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scago's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kateyjay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
jessiquie's review against another edition
5.0
Every time I hear that Pamela Hart has a new book coming out, it instantly gets added to my MUST BUY list and I wait anxiously for the day I can get my hands on it; her latest release The Desert Nurse does not disappoint.
With each new book Hart brings out, I always wonder if she can top the book before it, as each book strives a little further, hits a little deeper and educates and re-minds it reader of a time we should never forget. It enlightens us about what it means to endure hardships, and the true strength of human spirit as we look closely at what those brave men and women gave up for us to live the lives we so comfortably live now. What's more, they always leave me inspired, in awe - of both Hart's expert story telling and the characters and their plight themselves - and a little bit baffled that I haven't heard of some of these events before. Inevitable each book leads me to further seek out more about the time period, the people and the battles.
As a reader with quite varied tastes, and a self proclaimed history nut/lover, The Desert Nurse hit all the right beats for me. Not only has Hart delivered a superb and beautifully written and emotionally poignant story about the war effort from the perspective of EVERY ONE involved, but she contrasts the harsh conditions of the army/base hospitals and the war front to those often forgotten about battles fought back at home in Australia by those left behind. There are notes of romance, and romantic suspense elements, a journey of self discovery and acceptance, cameos made by some much loved characters, not to mention the fast paced page turning of a thoroughly gripping and absorbing novel. I simply could not put it down.
It's no secret that during the war, women were expected to step up and take on varied roles to compensate for the men fighting over seas, what often isn't common knowledge however is the sheer lack of rights some of these women faced, and the limiting expectations society placed upon them both during the war effort and well after it.
Hart embodies this battle through the characterisation of Evelyn Northey, a trained Nurse who dreams of becoming a doctor but is shot down at every turn thanks to the time's patriarchal societal structure and values. Evelyn refuses to submit as those around expect her to - to both the roles forced upon her and to romantic inclinations, making her character's strength shine so true and bright throughout the entire story. While all of Hart's story feature strong, unique female leads, Evelyn's character reeled me in just a little bit quicker, and threw some powerful emotional and moral bombs my way throughout the story's arc.
The Desert Nurse is a story for any young girl whose dreamed of becoming something that others believed out of reach, it's a love letter to the brave nurses and doctors who stood along side and in the shadow of the soldiers as they fought the gruelling battle of saving the wounded and dying. It's a book about heart, of learning who you are and your place in the world no matter the personal cost to yourself and those around you. It's about learning to stand up for yourself, and more importantly, what is right.
It's the kind of book you find yourself racing through eagerly awaiting the next twist and turn of the narrative, only to find yourself hitting the end unprecedented quickly despite the books impressive 410 page strong story. I highly recommend this book to everyone; it is perhaps my favourite Hart book to date, and It's a strong contender for my favourite book of the year right now.
With each new book Hart brings out, I always wonder if she can top the book before it, as each book strives a little further, hits a little deeper and educates and re-minds it reader of a time we should never forget. It enlightens us about what it means to endure hardships, and the true strength of human spirit as we look closely at what those brave men and women gave up for us to live the lives we so comfortably live now. What's more, they always leave me inspired, in awe - of both Hart's expert story telling and the characters and their plight themselves - and a little bit baffled that I haven't heard of some of these events before. Inevitable each book leads me to further seek out more about the time period, the people and the battles.
As a reader with quite varied tastes, and a self proclaimed history nut/lover, The Desert Nurse hit all the right beats for me. Not only has Hart delivered a superb and beautifully written and emotionally poignant story about the war effort from the perspective of EVERY ONE involved, but she contrasts the harsh conditions of the army/base hospitals and the war front to those often forgotten about battles fought back at home in Australia by those left behind. There are notes of romance, and romantic suspense elements, a journey of self discovery and acceptance, cameos made by some much loved characters, not to mention the fast paced page turning of a thoroughly gripping and absorbing novel. I simply could not put it down.
