A Hidden Hope by Suzanne Woods Fisher

A Hidden Hope by Suzanne Woods Fisher - 310 Pages

 

Supervising two newly minted medical residents might be the toughest challenge Ruth "Dok" Stoltzfus has ever faced. Wren Baker, sharp and ambitious, graduated at the top of medical school with a hidden agenda in tow. Charlie King, at the bottom of the class, is determined to succeed--though Dok isn't convinced he's got what it takes. Then there's traveling nurse Evie Miller, whose quiet love for Charlie doesn't go unnoticed, especially by Wren.

Boarding at Windmill Farm, the trio struggles to balance modern medicine with Plain living. Between medical emergencies, cultural misunderstandings, and brewing romantic tensions, Dok finds herself juggling far more than she bargained for. Soon the stage is set in the small Amish community of Stoney Ridge for plenty of professional and personal complications.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

 The Women by Kristin Hannah-471 pages

1965 and the Vietnam War is in full swing.  Frankie's  (Frances) brother ships off...then she joins the Army as a nurse and follows him to Nam.  Once she gets off the helicopter she is thrown straight into chaos and the fatigue of the long journey hits her full force.  There is no rest for any of the doctors and nurses as they are all involved in making life and death decisions for the soldiers in their care.

In true Hannah form, she has done so much research to make the characters come to life.  She also brings to the fore the heroes that had been forgotten.  Excellent read.

Flying Angels By Danielle Steel

 Flying Angels by Danielle Steel-6 Audio CDs; 7 hrs. 25 min. (288 pages, print)

"Flying Angels" is the story of Four American nurses who enlist as Army/Air Force Nurses during World War II. Eventually, Audrey, Lizzy, Louise, and Alex sign up for the Medical Air Evacuation Transport and are deployed to England. Plenty of back story precedes the women's enlistment. In England, the four women meet Pru and Emma who are English army nurses. They all quickly become friends. Each experiences love and loss as was the case in reality during World War II. This is well-written and a good listen/read. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I listened to the audiobook on a recent road trip. 

Women of the Blue & Gray: True Civil War Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies by Marianne Monson

Women of the Blue & Gray: True Civil War Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies by Marianne Monson-230 pages

I read this for the Non-fiction challenge this month. I also happen to be very interested in Civil War history. I learned quite a bit about women in the Civil War. Some women disguised themselves as men and enlisted and others followed husbands or brothers into enlistment. One woman, Jennie Hodgers, took the identity of a man named Albert D. J. Cashier to enlist and went by that name and dressed as a man for nearly 50 years after the Civil War before she was discovered. Many women served as spies, nurses, and doctors during the war, also. Although, it would take many years and much cajoling for many of the women who served in these capacities to be paid for their service. Women had to volunteer (and not get paid) as nurses or doctors to start the war. Women such as Lydia Maria Child, Harriet Tubman, Susie Baker King Taylor, Clara Barton, the Grimke sisters, Mother Bickerdyke, Dr. Mary Walker, Ellen Orbison Harris, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Harriet Jacobs, Cornelia Peake McDonald, and Virginia Mason McLean (who had the distinction of witnessing both the first real battle and the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia near her house) are discussed in various detail, along with many others. I found this to be an informative, enlightening read.

Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne

Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne-73 pages

I read the newest edition of this book, as I have most of the Magic Tree House books. I enjoyed reading this one, as usual, but I didn't like all the generalizations when it came to the actual history of the Civil War. One such generalization is that those who wore blue were Union soldiers and those who wore gray were Confederate soldiers. This was not always the case, especially early in the war. Early on, many Union soldiers wore gray and many Confederate soldiers wore blue, which caused confusion during more than one battle/engagement. There were other generalizations made I didn't agree with, but, as always, I like that these books engage children with history in a fun, exciting way. I think these books should be mandatory reading at elementary school!