Five Questions with Christine Whelan Knapp ’72

Christine Whelan Knapp ‘72 came to UMass Amherst in 1968 with the goal of becoming a nurse. Since that time, she has parlayed her training into a career as a nurse midwife and stayed connected to the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing through more than 20 years of giving and participation in alumni events. Now retired, she has written a series of mystery books featuring a nurse midwife as a protagonist. Book #2 in the series, Murder on the Widow’s Walk, was recognized by the American Journal of Nursing as one of the best books of 2023 in the creative works category.

1. Why did you choose to study nursing at UMass Amherst and how did you feel about the program?

I toured several colleges but was immediately attracted to the UMass Amherst campus. I knew the nursing program was very rigorous there and the clinical placements were exceptional. After the introductory session, I knew there was no other place for me. The first two years were heavily science-based and required long lab hours. But, you could always sneak in a course on anthropology or learn how to fence in the Physical Education Department. I appreciated that I had the space to broaden my interests even as I was absorbing the nursing culture. As the years progressed, clinical rotations in Springfield and being surrounded by excellent professors cemented my love for the profession.

2. How did the skills you gained at UMass inform your career?

In the early 1970’s, when I did my obstetric clinical rotation, there were few choices for women in labor. Partners were not allowed to be present during labor or at birth. Women were confined to bed, regional anesthesia was not readily available, and in general, women’s voices were simply not heard. I had a phenomenal UMass Amherst professor, named Jeanette Hines who always advocated for women, even when the hospital staff did not support her efforts. I learned about nurse midwives from her. She made me realize that birth could differ from what I saw. Many times in my career, I have thought of her and have always tried to emulate her advocacy.

3. How did you transition from nursing and midwifery to fiction writing?

Libraries are my favorite places, and I will read almost anything. I had written fiction off and on but became serious about it when I retired. During my career, I found that nurse midwifery was not well understood. Because of this, I wanted to write a series that would showcase the profession. At the heart of this, I envisioned a contemporary midwife for a protagonist, one who faced realistic obstetric vignettes along with the mystery. After many rejections, I signed with an agent and a publisher. Now as the series has progressed, I’ve had the great satisfaction of hearing many readers say that they did not know the full scope of midwifery and were happy to read about it.

4. What are some of your best memories from your time on campus?

I attended UMass Amherst at a very turbulent time in the nation. The Vietnam War was raging and expanding into Cambodia, culminating in a country-wide student strike in 1970 and the shooting of students at Kent State. Campus life continued, but always with the awareness of the situation around the world.

Some of my favorite memories from that time are walking by the Old Chapel, listening to music at the pond, watching Julius “Dr. J” Erving play basketball for the Minutemen, hearing Natalie Cole, who graduated in 1973, sing, and returning to the beauty of the campus after a long day of clinical nursing in Springfield.

5. If you were asked about UMass by a prospective student today, what would you tell them?

UMass Amherst is the state’s flagship campus and has it all in a great college town — sports, the arts, and courses of every description are at your fingertips. As I heard someone say, “You can always make a big school small, but you can’t make a small school big.” After UMass, I went on to graduate education, so I have experienced other institutions. For me, none have ever compared to UMass Amherst. I would never have had the career I did without my excellent undergraduate education. I am so proud to be a graduate of the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing.