The Pull of the Stars is very profound and timely right now, given our current COVID-19 pandemic. It's hard to not see the similarities between the two timelines of 1918 and 2020, so for that aspect of the book, it was thoroughly gripping. I alternated between the audiobook and physical copy, which helped me move along nicely with this book. Although this book does tug at your heart strings, I felt the narrative feel slightly too slow for my liking. Overall, this book is a slow burning period piece drama so if you're up for read that will take you awhile to digest, this book is up for the challenge.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue is a gorgeous story of resilience, dedication, and the strength of women. It's timely in its storyline of the flu epidemic in 1918, with so many parallels to what we're going through today with COVID-19. It really resonates with the fear, hopelessness, fatigue, and small victories.

My recommendation: LISTEN to this one on audiobook - the narrator did a gorgeous job with the Irish accent/dialect! Reading it was a little slow-going in the digital format it's written with no quotation marks or standard paragraph breaks. 

(*MAJOR TWs though for pregnancy/maternal morbidity and mortality. It definitely triggered me for my past trauma, so I did have to skim past a few graphic sections.*)

Full disclosure, I have not finished this book. I most likely won't at the time of this review. This is ONLY because we are in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic, and while some people can read books about events at hand, I cannot.
Even though I cannot finish it, I did want to give feedback on the particular writing and say it is just as good as Emma Donoghue's other novels, all of which I've LOVED. She really knows how to get deep into the area she's writing, sets the scene very well, and the story flows so well that you want to keep going to find out what happens next.
Because we are continually inundated with news/stories about pandemics right now, I personally will wait until the world gets back to semi normal before reading the remainder of this book.

"Woe unto them that are with child."

The year is 1918. The world is in the throngs of a deadly flu pandemic, overcome by crippling death and despair. In Dublin, the country is doubly challenged by both the Great Flu and the World War. With most citizens occupied by one of these two hardships, the city has become, "...a great mouth holed with missing teeth." In a matter of extreme literary foresight, this is the world that author Emma Donoghue has chosen to set her latest novel. The Pull of the Stars sees Donoghue tackle the pandemic of 1918 in a novel that takes on an ever more poignant tone given the state of the COVID-19 pandemic that the world continues to grapple with today. Her works always resonate with me emotionally, but the parallels between this historical fiction and the real world make this particular novel all the more affecting.

We meet Julia as she approaches the stone facade of the hospital, mentally preparing herself for the daunting day that lies ahead. As a nurse who has also trained as a midwife, the twenty-nine-year-old has been assigned to the makeshift maternity ward specifically reserved for those expectant mothers who have contracted the flu. Julia enters the overstuffed room to see that the middle of the three hospital beds is empty. Another life was lost in the night. This is a new reality. Julia quietly makes a small scratch in the back of her pocket watch, a silent and permanent acknowledgment of the lost life. With hospital beds overflowing and hospital staff hard to come by, Julie knows two things. One, it will not take long for that empty bed to host the next woman. Two, she will be overseeing the care of this ward completely on her own.

"Patient first, hospital next, self last.

Julia is right on both accounts. The night nurse, a stern and disapproving nun from the local convent, informs Julia that she will be the sole nurse for the meager maternity room. Julia is quickly overwhelmed by the sheer multitude of her daily tasks. One patient is in and out of consciousness, struck by the absolute worst parts of this horrid illness. She is able to stop the fits long enough to vomit all over the floor, leaving Julia to tend to her patients while also completing janitorial duties. Relief comes in the form of Birdie, a young woman who has been plucked from the streets to assist in any way possible. Birdie has no training in nursing, let alone even the most primary understanding of basic human anatomy, but she is a welcome sight. Unprompted, she begins mopping the mess on the floor allowing Julia to tend to the patients uninterrupted. As if on cue, the orderlies bring another pregnant woman into the room, filling the last remaining bed.

From a plot perspective, that is pretty much the focus of The Pull of the Stars. We follow Julia as she makes her way through a couple of days in this hospital room. Women come and go, giving birth in between. Some are successful, bringing in new life amongst the despair of this plague. Others are tragic, a reminder that this life is not promised to us, even in birth. The cramped confines of this impromptu ward become a microcosm of the world at large. Just like those lives outside, Julia and the women in her care are forced to reckon with the mystery of life in a time of unparalleled adversity.

Emma Donoghue is known for placing her readers directly into the worlds that her novels are set within. We were all in that storage shed with Jack and his kidnapped mother in Donoghue's novel Room. In Akin, she transported us to the streets of France as an elderly man searched for answers to his family history. It comes as no surprise then that The Pull of the Stars plants us directly amongst the crowded beds of the hospital. We feel the joy, hope, and pain as Donoghue writes of every striking detail. The medical procedures are given as much credence as the emotional strife that happens in between. The characters soar off of the page, connecting on a level that only the most well-tuned authors are able to create. There is an innate intimacy that exists between a nurse and her patients, a trust that forms between two relative strangers. Donoghue invites us into that confidence, allowing us to experience all of the emotions that the women in that room do. This emotional prowess combines with the strange synchroneity of this historical novel mirroring the events of our present-day pandemic to make for a read that touches the reader on every level. We are only halfway through this eventful year, but The Pull of the Stars is already my favorite novel of the year.

