Historiography of Twentieth-Century Women’s Missionary Nursing Through the Lives of Two Sisters

<p>This volume draws on a trove of unpublished original material from the pre-1940s to the present to offer a unique historiographic study of twentieth century Methodist missionary work and women’s active expression of faith practised at the critical confluence of historical and global changes.</p><p>The study focuses on two English Methodist missionary nursing sisters and siblings Audrey and Muriel Chalkely whose words and experiences are captured in detail foregrounding tumultuous socio-political changes of the end of Empire and post-Independence in twentieth-century Kenya and South India. The work presents a timely revision to prevailing post-colonial critiques in placing the fundamental importance of human relationships centre stage. Offering a detailed (auto)biographical and reflective narrative this ‘herstory’ pivots on three main thematic strands relating to <em>people</em><em> place</em> and<em> passion</em> where socio-cultural details are vividly explored.</p><p>The book will appeal to a wide range of readers both the interested public and the academic alike where a lively entertaining literary style introduces readers to the politics of women’s lives and principle and professional service foreground ethno-class-caste oppression emancipation conflict commitments and religious tensions. It reveals the human vulnerable qualities of these women illuminating their stories and courageous choices.</p>