Nightingales under the Mistletoe by Donna Douglas

Nightingales Under the Mistletoe by Donna Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - dipped in and out over 3 days

Pages - 432

Publisher - Random House UK

Source - The Works

Blurb from Goodreads

Christmas 1941 and the nurses at the Nightingale are facing their toughest winter yet.


With shortages everywhere, and every news bulletin announcing more defeats and losses, the British people are weary and demoralised and The Nightingale Hospital is suffering too.


Millie is recently widowed and dealing with the demands of her family’s estate. It’s not long before her old world of The Nightingale begins to beckon, along with a long-lost love…


Jess is struggling with her move from East London to the quiet of the countryside.


Effie finds herself exiled to a quiet village, but the quiet doesn’t last for long as she soon finds excitement in the shape of a smooth-talking GI.


As Christmas approaches, even the shelter of the countryside can’t protect the girls from heartache.


My Review

I do love a book about nursing, set during the war or when it first started out. Nightingales is set in 1941 and we follow three main characters, Millie, Jess and Effie. Millie is a war widow with a little boy, lady of the manor and an overbearing grandmother who is set in her thoughts of how Mille should behave. Jess is in the country to help out, sent from London and finding her feet whilst dealing with her superiors dislike for Londoners and their "know everything" attitude. Effie has come from Ireland, she is on the run from something and just wants a bit of fun inbetween her nuring. There are other characters too and between them all we see the issues faced in the 40's during war, being a nurse, being an aid, soldier, a woman in that time period and all the trials and tribulations that follow.

I am partial to this kind of read, I just love it. You learn a wee something, you have some kind of scandal, questioning morals, friendship, bonding, a bad guy or two to dislike or hate and some acts of kindness to warm the cockles. I could read this time of book in one sitting if time and life permitted to be honest. The writing flows, the characters you invest in relatively quickly regardless of if you like or hate them, you engage.

Despite this being book seven I think it is my first read with these characters and I didn't feel at a loss coming in so late. I will absolutely be buying up more by this author. 4/5 for me this time, you will laugh, rage, be moved and annoyed at parts and who doesn't love when a book puts you through your paces.

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