This book is going to be flying off of book store and library shelves! I could not put this book down. Set in 1930s San Francisco made for an intriguing setting outside of much of the historical fiction you come across. My attention was grabbed within the first page as we meet Willa and begin her story and the story of the Golden Gate Bridge. I couldn't help but get caught up in the struggles between Willa and everyone around her, each one of them with their version of what was the best thing for Willa. The intertwining of Willa's growth with the progression and completion of the building of the bridge was so brilliantly woven together that it took me hours after finishing the book to see the comparison within the pages. I'm not saying it was too subtle, just that it was written so perfectly that it was not an in your face symbolic theme. I was anxious to see what would end up happening. I had hopes for what the outcome would be, some of those hopes were met, and some not, but it was an amazing story for that reason.
Some part of me fell in love with almost every character in this story. I could relate to Willa's parents while also wishing I had grown up with brothers like hers. Maeve and Simon broke my heart while also making me smile. And Katherine Winston is the female role model every girl needs, even now. Women like her are why my daughter has the opportunities available to her today.
It was refreshing to read a story about an Irish family that was set in California. It was a reminder that when immigrants came to the United States from Europe they did not just settle on the East Coast; they followed the jobs and ended up settling in pockets all over the country.

I loved the cover of this book and I loved the physical setting and time period. A determined and feisty woman at the center of the storyline made for great reading. The struggle between what Willa wanted and what her family needed was reminiscent not only of that time period but of today's struggles for women.

So many of the historical fiction books lately have been related to WWII. It is refreshing to have a book set in the US in the depression era with a strong female character that of all things, wants to be a doctor. Most women of that era were destined to not do anything important, but to get married, have kids and raise them. She wants to help other people and sees being a doctor as the best way to do that.

I really enjoyed this book and the setting and characters. I haven't read this authors other book but it is on my TBR now.

You will enjoy this book and the characters in it where they will find you knowing them so well. You want this family to bend some to let these kids do what their heart wants. Heartwarming and emotional and history in it also. Received from Net Galley and so glad I did. Love will concludes all!!!

It's 1936 San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge can be seen being constructed through the fog, and Willa knows her destiny, to become a nun. Her heart is not with the church however, it is in medicine. For years she has been hiding medical textbooks and dreaming of helping people, but she doesn't want to go against her family. After an accident with her brother she runs into a female doctor and starts to learn that maybe her destiny can change after all.

This book was lovely and it was a story that I really enjoyed reading. I enjoyed the setting and how we are brought up against many different facets of San Francisco's society in the 1930's. Willa is also a likeable character and one that frustrated me at times, but whose motivations opened up throughout the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and am excited for more from this author.

Ever since Willa was 12, she's been destined to become a nun. At first, that wasn't a problem, but as the time she enters the convent grows closer, Willa struggles with her desire to become a doctor. When Dr. Katherine Winston offers her the opportunity to learn medicine and make a difference, Willa jumps at the chance even though it means that she must continually hide her activities from her family. Willa must come to terms with herself and what she wants while navigating the complex issues of family, the Great Depression, and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Will Willa's desire tear her family apart?

I really liked Willa! Her story is realistic and compelling. I appreciated that her decisions are not easy and her struggle. I was sad to finish this story and would love to read more of Willa's adventures.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood was actually a great cozy read. I'm glad I read it in the Fall. It follows Willa who is torn between what her parents want for her, to be a nun, and her true passion for medicine. It is set during the Great Depression and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Willa meets Katherine Winston, a female doctor something not very common, and becomes her assistant without her parents knowing. They end up working at the field hospital taking care of the workers on the bridge where Willa meets a boy and tries to keep out of sight of her brothers.
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You guys I loved this book! So much history and I loved the author's note at the end where she talks about her research and what scenes stemmed from true events. It was really emotional too, I may have cried at one part that just came out of nowhere, but somehow made the book better. I've always said if it can make me cry it's probably a 5 star read. Willa was a great character who always thought about others and their feelings, her duty to her parents, and fighting her feelings about following her own passion in order to make others happy.
I'm excited to read Amy's other book.
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This book comes out on November 5.
Thank you @netgalley and @fluxbooks for a free arc.

This historical novel focuses on a young woman living in San Francisco during the Great Depression, against a background of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Willa wants to become a doctor, but her family wants her to become a nun. While assisting a female doctor, Willa befriends a family living rough in a "Hooverville" and wants to use her medical skills to help the poor. She also meets a young man who becomes a possible boyfriend.

This was a pretty good book. I enjoyed the historical background, and it was well written. The Irish-Catholic family portrayed in the book seemed a bit stereotyped, but otherwise, this was well worth reading.

Great read. My 12 year old daughter read, and she is a lover of anything historical fiction. She really enjoyed the book, but wished it were longer!

I really thought I would love this book, and it sadly didn't hold up for me. I DNF'd this at 45%. With thanks to NetGalley and Flux for providing this book for an honest review, I will give one.

I don't think I've read a book set in the Great Depression before, so this was a first! However, other than multiple characters going out of town in search of work, I didn't really get much of an impression that The Great Depression was going on. None of the cast, or side characters (with the exception of a few living in a Hooverville) seemed to be having any difficulty. We are told that Willa's family is struggling, but it doesn't come across that way. In fact, Willa seems surprised that poverty exists at all when she finally sees it for herself. The time period this book tried to convey simply didn't come through for me.

I loved the backdrop of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a topic I've never given much thought to, and I found it intriguing. I wanted to learn more, but had a problem with the way information was conveyed. Characters associated with the construction would stop important scenes to give way too much information about what was happening with the construction and why. These didn't feel like explanations that the characters needed, or even wanted. They just felt like info-dumps for the reader. I've never read a book until this one where I rolled my eyes and thought, "Show, don't tell."

This book features quite a bit of Cahtolicism. I'm a lapsed cradle Catholic, and I have limited of knowledge on pre-Vatican II, but this book's portrayal of Catholicism (particularly Mass) felt off. It didn't feel like a Catholic Mass, it felt like someone's idea of a Mass. I also had a small issue with the way this book portrayed nuns. Willa's family wants her to become a nun, and she doesn't want to. That's fine. If Willa doesn't want to become a nun, she shouldn't. But her idea of being a nun seemed to be restricted to only secluded prayer, and in reality different religious communities focus on different types of service, including healthcare. Maybe her parents or parish had an order already chosen for her, but this book still presented a very narrow view of what it means to be a religious sister.

I think this book would be great for the right people, and the other higher ratings agree! But it is sadly not right for me.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

Thanks to NetGalley, North Star Editions and Amy Trueblood for my copy of her new book: A Cross A Broken Shore.

America is struggling during the great depression, in San Francisco the Golden Gate Bridge is being built, every morning men line up hoping to be given a job and be able to earn enough money to feed their families.
Willa MacCarthy family owns a Irish pub, she has four older brothers, Paddy, Nick, Sean and Michael.
The pub only provides enough work for her dad, her brother Paddy and her other brothers are looking for a job.

Willa's parents have on wish, that's for her to join the church and become a nun. She's smothered by her family, her life revolves around church and her families expectations of her.
Willa has doubts about becoming a nun, she has been secretly reading medical books and hiding them from her mother.

By chance she meets the new lady doctor, her name is Dr Katherine Winston, she starts helping her at her clinic and lies to her mam telling her she's helping at the soup kitchen.
Willa finds it very confronting working at the clinic, her families struggles are minor compared to the terrible poverty and suffering she witnesses while helping Dr Winston.

Willa finds a purpose, she's smart enough, and she dreams about becoming a doctor. But will she go against what her parents have planned for her future, is she strong enough to stand up to them and tell them what she really wants to do? Willa also meets a young man called Sam Butler, by joining the church she has to accept that she will never marry and have children.

While reading Across A Broken Shore, you realize how much prejudice there was at the time towards female doctors, how difficult is was for women who wanted to go to university, how much control families had over their adult daughters lives, how hard it was for them to go against their families wishes and follow their own dreams.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and I gave the book 4 stars.

I didn't really enjoy this book. I didn't really connect with any of the characters except for Willa, and I think that was only because the entire book was from her perspective. Her family was very one-dimensional, and her best friend was as well. However, I did think that the depiction of the time period was very interesting and accurate, and I think that the societal and familial pressures on Willa made sense and were relatable to what many girls face today. I liked Willa and Dr. Winston as characters, but I didn't feel too invested in the romance or Willa's relationships with any of the other characters.

Across a Broken Shore by Any Trueblood is a pretty good. I was especially interested in the historical aspects of the book. It was a little disappointing to find out that Sutro's Baths no longer exists as it did then, I think it would have been a great place to visit.

This seems to be a good YA book especially as it gives insight into a time when girls and women had a much more sheltered life. I must say though, that like many novels and films, things are resolved and people's long held opinions can change rather quickly, certainly quicker than one might think it would be in real life. Of course, that is the way of fiction and I think for the most part many people prefer it that way.

The main characters story and struggle for identity, freedom of choice, finding her calling, etc. may be inspring, especially to young people.

I throughout enjoyed this book and felt like this was a breath of fresh air. My favorite aspect of this book was the setting of San Francisco and the learning aspect with Dr. Katherine. Would highly recommend this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Flux for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.


