured the sun’s warm rays. Summer was retreating in a triumphant blaze. Too tired for restlessness, the only movement among us in the West-facing classroom of the Nurse Education building was the occasional desultory glance at the clock on the wall. It was a plain, no-nonsense clock, suitable for classrooms of bored students; and on that day it was an extremely slow clock.

Brooks is at her finest in this cunning collection of short stories. Her trademark wit and sharp observation is crafted with depth and compassion, as she once again explores the gamut of human experience with fearless clarity and buoyant optimism. Linda gives us an intimate view into a nursing career, with both fiction and non fiction. It is a world of compassion, patience and intuitive regard for others, but encapsulates the humanity of this challenging and often underrated role in the community.