4.5 stars

This story has a strong protagonist and is set in a historical fiction world. I love the elements of historical fiction, science and medicine and the character development! I'm looking forward to reading other books by this author.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and I've wanted to read this one ever since I saw it on a list for the top 25 historical fiction of 2019. Let me just say this one definitely lived up to my expectations and I highly recommend this to all lovers of the genre.

What I loved about this book:

1. I loved that the author made sure we saw the situation from all view points.

2. I loved that the main character was a female interested in a field that wasn't typical of the time period. She also has to decide to follow her dreams or follow the path her parents have chosen for her.

3. I loved how the character grew throughout the book. While she has moments of triumphs and also makes mistakes, she is one of my favorite characters I've read. She's so real and easily relatable.

I really enjoyed this book it was so different from others I have read, being set in San Francisco made it more interesting for me having visited the city many years ago and still have fond memories of it.
The story kept me interested and I wanted to find out what happened so I read as much as I could to finish it.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A beautifully written historical novel. The author does such a brilliant job of depicting the era that the reader feels fully immersed in the place and the time.

Across a Broken Shore follows the story of Wilhelmina (Willa) MacCarthy who is months away from doing the convent and becoming a nun. It is a McCarthy family tradition for the women in the family to give their lives to the church…the only problem is Willa doesn’t want to be a nun, she wants to be a doctor. Her life changes when her brother Paddy has an accident at their family’s pub and they take him to see the only doctor available. Doctor Katherine Winston notices that Willa has an interest in medicine and offers to take her on as her apprentice. Becoming a doctor goes against everything Willa’s parents have planned for her and she has to make a chose to go the path her parents expect of her or chase her dreams.

What I liked:
-I really enjoyed the setting. The story was set in 1936-1937 in San Francisco, California. The building of the Golden Gate Bridge plays a part in this story. Overall this is definitely a time period that I enjoy reading about.
-I loved the relationship between Willa and her brothers, Nick, Paddy, Michael and Sean. They were of course the overprotective older brothers but they also believed in her dream.
-I really liked Willa and Dr. Winston’s relationship. They both trusted each other and it wasn’t just a mentor and apprentice but also a friendship. I really just loved how much Dr. Winston pushed Willa to become a doctor and not to give up.
-There is some romance in this book. It doesn’t take over the whole book which was good. Willa’s relationship with Sam was super sweet

My only complaint is..since the book daily focuses on Willa it got a little slow and repetitive at times. It would have been nice to have some different points of view. Other then that I really liked the book and would recommend it!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book*

Across a Broken Shore, by Amy Trueblood, is a coming of age story with a lot going for it. Set in San Francisco during the mid 1930’s, it tells the story of a young woman whose passion for medicine is battling with her loyalty to family expectations that she will become a nun. Trueblood flawlessly weaves into one woman’s coming of age the story of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and the devastating impact of the Great Depression in full swing.

This is a novel that captures the reader’s attention and reaches a satisfying conclusion. If I had to be critical, I’d point to an ending that is just a bit too neat and dialogue that sometimes seemed too progressive for the era. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book and do recommend it. It is aimed at a YA audience, and might spark the interest of readers of any age in the construction of bridges and the consequences of an economic crisis.

Thanks to NetGalley and North Star Editions, Flux for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW this book was one of the best reads of 2019!! I can not say how much I loved this!!! Such an amazing story i fell in love with it and its amazing characters! A first by me by this author and look forward to reading more by her!!

This was a phenomenal read, it pulled on my heart strings more than I was expecting. It told a beautiful story of love, friendship and finding a voice in the world, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing Willa’s growth in the book. Best book I’ve read this year!

Across a Broken Shore is a YA historical fiction set in 1930's San Francisco. Against the backdrop of construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, we follow an Irish Catholic young woman whose parents want her to become a nun while she dreams of becoming a physician. When her brother injures his hand, she meets the new female doctor who offers her a job as her assistant. Willa accepts, but must hide what she is doing from her family.

This explores the complicated nature of family expectations and finding your own sense of purpose, and also how meaning and spirituality can be found in things like serving people in need through medicine, not just in traditional church roles. It also explores sticky issues of morality like safe abortions versus women harming themselves due to unplanned pregnancy, suggesting that providing care may be worth the risk. (remember that in this time period, abortion was illegal across the board). The book attempts to offer a nuanced approach to such issues.

