I had such good fun writing Bedpans & Bobby Socks, and I really hope that this rubs off on whoever reads it. There have been lots of books about nursing recently – dare I say it, it almost seems to be a ‘fashionable’ subject – but I see this as more a story about friendship and the romance of a road trip than a nursing memoir.
Thank you for visiting this site. Please feel free to drop me a line to let me know what you think.
Barbara
Bedpans & Bobby Socks 
Great looking cover and looking forward to reading the book, When is going to be available in the US?
Thanks for your kind comments. There is no US publisher – yet! – but we are hoping that will soon change. A big US newspaper is going to run a story on the book soon, so that may well help.
Barbara
It’s interesting how many hit one can get on the internet now. I have donated a copy of the book to the library of the Church of the Saviour on Lee Road.
I got my copies via Amazon.com US
Herman shared a copy of you book ‘Bobby Sock & Bed Pans”. I thoroughly enjoyed it It is well written, delightful, reflects the differences in English and American customs and quite an adventure. I was a amazed at what the five nurses did and the fact that they had such an outstanding time in their adventures. Like driving to Alaska in Flatus! I drove it in 1994 and with a reliable car and it was fairly desolate in many places then, But to drive it in 1957 in Flatus – it had to be a nightmare. The way the book is written with all the adventures, it makes one become very close to the five nurses like you really know and can feel the excitement they felt. I think it is an excellent book.
Just found your site through a friend on FaceBook. Your book looks wonderful and your blog is interesting.
loving the book, 2 thirds of the way through! It has to be made into a film!!!
Thanks for your kind comments. Really glad you are enjoying the book so much. We all agree – a film would be wonderful!
Finished the book, now sending it to my Mum, I’m sure she will enjoy it as much as I did and will probably reminisce her 20’s in the 1950’s tho she never went to America 🙂
Thanks, Bill, and hope your mum enjoys it too. I would guess that there’s much about the 50s that will be familiar whether in the UK, USA, or wherever. It was certainly a fascinating and fun era to write about. Thanks for spreading the word!
Mum really enjoyed the book , gave her a few laughs thank you
Thanks, Bill, really pleased to hear it. Gwenda and I are doing signings in Newcastle this weekend and looking forward to meeting others who have – hopefully! – also enjoyed the book.
Hi Barbara,
I am Maureen’s niece. I read the book when it first came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since I grew up in England I didn’t really get to know her until after we moved to the US in 1978. it was nice to get a little insight into her adventures when she was younger. I noticed you talked earlier about publishing in the US? Any updates on that?
Hi SallyAnne
Thanks for visiting the blog – and the Facebook page. Really good to hear from you. There is still no American publisher but the book will be available through a large distribution company (IPG) in America from May 1st which should mean that people can order it through their local bookshops or Amazon.com more easily. Several US publishers have read it and like it but just seem to think that there is not a big enough market over there to justify printing. I hope we can prove them wrong one day! Hope you’re all well – love to your mum too. Keep in touch – think she’s got my email, Belinda certainly has.
I visit this page quite frequently and enjoy reading the comments. I supplied the Beachwood County Library with a copy of the book. My wife and I have had health problems which put us in contact with the medical profession and I take the occasion to mention the book. I’ve read it several times.
Thanks, as always, for your support, Herman! These people you are telling about it should be able to buy their own copies now in their local book stores as the book has been available in the US since May 1st. If the shops don’t stock it then they can order it. I’ve been in touch with a number of stores myself in recent weeks and many liked the sound of it enough to go ahead and order it immediately.
I’m listening to the audiobook of “Bedpans…” and have really enjoyed it. If someone were to do your trip these days, I’m afraid it would be a very different experience. Thanks to your book (and a little help from the internet) I can see a little of my country the way it was before I was born. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Thanks for your comment, Nicole, and good to know that you’ve been enjoying the trip! I’m sure the country has changed a lot but I like to think that most experiences of a road trip today would still be positive ones. We always find such great people and such hospitality whenever we’re in the US. Will hopefully be writing a new blog post soon about Gwenda’s recent trip to the USA and a couple of interviews she did out there, so please keep on following!
Just finished reading the book, I couldn’t put it down! I had never heard of it before and got it s a gift from my sister, who knew I loved anything to do with road trips, especially vintage ones in old cars. I shall enjoy recommending it to all my friends.
