A BOLD PROFESSION, African nurses in rural apartheid South Africa

260pp., illus., maps, paperback, First SA Edition, Cape Town, 2023

First published in the USA in 2021.

“This timely monograph on the history of nursing vocation, tenaciously pursued by women in apartheid South Africa's Ciskei area, is a captivating read. One marvels at how A Bold Profession adeptly elucidates transcending intricacies of nursing beyond mere conventional health practice onto other facets of social history in this region.” Luvuyo Wotshela, University of Fort Hare

“Hadfield's sensitive and respectful study is a reminder that every day, nurses are out on the front line and can be found serving communities in remote rural areas accessed with difficulty. This is an important book for anyone interested in health care and in making sense of how the past continues to shape the present in South Africa.” Anne Mager, University of Cape Town

Leslie Anne Hadfield is Professor of African history at Brigham Young University. She is the author of Liberation and Development: Black Consciousness community programs in South Africa.