The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sara Ackerman @AckermanBooks ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

The Lieutenant's Nurse takes place in 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and started their war with the United States. Along with the story, there are copies of messages that were sent from Japan to their navy and the pilots before the attack started which made the story more realistic. Over 2400 people were killed when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This number includes the US military, the Japanese pilots, the nurses and the civilians. There were less than 100 nurses working the hospital at Pearl Harbor when the attack happened and they were totally overwhelmed with the number of causalities that were brought to the hospital. Hawaii had been considered one of the easiest and most beautiful places to work as a nurse but after the attack, it was no longer viewed that way.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2019; MIRA; 978-0778307914
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); historical fiction

Eva had never even seen the ocean when her ship left California to head to Hawaii where she was assigned as an Army nurse. She was running away from her home in Michigan and there were more reasons than just to avoid another bad Michigan winter. A friend of her father's who was in the military was waiting for her in Hawaii and even though she thought she loved him, she became very close to Clark, a Navy intelligence officer that she meets on the ship. When Eva arrives at the hospital, she immediately bonds with the other nurses. It is this bond of sisterhood that holds them all together in the days following the attack when they are get so many wounded people to care for. And the danger that finds her threatens everything she holds dear. Amid the chaos and heartbreak, Eva will have to decide who to trust and how far she will go to protect those she loves.

I found it refreshing to read a war book with the nurses being such an important part of the story. They have been ignored in the history books for way too long. Along with the historical part of the story, there is a beautiful love story between Eva and Clark that helped show there is hope for the future even in the midst of war.

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About the Author

Sara Ackerman is the author of  Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers. Born and raised in Hawaii, she studied journalism and earned graduate degrees in psychology and Oriental Medicine. When she's not writing or practicing acupuncture, you'll find her in the mountains or in the ocean.

Connect with Sara
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Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter.

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