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Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross

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268:. Among their staff is a talented surgeon, Doctor Gys. He is "an eccentric, a character...erratic and whimsical," an adventurer who has been from the Arctic to the Yucatán, and in the process has been badly disfigured by various hard-luck accidents (involving icebergs and poisoned cacti). Gys calls himself a coward, but also sees death as a release from his disfigured body; he wonders what kind of death would be preferable, and has a morbid interest in confronting the violence of the War. The Americans also acquire a Belgian chauffeur named Maurie as an ambulance driver; he provides 306:
the book and replace the neutral outlook with one that favors the Allies. Where the War had been viewed as waste and folly in the earlier version, it is now seen as a moral conflict between right and wrong; John Merrick asserts that his "money and energy must be expended in defeating the menace of the Central Powers." The horrors of the War are given a more direct treatment, particularly in the case of an American cameraman who is badly wounded and treated by the young nurses.
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book was a natural point at which to stop the series. It is the most serious of the ten novels, with the most weighty subject matter; and it takes its protagonists out the world of their girlhoods and into adult life. Both the remaining single cousins, Patsy and Beth, are moving toward maturity and
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The Americans lose the confidence of the French authorities at Dunkirk when a German prisoner they are treating escapes their custody; fewer wounded come to their ship as a result, and it appears that their usefulness is limited. After three months of service, the girls return to the United States.
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By 1918, though, the situation had changed dramatically; on the personal level, two of Baum's four sons were serving with the American army in Europe. Baum and his publisher decided to issue a revised edition of the book. For the 1918 revision, Baum wrote four new chapters that toughen the tone of
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Both Maud and Ajo have come to New York; Maud is one her way to Europe to serve as a nurse. (She trained in nursing before becoming a film actress.) Patsy and Beth are struck with admiration for her action, and are eager to follow her example. When Uncle John finds that he cannot dissuade them, he
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The protagonists cope with military bureaucracies and confront the horrors of the battlefield — though Baum, "in keeping with his Van Dyne persona...kept his descriptions mild." Beth has previously had a year of nursing training; but Patsy is a neophyte who is shocked at the conditions she
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The ending of the story varies significantly between the two versions. In the 1918 text, the girls do not go home after three months, but plan to stay as long as they can be helpful. Dr. Gys survives, and his disfigurements are remedied by a skilled plastic surgeon. Once Gys is restored to his
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reflected the neutral status of the United States at that date. The nieces and their hospital ship treat the wounded of both sides; "They encounter gentlemanly and admirable German officers, as well as bullies." They express the hope that the war will not last long, and they soon return home.
245:. (Baum arrived at Maud Stanton's name by combining his wife's first name, Maud, with his mother's maiden name, Stanton.) Maud Stanton takes the place of the third of the trio of cousins, Louise Merrick, who does not appear in the final book. 289:
Uncle John tells them that "You have unselfishly devoted your lives for three strenuous months to the injured soldiers of a foreign war, and I hope you're satisfied that you've done your full duty."
332:, and in the interim had done abundant work for Baum's publisher Reilly & Britton. Hall specialized in adventure stories, scouting handbooks, and comparable material; he illustrated titles like 356:
series had been "one of your — and our — bread-and-butter winners," it was time to bring the series to its end and start a new venture. Baum agreed, and began the
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In the climax of the story, Patsy is injured but recovers, but Dr. Gys is killed on the battlefield. Though Gys had repeatedly proclaimed his cowardice, his death is heroic.
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The novel opens on 7 September 1914; the continuing characters Patsy Doyle, Beth De Graf, and their uncle John Merrick are reading a newspaper account of the end of the
218:"This is the story of how three brave American girls sacrificed the comforts and luxuries of home to go abroad and nurse the wounded soldiers of a foreign war. 282:
encounters. Doctor Gys reacts with paralyzing fear on his first exposure to combat, but his medical discipline soon takes over and he functions effectively.
