I thought this book was so cute, and a pretty easy read. I loved the ideas and themes of the book. There were certainly many different issues that the characters faced. However since there were so many different things going on in the plot, it seemed a bit scattered at times. I wish there were about 100 more pages, and some of the issues were wrapped up in the plot more cleanly.

#AcrossABrokenShore #NetGalley
A coming of age story during the time of the depression. The story kept my attention. Willa comes from an Irish Catholic family, the only girl in a family of boys. Willa has a love of reading medical books, but is promised to the convent, When her brother gets hurt, she meets the new doctor, Katherine Winston. Dr. Winston sees Willa's potential and invites her to come help in her medical office. A sweet coming of age story, a daughter who feels like she has already disappointed her parents, is fascinated by the medical field. The story is set around the building of the Golden Gate bridge, in San Francisco. I liked the story and the closeness Willa shared with her brothers.

In this story we follow Willa who comes from and Irish Catholic family and has already been promised to the church to become a Nun. However, Willa had discovered a love of medicine. She is given the opportunity to practice medicine when her brother severally cuts his fingers and requires stitches. The doctor they take him to end up being Dr. Katherine Winston, a female doctor, who offers Willa an apprenticeship. She agrees and hides the fact that she is working from her family.

I absolutely loved this novel. I loved the setting of it taking place during the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, I loved seeing the way women we treaded in the medical field at that time, I loved seeing the way people lived during the depression era, and I loved the sweet romance that developed thought out this story. The ending of this story broke my heart but I loved it even more for it. I would very much recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fiction.

Oh my heart! This book was more out of my norm than usual. But I absolutely loved it! I laughed and I cried. And the ending was beautifully done.
I’m not writing a synopsis because you can read that for yourself.
But I do highly recommend this read!

I enjoyed this book so much! It has the perfect combination of history, family life, and romance! Set in the Great Depression years, social issues are well depicted. If I ever need a reminder, as a parent, as to why we should encourage and let our children follow their chosen path, this is my go-to book! When you do something that you’re passionate about, you set yourself up for success. I liked how the characters sustain this idea throughout the book. Therefore, I recommend it as a reading choice for young adults, too.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

Willa MacCarthy is drawn to medicine. Despite the fact that her Irish-Catholic family expects her to become a nun, she finds a way to work secretly with Dr. Katherine Winston. Together, they work in a field hospital near the Golden Gate bridge, which is in the middle of construction. Torn between medicine and her family, Willa must make a choice.

I loved the setting of this book. Great Depression era San Francisco was a fascinating setting. I don't know that I've read any other books set here. Willa, although a bit whiny, was a good character, who showed tremendous growth throughout the book. Overall, well worth picking up.

Amy Trueblood does an amazing job of telling Willa's coming-of-age story. Willa is a girl living in 1930's San Fransisco. She struggles to find herself under the backdrop of the construction of the Golden Gate bridge. She is torn between her family's wishes for her to become a nun and her won to study medicine. The characters are colorful and the story unusual, but somehow incredibly believable.

The author brought to life the real struggles of Americans during the great depression. Her writing is beautiful and more than a few parts of the story pulled on my heartstrings. The ending surprised me, which is unusual. Usually, I can guess an ending early on. I could hardly put this book down! Overall it is an excellent work of fiction. I recommend it as great reading to both teens and adults.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Everyone should be so lucky to have a Wilhelmina MacCarthy in their lives. Against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge's tumultuous erection, I enjoyed experiencing the growth and transformation of this kindhearted, courageous, and spirited character that Amy Trueblood so expertly brings to life on the page.

Interesting idea for a historical fiction. Gorgeous cover. Other than that it didnt grasp me, wasn't a huge fan of the main character. Not what I expected when I read the synopsis. Not my cup of tea unfortunately.

I wish i could say i loved this, but i honestly could not connect with the writing style. Cover is gorgeous and reminded me of the movie Brooklyn, but, I just had the most awful time trying to click with the story. Sadly, I couldnt go thhru with it.

I thank the publisher for very kindly approving me for review and I hate to dissapoint, but Ive been struggling to even go thru page 40 at this point. Its just bot going to happen. Netgalley is asking me to rate this, so i will
Give it 4 stars as effort but please know I will not post any review of this or score it on amazon or goodreads. I rather not rate this book or place a bad review in any social media as respect to the author.