It is so easy to say “this will make a great book”, quite another thing to actually put in so much hard work to make it happen! Well done Barbara.
One thing I felt the book sorely lacked though, photos! I would love to see the shots taken during the trip. Are there any plans to share these? Either in print, or on line?
Hi Mike and thanks so much for your comments and interest in the book. Really glad you enjoyed it and are going to recommend it! Re the photos – a bit of a sore point, I’m afraid…. The first edition of the book had a montage of snaps from the trip on the inside front and back covers – supposed to be in colour, actually in black and white and now not there at all! Expense, I think. However, I have written various magazine articles about the trip which include some great snaps plus other bits of memorabilia. Most of these are mentioned on the blog and there are links to them, however, as soon as I get time I will create a page with all the links together. I see you’ve discovered some of the great images I’ve put on Facebook! Thanks again.
Hi Barbara,
I’ve just finished the book this morning, stayed in bed MUCH later than my usual 7.30 to read the final pages without interruption…to no avail when my daughter brought a cup of tea and lay on my bed to chat!
I found the ending very emotional and felt like I too was leaving old friends.
I trained as a social worker in child protection and really wish I had done what your Mum did, I’m SO envious, and I love driving too.
I agree with Mike that I’d have loved to see more photos, including the people your Mum and Pat met along the way, like the hunters, employers and the mechanics who kept Flatus heading in to the wind. (Wink, wink )
I’ve lived most of my life in your Father’s home town, and still do, but have been to America twice and loved it, almost as much as I love Rome.
Kind regards to your Mum and I’ll be reading the book again soon, after my daughter finishes it. I’ve told my sister in Tennessee to read the book too.
Kind regards,
Meg
Hi Meg
Thanks for your lovely note! So pleased you enjoyed the book and found so much empathy with it. The girls took some great photos and if you open the page entitled ‘Media’ you will find links to most of the press features about them and see some of these pictures. Otherwise you will just have to pop round and look through Gwenda’s photo album! Don’t know if you are on Facebook but if you are, please visit the book’s page and you will see more photos and other bits of memorabilia in the timeline. Thanks for your support and hope everyone else enjoys the book too! Tennessee, now there’s a place I’d like to go … (Any snow in WB today?)
Hi Barbara,
Yes lots of snow, the dogs and my grandson love it, but my floors do not!
I’m reading the book again and noting new things now that I feel I know the people better. I’m so proud of your mum being a ‘local lass’ who did such amazing things.
Please keep in touch and let me know if there is to be another book signing or anything else in the pipeline, perhaps your mum is planning another trip and would like a fellow traveller :0)
Tennessee is lovely and I’ve been to around 8/9 states but mostly on the East coast. I’d love to do the West.
Meg x
Recently learned of your book and am looking forward to reading it!
Thanks, Kathryn! Hope you enjoy it, and please get back in touch when you’ve read it!
Hi Barbara. I am really enjoying the Bobbysox book but I wondered why you didnt put any photos in the book, as you did in your book about Gwendas evacuation. It would have been so nice to see some and to know what each of the nurses looked like. Was there a reason for this?
Hi Geraldine. So glad you are enjoying the book! I would have loved to have photos in the book – there are loads available! – but was not given that option by my publisher! Perhaps it is cheaper and easier to do so now. The first edition of the book did have printed inside covers with a selection of photos, which looked great, but I guess this was expensive too and later editions do not have them. If, however, you do a search for the book online you will hopefully come across some newspaper articles and see some of the photos there. And of course I have used a selection here on this site to illustrate blog posts. Thanks for getting in touch! By the way, I assume you know that the photo on the front cover shows the five main characters?
Hi Barbara,
My father, Ricardo Kierulf was Enrique’s younger brother. Dad had your book on his bookcase and told me I’d find it interesting, but didn’t mention that my Uncle was part of the story. I began reading your book a couple of days ago and was so thrilled to read about my Uncle Henry. Would love to get in touch.
Sincerely,
Jackie Kierulf
Sadly, my Dad passed away in May 2017, but I am keeping his memory alive and have recently started a blog as well. Hope to connect.
Jackie
Hi Jackie, great to hear from you! Would you like to send me your email address in a reply so that we can get in touch that way? I won’t ‘approve’ the reply so it will then be deleted and no one else will see it. Or if you are on Facebook then send me a private message to my ‘Barbara Fox books’ page. Thanks!