While the dialogue in the early part of the book is sometimes a bit clunky with over-insertion of historical facts, this ultimately won me over by the end and I was really rooting for Willa to stand up for herself, pursue her dreams, and maybe fall in love. This is a moving and inspiring story based partly on the life of the first women to graduate from medical school and become practicing physicians. The later portion of the book becomes more emotionally compelling, and you will probably learn a few things along the way. There is also a sub-plot involving Willa trying to care for a family living illegally in a tent camp and her strong feelings about offering medical services to those who are unable to pay for them. Overall, I really liked this book and think it is worth picking up if the topics interest you. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

CW: Do be aware that this book contains graphic depictions of practicing medicine in emergency conditions, including blood, broken bones, birth, miscarriage, and even death. There is also a scene involving care for a girl who attempted an abortion herself with a knitting needle and has perforated an organ. Additionally, there is an alcoholic character, scenes of fighting and peril, scenes with police rounding up homeless and separating families, and attempted sexual harassment.

The majority of historical fiction seems to center around WWII. While I certainly love that time period, it was refreshing to read a historical fiction novel set in a different time and certainly different locale. Across a Broken Shore follows Willa MacCarthy while she tries to determine what she wants with her life. Will she be the dutiful daughter and become a nun like her parents want or will she follow her dreams and pursue medicine? With a robust cast of characters, you certainly feel like you are in San Francisco. Like any good historical fiction novel, there is a fun love story along the way.

While this may not be one of the top historical fiction novels out this year, it is certainly worth your time. With a refreshing story and a pioneering heroine, its a feel good, perfect curl up in the afternoon type read. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

It’s been a handful of months since the last time I read a historical having favored SFF heavily for most of this year. It was a good run but, admittedly, I missed the cozy comfort that a good historical brings and, reader, I couldn’t be gladder to dip back into this genre with this book.

With the construction of San Francisco’s famed Golden Gate Bridge in its background, Across a Broken Shore will transport readers to late 1830s America – a time of great hardship for many, but also of hope. It was an enjoyable read, both touching and relatable in equal measures.

The story centers on eighteen-year-old Willa MacCarthy. Having finished high school, Willa’s all but bidding time, albeit with increasing dread, until she enters the convent. It was a fate her traditional Irish-Catholic parents had set for her ever since she was young and, burdened both by guilt and duty, Willa had consigned herself to it that was until she met Dr. Winston. 

Across a Broken Shore dealt with some complicated and tough topics: the often-limiting and disembodying weight of familial duty and expectations, the stifling rules of tradition and convention, the challenges and prejudices women had to weather and pretend to be immune from in a world built for men. I loved that Trueblood incorporated all these issues within her narrative. It made the story believable and relatable because even if this novel was set some 80+ years ago these are issues are still pretty much a problem for so many other people. 

Still, crucial though they may be, the heart of this novel is still Willa.

Willa, as a character, was relatable and readers will find themselves empathizing with her. She’s strong in her own way, smart, resourceful and capable. I couldn’t help feeling angry on her behalf for the way her whole family, with the exception of Paddy, treats her. They limited her, forcing her to conform to be this person they think she should be. 

Dr. Katherine Winston was another character I loved. She was a mentor and a friend to Willa, encouraging her to follow her heart’s desire and, in the end, giving her the means to do so. She along with Willa’s brother Paddy, Cara, Willa’s best friend, and Sam, her love interest, were bright lights in Willa’s life. They advocated for her and pushed her to assert her agency amidst the one-tracked fate her parents laid out for her.

Though perhaps the last 50 or so pages were a bit circular before finally coming to a final resolution, Across a Broken Shore was a solid coming-of-age novel. Readers will be inspired by Willa’s determination and will identify with her struggles. This is my first book from Amy Trueblood but it certainly will not be the last. I highly recommend this read, especially for those who love historical fiction.

I just love books like this. What a wonderful setting for a story! The building of the Golden Gate Bridge! Wow! I really enjoyed the description of the characters, and of course, the bridge in its chaotic state. With the depression looming and taking hold of everyone and everything, Willa finds it in her heart to get out of the comfort zone of a monastery (everything a gal could need when everything outside of it is up in the air) and does what she can to help others.
While there was some repetition, I can understand that as people mull over their circumstances to make a decision that the same "pro" and "con" issues keep coming up. It just seemed a tad overdone for my liking.
Overall an enjoyable read!

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood
Source: NetGalley and Flux
Rating: 5/5 stars

Willa McCarthy has known for much of her life that her life is not her own. As the only daughter of a large Irish-Catholic family, it is Willa’s duty and responsibility to honor the family by taking vows to become a nun. What’s more, even if Willa wanted to escape her duty and responsibility, her family has made it clear, that isn’t an option and certainly not the actions of a good girl.

