A special thank you to Libro.fm and Hachette Audio for an audiobook listening copy, and NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.In an understaffed and overwhelmed hospital in Dublin, Nurse Julia Power cares for the expectant mothers that have come down with the terrible new Flu. They are quarantined together in a supply room that has been converted into the Maternity/Fever ward.
Julia is given a volunteer, Bridie Sweeney, from a nearby convent to assist her—she is a quick learner and eager to please. With Bridie's help being immeasurable to Julia, the two quickly form a bond. There are also very few doctors available so the hospital has allowed a woman doctor, Kathleen Lynn, who is rumoured to be on the run from the police.
Through their seemingly impossible work, these women change each other's lives all while ushering new life and fending off death.
Set during the war, The Pull of the Stars takes place almost entirely in the same room over the course of a few days. Donaghue's latest work is more than a story about a pandemic, it is also about the suffrage movement, birth, and religion. The women in this book are soldiers in their own right, they are fighting their own war against the Flu (pregnant women were more susceptible) as well as against the abuse of power at the hands of men, the very ones that are supposed to love and cherish them. Nurse Julia cares for women from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter what their backgrounds are, their suffering is all the same as are the expectations to have as many babies as possible which was thought of as a way of showing love to their husbands.
Bridie is a character filled with hope. Although she provides optimism, Bridie has it the hardest. Blossoming under Julia's care and encouragement, she is thrilled to be given any type of responsibility and for the first time in her life, Bridie feels useful and hopeful. Another important character is Dr. Kathleen Lynn—who was an actual person—a rumoured Rebel on the run from police. Although she doesn’t have a lot of page time, she really propels the plot and I wanted to learn more about her and find out what happened to her.
Donoghue does not use any punctuation. This is a huge pet peeve of mine because I never understand why someone would willingly choose to distract and confuse their reader. And who decides this? Is it the writer, or is it the editor? But it works for this novel because it creates flow—the dialogue is like a current that sweeps the reader along without a pause to allow emotion or thought. It is an unconscious stream of dialogue and prose.
The covers for this book are fantastic: the US version has Julia's pocket watch surrounded by the symbols that she etches into it and the Canadian and UK covers have four magpies. According to the "One for Sorrow" nursery rhyme, one magpie means sorrow (Julia's brother), two magpies mean joy (the front cover has two), three magpies are for the girl, and four magpies are for the boy (there is one on the spine and one on the back which makes a total of four and I'm not going to spoil who the girl and boy are).
Rich in historical detail, The Pull of the Stars is an exploration of nursing, illness, maternity, and above all, hope.
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EMMA DONOGHUE is a writer of literary fiction, historical fiction, short stories, and fairy tales. She is best known for The Wonder, Frog Music, Slammerkin, Akin, Life Mask, Landing, The Sealed Letter, Stir-Fry, Hood, and Landing. Her international bestseller Room was a New York Times Best Book of 2010 and was a finalist for the Man Booker, Commonwealth, and Orange Prizes. It was also made into an Oscar nominated movie starring Brie Larson (who won the Oscar for Best Actress).
Donoghue was born in Dublin but now resides in London, Ontario, with her partner and two children.
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