Scotland, January 1979, a bitingly cold Edinburgh day. Hilary Cotterill, aged 18, takes her first steps through the snow towards her dream of becoming a nurse. Her grim, grey lodgings - a warren, built on a tilt, and complete with mice - are a far cry from her secure, privileged home in warm ex-pat Hong Kong. Over the next four years Hilary struggles with bossy sisters, spiteful senior nurses, impatient doctors, recalcitrant patients, demanding relatives, the impossible workload, and her own crushing sense of inadequacy. She discovers a personal faith in Christ and with his help learns to handle the daily brushes with life and death, professional bullying, and a first romance. Whether it is comforting a newly bereaved wife, babysitting a friend's hamster, struggling with a misbehaving cardboard cap or a violent drunk, Hilary's compassion, keen observation and cheerful good humour keep breaking through. Readers will savour every vivid detail through to the awarding of the coveted Pelican nursing badge. This is a winning account of personal discovery by a born storyteller.