For Willa, the prospect of taking vows and living out the remainder of her life trapped inside a convent is nothing short of a prison sentence. Though Willa believes in God, she knows He hasn’t called her to service as a nun. What’s more, Willa truly believes her calling is to medicine, but to travel that road would not only disappoint her parents but likely see her shunned by her family. Since she encountered her first medical textbook, Willa has been fascinated with the subject and spends every available moment not just reading the text, but studying, learning, and memorizing. To become a doctor would require tremendous sacrifice, time, effort, and money, and Willa just isn’t sure those options are available to her.

Dr. Katherine Winston isn’t your average doctor. Above all else, she is a woman working in a predominately male world and struggles each and every day to be accepted among her peers. She has fought tooth and nail, at great personal cost for her position and her practice and she isn’t going to let it all slip away. Meeting Willa and seeing her enthusiasm for medicine bolsters Dr. Winston and encourages her to ask Willa to work alongside her as an apprentice of sorts. Though working with Dr. Winston will require no small amount of lies and deceptions, Willa is thrilled with the opportunity. As Dr. Winston believes in a teaching by doing method, it isn’t long before Willa is up to her elbows in all manner of illnesses and injuries. The work is exhilarating and exhausting but ever so worth it every time a patient leaves the practice feeling better.

Each day with Dr. Winston is a gift Willa feels has a very short life expectancy. Willa is so very torn between two worlds, her work with Dr. Winston and her duty and responsibility as a member of her family. To work with Dr. Winston means Willa is making a difference in the world, but it also means she is constantly and consistently lying to her family, hiding from them a vital part of her existence. As it happens, Willa’s secret doesn’t remain so for long. As a part of her work with Dr. Winston, Willa is often called to the small clinic set up for injuries incurred while work on the Golden Gate Bridge is being completed. The work is exciting, often dangerous, and always comes with the risk of Willa being found out by brothers who work on the bridge. As with working in the clinic, the risk is well worth the reward and every day, every incident, every injury teaches Willa something more about medicine and where her heart truly lies.

The Bottom Line: Historical fiction has long been a favored genre for me, and this book certainly fit the bill. I make a habit of reading the author’s notes when the genre is historical fiction and I was glad to read just how much of this book is based on reality. Every character, even the purely fictional characters, read as perfectly authentic and real. The setting is brilliantly described yet not so much that the landscape and setting take over the story. From beginning to end there is a very real sense of dread and danger, dread that Willa will be found out and danger from the bridge building to the consequences of Willa’s actions. Enhancing the truly fascinating medical side of the story is the very real family and romantic situations Willa finds herself a part of. This story really does have something for everyone and is an excellent example of what historical fiction should be. I have high hopes for Amy Trueblood and look forward to her next historical offering.

Wilhelmina is following her parents’ wishes and will soon be heading off to the convent. As she secrets medical books in her room, Willa’s desire to be a physician is quickly becoming a pipe dream. When her brother, Paddy, is injured, the lady doctor that fixes his hand is a well of knowledge Willa wants to dip into. Her conflicting emotions and obligations war within her soul.

This is a great novel with interesting facts and information thrown in. It is well written and easy to read. The characters are full and relatable. Both Willa and Doctor Winston are likeable and well rounded. Even with their faults, I cheered for and cried with them. I could envision the office, hospital and Hooverville in which they operated as intricate storylines flitted among them.

I highly recommend this historical novel for both young adult and adult readers. It is an emotional and thought-provoking story, especially for young readers who are questioning which way to go with their lives. It is an entertaining and realistic book for the rest of us.

I received an ARC from North Star Editions – Flux through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review.

When I read the synopsis of Across a Broken Shore, I knew it was the kind of book I would enjoy and I was happy to accept it. I was not disappointed at all. This book was filled with so much depth, feelings, and heavy subjects that I was not expecting. This book gave me all the feels and I connected with Willa from the first pages. It was unfortunate how her parents and older brothers—except Paddy—dictated her life and how she had been dealing with guilt for years over an accident that caused a tragedy she never meant to happen. Her family was grieving and no one knew how to deal with it. Willa’s determination to study medicine despite not having any support from her family and it wasn’t a profession women normally went into, was admirable. She was torn between duty and her wants. Seeing that struggle was what gave this book the complexity and Trueblood did an amazing job of showing it.

Willa was a strong female character who had become the obedient daughter since an accident some years prior to the book starting. It’s clear that Willa doesn’t have a strong relationship with her parents or any of her brothers besides Paddy. She does what is expected of her and will go into the convent in five months despite her interest in medicine.

