sweeping historical drama
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Set during the Crimean war, this is the story of Catherine Carreg, a young woman who finds the restrictive life of small town mid-nineteenth century Wales oppressive, and longs to escape. After the death of her mother in childbirth, Catherine decides she needs to make a difference in the world, and runs away to London with local cattle drovers to train as a nurse. She trains in Florence Nightingale’s home for sick nurses, then volunteers to nurse in the hell that is the hospital at Scutari, on the mouth of the Black Sea. Beset by ignorance, antagonism and illness, Catherine must fight to learn the lessons of love and war. I have never been particularly interested in this period of history, but Ms Gregson has brought it alive for me. The writing is fluent, the dirt and grime almost palpable, and the characters believable and sympathetic.
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Amazing
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What a compelling read - it was a thrill to all my senses, you could imagine yourself being there. It has been cleverly written drawing you into the characters, getting a sense of who they are and their experiences. You get absorbed - seeing the conditions in the hospital, the smell the horses and the streets of London and feel the swaying of the boat. Amazing, if there's one book to read for this year it's this one. Enjoy.
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A compelling story of love and hope in wartime
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Although a love story set in the time of the Crimean War, this is much more than an historical romance. It doesn't shy away from the grim realities of life in the nineteenth century, both at war and back at home, yet is full of hope and beauty. I found myself utterly gripped by the journey of Catherine, the protagonist - a wonderful, feisty character - and fascinated by the account of what really went on in the hospitals in Scutari and Balaclava. A fantastic read.
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