1918, London. Twenty-year-old Emily Burdon has been training as a nurse at St Marylebone Infirmary, learning on the job as she tends to patients from the crowded poorhouses that ring the hospital as well as wounded soldiers returning from the war. She pours her heart into her nursing while she waits for happier times - peace in Europe and the return of her childhood sweetheart Lewis from the Western Front.
But when the deadly Spanish Flu arrives in London on the heels of the war, Emily's faith and courage are put to the test. All around her men and women in the prime of their lives are wasting away, and until a cure is found there is nothing for Emily and her colleagues to do except make them comfortable, treat them as best they can... and, eventually, ease the pain of their passing.
But then Lewis catches the deadly flu himself on his way back home, just as a new doctor is transferred to head up Emily's ward. From the distant land of Prince Edward Island in Canada, Dr James Cantor is the first of a generations-old farming family to have left the island, and wartime London feels a long way away from the rugged beauty of his homeland. But despite their differences, he and Emily find common ground in their passion for helping patients and stopping the spread of the disease. But with life forever changed around her and Lewis' future hanging by a thread, can Emily survive the most terrible epidemic in the history with her life - and heart - intact?
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The afternoon light came in gently through the leaded glass of the infirmary chapel, brightening the white starched cap of the probationer nurse who knelt on the hard floor with her head bowed in seeming humility, her hands clasped in prayer. CHAPTER 1
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(@Bookouture, 22 February 2021, 336 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 22 February)
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I've read and enjoyed other books by the author, and this sounded like something I'd really enjoy. I thought it was great. I've read a lot of books set during WWII but not many set around WWI, so this was new territory for me. I really enjoyed the historical detail. The author does a great job bringing the era to life. The book is very sad at times as the Spanish Flu wreaks havoc in not only Emily's life but everyone around her. I cried a lot. My heart ached for Emily when Lewis ends up as a patient and she discovers a dark secret. I'd recommend this.