The incident that changes the trajectory of Willa’s future, is when Paddy has an accident while working in the family bar. Nick, the eldest, and Willa are tasked with taking Paddy to a doctor since Willa’s twin brothers, Sean and Michael, are off on an errand and her father refuses to leave Willa in charge of the bar. They take him to see the doctor only to find out he retired and Doctor Katherine Winston is his replacement. Nick is shocked to see a woman who’s a doctor but Willa realises that their brother needs help and moves forward. She ends up being offered a job by Dr. Winston but is unsure about taking it. Willa has been reading medical books for a few years and because of her, Paddy did not lose too much blood. While talking with Willa, the doctor recognises Willa’s passion for the profession. Paddy is the one who eventually convinces Willa to take Dr. Winston up on her offer and he will help her figure out how to lie to their parents and other brothers. He realises it’s an opportunity for Willa to have hands on learning and he’s hoping she will go after what she wants.

During this, Willa also meets a young ironworker named Sam who is a drifter living in a boarding house in her neighbourhood and working on The Golden Gate Bridge. She starts working for the doctor and is learning a lot from her but she feels guilty at having to lie to her family about her whereabouts all the time. She and the doctor are called to help at the field hospital onsite for The Golden Gate Bridge and she sees Sam again. Later, she sees Simon—the son of a pregnant woman who Willa helped Dr. Winston treat—again as well when she learns he’s been stealing from the nurses at the field hospital. This leads to her learning about the state of the homeless people in San Francisco and sparks her nurturing and caring nature. The story progresses from there with Willa learning so much from Dr. Winston and growing closer to Sam, Simon and his family. She’s constantly going back and forth with herself and with others about what she will choose to do. I don’t want to give away the major points of this story but know that it ripped me apart and had me crying my eyes out by the end.

This was a well-written story about love, family, grief, guilt, and finding your way in the world. Willa was one of my favourite characters and her struggle became my struggle as I read Across a Broken Shore. It was clear she was trying to do what she thought was the right thing. She’s wracked with guilt and since no one has talked to her about it, she didn’t know how to get past it. I loved Sam. He was caring, sweet, and it was very clear that his feelings for Willa were immediate and real. He encouraged her and would never be the type of man to hold her back. I also liked Willa’s family. It was interesting how all of them were dealing with their grief the only way they knew how but by the end they had to deal with it together to move on. Dr. Winston was a strong female character who believed in Willa even when Willa could not believe in herself. She wanted to see the next generation of female doctors succeed and that’s why she took Willa under her wings. I loved Cara—Willa’s best friend—too because she was also a strong character who knew what she wanted out of life and went for it.

Across a Broken Shore was a heartbreaking, beautiful, and timely story about a young woman having to decide between family expectations and her dreams. Trueblood did a magnificent job of showing the internal struggle Willa was going through and showing a strong, tight-knit family. I enjoyed that there was a backdrop of a love that did not overshadow the overall story. This was another favourite for me and it will stick with me for a long time.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is one of the best YA historical fiction novels I've had the opportunity to read this year. I was absolutely thrilled to have been approved for this on NetGalley since her debut novel was one of the best reads of last year. I think Ms. Trueblood is quickly becoming one of favorites. I loved following Willa as as she tries to navigate her family obligations while she also she begins to make her own path in life and follow her heart. Her family expects her to become a nun, but she's been interested in medicine for ages. It will not be an easy path though she feels she's exactly where she's supposed to be as the apprentice to Dr. Katherine Winston. I love reading about this interwar time period, 1936 in this case, as well as women doctors during a time when that was very uncommon. As much as I enjoyed the setting and the subject matter, the characters really made the story work from mentorship of Willa and Dr. Winston, the family relationships, and the friendship between Willa and Cara. Overall, I can't recommend Amy Trueblood's sophomore novel highly enough. If you're looking for a historical novel with strong cast and vibrant setting, you will absolutely need to read Across a Broken Shore. I can't wait to see what this author does next.

Across the Broken Shore is set during the fall of 1936 in San Francisco. Willa MacCarthy, who is plagued by guilt over an incident in the past, agrees to join a convent and make her Catholic family proud. However, secretly she longs to be a doctor. When her brother Paddy has an accident in the family bar, she hurries him to the family doctor, only to find the Dr. Katherine Winston has taken his place. Willa, who has been reading Gray's Anatomy, jumps in to help with Paddy's treatment. Dr. Winston offers her a job and encourages her to follow her dreams. Willa accompanies her to a field hospital to administer first aid for men working on the Golden Gate Bridge, and she also begins treating sick people in a Hooverville near the bridge. When Willa meets Sam, an ironworker on the bridge, she dares to dream of a different life. The author says she was inspired by the history of the Golden Gate Bridge construction and by an actual female physician who practiced nearby.

