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yayathegreat38's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Slavery, Religious bigotry, War, and Injury/Injury detail
nikkilerae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
By Emma Donoghue
4.5 ⭐️
No Spoilers
This book is written from the perspective of a 30 year old unmarried catholic nurse in Ireland during the Spanish Flu epidemic. She worked in the makeshift fever ward for expecting mothers. Her story tells of the hard work to try and keep the people she nursed alive when the flu was taking many souls daily. The stress of being understaffed was insurmountable but she trudges on. She also has to deal with the Protestant/catholic rift in an unbiased manner, which is pretty hard to do when you were raised from birth to believe certain things. This story takes place over just a few days and really gives you a strong idea of what it would’ve been like to work along side Nurse Powers.
Tissues will be needed - This story was so well written and I loved it, but there are several scenes that triggered strong emotions. The only reason I gave this book 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because I felt like the end was a bit rushed. The ending was still amazing, but there was potential there to extend the story a bit.
If you love strong women and historical fiction this book is for you! Even if you just love strong women characters. This book is excellent and I highly recommend it. Please read the Trigger Warnings.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
rachbreads's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
midwesternviolet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
3437138484's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: War
Minor: Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicide
booksandteatime's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
brdgtc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
emjay2021's review against another edition
5.0
Emma Donoghue is a beautiful writer, and the audio version of this really does the prose justice. One funny thing about the audio book: I kept thinking the doctor was saying “N’est-ce pas?” an awful lot, and it made me wonder why she would lapse into French so often. Well, it turned out she was actually saying “Nurse Power” in an Anglo-Irish accent. It took me a LONG time to realize it.
This book is set in a quarantine maternity ward during the 1918 flu pandemic, so there is a lot of pregnancy, baby loss, and death. Heads up if these are things you don’t want to read about at this time. I was OK with it, but there was a time when I would not have been. There is also a lot about the abuses perpetuated on women and children by the Catholic Church.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
isaaah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, War, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, and Abandonment
bessadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, and War