Twelve Stones of Grace: The Story of Dr. Aletta G. Bell

About The Book

Born in rural Canada in 1937, Aletta Grace Bell defied poverty, gender expectations, and her mother’s disapproval to become a doctor. A brief medical assignment in Arabia revealed her true calling: delivering medical aid to vulnerable women and children.

Motivated to serve, she set sail for India. Despite illness, language struggles, and limited resources, her team cared for rural communities in North India. In 1966, Dr. Bell opened Prem Sewa Hospital, a place of hope and healing for women, children, and those living with leprosy.

Exhausted from her years of service, Dr. Bell left India, believing she would never go back. However, when a rise in Indian nationalism threatened the hospital’s survival, God prompted her hasty return.

Yet an even greater trial awaited her. Reassigned to a large hospital, Dr. Bell uncovered a web of lies. Mob violence, false accusations, threats of arrest, and a seventeen-year wait for a trial ensued. Still, she stood firm.

A story of courage, faith, and resilience, Twelve Stones of Grace chronicles the extraordinary life of a woman who healed, educated, and empowered thousands of lives. Every time she reached her limit, God began something amazing.

About The Author

Nicky McMaster was born in Horsham, Australia, and has long used writing to reflect on the world around her. A registered nurse, she volunteered under Dr. Bell in India and Nepal in 1995. After pursuing biblical studies at the Bible College of Victoria, she completed a graduate diploma in Christian studies in 1998. Though she always thought she would return to India, her work at a small community hospital in Dimboola, Australia, led her down a path to becoming a diabetes nurse educator (under the mentorship of Dr. John Pickering). A visit with Dr. Bell in 2015 sparked the idea for this book. Nearly a decade later, that story is now a reality. Nicky immigrated to Canada to write and to care for Dr. Bell, and she recently celebrated obtaining her Canadian citizenship.