The entire novel takes place over only three days, allowing the reader to be consumed by the life of a nurse in a pandemic and the women she meets. Donoghue cements her tale with details and descriptions that bring the reality of today into the fictional past she summons. This novel is exhausting, gripping, and shines a bright light on the power of humanity. The strongest technique that Donoghue uses in her novel is the massive constraint of time. The reader follows Julie Power, a nurse in a hospital where everyone is sick, and everyone has to fight to survive another day. Published in July of 2020, The Pull of the Stars managed to become one of the timeliest books of last year. The thin veil that exists between the reader and the characters (a mere 100 years of history and fictional status) provides insight and empathy, as well as a strange sense of hope. Set in 1918 war-torn Dublin during the Influenza pandemic, this novel shows the relentless stress and horror of living through turbulent times that are not dissimilar to those of today’s reader. You need to be prepared to read this book. My short green cape kept off the worst, but my coat. I cycled through reeking Dublin streets that were slick with rain. Feature Image found on Evening Standard Still hours of dark to go when I left the house that morning.
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