Rose Hawthorne (1851-1926) was the daughter of author Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife, Sophia Peabody. After suffering deep personal tragedy, she found solace in serving the terminally ill and the poor. Rose eventually founded the modern hospice movement, which had worldwide reverberations for compassionate end-of-life treatment.
When Rose was two years old, the Hawthornes moved to England when Nathaniel became the American Consul in Liverpool. The seven years they spent in Europe had a profound impact on the passionate, introspective Rose. During their travels through Portugal, France, and Italy, Rose's parents taught her the importance of having faith and leading a sincere, purposeful life caring for others.
The problem with movies is that watching costumed actors in an unfolding story over two hours leads us to believe them. It becomes difficult to separate fact from storytelling. Cinema becomes irresistible. What most people view at the movie theater they receive as historical truth.