If you are looking for a light read that is sugar coated, you’re going to want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a story that is real, raw, detailed and eye opening, then this book is for you. Emma Donoghue is going to give it to you straight without any pleasantries. Your eyes will be opened to the truth through this documentary style book as you learn about the reality of the times. The characters will be real and so will their circumstances.

"That’s what influenza means, she said. Influenza delle stelle—the influence of the stars. Medieval Italians thought the illness proved that the heavens were governing their fates, that people were quite literally star-crossed. I pictured that, the celestial bodies trying to fly us like upside-down kites. Or perhaps just yanking on us for their obscure amusement."

In Donoghue’s latest novel, you will find yourself transported back to 1918 Dublin, Ireland during the Great Influenza pandemic. As the influenza takes it’s hold, WWI is still raging in the background. Julia Powel is temporary acting head nurse for the ward that holds the pregnant women who have contracted the influenza. The hospital is woefully understaffed and is accepting volunteers off the street to help care for patients, and this is where a bit of light enters the story in the form of young Birdie.

Since the hospital is so understaffed, they are also willing to also accept women doctors into their ranks (not normal for the times). Doctor Kathrine Lynn joins the ranks of the hospital and brings her voice with her. She is an activist for women’s rights, Sinn Fein rebel, and currently wanted by the police. Kathrine’s character is based on a real woman during the same time (see the author’s notes…like you would ever skip them!?!)
Over a three day period, Julia, Birdie and Kathrine work together and share their stories.

I found myself engrossed as I began to have a glimpse of the far reaching repercussions of the influenza pandemic. The government sending mixed messages, the media having their own agenda and the disproportionate effect on the poor.

You can’t help but notice the similarities between the past and present in this sweeping tale. Shops were closed then as they were just this year, and areas seemingly completely deserted. I found myself noting that even 100 years later and through all the progress we have had in the medical field, we still found ourselves held hostage by a virus.

Not everything in this book was harsh. There was so much tenderness in the way that Julia and Birdie not only cared for the patients, but also in how they looked out for each other. Through their kindness the reader is reminded that there is always love and compassion within every human being.

This book isn’t for everyone. It is a slow burn that captures the true strength of the people of Dublin as they work to do their best in less than desirable circumstances, and stick together to accomplish as much as they can.

"Cover up each cough or sneeze......fools and traitors spread disease."

Much gratitude to Little Brown and Company and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I will also post review link on my Instagram feed: @andrea.c.lowry.reads

Emma Donoghue is a relatively popular author at our library, but I’ve never read any of her books. The only exposure to her work was the movie Room, and I just assumed that was what every one of her books was like. I’m glad I finally took the time to read one of her books, and I’ll be adding her other work to my to-read pile.
The Pull of the Stars takes place over three days, but packs in so much emotion and action in that short amount of time. I read the book in two sittings because I was drawn into Julia’s little corner of the hospital. The Maternity/Fever ward seems like a terrible place to be, and I felt such a connection to all the characters. The protagonist, Nurse Julia Power, cares so much about each patient, and that emotion flows straight from the page.
The plot could have felt repetitive – one woman goes into labor, then another, then another, and so on – but it never did. There was urgency and emotion in every scene, and it kept me reading late into the night.
It’s impossible not to think about the timeliness of this book, as well. The author’s note addresses the fact that she started writing several years ago, but that the book’s release was pushed up in light of our current pandemic. That led to wondering what sections of the book were written when. The discussions about the government’s policy, politics, masks, and the staff and supplies shortages at the hospital all mirror what’s happening today.

The Pull of the Stars is Emma Donoghue’s new novel and it may be her best yet. It takes place in a maternity ward in Ireland during the Spanish Flu. The main characters are Julia Power, Birdie Sweeney, and Dr. Kathleen Lynn (who is based on a real life person. ) Now I know what you’re thinking. I’m living through a pandemic so why would I want to read a book about past one.You do because this book is beautifully written with a story that will leave you in tears at the end. It’s about justice, war, a pandemic, the church, and the issue of class. These three women characters will stay with you once the final page is turned. It is certainly my favorite book of the summer and will certainly be on my top ten list of the year. I really don’t want to go into too many details about the plot because it will truly ruin the last pages of the novel which deserve to read without this knowledge. I hight recommend this book for book clubs and the world in general who are living through the current pandemic. It will sooth your soul. FIVE STARS!

