The Story Behind the Story
About the Author
Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM
Nathanael is a nurse practitioner and lifestyle medicine professional, a storyteller, and the founder of Kitchen Monk™, a nurse-led cooking, health education, and community initiative. He advocates for prevention and for nursing, and he is the creator of The EVERgreen Chronicles™.
He grew up on the Oregon Coast, where he learned to write in his own voice from his English teacher at Anchor Christian Academy, the late Mrs. Sandra Smith.
Why He Wrote The Book of the Lamp
Nathanael wrote The Book of the Lamp to remember the people who carried light for him: a grandfather who fed his community, a teacher who helped him find his voice, and the nurses and mentors who showed him what service looks like. The story holds the Oregon Coast, the family kitchen, faith, grief, and hope all at once.
It is also his way of imagining healthcare differently: care that begins in kitchens and communities, where nurses help people flourish, and where no one has to carry the lamp alone.
The Story and the Work Grew Together
The lamp in the book became the light behind Kitchen Monk™, Nathanael’s nurse-led cooking, health education, and community initiative. The real-world beginnings are told in Chef Robin Jeep’s article in Women’s Wellness / OptiMYz ↗, written by Robin about the day Nathanael came to her kitchen to learn plant-based cooking.
Read Nathanael’s full biography → · Professional biography, media & speaking ↗ · About Kitchen Monk
The EVERgreen Chronicles are written by Nathanael, with AI assistance in parts of the creative process, and some illustrations are made with AI tools.
