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A review by nedreadsbooks
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The written equivalent of a painted masterpiece depicting a train wreck. Beautiful, captivating, hopeful and tragic all at once.
Set in Dublin, Ireland in 1918, this novel follows a maternity nurse working in a makeshift ward for pregnant patients with influenza during a national pandemic. It follows dramatic losses of life and celebrates successful births while intertwining unique stories and experiences of women during this time.
This book captivated me from beginning to end. Though this whole story takes place over three days, its pace is consistent and does not leave the reader wanting more. The story was beautiful, and it was clear that there was a large amount of research that went into the writing of this novel. Interestingly enough, Emma Donoghue does not use quotation marks in this novel, blurring the lines between thought and speech. I found this slightly unusual at first but was quickly able to pick up the intended meanings.
This novel is quite heavy, and I strongly suggest that potential readers pay attention to previously posted content warnings. If you are comfortable immersing yourself in these experiences, however, this book held a powerful and touching story about human resilience and compassion through difficult times.
Set in Dublin, Ireland in 1918, this novel follows a maternity nurse working in a makeshift ward for pregnant patients with influenza during a national pandemic. It follows dramatic losses of life and celebrates successful births while intertwining unique stories and experiences of women during this time.
This book captivated me from beginning to end. Though this whole story takes place over three days, its pace is consistent and does not leave the reader wanting more. The story was beautiful, and it was clear that there was a large amount of research that went into the writing of this novel. Interestingly enough, Emma Donoghue does not use quotation marks in this novel, blurring the lines between thought and speech. I found this slightly unusual at first but was quickly able to pick up the intended meanings.
This novel is quite heavy, and I strongly suggest that potential readers pay attention to previously posted content warnings. If you are comfortable immersing yourself in these experiences, however, this book held a powerful and touching story about human resilience and compassion through difficult times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, and Grief