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(The Hearts of Gold Trilogy, Book 2)
By Renee Yancy
A young woman refuses to become a pawn in her grandmother’s revenge scheme and forgoes a life of wealth and royalty to pursue a nursing career as America enters WWI and the Pandemic Flu of 1918 wreaks havoc in New York City.
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This novel is a poignant story about nursing on the front line during the 1919 flu pandemic. Be sure to have a big book of tissues with you because you are going to need them.
Kitty has all the hallmarks of a first-class nurse. She is kind, compassionate and dedicated to her job - if only her extremely wealthy grandmother could accept her for who she is. Kitty wants to learn, she wants to be the best she can be, she is even toying with the idea of training to become a doctor once she has qualified as a nurse. She goes above and beyond for her patients, and her dedication is noted by her seniors. But nothing could have prepared her for the 1919 pandemic.
This novel is very graphic. The author describes, in great detail, not only what it was like on the wards during this terrible time, but also what it was like in the wider community. Entire families are wiped out and there are bodies left in the street and the morgue is full. There are many similarities between this pandemic to the recent Covid pandemic, the only difference, I guess, is that science was on our side, whereas in 1919 the world was just coming out of a bloody war and antibiotics had yet to be discovered.
But this novel is not all doom and gloom, although be prepared for doom and gloom. There are some lighter moments because this does not just tell the story of Kitty the nurse, but Kitty and her family and friends. And, not forgetting, her problem with peas!!!
I really enjoyed this novel from beginning to end, although I am not sure I enjoyed the scene of the flu-invested wards, but it was certainly informative as well as incredibly upsetting. The only thing I can fault in this novel is the lady on the front of the cover who is dressed in the Regency fashion and not the fashion of 1919. But despite this little faux pas on the cover, the story has an awful lot going for it, but be warned, you are going to need to take out shares in Kleenex by the time you have finished reading this book!
This book is truly amazing. You can grab your copy at your favourite online bookstore - Here!
Renee Yancy
A voracious reader as a young girl, she now writes the kind of books she loves to read—stories filled with historical and archaeological detail interwoven with strong characters facing big conflicts. Her goal is to take you on a journey into the past so fascinating that you can’t put the story down.
When she isn’t writing, Renee can be found in the wilds of Kentucky with her husband and a rescue mutt named Ellie. She loves flea markets and collecting pottery and glass and most any-thing mid-century modern.
Social Media Links:
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I am so glad you enjoyed More Precious Than Gold. Thank you so much for hosting today's tour stop.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club
You are welcome, Mary Anne. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maddie. And thank you for vindicating me on the choice of the cover model. I had no say on the cover design, it was all my publisher. I said the same thing, that the cover model looked like Regency but they didn't agree and went with what you see.
ReplyDelete