It’s 1936 and Willa MacCarthy is certain she has no options. She’s known since she was 12 that she would become a postulate at the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Spirit and take her vows. The only girl in this Irish Catholic family, her Mam & Da and four protective brothers expect her to become a nun.
San Francisco is coming back to life as the building of the Golden Gate Bridge is bringing the citizens hope with so many construction jobs. Even though dangerous, the lure of steady paychecks is worth the risks involved. The MacCarthy boys are willing to wait to be chosen to work on the bridge, while Willa, now 18, secretly reads Grey’s Anatomy in her bedroom and attends parties with her somehow wealthy high school friend, Cara Reilly. Willa and her brothers face the same decisions as youth do today: respect parental expectations or follow your calling? Willa’s chance meeting of Dr. Katherine Winston certainly seems to acknowledge the peace she finds when “doctoring,’ as opposed to the deep fear that envelops her in the pew at church. Finding her voice, coping with guilt, confession & forgiveness and allowing for failures to become achievement, are just some of the issues dealt with by Willa and her family.
Mam & Da’s life long dream of having her enter the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Spirit has a profound impact on Willa. Dr. Katherine Winston, who mentors and encourages Willa, Sam Butler, whose transient life Willa changes, and the struggling Cleery family at the Hooverville camp, all play important roles in Wilhelmina MacCarthy’s decision to take her vows and enter the convent or follow her heart to become a doctor.
Willa’s dilemma of choosing between honoring her parents and the women of her past by entering the convent or following her call to be a doctor, the “hand of God in the world,” will keep you “praying and hoping” until the final page.

Willa is the granddaughter of Irish immigrants who settled in San Francisco. During the Depression, her dad tries to make ends meet by running a small pub. Willa was told when she was six that she would become a nun, as family tradition stated, but Willa discovered a Gray's Anatomy book in the trash and wants to pursue medicine. When her brother Paddy cuts off two of his fingers, it's Willa's quick thinking and knowledge that keeps Paddy from bleeding to death. The doctor he's taken to is a woman who offers to let Willa work with her. From then on, Willa fights a inner battle between lying to and disappointing her parents or living the life she chooses. She and Dr. Winston work with the poor and the men building the Golden Gate Bridge. The more she works with Dr. Winston, the more she struggles with her decision.

Amy Trueblood weaves a compelling story, in Across a Broken Shore, that combines the building of the bridge with the first women physicians in the area. I could not put it down! It will be November before this released. You'll want to read it. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!

This book was beautifully written and absolutely captivating. I found myself feeling every emotion right along with Willa. She is an extremely likable character and, even though her circumstances and the time period are so vastly different from my own, I found Willa very relatable as well.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I love a historical fiction, especially about a time or place I know little about, and this exploration of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and the struggles of early 20th century female doctors was an interesting look at this historical period and place I had previously read little about. The character of Willa was by turns hesitant and feisty as she came to terms with her own ambitions in life, and her relationship with Sam was carefully built.

However I did find this book quite hard going, and felt there was quite a lot of repetition. Willa's teenage perspective was quite melodramatic, and her angst about guiltily feeling she should follow her parents' wishes and be a nun, while longing to become a doctor, was repeated endlessly. In the end, the conflict was wrapped up relatively quickly and painlessly, and I felt there was a missed opportunity to see this being built up a little more subtly, particularly regarding Willa's relationship with her parents.

I also noticed lots of minor inconsistencies - for example it took Willa ages to come up with how she knew the doctor to her friend and her friend's mum (and even then Cara was the one who came up with a story), then ten pages later told her brother it was chilling how easily she'd been able to lie. There were also priests who were sympathetic on one page, then staring at her.on the next. Perhaps the average reader would not notice these things.

Finally, I found the dialogue quite forced at times, with characters speaking unrealistically, for example using similes (e.g. Paddy: 'I wish I didn't have hair like a newly minted penny') and all sounding quite similar to each other. This was particularly noticeable in the case of Simon, who is meant to have come from Ireland only a year before, but sounds like an American lad, with no Irish idioms or turns of phrase at all.