It's no secret that during the war, women were expected to step up and take on varied roles to compensate for the men fighting over seas, what often isn't common knowledge however is the sheer lack of rights some of these women faced, and the limiting expectations society placed upon them both during the war effort and well after it.
Hart embodies this battle through the characterisation of Evelyn Northey, a trained Nurse who dreams of becoming a doctor but is shot down at every turn thanks to the time's patriarchal societal structure and values. Evelyn refuses to submit as those around expect her to - to both the roles forced upon her and to romantic inclinations, making her character's strength shine so true and bright throughout the entire story. While all of Hart's story feature strong, unique female leads, Evelyn's character reeled me in just a little bit quicker, and threw some powerful emotional and moral bombs my way throughout the story's arc.
The Desert Nurse is a story for any young girl whose dreamed of becoming something that others believed out of reach, it's a love letter to the brave nurses and doctors who stood along side and in the shadow of the soldiers as they fought the gruelling battle of saving the wounded and dying. It's a book about heart, of learning who you are and your place in the world no matter the personal cost to yourself and those around you. It's about learning to stand up for yourself, and more importantly, what is right.
It's the kind of book you find yourself racing through eagerly awaiting the next twist and turn of the narrative, only to find yourself hitting the end unprecedented quickly despite the books impressive 410 page strong story. I highly recommend this book to everyone; it is perhaps my favourite Hart book to date, and It's a strong contender for my favourite book of the year right now.
patriciajoan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
margreads's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining audiobook with interesting history. Thought it was really interesting that the author chose to focus on this theatre of war rather than on the European story which is more usual.
Now I need to read The War Bride!
Now I need to read The War Bride!
linguistenthusiast21's review against another edition
3.0
14/6/2019: Between a 4 and 4.5
An interesting read! It considers the nurses' and doctors' perspective during the first world war for both the war itself and love. The relationship between Evelyn and Will was really lovely and sweet (Except for when they fought). I like how we get insight into what the two are thinking about when thinking of each other, but I thought it was a shame that they made assumptions about each other, which caused them to fight.
After the beginning of the book it was a bit slow, but it started to flow afterwards. There were some words that were terms used by nurses that you had to search up when it came to tending to the injured soldiers but it was definitely interesting to learn a few terms.
10/5/2022: 3.5
An interesting read! It considers the nurses' and doctors' perspective during the first world war for both the war itself and love. The relationship between Evelyn and Will was really lovely and sweet (Except for when they fought). I like how we get insight into what the two are thinking about when thinking of each other, but I thought it was a shame that they made assumptions about each other, which caused them to fight.
After the beginning of the book it was a bit slow, but it started to flow afterwards. There were some words that were terms used by nurses that you had to search up when it came to tending to the injured soldiers but it was definitely interesting to learn a few terms.
10/5/2022: 3.5
samstillreading's review against another edition
5.0
Pamela Hart’s novels are a fail-safe read for me. I simply know that they will be interesting with strong female characters and a happy ending. Naturally, The Desert Nurse was a great read for me.
The central character in The Desert Nurse is Evelyn Northey. Evelyn is desperate to become a doctor, but her father (also a doctor) is vehemently against it. Her role is to get married and have children – oh, and work for him as an unpaid nurse. Evelyn has money in a trust which would fund her studies, but her father refuses to release it. So Evelyn becomes a nurse while waiting to turn thirty to access her money. When World War I begins, she sees it as a way to escape her father, learn and earn money. Evelyn is shipped off to Egypt where she will learn a lot more than she expected. She also comes into contact with Dr William Brent, who did her army physical. He is a polio survivor, who wasn’t accepted into the army due to the residual effects on his leg. But William is made of sterner stuff, and takes off the Egypt where (as he correctly surmised) they need doctors, no matter where they came from. William and Evelyn make a good team, but neither wanted to fall in love. Evelyn has her future career to think about, while William is convinced that he’s a bad bet, unworthy of love. Can they overcome their fears?
