An Angel's Work by Kate Eastham

An Angel's Work by Kate Eastham

Book Summary

An Angel’s Work by Kate Eastham takes us to Liverpool, England in 1941 where Staff Nurse Josephine “Jo” Brooks and Staff Nurse Moira “Mac” MacDonald work at Mill Road Hospital.  Jo and Mac are as opposite as two women can be in personality, but they have their love of nursing in common.  They are also roommates and best friends.  They work hard on the wards during their shifts, and the nurses must report to work as soon as the air raid siren goes off which is happening more frequently.  Mac enjoys going out and enjoying herself during her rare evenings off.  One night, Mac meets Don who calls her his “Rita Hayworth” because of her gorgeous red hair.  Their relationship is just beginning when the hospital is bombed changing the course of Mac and Jo’s life.  One becomes an army nurse while the other becomes a flying nightingale.  Both women end up in dangerous situations so they can help the injured soldiers never knowing if they will make it back home alive.  What does the future hold for these dedicated nurses?

My Thoughts

An Angel’s Work by Kate Eastham gives us a look at the life of nurses during World War II.  The point-of-view switches between Josephine “Jo” Brooks and Moira “Mac” MacDonald as well as Don (a love interest for Mac) and sometimes Don’s American friend, Zach.  The story contains good writing, and the story moves along at a gentle pace.  In the beginning, I felt like I was missing pertinent details regarding our main character.   I went online to see if there was a prior book or a prequel that I had missed (there is not).  As the story progresses, we get more details on our main characters.  I wish the author had taken the time to fully flesh out our ladies as well as give a better introduction to Jo and Mac.  The author shows us what nurses endured during the war.  It is very realistic and gritty.  The descriptions are detailed (make sure you can handle the blood).  Some of the scenes are just heartbreaking especially when Jo is in the bombed out hospital.  I did feel that the story was a little choppy.  Some sections flowed into others and sometimes it did not.  I did enjoy the nurses’ interactions with the patients.  We can see how dedicated they are to them and their jobs.  The nurses had to be strong so they could endure what they saw and handled on a daily basis.  These women put their lives on the line to help others.  There is some foul language in the book as well as intimate situations.  An Angel’s Work will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction especially stories set during World War II.  An Angel’s Work sweeps a reader back in time where bombs are falling, food is rationed, the work is hard, yet they hold out hope the end will come soon.

An Angel's Work is available from Amazon*.  If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read for free. You can find Kate Eastham's The Nursing Series here.  Both images today are Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nurses at Normandy after D-Day.  I appreciate you reading my review today.  Next time I am featuring One Charmed Christmas by Sheila Roberts.  I am off to continue to sorting and purging process.  I am trying to convince my mother that if you have not used something in five years, you do not need it.  She is convinced that my father's suits from the 1980s would be worn by someone today (to work).  I told her they would, for Halloween.  She did not find it as funny as I did.  I hope you have a joyful day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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