Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole In Many Lands by Mary Seacole

“Unless I am allowed to tell the story of my life in my own way, I cannot tell it at all.”

― Mary Seacole, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands

Mary Jane Grant was born on November 23rd, 1805 in Kingston, Colony of Jamaica as a member of free Black people in Jamaica. 

Her father was James Grant, a Scottish Lieutenant in the British Army, who came from an old Scottish family.  Her Creole mother ran a boarding house and used herbalist skills as a “doctress”, mastering the use of the herbs and hygiene in Jamaican folk medicine. Doctresses had a great knowledge of tropical diseases and the ailments and injuries prone to the area and basically functioned with a general practitioner’s skill.

Mary Jane displayed a great interest in practicing medicine as a child; first to a doll and then to pets before her mother allowed her to help in the treatment of humans. A combination of her knowledge of West African remedies and the chance to observe practices of British military doctors, gave her a helpful base in her development in practicing medicine.

After travels to London, New Providence, Haiti and Cuba, Mary married a merchant, Mr. Edwin Seacole, sometime in the 1830s. In the mid-1840s, Mrs. Seacole lost both her husband and her mother.  It was the impetus to throw herself even further into her work.

“Time is a great restorer, and changes surely the greatest sorrow into a pleasing memory.” 

― Mary Seacole, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands

There is apparently historic controversy regarding Mrs. Seacole’s attempts to become a nurse with Florence Nightingale’s “Angel Band” of military nurses. Much has been debated among historians, but there is in fact no record of anything other than pleasantries between Florence and Mary. Her rejection into the group only sent Mary in another direction and she went on to nurse in the Crimea and other battle fronts where she tended army personnel of all ranks.

“War, like death, is a great leveller, and mutual suffering and endurance had made us all friends.” 

― Mary Seacole, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands

Mary Seacole published Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands in 1857 with a second edition released in 1858, but despite attention surrounding the releases, she was plagued with financial concerns and disappeared from the public eye after 1867.

Mrs. Seacole died at the age of 75 in 1881 in London and is buried in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green. There is no doubt Mary she was a vibrant, creative and driven person. She dealt with prejudice throughout her nursing career but accomplished a great deal of work and care for wounded soldiers regardless of rank.

We will discuss this amazing account of one woman’s life and endeavors in our Autumn Book Breakfast with our read of  Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole. We will be discussing this book over a delicious breakfast on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

“Death is always terrible—no one need be ashamed to fear it. How we bear it depends much upon our constitutions. I have seen some brave men, who have smiled at the cruelest amputation, die trembling like children; while others, whose lives have been spent in avoidance of the least danger or trouble, have drawn to their last painful breath like heroes, striking at their foe to the last, robbing him of his victory, and making their death a triumph.” 

― Mary Seacole, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands

Washington Square by Henry James

Love demands certain things as a right; but Catherine had no sense of her rights.
Narrator - Washington Square

Henry James was born in April of 1843 at 21 Washington Place in Manhattan, New York City to wealthy parents, but spent most of his life living abroad. A lover of reading and crafting his own stories, Henry James began his writing career as a critic and journalist, but quickly turned to fiction with his first novel, Watch and Ward, published in 1871.

He wrote more than 20 novels in his lifetime with The Portrait of a Lady being the most well-known. Henry James novels are recognized as strong works of psychological depth  with plots exploring human relationships with an intricately-crafted prose style.

Published in1880-81, Washington Square is one of Henry James’ shorter novels.  It first ran as a serial in The Cornhill Magazine in 1880 and then in book form in 1881 by NY publisher, Harper and Brothers. It is a work known for its well-developed, intricate plot and meticulously-crafted characters.

Washington Square is set in the mid-19th century in the area where Henry James was born — the heart of New York City and in the present day Greenwich Village Neighborhood. The setting has a direct influence on how the characters and their actions are formed  — the peaceful, isolated nature of the square itself, contrasting with the bustle and active atmosphere surrounding it.

The strongest theme throughout this work centers on society’s expectations and the pressure that it inflicts on individuals and the characters are worth study - complex and multi-layered. Washington Square is supposedly based on a story told to Henry James by British actress, Fanny Kemble, a friend of James’.  It was not one of Henry James’ favorites among his own works, but is definitely worth a close read.

For our  Summer Book Lunch  we will discuss the Henry James novel,  Washington Square. It’s our first Henry James book as a book group — why do you think he has remained so popular? We will be discussing this book over a delicious lunch on Saturday, July 18, 2026.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi - Our Read for Spring 2026