I really enjoy the period that Pamela writes in (around the time of World War I) because I learn things too. This time I found out about Heliopolis Palace, a grand hotel turned into a hospital in Egypt for the Australian Army. (Google it – it’s 100% true). The scenes where the wounded keep rolling in and even the next door amusement park becomes a hospital (complete with operating theatre) are richly detailed. It’s not gory, but matter of fact as the staff do their best with what they have. As Evelyn and William move through different areas and types of hospitals/casualty clearing stations, I got a taste of what life was like on the front line where there wasn’t time to do things delicately or even complete a procedure. It’s an example of war being one dirty great machine that worked well when it came to casualties. You might think stories of wounds and operations would get a bit boring after some time, but it doesn’t. The plot has been carefully planned, entwining the processes of war with the developing relationship between William and Evelyn. Evelyn’s friendship with fellow nurse Hannah is also a key part to the story and a link to A Letter From Italy, through Rebecca’s brother Linus. The finale was also great where Evelyn challenges her inheritance. In the midst of war, I’d forgotten all about it! Evelyn’s fight is a reminder of how far women’s rights have come in just over a century. Can you imagine a woman not being able to access what it rightfully hers today? It simply wouldn’t be allowed to happen.
Overall, The Desert Nurse has it all – memorable characters, exotic settings, gripping plot and a modern love story. It’s both uplifting and a sober reminder of the horrors of war.
Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The central character in The Desert Nurse is Evelyn Northey. Evelyn is desperate to become a doctor, but her father (also a doctor) is vehemently against it. Her role is to get married and have children – oh, and work for him as an unpaid nurse. Evelyn has money in a trust which would fund her studies, but her father refuses to release it. So Evelyn becomes a nurse while waiting to turn thirty to access her money. When World War I begins, she sees it as a way to escape her father, learn and earn money. Evelyn is shipped off to Egypt where she will learn a lot more than she expected. She also comes into contact with Dr William Brent, who did her army physical. He is a polio survivor, who wasn’t accepted into the army due to the residual effects on his leg. But William is made of sterner stuff, and takes off the Egypt where (as he correctly surmised) they need doctors, no matter where they came from. William and Evelyn make a good team, but neither wanted to fall in love. Evelyn has her future career to think about, while William is convinced that he’s a bad bet, unworthy of love. Can they overcome their fears?
I really enjoy the period that Pamela writes in (around the time of World War I) because I learn things too. This time I found out about Heliopolis Palace, a grand hotel turned into a hospital in Egypt for the Australian Army. (Google it – it’s 100% true). The scenes where the wounded keep rolling in and even the next door amusement park becomes a hospital (complete with operating theatre) are richly detailed. It’s not gory, but matter of fact as the staff do their best with what they have. As Evelyn and William move through different areas and types of hospitals/casualty clearing stations, I got a taste of what life was like on the front line where there wasn’t time to do things delicately or even complete a procedure. It’s an example of war being one dirty great machine that worked well when it came to casualties. You might think stories of wounds and operations would get a bit boring after some time, but it doesn’t. The plot has been carefully planned, entwining the processes of war with the developing relationship between William and Evelyn. Evelyn’s friendship with fellow nurse Hannah is also a key part to the story and a link to A Letter From Italy, through Rebecca’s brother Linus. The finale was also great where Evelyn challenges her inheritance. In the midst of war, I’d forgotten all about it! Evelyn’s fight is a reminder of how far women’s rights have come in just over a century. Can you imagine a woman not being able to access what it rightfully hers today? It simply wouldn’t be allowed to happen.
Overall, The Desert Nurse has it all – memorable characters, exotic settings, gripping plot and a modern love story. It’s both uplifting and a sober reminder of the horrors of war.
Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
thebookmuse's review against another edition
4.0
Review to come - will go live on the 10th of July on my blog!
margreads's review
4.0
Entertaining audiobook with interesting history. Thought it was really interesting that the author chose to focus on this theatre of war rather than on the European story which is more usual.
Now I need to read The War Bride!
Now I need to read The War Bride!
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