Many fans of historical fiction with a hint of romance will enjoy this I'm sure, although it didn't quite hit the spot for me.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is a moving and truly beautiful story. I found myself sneaking away to read a few more pages at every possible opportunity. It is a story about a woman limited by society and family expectations, who will need to stand up to the most important people in her lives to realize her true potential. It is a story of familial love, self-discovery, the gift of mentorship, and following your heart. Although it is historical fiction, these are lessons that are still relevant for young women today. Set in San Francisco in the 1930's, the book also gives us fascinating perspective into the lives of the men who built the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm so grateful Amy Trueblood gave me the chance to get to know Willa MacCarthy-- I was sad to see it end!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

This book was amazing! I was hooked from the beginning because of Willa and her brothers, but her determination and dreams had me vested in her future. I rooted for her throughout the whole book. While this book was on the short side, it was an amazing read. The underlying theme was never give up and always stand your ground even when it might upset someone else because you are responsible for your own happiness.

This book had such positive early reviews that I was expecting to love it, but I didn’t at all. The concept and themes were interesting - the Depression, the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, the idea of a woman becoming a doctor before that was an accepted thing, the adolescent struggle to define oneself vs meet family expectations - but the execution was honestly terrible. First, the writing just wasn’t very good. The dialogue in particular was awkward and painful to read, and didn’t flow naturally at all. Second, the stories told come across as trite and overdone, and not nuanced or relatable. Third, a lot of the story is unrealistic. Despite the backdrop of the Depression, we see very little of it outside of homeless people in Hoovervilles. We’re told that Willa’s family will be glad for one less mouth to feed, but they seem to be living just fine, and she can even afford nice Christmas gifts for her friends. Meanwhile, Dr. Winston only treats poor people and hardly ever gets paid and often turns down people’s offers of payments, and her husband is away looking for work, but somehow she’s well off and can afford to pay for Willa’s schooling? And even though she had some hard times at school, now they all love and respect her and nobody holds on to sexist ideas? It’s just all very... contrived. Overall it just felt very high-handed, cliched, and hard to relate to. Disappointing.

Review Run Date: 04/24/2019
Review Posted: From Jen's Bookshelf Blog and Goodreads, will also be posting about my review on my instagram @fromjensbookshelf

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood

Read: 04/22-04/24

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

The last thing eighteen-year-old Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy wants is to be a nun. It’s 1936, and as the only daughter amongst four sons, her Irish–Catholic family is counting on her to take her vows—but Willa’s found another calling. Each day she sneaks away to help Doctor Katherine Winston in her medical clinic in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

Keeping secrets from her family only becomes more complicated when Willa agrees to help the doctor at a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate. Willa thinks she can handle her new chaotic life, but as she draws closer to a dashing young ironworker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all. 

First off: Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

What I Liked:

There was so much that I enjoyed about this book but I'll start with the general concept overall. I immediately fell in love with the historical fiction story of a young woman who is interested in the medical field. Set against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and you have a wonderful story. Willa was a fantastic main character. Her struggle between her family obligations and her duties was very well done. Everyone at some point has felt that struggle, although maybe not as extreme as Willa's. I also loved that we got a female main character that was interested in the science field. Oftentimes I find with YA that the strong female characters have to be warriors, but this book challenged that concept by showing us a strong female character who chose to healing as her battle against the patriarchy.

The plot kept me invested and I quickly found myself cheering for Willa. Her relationships with everyone in the book were an important aspect of that. Each one represented something different. Watching her interactions with Dr. Winston as she learned that her dreams of being a doctor were not impossible was truly inspiring. Sam was such a great love interest for her. I especially enjoyed watching her bond with Simon and Maeve.

