Mary Seacole: The making of the myth
Lynn McDonald
Iguana £14.99
(978-1-77180-055-6)
Church Times Bookshop £13.50 (Use code
CT131 )
LYNN MCDONALD is an excellent researcher and author with a skill
for presenting her work in a strong and readable narrative. Whether
you are familiar with her previous work or not, Mary Seacole:
The making of the myth will not disappoint. While it is a
highly readable book derived from excellent research, the author's
preoccupation with disproving the legacy of Mary Seacole at times
detracts from this.
Seacole was a woman who travelled independently. A successful
businesswoman, she supported voluntary service, and pursued her
vocation as "docteress" and herbalist. She faced racial prejudice,
and gave comfort and consolation during the Crimean War. Post-war,
despite the failure of her business, she gained public support. For
many of these reasons, she has since become a role-model to
many.
McDonald makes excellent use of a wide range of primary sources,
including letters and journal notes during the Crimean War, to
piece together a narrative of the life of Seacole and place it
within the context of the achievements of Florence Nightingale. In
doing so, she gives us a clear image of the conditions of the
Crimean War, particularly poignant at a time when we are recalling
the conditions of the First World War.
McDonald paints a clear and yet powerful picture of Seacole's
life, and of her achievements. In this book, McDonald's primary
objective is to expose the myth that, she believes, has been
created around Seacole's life, in particular by people in the
education system and the Department of Health, and by a range of
academics in this country. In the creation of these myths, McDonald
believes, Nightingale's legacy has been undermined.
McDonald clearly expresses the concern that, she believes,
Seacole has been inappropriately promoted as a black nursing
heroine for a beleaguered NHS. This makes for an uncomfortable
read, as McDonald makes strong statements against both academics
and nursing leaders without giving them the opportunity to respond,
or asking them to comment. This culminates in a feeling of being in
the middle of a battle between supporters of Nightingale and
Seacole respectively.
It is my view that there is room for both Seacole and
Nightingale not only in our history, but also as role-models for
those working in health-care. If there has evolved a myth around
Seacole, it would make a far more balanced book to explore why.
The Revd Dame Sarah E. Mullally is Canon Treasurer of
Salisbury Cathedral, and a former Chief Nursing Officer for
England.