Christie Watson

Blessing is a Nigerian girl living in the Western-styled city of Lagos with her loud & boisterous father, her more reserved mother and little brother. When Blessing's father leaves the family for another wife, those he has left behind are forced to go live with Blessing's maternal grandparents. Out in a rural area, environmentally spoiled by the oil industry, fraught with vicious and deadly gangs of boys, and served by a corrupt police force, the new extended family struggles for food, medicine and their very lives in the face of the Oyinbo (White Man). Told from Blessings point-of-view, modern day Nigeria comes more into focus as tradition wrestles with twenty-first century modernity and "progress". While the portrayal of the present day African country is well executed, there is an emotional distance from the story itself, even given dramatic turns of events. So, well-written and intellectually engaging; but somewhat "surface-level" in the telling.… (more)

Watson writes of her studying to be and her experience as a nurse. She works in different hospitals, various departments describing how challenging, detailed and demanding patient care is. And how a tiny mistake can make a huge difference in outcomes. She writes of the variances in treating babies and children, adults, seniors and the disabled.

The Language of Kindness while a book about a profession is very personal because nursing is personal. Watson shows us how the bond between patient and nurse is critical. Nurses are required to pay attention to details, stay attuned to patients' bodily changes, be ready to act or not when necessary, keep family members updated, and much more.

The Language of Kindness is very graphic, earnestly written; plainly illustrating the continous level of kindness and care nurses provide their patients resulting in significant improvements in health. Nurses become personally vested in their patients and families and why they suffer burn out. In crowded hospitals, they skip meals, have little time to stop to use the bathroom, or take a relaxing break putting their own health at risk.

Do we appreciate them? If so, we must provide better pay and support.… (more)