What I Didn't Like:

There is one part of the ending that I didn't like but I am not going to say what it was and spoil the book for everyone. However, I will just say I don't quite feel that it was necessary for the plot but I guess I can see why the author chose to do it. I think I would have enjoyed the ending of the book even more if it hadn't happened though.

I do also want to note that while I have a personal interest in the medical field and was not bothered there are a few scenes that are graphic due to the nature of the topics addressed in the story. They do not take away from the brilliance of this book.

Overall, this was a fantastic historical fiction book that is inspiring for all young girls and women everywhere.

Rating: 10/10

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A wonderful story of independence and tradition by Amy Trueblood, Willa is a brilliantly clever young girl who longs to be a doctor after she sees Dr Winston treating her brother. But her Irish Catholic family want her to enter a nunnery to follow tradition. With just a hint of romance, this book was perfect for a Sunday read!

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is a story set in 1936 San Fransico, centered around Willa, an Irish Catholic girl who is split between two different worlds. Her parents wanting her to carry on the family tradition of being a nun, and her dreams of being a Docter. An accident with one of her brothers gives her the opportunity to practice medicine under Docter Katherine Winston. Pulled between her dreams and obligation as time goes on and more secrets and lies start pilling on top of her. Willa will finally have to make the ultimate decision please her parents or her dreams. A lovely story of grief and the power of family, exploring the bond between parent and child and how far both sides will take it to keep up tradition and respect.

I read Amy Trueblood's debut, NOTHING BUT SKY, so I knew that ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE would be right up my alley! Plus, I love historical fiction and 1930s San Francisco? Yes please!

Immediately, I connected with Willa and her desire to become a doctor--a job held by primarily men during that time. Her spunk and drive were admirable and I found myself relating so much to her! As someone who believes very strongly in following your passion, I found Willa's story so empowering!

I also particularly loved learning about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, a topic I knew virtually nothing about. It's clear that the author did a lot of research on the topic, and I really appreciated all the meticulous details. So intriguing! An excellent backdrop for the story!

Overall, an excellent read! I highly recommend!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this historical fiction account about the building of the Golden gate bridge. The well researched details of the men who risked life to construct and paint the bridge was evident of the authors attention to detail. I appreciated the details of what it would have been like for a girl to enter a convent and to practice medicine all while trying to hold onto her Catholic religion. The romance in the novel was sweet. Great read!

Willa McCarthy is the only girl in a rambunctious Irish Catholic family, in 1930s San Francisco. Her parents hold dear their plans and wishes for her to become a nun, but Willa has never held these same wishes. There has always been something else out there for her. When she brings her injured brother to the local doctor's office, she realizes that her dream is to become a doctor, a career that is rare and discouraged for a female in those times.

Dr, Katherine Winston is the new doctor in town, and she has recently replaced Dr. Maloy. People are doubtful that she can do as good a job as a male doctor. With every move and act, Dr. Winston proves that she can do as good, or better, a job than a man. Willa is instantly aware that Dr. Winston is the embodiment of all Willa wants in life. How will Willa tell her religious, adamant parents that being a doctor is what she wants? How does Willa convince herself that her worldly desires are stronger than being a cloistered nun?

This was a fast read, a look at the historical time when the Golden Gate Bridge (which figures prominently in this story) was being built. It's dramatic and realistic.

Set in the late 1930s during the building of the Golden Gate bridge you follow Willhelmina who has ambitions of becoming a doctor, the only problem is her parents expect to her carry on a family tradition of joining the convent. Willa has accepted her fate until she meets the new town doctor Katherine Winston who offers to take Willa under her wing and teach her some skills. Willa is now faced with the dilemma of following her parents dreams or following her own.

Willa has a strong desire to study medicine, she has studied a lot on her won and she wants to help those in need. Willa was a nice character and strives to help as many as she can. I liked seeing her help those less fortunate in town and continue to check on their wellbeing. Willa really deals with a lot of guilt and is afraid of disappointing her parents and is willing to give up her dreams to keep them happy.

