author
Violetta Thurstan
1879–1978
Drawn from a life of extraordinary movement and courage, these books come from a writer who served as a wartime nurse, worked with refugees and prisoners of war, and kept returning to the front lines of history. Her writing is valued for its firsthand energy and for the wide, curious life behind it.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born Anna Violet Thurstan in East Sussex in 1879, she became known as Violetta Thurstan and built an unusually varied life as a nurse, author, weaver, and administrator. She trained in nursing in London, spoke several languages, and spent much of her life traveling and working across Europe and beyond.
She is especially remembered for her service during the First World War, when she nursed in dangerous conditions in Belgium and on the Eastern Front. Her experiences fed directly into her writing, including Field Hospital and Flying Column, and helped shape a body of work that also touched on refugees, war, travel, and textiles.
Later in life, Thurstan remained active in cultural and humanitarian work, including weaving and textile study in Cornwall. She died in 1978, leaving behind a reputation for bravery, independence, and a gift for turning lived experience into vivid nonfiction.