 | The Pull of the Stars | The story of Julia, an Irish nurse working in a Dublin hospital during the 1918 flu pandemic. She works in maternity and a significant part of the book consists of some detailed descriptions of labour from a time when the best anaesthetics were chloroform and alcohol. Working on a seriously understaffed ward, Julia is grateful for any help she can get, which comes mainly from a young uneducated but enthusiastic volunteer, and a talented (but renegade IRA) female doctor. All the male doctors are useless. And amidst all the pain, suffering and new life emerging - will Julia ever find love herself? |
John said
Jolly good. Great characters, very moving and plenty of afterbirth.