There is more than one way to fight a war… An extraordinary story of grit, love and loss, based on the true history and real experiences of Australian nurses in World War 1.
In 1915, as World War 1 rages in Europe and the numbers of dead and injured continue to grow, Australian nurse Cora Barker leaves her home in Australia for England, determined to use her skills for King and country. When she arrives at Harefield House – donated to the Australian Army by its expatriate Australian owners – she helps transform it into a hospital that is also a little piece of home for recuperating Australian soldiers.
As the months pass, her mission to save diggers’ lives becomes more urgent as the darkest months of the war see injured soldiers from the battlefields of France and Belgium flood into Harefield in the thousands. When the hospital sends out a desperate call for help, a quiet young seamstress from the village, Jessie Chester, steps up as a volunteer. At the hospital she meets Private Bert Mott, a recovering Australian soldier, but the looming threat of his return to the Front hangs over them. Could her first love be her first heartbreak?
Cora’s and Jessie’s futures, their hearts and their lives hang in the balance as the never-ending wave of injured and dying soldiers threatens to overwhelm the hospital and the hopes of a nation rest on a knife edge. The nurses’ war is a war against despair and death, fought with science and love rather than mustard gas and fear – but can they possibly win it? And what will be the cost?
Victoria Purman has become a household name in the Australian historical fiction genre. With bestselling novels such as The Women’s Pages and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls, it’s no wonder she’s so popular. Now back with her eleventh novel, The Nurses’ War is a meticulously researched World War 1 novel, inspired by the real life experiences of the many brave nurses during this horrific time.
One thing you can expect from Purman is her scrupulous research and nuanced characters, and The Nurses’ War is no different. The two perspectives of Cora and Jessie tell a story spanning roughly six years as they tend to the soldiers that come through their makeshift hospital. With over 600 pages worth of story, this isn’t a novel you’ll want to rush. Spending the time learning the ins and outs of these characters allows for a richer, deeper understanding of what it was like for these extraordinary women during this time.
With themes of friendship, love and loss, The Nurses’ War is an inspiring story of love and loss and courage that will capture your heart. Yet another unmissable historical from Purman.
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