Daughters of War by Lizzie Page (Book Review)
Today I am overjoyed to be taking part in the Blog Tour for Daughters of War by Lizzie Page. Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for my invite to the tour and a copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly.
Description
An emotional tale of wartime love and sacrifice, inspired by an incredible true story…
As a teenager in Chicago, May always dreamed of travelling the world. So when she meets handsome George Turner, she jumps at the chance to return to London as his wife. Ten years later, May is wondering if she’s made a terrible mistake.
It’s 1914 and war has been declared in Europe. All around, brave young men are being called up to serve. George, banned from conscription himself, has taken to the bottle, and May suspects he’s seeing other women too. She longs for a way to escape.
The chance comes when May meets veteran nurse Elsie, who persuades May to join the war effort. May knows nothing of nursing – it will be difficult, dangerous work, but her heart is telling her it’s the right thing to do.
But then George does the unthinkable and May’s future is put at risk. Will she have to make the impossible choice between duty to her family and her promise to the soldiers on the front line? And can she live with the consequences if her husband goes through with what he’s threatening to do?
A gripping wartime drama, perfect for fans of Soraya M. Lane, Daughters of the Night Sky and Kathryn Hughes.
Purchase Link
My Review
I have been really looking forward to reading Daughters of War for some time. Lizzie Page’s first novel The War Nurses was one of my firm favourites from this year and the first book I reviewed from Bookouture, so it has a very special place in my heart.
Here is what Lizzie says on her Amazon author page:-
Daughters of War is the second book in the trilogy – but don’t be put off, it is a standalone book (although some old friends may well pop up here!) The story was inspired by the American writer, poet, political ‘influencer’, Mary Borden. It fictionalizes her time working in a hospital in the Somme and being apart from her children. If I had to sum it up in five words, I would say its about the search for belonging.
Reading this book during the lead up to the one hundred year anniversary of the end of the first World War felt like an extremely poignant yet perfect time. The main character May joins the war effort in 1914 and is sent to France as a nurse. Just like The War Nurses, this book is based around a true story which makes it so much more fascinating. Lizzie Page has the talent of a born storyteller and when combined with methodical research and true to life characters the book is almost impossible to put down.
The characters are flawed and believable, especially May’s husband George who turns out to be a vile man. I almost cheered when May met a previous character, Elsie Knocker, a remarkably strong nurse herself. Elsie persuades May to join a Voluntary Aid Detachment, helping the injured troops in a hospital in France. Leaving her daughters at boarding school, a devoted housekeeper and absent husband, she sets sail across the Channel, not knowing what to expect. I loved hearing the medical stories, the hardships of war and how strong and resilient these women turned out to be.
Daughters of War is informative, inspirational and most of all a very emotional read. Any fans of British history, especially around the time of WWI will love this book.