You may not have known how desperately you needed a 1936 San Francisco family/friendship/romance/coming of age story. Honest mistake, happened to me. But you do need it, you really really do. And I am here to tell you why.

What I Loved:

• Growing up is never, was never, and never will be easy. I love stories set as young people have to figure out what they want to do and who they want to be. Because friends, that is hard. Do we ever really know? Probably not, but as we leave high school, we're expected to do... something. What that something looks like has changed over the years (and likely will again), but the turmoil it leaves on the psyche won't. And that's something this book did an incredible job of showing. Willa's family wants her to be a nun, because... Idk, really, it's I guess just a thing that is expected of Catholic families of the time, to have a child who is a nun. At first it seems like Willa's resigned, but she's so not. And honestly, it happens so, so often: A family wants their child to be one thing, and that just isn't who the child is. It's a huge theme of this book, and one that's handled really well.

• Women in medicine. Obviously Willa's mentor Dr. Winston isn't the first female to be a doctor, but she's definitely the only one in their area, and one of the first awarded a current-era medical degree. She, and Willa by association, face a ton of backlash as women in the medical field. Especially when they work at the Golden Gate Bridge worksite, which is predominantly made up of men. It's so inspiring to see Willa and Dr. Winston change the minds of the stubbornest of men by you know, saving their lives. Also, it's so very clear that Willa has such a passion and talent for medicine. It's fabulous to see a female character who so craves knowledge in a science field, especially considering the time period.

• The book focuses a lot on family. I daresay more so than romance and friendship, as Willa feels not only a close bond with her family, but a duty to make them proud. Her relationships with several of her brothers is rocky, but her close bond with Paddy melts my heart. They cared so deeply for each other, and Paddy was the ultimate cheerleader when Willa needed one the most. Willa's parents had suffered a loss, and still hadn't been able to fully get past it. Their relationships with their children were strained because of it, but they clearly love all of their children, and they exhibit just as much growth through the book as Willa does, which is rare and fabulous.

• But no worries, there are some great peer relationships too! Cara is Willa's best friend, and what I loved about their friendship is that they were both going through these coming-of-age struggles. Neither young woman had her future set in stone, and they had to both lean on each other, while ultimately finding themselves. It felt so honest and really equal. Then there's Sam. Can I just say that I adored Sam from the moment he was introduced and really wanted Willa to fall for him? Whether she does is up to you to find out, but he's just awesome to have around- as a friend for Willa, as a source of help for some of the people Willa and Dr. Winston help, and as a voice of reason.

• So much commentary on the problems that faced the people of San Francisco in 1936 that we still plain old haven't gotten rid of yet. There's tension between religions, ethnicities, sexes, socioeconomic groups, etc. Willa and Sam find it completely nonsensical and abhorrent, and really nothing has changed. One of the biggest issues that Sam and Willa face is that some of Dr. Winston's patients are homeless and are living in a "tent city" of sorts. But since that makes the upper echelon uncomfortable, they try to kick them out instead of assist them. It's a problem today as it was then, but it's great to see characters taking a stand against it.

• Honestly, it's hopeful and inspirational above all else. It gave me a lot of feelings- some of them happy, some of them sad, but all of them hopeful. Sort of a story that reinforces the idea of good overcoming evil.

Bottom Line: Willa's story is one that I think on some level, we can all relate to. Whether it's navigating relationships, trying to figure out what you want out of life, or who you are, there's something in this book for all of us.

Thanks to Flux Publishing and Netgalley for this advance ebook!

In this book I found a bit of my heart in Willa as she navigated her family’s expectations of her to become a nun although her heart is drawn to medicine. Much later in the novel it becomes more clear why there is so much tension between Willa and her mother, and for such a sad and painful reason.

Willa’s passion to help those underserved beside a community female physician was very heartwarming and I found myself rooting for her, while also dreading the result of her parents realizing she really isn’t preparing for a life as a nun in the soup kitchen.

Her beau Sam is a bit of a fun romantic addition, but his character seems much more advanced than his 20 years.

I read this book quickly and recommend it to anyone, young or old! I give it a solid 4 stars!

This was a good story. It didn't grip me quite like other books I've read recently so it took me longer to read than normal. Sometimes it felt more "modern" in some philosophies and then other times felt incredibly archaic for the time period the book was set in.

I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest review.