As you’ll see at the end of this review of Amy Trueblood’s Across a Broken Shore, there are things in this story that some people might find hard to read for pleasure. None of it, however, is gratuitous. And so the things that might make a reader uncomfortable; i.e. religious discrimination, gender inequality, and alcoholism, are what make the story real. A novel purporting to be set in the later years of the Great Depression with the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge being built by day workers just trying to survive could not be believable if it didn’t have it’s raw moments.

Across a Broken Shore is the story of Willa MacCarthy, the only daughter of devoted Irish Catholic parents in San Francisco who have long dreamed of having their daughter become a nun. And Willa promised them that she would, before she discovered her passion for medical textbooks. Willa’s story follows that passion through a chance meeting with a then still rare woman doctor who convinces her to work as an apprentice of sorts and encourages her to give up the convent for medical school. Along the way, Willa finds herself drawn to the needy, rootless families in the Hoovervilles who are often without their men as the men search far and wide for work when there aren’t jobs to be had building the bridge. It’s those women and children suffering that make her wonder if she couldn’t provide more care with medicine than with prayer.

All of this leads to a complicated subterfuge that involves a high-spirited best friend, a handsome but mysterious Protestant, and a band of brothers protecting their baby sister at all costs, even following her lead.

It’s Willa’s journey at it’s core, but it’s the story of a family changing too as their beliefs and their values are called into question because Willa finds the courage to follow her heart.

The end of the novel seems a little abrupt, though it is satisfying, and some of the conversations about strong-arming Willa into the convent are repeated a few too many times. Otherwise it would be a five-star novel. It also seems to be classified as young adult but given that she’s finished high school and goes through a world of adult issues, it would seem a better fit in the new adult genre or even just women’s fiction.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre(s): historical fiction, women’s fiction, new adult
Content warnings: alcoholism, vivid medical descriptions, religious pressure and discrimination, gender inequality
I received a copy of Across a Broken Shore through NetGalley & North Star Editions – Flux in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.

I liked the feminist threads throughout this novel. That is an important piece of literature that young children should see regularly. I am happy to add this to my teaching classroom library. I like the challenges posed when she continues to keep secrets from her family- this makes for great discussions with students in the classroom.

First off: Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The 1930s is such an interesting time to read about and the author makes the reader feel like they are right there. It is obvious the amount of research that was put into it.

I highly recommend this wonderful historical fiction book

The author does a great job of researching her story and writing a intriguing story. The story covers the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Depression Era.
The main character, Willa, is supposed to enter the convent and become a nun. But, that is not what Willa wants to do. She wants to be a doctor but this goes against her parents plans for her.
Can Willa become the doctor she wants to be? Or, will she give in to her parents wishes?

Willa is expected to be a nun because of some decisions from the past. Willa knows her place but as she is getting older she is wanting something different and isn't sure if she should go back on her promise or if she should go with her heart. The book was a little slow but the description was so detailed you can see it in your mind and you root for Willa throughout the whole book. I liked it.

Having visited San Francisco for the first time a few years back, I wanted to read this book both for setting and era. Amy Trueblood did not disappoint with this coming of age story. Such a beautiful story that made me want to never put it down. I needed to discover the ending as quickly as possible but also wanted to savour the beauty of the author's words. Would love to read more by this author.

A solid historical novel with just a tiny bit of romance that captures San Francisco in the 1930's and the Irish American experience. Themes of faith, family, and following your heart among the background of the construction of one of the most recognizable American icons.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The fast pace, the romance, and heartwarming family dynamics.

I could not put this book down. I started it around 9:30 on a Saturday and was done by 2 in the morning on Sunday. The writing was compelling. The characters felt real. I loved the backdrop and all of the working parts that meshed together so well. Also, I have never read a historical fiction set around this time but I would love to find others. It's refreshing to have a historical fiction set out on the West Coast that's not focused on finding gold or oil or anything like that. Very high marks from me.

My one big problem with the book was all of the guilt and doubt that went through Willa. I get it. She's been raised this one way and family is a big motivator. However, the author could have eased off of it at anytime. Willa could have found her courage right after the big tragic event that happens. Also, I am HIGHLY annoyed, yet not surprised, that of course the big claim to fame for Willa comes in the form of the romance instead of her showing off her mind. I'm glad she got there in the end with following her dreams but it was frustrating to go through all of the book and wonder if I was going to hate Willa for blinding following what was not her path.

All in all, an amazing book. I did originally get it from Netgalley in return for a fair review. I apologize that it has taken me this long. Do NOT sleep on this book or this author, people!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-book of Across A Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood in exchange for my review.

From the blurb “ 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.”



