The biggest surprise in this series for a modern woman may be that the main character Sue Barton Barry is fulfilled by her work as a nurse instead of just waiting for the day that she can get married and give up her career. At one point in this last book, Sue even chafes at the idea her working may be the cause of her daughter's misbehavior. The modern outlook was unexpected, but it made some of the corny dialogue more palatable.

I adored these books as a kid which is kind of interesting since I have never wanted anything to do with medical fields even back then. The old-fashionedness, Sue's true love of what she did, the stories in each book of the series of both hard times and good times, the positiveness woven throughout them all must have been what drew me to them. It's been fun to reread them as an adult, all in the series and in order. My library when I was young didn't have the whole set so filling in the pieces with the books I've found and collected over the years is satisfying.