The story of my childhood

In this intimate memoir, the famed nurse answers a chorus of curious schoolchildren who have written to learn about the girl she once was. Presented as a series of reflections prompted by a polite stranger’s request to record every memory, the narrative feels like a conversation across time, gentle and earnest. The author's voice remains warm and modest, inviting listeners to step into the modest parlor where she first began to collect her stories.

The recollections begin with a sun‑lit spring in 1876, when a toddler wanders through a lilac‑framed courtyard and cries out about a tiny bird—or perhaps a snake—caught beneath the doorstep. That vivid, almost cinematic moment captures both the innocence of her early days and the keen observation that would later define her life of service. Listeners are drawn into the textures of domestic life, the rustle of cherry blossoms, and the quiet determination that hints at the remarkable path ahead.