I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Sea Nurses. The introduction makes you want to read more & I enjoyed the background given before the 2 women started their work on the hospital ships in WW1. One woman worked as a fisher girl, the other was working on an ocean liner. We get a good mix of their lives before the war and during. Lots of different emotions portrayed
Having read all of the Nursing Series & novels I can't wait for the next one.
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![The Sea Nurses: An absolutely heartbreaking wartime saga by [Kate Eastham]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41t+xyaYvYL._SY346_.jpg)
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“Through the dark days of the war, they must stay strong”
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2022
I have to admit that I can’t remember the last time I read a WWI book, so it took a while to adjust to the narrative and dialogue surrounding the alternative style of combat, to that waged in subsequent warfare stories, which are my more usual reading genres. However, regardless of the time or place war has always been a great leveller and class has no place within its ranks. Differences need to be put aside and people have to be ready to stand shoulder to shoulder for the common good and with the singular aim of defeating the enemy and watching the back of your fellow men and women. And so are born tales such as this, of strong and enduring friendships, forged against all the odds, out of necessity and in the face of tremendous adversity.…Whilst not upper class by any stretch of the imagination, a well educated Iris, is an assistant medic and senior stewardess, in the first class section of a trans Atlantic cruise liner. Evie, who is destined to cross paths with Iris, comes from more humble beginnings and with a group of other women, travels down from Scotland to Great Yarmouth each year, for the herring season, where she guts and packs the catch, fresh on the quayside. The one thing the girls have in common, is that they are orphans of a similar age and they have also both recently discovered a first time romantic interest, although the hardships of life will end one relationship and the trials of war the other. Iris is as quiet and reserved, as Evie is garrulous and enthusiastic. Iris has had the good fortune to be taken under the wing of one of her wealthy first class clients, whilst Evie has the company of good friends and relatives to turn to in her hour of need.With the outbreak of war, all ships are requisitioned by the government, with many being converted to hospital ships and it is an inherent fascination with the sea, which finds Iris and Evie and some of Evie’s fellow herring packers, enlisting as nurses. Iris undoubtedly has the most relevant qualifications, so she finds herself trying to manage a team of four enthusiastic girls, although she discovers all too soon, that Evie’s renowned expertise with the gutting knife, is easily re-purposed to make her equally adept with a surgical scalpel and her help becomes invaluable, as does that of all their fellow nursing recruits.Battle fatigue from numerous Mediterranean rescue missions, is made even more unutterably and unbearably sad by the sinking of The Britannic, with Iris and a few of her fellow survivors witness to the terrible deaths of many of the unfortunate crew members not lucky enough to make it to the safety of the lifeboats. After a protracted rescue mission, Iris is delighted to discover that Evie also made it to safety and is busy working alongside ships surgeon, Dr Mayhew, patching up both wounded soldiers and medics alike. Several of the nurses, including Evie and Iris, decide that they deserve some time ashore, working in a military hospital on dry land. It is whilst here that Evie makes two discoveries which will make her heart sing and change her life forever, although she must first release the pent up emotion and guilt she has carried inside her for so long. For Iris, a face from the past offers her a few more weeks of pure joy, before happiness is once again plucked from her grasp, leaving her grieving and alone.When war is finally over, Iris and Evie know that they will always remain firm friends, albeit from a distance. A trip to New York leaves Iris the beneficiary of some unexpected generosity from her pre-war cruising client and she is destined to spend much of her time living in Paris, with an annual trip to the USA to visit both her benefactor and Evie, who has now also made that country her temporary home. For Iris, love has always been that illusive rainbow she has been searching for, but she has never given up hope…This story began and ended with Iris!…This multi-layered, intense and atmospheric story, is completely immersive and memorable. It highlights both the fragility and resilience of the human mind, and uncovers the trauma of grief and loss and the long term effects it can have on mental health, in what we would now recognise as PTSD. There are several unexpectedly intense and emotional twists in this highly textured storyline, which is perceptive, intuitive, often raw and passionate, yet profoundly touching. Well structured and sign-posted, the timeline was easy to follow, keeping everything seamless and well-paced. The fluent writing was poignant and beautifully descriptive, evoking a really strong sense of time and place, no matter whereabouts the theatre of action was, as this storyline enjoyed a very large and diverse footprint – perfect for all us ‘armchair travellers’. Personally, and this is simply because I know the area and its history so well, the scenes which took place in and around Netley Hospital in Southampton, resonated the most.The two principal characters of Iris and Evie, were wonderfully developed and drawn, detailed to the point where I could visualise them leaning on the ship’s rail at the end of a long day enjoying a final smoke and a nip of something stronger than water, to dull the memories of the suffering they have seen that day; eavesdropping on their conversations, and almost knowing what they were thinking and how they were going to react in any given situation, both professionally and personally. Along with the wider cast of characters, the overall dynamics and synergy between them all, makes them completely investable, genuine and authentic in their individual roles, as they are given a generous and strong voice with which to tell their courageous story of resilience over adversity. They represent a complex jigsaw of vulnerable human emotions, which are laid bare when the fragility of the lines between life and death, defeat and survival, love and hate, trust and duplicity, the frailty of the human mind and indeed their very existence, are drawn. However a raw addictive passion and the will to survive, overcomes all the odds stacked against them, making them stronger, determined to be true to themselves, and more united as time goes on.What always makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every new book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who fire my imagination, stir my emotions and stimulate my senses. This story definitely managed to evoke all those feelings, so I can only recommend that you read The Sea Nurses for yourself and see where your journey leads you!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2022
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