I enjoyed the different relationships throughout the book. First the friendship that Willa forms with Dr. Katherine Winston. Willa tries to learn as much from her as possible and Katherine pushes Willa and believes that she has what it takes to become a doctor. I loved Willa's brothers and how overprotective they were of her and how supportive they became, especially Paddy who believed in her from the start. The romance between Willa and Sam was cute. Sam was a sweet character and is very encouraging of Willa to pursue medicine.

Filled with friendships, loss, and first love. A very enjoyable historical fiction read.

Very few things are perfect but this book? It might just be. This book was so incredibly special. The research and love that Amy clearly poured into this book is obvious. It is unmeasurable how wonderful this book was. I was completely swept up by the events of this story. Everything was so vivid. I feel like this book called on all five senses in the most extreme ways. I could see the bridge taking shape, I could hear the hollers of the workers, I could smell the sea air. I felt like I could feel the rain and wind on my skin. I could practically taste the rosemary beef prepared for Christmas lunch. This book was such an immersive experience. I’ve enjoyed books. I’ve loved books. But the absolute joy and sorrow I experience reading Amy’s books doesn’t happen very often. I feel very privileged that I get to read books as special as this.

Nothing But Sky was my favourite read last year and easily became one of my all time favourite books. Without a doubt Across A Broken Shore just joined it.

When I find a new favourite author I’m certain that I’ll read whatever they publish so I don’t always take stock of what the next book will be about. I knew this book was set in the 1930’s. I knew the Golden Gate Bridge would be there. I knew Willa was going to be strong and daring and challenge expectations but I didn’t realise how difficult it was going to be for her to be exactly who she was supposed to be.

This book really was all the feels. My heart soared and I stood on the side lines and cheered for Willa. My heart absolutely plummeted and I wanted to rush in hug all her broken pieces back together. Or maybe I needed someone to do that for me? I don’t know. I’m not even a hugging person. I sobbed and I sobbed and I’d do it all again because I’ve just finished and I already want to read about Willa and Sam and her family all over again. How is it possible that this book made my heart feel lighter and heavier all at once?

It’s always difficult to leave behind the characters of a wonderful book but it was especially difficult knowing that I live in 2019 and Willa lived in the 1930’s. I would love nothing more than to sit on a porch with Willa, drinking tea and listening to her stories!

1930s San Francisco comes alive in Amy Trueblood’s historical YA, ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE. In addition to the main plot revolving around Willa and her desire to become a doctor in a male-dominated field, I felt like I learned so much about this time period and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in particular.

Willa’s story is all about following her passion, and what that could cost her. I loved Willa’s tenacity, her ensemble of larger-than-life brothers, the world she finds through her friendship with mentor, Dr. Katherine Winston, and the love story had quite a few swoony moments as well. ;)

This book is YA, but I can also envision it being a hit for adult readers as well! Big thanks to NetGalley and Flux for providing this e-ARC.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is a wonderful novel written in the voice of a young 18 year old woman named Willa (Wilhelmina) MacCarthy.
Here is a historical nonfiction book set in San Francisco in the 1930s during the time of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is also a coming of age novel where Willa trying to find her future and calling and the struggle between what she “should do” based on what her parents want for her, and what her heart calls out for her to do.

The internal struggle of deciding on her parent’s path of Willa joining the convent as os a family tradition, or following her heart on this new-found discovery and journey into medicine at the encouragement of her new friends and her new mentor Dr. Katherine Winston, gives us a wonderful, heartfelt story that most of us can relate to in one way or another. Being a female practicing in medicine, I especially am drawn to Willa and her struggles. It even brought tears to my eyes at one point.

This is a wonderful book and a treasure. This is a must read and I give it 5/5.

Thank you NetGalley for this touching read and in return for this advanced read, I am submitting my voluntary and unbiased opinion and review. Thank you again.