OK, I will admit that I didn't know too much about Florence Nightingales' sister, I knew she had one but apart from that my whole focus has always been on Florence herself. She awakened my love for women in history ever since I was little I have always been fascinated by the Lady with the Lamp, but this story about her relatively unknown (to me) sister really shines a different light on the women I have admired for so long. There are a lot of different perspectives on the history we know, all of which come from this woman. I enjoyed learning about her and how and her views on her famous sister, I think there must have been a lot of animosity between the siblings from what I can gather from reading this, But I did enjoy the book, I liked the fresh look into this part of history and getting to know this new-to-me woman from history. The book is very well written, it's not chunky or heavy to read something which I really liked, the e author has obviously done a considerable amount of research into the subject which is evident by the overall content of the book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because this book is unique
Francis Parthenope Nightingale was the older sister of Florence Nightingale, famous nurse and "Lady of the Lamp." Parthenope is often decried as a weak, codependent and jealous invalid. But she's largely misunderstood. This book seeks to set the record straight.
Parthenope most likely suffered long-term effects of illness, which left her physically weak. And the family struggled with enmeshment, which is partially why she wrestled to release Florence to her nursing career. But Parthenope worked tirelessly behind the scenes to promote Florence's career and image. She also financially supported her sister later in life. And Parenethope was a prolific writer at the end of her life. I appreciated the author's summary of her most famous written works. Many of Parthenope's essays sought to raise awareness about social justice issues like poverty, and she championed living wages and other employment policy reforms.
Unfortunately, Parthenope sounds snarky and privileged at the end of the book. But that's realistic - I'm glad the author didn't sugarcoat reality.

Lynn Hamilton brings Frances Parthenope Nightingale Verney to life in this book, bringing her out of her younger sister’s spotlight. Parthe, as the Nightingale family and Hamilton call her, received the same wonderful education as her famous sister, but Parthe used her education to follow a very different path, eventually marrying and becoming a moderately famous author. Hamilton highlights the strange dynamic between Parthe and her sister Florence, who often acted like the elder sister, and explores their relationship and their different perspectives on their relationship. Hamilton’s analysis of Parthe and Florence’s personal papers helps her unpack their relationship and the difficulties of sustaining a relationship between two very different personalities. Hamilton appropriately gives Parthe her due, going into detail about Parthe’s three books and her many other pieces and fully unpacking their significance within the context of the Victorian era. While Florence Nightingale does have a significant role in the book, she does not, for once, overshadow her sister, and Hamilton handles this well, spotlighting their relationship but still focusing on Parthe, not Florence. Hamilton’s prose and analysis enhance the primary documents and create a vivid picture of Parthe and her life in the nineteenth century.

I really enjoyed this insight in to the sister of Florence Nightingale. , I found it ant easy read. As a nurse myself I have always been interested in FN and this was an added bonus. Well recommended

Interesting book, it was a nice easy read good for tight before bed reading. Informative and engaging story.