This is my first book from author Amy Trueblood but I hope not my last. I really enjoyed Across A Broken Shore. I love a good historical fiction book set around the time of the Great Depression era. Our main character, Willa, has a lot of internal struggles regarding having to choose what she wants and what her parents want for her. In the end, what will she ultimately decide to do? I love that the author developed a character like Willa. There are not too many books out there that focus on this era and women who want to study science and medicine. This was a great book to read!

I enjoyed this YA Historical fiction coming of age story. In which a teenager girl is determined forge her own path.

An excellent YA historical fiction! I really enjoyed this novel and rooted for the heroine in pursuit of her dream of becoming a doctor. I love young adult fiction and read it as much as I can, and I recommend this one to all who are like me.

This book is at the intersection of a lot of things I don't see very often in historical fiction. The 1930s are often somewhat overlooked in favor of the 1940s (although they're still far from the most underrepresented time period); I haven't seen many books set in San Francisco, and I've seen even fewer about women in medicine. This all led me to expect a pretty unique story, and it definitely delivered on that. It also ended up being much more intense than I thought it was going to be - I knew the stakes would probably be pretty high in a book involving so much medicine, but I still underestimated them a bit.

The main thing I didn't really care for was the romance. I liked Sam as a character, but I just saw no point in his and Willa's relationship other than "obligatory heterosexual romantic subplot."

CW: death of a major character, botched abortion, miscarriage, family separation, referenced sexual harassment, sexism, many injuries/illnesses, alcoholism

I really enjoyed Willa's story! Seeing her become more independent and strong-willed was awesome. She found her place in the world while struggling under the expectations of her family and community. Those she met along the way helped guide her to this decision and to see what kind of life she could have, but she definitely made the choice all on her own in the end.

The historical elements were great. I felt very immersed in late 1930s San Francisco. The sexism and familial expectations were frustrating, but the views of the more progressive characters offered plenty of hope.

The main characters were lovely, and their histories all wove together for an interesting plot surrounding Willa's main story arc. Doctor Winston, Sam, and Simon were all great - and so was Paddy. There were a few developments with certain characters that didn't seem quite right or necessary for the story, but I still enjoyed most of this novel.

Exhaustive research brought this book vividly to life—gripping characters that stay in your heart long after you turn the last page.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood.
This is the coming of age story of a girl in 1930’s era San Francisco that has to make a decision about her future during a time when young women didn’t get a lot of choices. A chance encounter with both a female doctor and a young man working on the Golden Gate Bridge make her re-think everything about what her parents have planned for her.
I really appreciated the thought and detail that Amy Trueblood put in to making San Francisco come alive for the reader. The sights and sounds of a Depression city era added a richness to the book along with historical facts about female doctors, the building of the bridge and the family life of a traditional Irish Catholic family.
My only criticism would be that I felt like some of the dialogue was excessively wordy and not exactly conversational.
I gave this novel four stars and recommend it to anyone that enjoys historical fiction and stories about women finding their way in the world.

*I received a copy via netgalley however this in no way influenced my opinion.*

4 stars

I read Amy Trueblood’s debut and loved it so I was excited when I was approved for Across A Broken Shore. Once again I loved this, it was well-written and researched. It follows 18-year-old Willa as she follows her dreams of becoming a doctor. I absolutely loved Willa’s character she was so strong-willed and I really enjoyed her relationships with the other characters throughout the novel especially Doctor Winston – her mentor. I don’t know much about the Golden Gate bridge so reading a novel that incorporated the building of it was a really interesting experience for me. The medical elements also fascinated me.

Overall I really enjoyed this, especially the characters. The only reason it’s not a 5-star read is that it took me a little while to get into it.

Irish-American Young Woman Wants More from Life

Two things drew me to this story, and the author supplied an excellent tale around them. My own Irish-American side of the family lived in San Francisco at the time that the story took place, and my great-grandparents wanted their youngest son to become a priest; like Willa’s parents, they saw that as a testament to their faith and a badge of honor. So I loved the San Francisco vibe of this story, including the momentous building of the Golden Gate Bridge. But Willa, our heroine, is the most fascinating part of it. She is the dutiful daughter of Irish parents who desperately want her to become a nun. And she doesn't want to do that, but she doesn't quite know how to say no at first. Her interest is in medicine. From the first scene, we get a sense of her innate medical sense as she tries to rally the men in the family to help her injured brother; we also see how she is both confined in her role as daughter and as a potential future nun. Even though this book is classed as young adult, I thought the author wrote it so intelligently that it could be an adult read. I'm well past young adult age, and I quite enjoyed it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Historical fiction is really hit or miss for me. I know it takes me some time to really attach myself to the story and I definitely tried here several times. But in the end it was a no go.

"Across a Broken Shore" had an interesting premise and I liked the characters and the plot, but the novel felt just a little too long. Especially towards the end, it got rather repetitive and I didn't like how easily the main conflict was resolved in the end because it made Willa's constant worrying about it sort of unnecessary.