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The book was furnished with an introductory note by "Edith Van Dyne," an unusual though not unprecedented step for books in the series. (The second book,
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The protagonists are soon re-united with "Ajo" Jones and the movie star Maud Stanton, two characters from the previous book in the series,
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and the German victory. Both of the girls are intensely concerned with the war news; Beth in particular is a partisan of the French cause.
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volume was the only one of the ten illustrated by Norman P. Hall. Hall had contributed one picture to Baum's 1901 story collection
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was in the heavy artillery, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel; second son Robert Stanton Baum was an officer in the
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original good looks, he and Beth become engaged to be married. An engagement also looms for Patsy at the story's end.
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series of books that would (along with his last Oz books) occupy him through the remainder of his literary career.
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series of books for adolescent girls — the second greatest success of his publishing career, after the
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resolves to back their effort; he uses his wealth and influence to form a connection with the
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The book is noteworthy in Baum's canon for its expression of his views and feelings on
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Merrrick's money and the girls' enthusiasm work wonders; by the end of September the
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In a letter dated 7 October 1915, Baum's publisher suggested to him that while the
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for the book, in somewhat the same way as the chauffeur Wampus does in
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was released under the pen name "Edith Van Dyne," one of Baum's
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themselves. As with all the previous books in the series,
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series had been illustrated by Emile A. Nelson; the
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Frank Baum, Royal Historian of Oz 292: 20:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 821:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 497:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 460:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 431:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 388:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 299:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 187:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 157:Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross 13: 370:marriage at the end of the story. 313: 14: 1267: 744:Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John 536: 478: 275:Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John 1050:His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz 918:L. Frank Baum's Juvenile Speaker 490: 450:. Carpenter and Shirley, p. 118. 338:Carpentry and Mechanics for Boys 334:Homemade Toys for Girls and Boys 793:Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch 709:Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville 171:, famous as the creator of the 1256:Children's books set in France 1028:The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays 772:Aunt Jane's Nieces on Vacation 465: 453: 436: 424: 411: 380: 1: 1236:Novels set during World War I 730:Aunt Jane's Nieces in Society 373: 702:Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz 7: 925:Little Wizard Stories of Oz 807:Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West 597:The Enchanted Island of Yew 500:public domain audiobook at 344:series of juvenile novels. 242:Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West 227: 203: 146:Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West 10: 1272: 716:Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work 569:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 347: 1194: 1073: 1017: 968: 952:By the Candelabra's Glare 941: 879: 674:John Dough and the Cherub 646:Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad 562:The Magical Monarch of Mo 553: 544: 211:Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad 140: 130: 118: 110: 94: 84: 74: 64: 56: 48: 36: 24: 1226:Aunt Jane's Nieces books 1035:The Patchwork Girl of Oz 800:The Patchwork Girl of Oz 604:The Marvelous Land of Oz 576:Dot and Tot of Merryland 1181:William Wallace Denslow 1064:The Gray Nun of Belgium 849:The Lost Princess of Oz 462:, 1918 edition, p. 270. 433:, 1915 edition, p. 256. 959:Father Goose: His Book 737:The Emerald City of Oz 340:, and Gordon Stuart's 1246:1915 children's books 1043:The Magic Cloak of Oz 1008:The Tik-Tok Man of Oz 890:Mother Goose in Prose 856:The Tin Woodman of Oz 404:Katharine M. Rogers, 342:Boy Scouts of the Air 44:(as "Edith Van Dyne") 1241:Novels set in France 1231:1915 American novels 1136:Edith Ogden Harrison 897:American Fairy Tales 653:Daughters of Destiny 329:American Fairy Tales 297:Baum's 1915 text of 89:Reilly & Britton 1146:Louis F. Gottschalk 1091:Matilda Joslyn Gage 932:The Runaway Shadows 828:The Scarecrow of Oz 625:The Woggle-Bug Book 618:The Fate of a Crown 79:Young adult fiction 21: 994:Prince Silverwings 911:Animal Fairy Tales 639:Aunt Jane's Nieces 448:Corps of Engineers 442:Baum's eldest son 386:"Edith Van Dyne," 354:Aunt Jane's Nieces 320:Aunt Jane's Nieces 251:American Red Cross 191:various pseudonyms 178:Aunt Jane's Nieces 69:Aunt Jane's Nieces 19: 1213: 1212: 1151:Nathaniel D. Mann 1127: 1119: 1111: 1103: 1099:Frank Joslyn Baum 1095: 1087: 1076:and collaborators 979:The Maid of Arran 695:The Last Egyptian 688:Policeman Bluejay 667:The Twinkle Tales 444:Frank Joslyn Baum 293:The 1918 revision 234:Siege of Maubeuge 165:young adult novel 153: 152: 111:Publication place 1263: 1125: 1118:(great-grandson) 1117: 1109: 1101: 1093: 1085: 986:The Wizard of Oz 751:The Daring Twins 611:Queen Zixi of Ix 531: 524: 517: 508: 507: 494: 493: 472: 469: 463: 457: 451: 440: 434: 428: 422: 415: 409: 402: 391: 384: 141:Preceded by 96:Publication date 29: 22: 18: 1271: 1270: 1266: 1265: 1264: 1262: 1261: 1260: 1216: 1215: 1214: 1209: 1190: 1156:Frederic Chapin 1141:Isidore Witmark 1123:Jocelyn Burdick 1107:Harry Neal Baum 1094:(mother-in-law) 1075: 1069: 1057:Violet's Dreams 1013: 964: 943: 937: 881: 875: 863:The Magic of Oz 842:Rinkitink in Oz 765:The Sea Fairies 758:The Flying Girl 549: 540: 535: 491: 487:on Google Books 481: 476: 475: 471:Rogers, p. 219. 470: 466: 458: 454: 441: 437: 429: 425: 416: 412: 403: 394: 385: 381: 376: 350: 316: 314:The illustrator 295: 230: 206: 135: 119:Media type 97: 43: 32: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1269: 1259: 1258: 1253: 1248: 1243: 1238: 1233: 1228: 1211: 1210: 1208: 1207: 1198: 1196: 1192: 1191: 1189: 1188: 1183: 1178: 1173: 1168: 1163: 1158: 1153: 1148: 1143: 1138: 1133: 1128: 1120: 1112: 1104: 1096: 1088: 1083:Maud Gage Baum 1079: 1077: 1074:Related people 1071: 1070: 1068: 1067: 1060: 1053: 1046: 1039: 1031: 1023: 1021: 1015: 1014: 1012: 1011: 1004: 1001:The Woggle-Bug 997: 990: 982: 974: 972: 966: 965: 963: 962: 955: 947: 945: 939: 938: 936: 935: 928: 921: 914: 907: 900: 893: 885: 883: 877: 876: 874: 873: 866: 859: 852: 845: 838: 831: 824: 817: 810: 803: 796: 789: 782: 775: 768: 761: 754: 747: 740: 733: 726: 723:The Road to Oz 719: 712: 705: 698: 691: 684: 677: 670: 663: 656: 649: 642: 635: 628: 621: 614: 607: 600: 593: 586: 583:The Master Key 579: 572: 565: 557: 555: 551: 550: 545: 542: 541: 534: 533: 526: 519: 511: 505: 504: 488: 480: 479:External links 477: 474: 473: 464: 452: 435: 423: 410: 392: 378: 377: 375: 372: 349: 346: 315: 312: 294: 291: 229: 226: 225: 224: 220: 219: 205: 202: 151: 150: 142: 138: 137: 136:288 pp. (1918) 134:256 pp. (1915) 132: 128: 127: 120: 116: 115: 112: 108: 107: 98: 95: 92: 91: 86: 82: 81: 76: 72: 71: 66: 62: 61: 58: 54: 53: 52:Norman P. 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Index


L. Frank Baum
Aunt Jane's Nieces
Young adult fiction
Reilly & Britton
1915
1918
Hardcover
Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
1915
young adult novel
L. Frank Baum
Land of Oz
Aunt Jane's Nieces
Oz books
various pseudonyms
World War I
Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad
Siege of Maubeuge
Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
American Red Cross
Dunkirk
comic relief
Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John
American Fairy Tales
Mary Louise



Frank Joslyn Baum

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