This was an interesting read. I liked that the book talked about the poverty and conditions in San Francisco. It was a good historical read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

“Across A Broken Shore” is historical fiction set in San Francisco during the early 1930’s during construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. You will meet Willa, who’s torn between a guilty promise made to he family and her true desires for a fulfilling life. Willa is set to enter the convent and realized her parents’ dreams, but she longs for a different future. In a chance encounter she meets Dr. Katherine Winston, who opens her eyes and her heart to the possibility of a career in medicine. This book touches on so many topics in such a masterful way — the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the men who risked their lives to build it — the prejudices and road blocks females faced in the early 1930’s, especially those wanting to be physicians — family responsibilities and limitations— the Great Depression and “Hoovervilles” where the less fortunate congregated — first love — and friendship. “Across A Broken Shore” is a touching novel filled with great characters and a piece of history that is sometimes overlooked. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Historical Fiction with strong female characters. Disclaimer— I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Release date: 11/5/19

I loved the unique setting--depression-era San Francisco. The pacing seemed a bit of--too slow in some and too fast in others. Overall a good read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

With great storytelling ability, Trueblood tells a tale full of heart and emotion. I was completely enthralled by the story from beginning to end.
I loved the story and I felt as if I was living it myself. Very enjoyable read that I won’t forget for a long time!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review! I loved this book!

Across a Broken Shore is coming-of-age historical fiction novel set in San Francisco in the 1930's. We follow Willa who is from a strict Irish Catholic family and parents that expect her to go to the covent and become a nun since she has completed school. Willa intends to follow her family's expectations, but deep in her heart, she wants to go into medicine and secretly pours over medical books and journals in her spare time.

We get to know Willa and her family quite well throughout the book. It is well-written and the historical facts about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and homelessness during the Great Depression are interwoven providing a clear understanding of the setting. Trueblood's attention to detail is quite good.

Willa has a chance meeting with a female physician when her brother is injured that will turn her life upside down. She gains a new perspective and has big choices and lessons ahead. I thought I knew exactly where this book was headed and there is a turn that was very unexpected that sends the story into a completely different direction. I loved it and loved how the story wrapped up. It's a great read!

I enjoyed Across a Broken Shore! I was intrigued by the book due to both the setting and the story line. I love San Francisco and found the details about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge interesting.

Willa was such an interesting character. She definitely had a dilemma on her hands. as she figured out if she should stay true to her calling in the medical field or is she should stay true to her parent's wishes. I appreciated that she struggled with the lies she was telling. I thought she was more relate-able as she struggled with the lies. I would have been frustrated if she didn't struggle with all the lies.

While occasionally I felt like a turn in the story seemed a little unrealistic, I definitely enjoyed this story and would recommend it. I will now be looking for more books from this author!

Loved the historical characters and story. Very few books engage the reader to see a character so thorough as Willa and the struggles of family guilt vs her calling as a doctor. It is nice to be reminded of how far we have come and how much farther we need to go to deal with expectations of others and society.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood was heartbreakingly, beautiful.
“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."
Amy Trueblood has made history come alive in this breathtaking book. I truly felt transported to 1936 San Francisco; from the streets of the city to the construction site of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Willa’s struggle between pleasing her parents by becoming a nun or pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor was extremely relatable. She quickly becomes a character that you absolutely love. Her character development in this book is what I wish all characters have. You see her find her strength, voice and fight for what she wants in every chapter.
I smiled, gasped, cried and cheered the entire time I was reading this book. This book is what every historical fiction book should be like. It stayed true to the history all while painting a new perspective of these characters lives and dreams. I would recommend this book to any historical fiction fan.

Willa wants to be a nurse, but her family wants her to be a nun. I loved the idea behind this book as soon as I read it and I could hardly put it down from the time I started reading it. Set on the west coast in the late 1930's, Amy Trueblood's writing is alive with the bustle of city life, the bustle of daily life, and budding romance. More than anything though, I just loved Willa. This being said, the book was quite fluffy and not much action, but there is a ton of heart and feeling.

This book is wonderful!! It is well written and grabs you on the first page. If you like historical fiction, you will love this book. I highly recommend it.. Thank you North Star Editions via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.