If you like historical novels set in the 20th century, I highly recommend Across a Broken Shore. I recently had the opportunity to read it (thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for the Advanced Reader Copy) and I thought it was fantastic.
Willa is an 18 year old girl in an Irish Catholic family in 1937. She has four older brothers, but since she’s the only girl, her parents expect her to become a nun (it’s tradition). The only problem is, she’s drawn to medicine instead. Her life changes after she meets a female doctor and she’s invited to become her medial assistant.
I love the setting in this book, which occurs in San Francisco during the Great Depression. Workers are building the Golden Gate Bridge; even then, men are clamoring to work there (even though the job is dangerous). Poverty is rampant; some people aren’t getting enough to eat. Although Willa’s family owns a tavern, she faces her own hardships. People don’t take women in medicine seriously. Parents feel like they can direct their children’s lives.
Willa is a great main character. She is torn between her family’s expectations and her own desires. On top of that, she feels guilt over an event that happened when she was twelve. She’s selfless and heedless of danger. Over the course of Across a Broken Shore, Willa learns to stand up for herself. She gains courage. I won’t tell you what her ultimate decision is, but for a while, I didn’t know which path she would take.
There is a little romance in this book. This is the 1930s, and Willa expects to go into a convent, so the book stays family-friendly. Across a Broken Shore is a YA book, although younger YA readers might not find the subject matter to be all that interesting.
Across a Broken Shore comes out on November 5th, but you can pre-order it now. If you enjoy books set in the Great Depression, books dealing with families and the pressures that they can put on you, or books about young ladies learning how to stand up for themselves in the world, this might be the book for you. I thought it was great.