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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I found this to be a nice easy read and a captivating story that I didn’t want to put down. Nurse May is a lovely character and I was glad to eventually find out what had happened to her prior to becoming a children’s nurse. I knew something wasn’t quite right in the England household and the author did a great job of keeping me guessing. I love reading stories around this era and Halls puts lots of ‘of the time’ snippets in which helps you ‘see’ it better.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's the kind of book that you should read till the end to know what was happening.
Audiobook. Main protagonist was based on a real person though the story itself was fictional.
DA and gaslighting in the days when women had so few rights just reminded us how far we have come but also how much generations of women had to suffer and the impact on their family.
DA and gaslighting in the days when women had so few rights just reminded us how far we have come but also how much generations of women had to suffer and the impact on their family.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
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:
Complicated
slow-paced
Stacey Halls is rapidly becoming the go-to author for period dramas. Even though I don't normally go for historical dramas I decided to give one of Halls' books a try.
I found myself really enjoying the book. Halls’ style of writing is easy to read and I felt that the plot had the right amount of twists and suspense moments to be entertaining without over-complicating the plot as Ruby (and myself) learn more about the backstories of the Englands and their staff. I found Halls was also able to continually keep the plot moving forward without making the story feel rushed.
I found myself really enjoying the book. Halls’ style of writing is easy to read and I felt that the plot had the right amount of twists and suspense moments to be entertaining without over-complicating the plot as Ruby (and myself) learn more about the backstories of the Englands and their staff. I found Halls was also able to continually keep the plot moving forward without making the story feel rushed.
mysterious
medium-paced
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
An easy read which follows the fledgling career of children’s nurse Ruby May as she takes up her position with a wealthy London couple to care for their baby girl. Ruby loves her young charge and is happy in her job but when the family emigrates to Chicago, she reluctantly decides she cannot accompany them so must quickly find another family requiring her services. With great trepidation, but desperate for an income, she accepts a position which sees her travelling to Yorkshire in the far north to care for four children. The year is 1904 and her new employers, the Englands, come from a long line of cotton and mill owners. This paints a rather gloomy and gothic atmosphere in her new home and town, especially when Ruby slowly comes to the realisation that all is not how it should be. A slow burn with an ominous undercurrent of control and threat.