by Lillian Csernica on April 17, 2018
Olivia Elspeth Danforth was born in London, England in 1840. Her father ran a tobacco shop. Thanks to a small inheritance, she had enough money to get an education. She worked hard and did not expect to marry at all, much less well. Olivia chose nursing because her mother said she had a talent for keeping her brothers and sisters healthy despite the diseases of the day.
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She graduated from The Nightingale Home and Training School for Nurses in 1870.
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Through Lady Dorothy Monroe, sister to Constance Harrington and patron of The Nightingale Home, Nurse Danforth found a position at Dr. Harrington‘s newly opened practice.
Nurse Danforth acted as part-time nanny for Madelaine after she was born in 1871.
Constance thinks the world of Olivia Danforth, who has become as much a member of the family as one can who is not related by blood. Nurse Danforth knows this is a better life than she’d hoped for and counts her blessings every day. While her demeanor may be stern, she is fiercely loyal to the family. Nurse Danforth literally follows Dr. Harrington to the ends of the earth so she can remain close to Madelaine.
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I wonder why she didn’t ever expect to marry? So sad that her life was spent caring for another woman’s family 😢
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She’s not that pretty, she doesn’t have social position, and she really does want a career. Nurse Danforth is very practical. In the first story, “In the Midnight Hour,” it’s clear from her thoughts she knows she can’t have children of her own. I don’t know yet how that happened.
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A practical mindset is exactly what you want in a nurse, and if you’re dealing with yokai, well then, even more so. Someone who can deal with the unexpected is pretty much a necessity in a new country and culture.
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Well said. Putting Nurse Danforth in the first story and making a believer out of her right off the bat will come in handy as the series progresses!
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Hi Lillian! I’m still crowling up my list of blogs which I didn’t get to during the challenge. Let’s see how I fare with yours this week 😉
This is another great character, by the sound of her.
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