This book taught me so much about the flu epidemic during WW1. Its written beautifully - the trauma and horror of being a working nurse during this time is very clear throughout, as is the horrendous experience of mothers on a maternity ward.

I think for some think would be either far too medically gorey or would be very triggering. For me, I genuinely liked that the book is so frank and open about the care of women in pregnancy and labour, I learned a lot and the emotional impact of the book wouldn't have been there without it.

The reflections on the role of the church in Ireland at this time were also incredibly hard hitting. Julia is a nurse on the front lines of a pandemic in the middle of a war, seeing her reactions to the nuns reminds you that even within these systemic horrors, there were always plenty of people at the time that didn't agree.

What I did struggle with was the late addition of a queer storyline. Wlw content is rare, it needs to be better than an underdeveloped add on which contributes to the extremely rushed ending of an otherwise great book.

Emma Donoghue does it again. I adore her writing and this once really stuck with me. Maybe it was the time I read it, during the pandemic, but it stayed with me.

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

This book is set in Dublin in 1918 during the flu pandemic.
This book is captivating and fast paced. I couldn’t put it down.
This book is full of sadness and trauma.
It’s so well written.
Fantastic

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I didn't know that it would take me so long to feel like reading a novel that while set in another time felt uncannily like the time we have just lived through. In someone else's hands this would be just another pandemic novel but in Emma Donoghue's precise prose that lets through just enough anger and outrage at the situation, and just enough ho-hum to the bitterness that has become daily life during the days of the deadly flu it elevates to something more.

The details of nursing, the realities of bodies and birth are rendered in everyday language that still shows the miracles at work. The criticism of both bureaucracy and the various homes for mothers and Magdalen laundry adjacent places is believable from our main character.

Had I been thinking about where this novel was taking me I may have been less upset but I was devastated and crying on the tube at the climax and then full of righteous indignation followed by a ray of gladness at how this novel ended. Such emotional depth was wrought again by Donoghue who is one of my very favourite authors.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I'm very sorry it took me so long to read and review a novel such as this.

"The Pull of the Stars" by Emma Donoghue is a stunning and powerful novel that captures the intense atmosphere of Ireland during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Donoghue's writing is beautiful and evocative, transporting the reader into the stark reality of a Dublin maternity ward. The characters are vividly drawn and their struggles feel both poignant and urgent. The novel offers a profound meditation on the nature of life, death, and human connection. Overall, "The Pull of the Stars" is a masterpiece of historical fiction that deserves to be widely read and celebrated. A truly exceptional five-star read.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue is a captivating novel set during the 1918 influenza pandemic in Ireland. The story follows Nurse Julia Power as she works in a fever ward for pregnant women who have contracted the deadly flu. Despite the grim setting and subject matter, the book is beautifully written, with vivid descriptions and well-drawn characters.

However, as someone who is not typically a fan of historical fiction, I found myself struggling to fully immerse myself in the story. While Donoghue's attention to detail and historical accuracy is admirable, I couldn't help but feel a bit disconnected from the time period and setting. This, in turn, took away from my enjoyment of the novel.

Despite my personal preferences, The Pull of the Stars is still a well-written and engaging book. The focus on women's health and the historical context of the pandemic adds depth and meaning to the story. Donoghue's writing is both descriptive and emotionally impactful, and she does an excellent job of portraying the fear and uncertainty of the time period.

In summary, while The Pull of the Stars may not have been my personal cup of tea, I can recognize its literary merit and the skill of the author. Fans of historical fiction, as well as those interested in women's health and the 1918 pandemic, will likely find this novel to be a satisfying and thought-provoking read.

This is a fantastic read set on a maternity ward in Dublin during the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic. There are so many comparisons to the covid-19 pandemic, it is quite haunting. The story reads so quickly because it is set over 3 days on one maternity ward. The characters are delightfully realistic with an intensity that comes from being on the front lines of a battle.
This is an excellent read and perfect for a book club to discuss.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

I just couldn't get into this book - such a shame but I guess we don't all like the same thing. I tried to keep going but gave up after 20%. The synopsis sounded great.

Beautifully written and very convenient for the current times. Reading this throughout the pandemic was heart wrenching, allowing thoughts to drift to the NHS and just how lucky we are to have them. It would have been completely different throughout the Spanish flue pandemic. I loved the concept of the book and the love story within. Not much happens within the plot, but sometimes I feel this is better, as there is more focus on characters development and the contextual aspect. I have this a four out of five stars.

Another great novel from this author. Well written and unputdownable, managed to finish it in two sessions. Recommended.

A powerful and intense novel following 3 extraordinary days in a maternity ward in Dublin during the great flu. Beautifully written - with some really exceptional passages - the book actually is unputdownable.. Its a reminder however much we may bemoan our own condition right now and the position of countries suffering the terrible effects of the pandemic right now, that we can and will survive all this. Astonishing that this was completed before the pandemic.

This book really surprised me, it was hard hitting topics all about women in a mans world. Where they have so much to give yet given so little.
Powerful stuff.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book especially reading it during a pandemic, as its set during another pandemic but I feel in love with Donoghue's story telling, having that little window into a maternity ward during the pandemic was such a refreshing take, at times it was heartbreaking and hard to read but then this moments were juxtaposed with sweet and tender moments between Birdie and Julia. A wonderfully engaging story about what it means to love and find light at the darkest of times.

