Pamela Hart (1)

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… (lisätietoja)

Just when I thought I couldn’t love Pamela Hart’s books any more, A Letter from Italy arrives. With every book, the stories and emotion become more enjoyable, bringing to life a section of history forgotten about. In A Letter from Italy, Pamela Hart is inspired by the first woman war correspondent, Louise Mack, and weaves a story that is passionate, action packed and fascinating down to the last detail.

Australian Rebecca Quinn has always wanted to move away from the boredom of the women’s pages in the newspaper and report real news. When she and journalist husband Jack move to Italy to report on World War I, it’s possible that she might get that chance, helping Jack with a scoop or two. But when Jack takes off chasing an exclusive, Rebecca is left by herself in Brindisi. She decides to continue to report on the war, but she’s blocked at every turn for her gender. It’s then suggested that she team up with Alessandro Panucci (also known as Al Baker), an Italian-American who wants to make his name as a war photographer. With Sandro, Rebecca can hear about the press conferences and add photos to her story. Together they report on stories big and small, culminating in a story that has them thinking way outside the square and risking their lives. They know they work well as a team, but is there something more?

Rebecca is a modern character for her time, espousing women’s rights (her mother was a suffragette – now there’s a story I’d like to read). She believes in equality and won’t take no for an answer when she is barred from something just due to her sex. The young Italian women are fascinated that she has voted back in Australia, but Rebecca’s simple descriptions get her in big trouble with their husbands and fathers. As Rebecca remarks, it’s a lot more difficult to strip away the centuries of tradition in Italy compared to a young country in Australia. Yet she’s still a product of her time, with her conflicted feelings involving her husband Jack. Divorce is still scandalous, no matter what his crime is. She’s determined, but not willing to break out of the mould entirely.

Sandro is just lovely. His inner conflict as to who he is and where he fits – America? Italy? – is well done and wanting to be an artist via the relatively new medium of photography adds another interesting layer to his character. He comes up against the traditions of Italy, struggles with them, but makes graceful choices. I couldn’t help but cheer him on as much as I did Rebecca. And as for his Nonna Rosa…she has a fascinating history, told briefly but it’s her blunt observations that add a layer of wisdom and humour to the story.

A Letter from Italy also just flows beautifully. The characters are well crafted and the plot contains enough threads to make ‘one more chapter’ a must. The descriptions of Italy and its people are evocative, particularly those of Venice and the gondolas. It’s a great story which is captivating from the very beginning. If you want great Australian historical fiction, look no further than Pamela Hart.

Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com… (lisätietoja)

The war has ended and the English brides of Australian soldiers are now arriving in Australia. But what happens if the man you married isn’t waiting when the ship arrives? This is exactly what happens to Margaret Dalton.
Sergeant Tom McBride is in charge of checking everyone off the ship and takes Margaret to a hostel while the Army sorts out the whereabouts of her husband, Frank.
They find Frank is no longer at his stated residence and his papers also mention a wife and child.
Margaret feels like a fool but must now put on a brave face and come to terms with the idea that Frank deceived her.

”She’d been gullible, tricked by a warm smile and nice brown eyes. No. Forget him. She would wear her lovely nighties and use those embroidered tablecloths and be damned with him. But it was a hollow kind of defiance, a thin shell over pain and humiliation.”

I found this not only a captivating read it was also a sentimental journey as it was set in the area and time of my Grandmother’s early twenties and through Hart’s descriptions I could clearly see Sydney as my Grandmother would have seen and lived it.

I loved the Australian colloquialisms in the story. Well researched, the story comes across as real and natural.

The War Bride is a stand alone however I would recommend The Soldier’s Wife is read first. Not only because it is a moving read but it’s where the character of Tom McBride is first introduced. It will give you a whole new perspective on Tom’s heartbreak.

There is a lot of angst in this story as the characters rebel, with much soul searching, against the morals of the time.

Hart brings in relevant issues such as divorce, unemployment, religion, fear of being ostracized, dressing and doing what is considered proper. However these are all set around a changing country and Hart integrates the push for acceptance and change on a lot of levels.

My thanks to Hachette Aus via Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
I loved this book so much I have bought myself a paperback copy.… (lisätietoja)