1930's San Francisco: Willa McCarthy is the youngest of five children and the only girl in a loving Irish-American family. Although Willa loves to pour over medical textbooks, it is the convent that she is bound for in less than six months. A long ago promise that she made to her parents. But when one of her brothers needs medical attention, a chance meeting with a female physician will have Willa wondering " do I follow my family's dream or my own?"

Oh I just really enjoyed this story and once again settled in for an all together enjoyable read. I appreciate it when the author ensures that we(the readers) see the situation from all points of view. As the storyline unfolds, I knew that Willa was going to be faced with a big decision because there was no surprise that she was naturally talented as she learns from DR. Katherine. But she definitely doesn't want to disappoint her parents and I could totally relate to that feeling.

In addition, I liked how the building of San Francisco 's Golden Gate bridge was also part of this novel. Amy Trueblood paints a picture well of the feats and perils that the workers encountered during construction.

Don't let this one slip by you!



Goodreads review published 22/09/19
Publication Date 05/11/19

I have to say that this book's setting was impeccable. It's set in San Francisco during the Great Depression, when the Golden Gate Bridge was being constructed. The main character, Wilhemina, is Irish and has been pledged to join the convent soon. Suffice to say, she's not terribly pleased but feels obligated to make her parents proud.

I did enjoy the story: I thought Willa was a great and sympathetic heroine. She certainly has her own mind and opinions, which get her in trouble sometimes, but she's also brave and thoughtful. I really liked her relationship with her brothers, especially Paddy and Nick, and how she navigates the unfortunately prevalent idea of women staying in their place. I think I would have liked more of her friendship with Cara, but there are other great female relationships in the book. Overall, I think the story does a great job overall of depicting the struggles and societal norms of the time.

I think the writing was sometimes a bit simplistic or exaggerated, or that there could have been more to the story, but it was a very decent read otherwise.

A fast and enjoyable read about San Francisco in the 1930s, during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Deals well with a young person struggling between family tradition and expectations, and her own aptitude for and interest in another path entirely.

This story, although set in 1930’ San Francisco, is reminiscent of the town outside of Chicago where I grew up during the 1940’s and where the greatest source of pride for parents was for their child to become a priest or a nun.
In this particular instance, the young woman, Willa” is more interested in a career in medicine but doesn’t really appear to have the intestinal fortitude to “disappoint” her parents and pursue her dream. There are, however, the medical books she studies in secret, her choice of a Protestant as her boyfriend, her clandestine employment with a female doctor (possibly the most interesting character in the narrative) at a field hospital near the construction site of the Golden Gate bridge as well as other choices she makes in her life that leave the reader questioning if Willa isn’t really playing a “passive aggressive’ game with her indirect resistance and avoidance of direct confrontation.
The pace of the novel tortoiselike with a “slow but steady wins the race” quality as it examines the social traditions and expectations of the day as they affect the lives of one family.

The 1930’s, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, family, promises and secrets! I started this novel a day ago and couldn’t put it down.
Historical fiction with a new story line I have yet to read. Near the end, I actually shed a tear. The emotion in this story really got to me and this receives 5 stars from me!
Thank you NetGalley and Amy Trueblood for the opportunity to read and review for an honest review.

<b>DEFINITELY NOT MY LAST BOOK BY THIS AUTHOR</b>

This was one of those books that I didn't really have any expectations for before starting it. But I am so happy that I did because this was a treat! A strong, character driven historical fiction novel with a grand historical backdrop! This was my first Trueblood novel but it will not be my last.

<b>THE THINGS I LIKED</b>

<u>Historical setting</u>: I don't usually read historical novels set in the USA (I am a eurocentric European, sadly) so it was really nice to get out of my comfort zone for once. And the Depression era was new for me too, but I felt that it was handled really, really well. It was nitty gritty and I could almost feel the despair.

<u>Science and medicine</u>: I absolutely loved that Willa (the female MC) was into medicine and science. That is so unusual and strongly needed! More women need to be inspired to follow a career in the sciences! Willa was a great inspiration.

<u>Willa</u>: I not only liked her dedication to science and medicine, I liked Willa - period. Yes, sometimes she infuriated me so much! But I also admired her, felt for her and felt with her. She has a duality to her character, strong and independent on the one hand and vulnerable on the other. It was this duality that stirred my emotions and made her a great lead.

<b>THE THINGS I DISLIKED</b>

<u>Circular plot</u>: This has a lot to do with the character driven aspect of the book. The book revolves around Willa's internal struggle, having to choose between doing what she herself wants and what her parents want for her. That is the plot - Willa's struggle. Which also means that it, sometimes, got a bit circular. She went back and forth a lot. I found myself needing something more. It got a little old...