It's 1918 and the Great Flu has come to Dublin, Ireland. Julia is left to run the maternity ward; single-handedly caring for sick mothers and their imminent arrivals. Over the course of a couple of days, Julia forms a deep connection with her charges, and the girl helping her while thinking more broadly about the political landscape of Ireland the plight of women.

CW: Traumatic childbirth, stillbirth.

"This is where every nation draws its first breath. Women have been paying the blood tax since time began."

Wow, this book was so intense, fast-paced and I loved every second of it. I couldn't tear my eyes away even when my entire body was clenched up in imaginary pain in solidarity with the women in the ward.

This book is also such an eye-opener for the amazing work and skill of nurses. Julia does not stop and I have no doubt her work is and has been repeated over and over in every hospital in the world because of amazing nursing staff.

There are some really traumatic parts in this book, and descriptions of medical procedures that had me hissing just imagining them, let alone knowing what kind of pain these women were in. And on top of all of that, they had the flu as well which made things even worse. If you are at all sensitive on epidemic/pandemic descriptions and flu-like symptoms and death due to the Covid-19 crisis, I would be wary of this book until you are better able to handle the content.

The political situation in Ireland at the time of this book was also fascinating - hearing from characters on the ground during the 1916 Rising, and on both sides of the movement. A freedom fighter, and an ordinary nurse who had to nurse civilians injured by the destruction. And in the shadow of WW1 as well when men who fought in it were deemed to be traitors for fighting in the British army.

Bridie's character was so lovely, and the way in both harsh and gentle ways Emma Donoghue unveiled her past and the true horror of institutional homes and Mother & Baby homes was done really well. Anyone not versed in Ireland's horrific history with these homes would have no trouble understanding the cruelty that resided inside of them, and doled out by people who were suppose to be men and women of God.

I loved the f/f relationship in this. The way it blossomed and just erupted into something sweet and lovely, and so tragically brief was achingly gorgeous and heartbreaking all at once.

I loved this book, and Emma Donoghue proves once again I can always count on her for an addictive story, and characters I can fiercely connect with and root for.

I can’t say I am particularly looking forward to the inevitable glut of literary fiction set during the current pandemic with musings on time spent in isolation which will no doubt appear on shelves over the next few years. However, I was intrigued by the premise of The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue which is set during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, and it’s easy to guess why this was one of the few novels to have its publication date brought forward this year. Nurse Julia Power works on a maternity ward in an understaffed hospital in Dublin alongside young volunteer, Bridie Sweeney, and a new doctor called Kathleen Lynn, who was a real-life suffragette and social justice activist and wanted by the police for her role in the Easter Rising. Over the course of just three days in a confined setting, their patients experience numerous complications, partly a result of the conditions caused by the pandemic and partly due to poverty and attitudes towards women’s health at the time. The descriptions of childbirth are not for the fainthearted, but ‘The Pull of the Stars’ is a darkly compelling novel with striking contemporary relevance, albeit unintentionally. Many thanks to Picador for sending me a review copy via NetGalley.

What are the odds of writing a pandemic novel in a pandemic? Emma Donoghue nails our anxieties in this one, despite she doesn't do it on purpose.
Definitely not written to be released in a pandemic, The Pull of Stars has a slow moving, yet still effecting plot. Set in a woman's ward in the hospital in Spanish Flu, Dublin. Vivid descriptions. excellent atmosphere and characters.

In Dublin, 1918, it is a time of immense global and social change. Emma Donoghue’s latest novel ‘The Pull of the Stars’ takes place almost exclusively in a cramped three-bed fever ward in an understaffed hospital. All patients are pregnant and quarantined while the world is racked by war and influenza. Both of these are unpredictable, killing at random, lasting longer than predicted and classless. This is an at times breath-taking, touching and emotional novel that sucks you into a feverish dream so you want to read on and on.
Taking place over three days, Nurse Power arrives for work to find herself temporarily in charge. Donoghue excels at the ordinary detail of Julia’s life, her journey to work, the arbitrary rules of the matron, the needs at home of her war-damaged soldier brother Tim who is now mute. On the day the story stars, Julia’s only help comes from an untrained young volunteer, Bridie McSweeney, who acts as a runner to find doctor or orderly as required. The figure of three recurs – three beds, three days, three key characters. The third, Doctor Kathleen Lynn, is a real person, her history documented. She was arrested during the 1916 Easter Rising and in ‘The Pull of the Stars’ is wanted by the police as a rebel. Power and McSweeney are Donoghue’s inventions. Every character, major and minor, is touched by the twin enemies of war and flu.
Gradually we fall under the spell of Donoghue’s story as Julia and Bridie attend to the needs of their patients in the room with its handwritten note on the door, Maternity/Fever. As temperatures rise and coughs hack, labour pains rise and fall. Donoghue doesn’t skimp on the detail of labour, this isn’t for the squeamish, but she writes with such skill that makes you care for her patients too.
This novel pulls you into its drama and won’t let you go until the end. The ebb and flow of each patient’s condition, Julia’s never-ending fight to help them despite the lack of support, the joy of birth and grief of death, the irreverence and youth brought into the room by Bridie, the quiet and resolute calm of Doctor Lynn, are woven together to create a micro portrayal in this small room of the world in 1918. And bound into every page is the strength and hope of love. I read this book in two sittings.
Researched and written prior to Covid-19, this book is an eerie glimpse into how the Spanish Flu epidemic ravaged through a world at war a century ago, distracted and ill-equipped to deal with it.
A small grumble – I find the lack of speech marks jarring.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/