I loved this book, but then again I love Emma Donoghue's writing. As coincidental as the timing is, and as scary as a pandemic is, this book, about 3 days in a maternity ward in Dublin, during the Great War and the pandemic of 1918 gave me hope. Her characters were survivors, and leaders and did what they had to do, without guidance from their political leaders. I read this in a single day, and I am not a fast reader! Not able to put this one down.

Told over three days about a birthing ward during the Spanish influenza. The Pull of the Stars is a remarkable historical fiction novel featuring one of the worst periods in human history. Julia is a nurse working at the maternity ward where mothers are infected with influenza, WW1 is still raging on and the hospital is also short staffed. I am not the biggest historical fiction fan, but I found right now that the book hits awfully close to home. The characters were complex, and I really enjoyed Birdie. I also think the book tackles some tough subjects and prejudices especially the prejudices women faced at this time. Overall, The Pull of the Stars is an exceptionally researched book, with enticing characters and an all to realistic setting.

This is a new historical fiction from the author of Room, The Wonder, Akin, and others. Donoghue grew up in Ireland but now lives in Canada. This book was rushed out as it deals with the Spanish Flu pandemic that occurred near the end of WWI. Julia is a maternity nurse in Dublin. As she has already had the flu and recovered she has been assigned to work in the ward that holds maternity patients that have become infected. Together with her young volunteer helper Bridie they deal with things as best they can. This is a wonderful recommendation for historical fiction fans who are okay with very detailed and sometimes graphic descriptions of both the influenza and the birthing process. I really enjoyed it, although I was left wanting more.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue is a very highly recommended visit to a Dublin maternity ward during the 1918 influenza pandemic. This novel will stick with you for years to come.

Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in Dublin in maternity where she is given a small cramped former supply room in which to care for and keep in quarantine the expectant mothers who have come down with the new flu. The hospital is overcrowded and everyday there are fewer staff members to look after the patients. Julia has an untrained volunteer, Bridie Sweeney, sent to assist her. Birdie's positive attitude and willingness to help in whatever way she can helps Julia enormously as they are faced with one challenging medical crisis after another. A new doctor has also arrived, Dr. Kathleen Lynn, who is a rumored Sinn Fein Rebel on the run from the police, but a more than capable physician.

Set over just three days in 1918 while WWI is still going on, this is a realistic slice of life during the times. There are three difficult births during these three days and they are described in graphic detail. Donoghue provides carefully researched detailed medical descriptions of the births amid the effects of the pandemic. She doesn't shy away from how the extreme poverty and the societal expectations in Catholic Ireland doom many mothers and children, harming both health and welfare. This is certainly a female centered novel, especially with the focus on pregnancy and childbirth. You will wish the best for Julia and as she works tirelessly through these three long hard days and be thankful that she had Birdie and Dr. Lynn to help her.

Donoghue began writing this novel during the 1918 pandemic’s centennial year, before COVID-19, so all of the details that seem to dovetail with current experiences are simply a recurrence of what happens during a pandemic. It needs to also be pointed out that in the author's notes at the end of the novel, Donoghue discusses the accomplishments of Dr. Kathleen Lynn, who was a real person and doctor of note. This is an incredible novel that will stay with you simply due to the period details and the firmly established setting, time and place. Yes, it can be bleak, dark and harsh, but it also highlights the dedication, compassion and intelligence of a women working under impossible conditions.

The true gem of The Pull of the Stars is the characters that are firmly placed in a very specific historically accurate time and place. This is a character driven novel and almost all of the action all takes place in the one small room. The dedication, personality, character, trials and struggles that Julia and especially Birdie have had to face are portrayed honestly and sorrowfully, but are all indicative of the setting. You will know these women and their character by the end of these three days. There is a romantic subplot toward the end that is best viewed as burgeoning very close friendship that could lead to something in the future in order to give its sudden appearance the context it lacked.

The Pull of the Stars is one of the best novels I've read this year based on how memorable it is. I won't forget it - if only for the detailed medical descriptions of childbirth in this setting.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Little, Brown and Company.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Having read the galley for Emma Donoghue's last novel The Wonder, I put in a request for The Pull of the Stars before even reading the synopsis. I was not disappointed.

Donoghue revisits some of the same themes in this novel--an unmarried female nurse embracing scientific methods, women's lives in a repressive society, what we will do for family and love.

Set in 1918 in the middle of the Spanish Flu epidemic, in a Dublin maternity ward where an endless round of pregnant women ill with the flu come and go, the novel is a spine-tingling reminder of our vulnerability.

Donoghue began writing The Pull of the Stars in 2018. How chillingly providential that it would be published the year of the novel cornoavirus covid-19 epidemic.

Today as I write this review, violence and protests have been breaking out across America, demanding a just society. Donoghue's novel depicts a world crushed by WWI, men broken in body and spirit like ghosts of the people they had once been. Unwed mothers are taken in by organizations that demand repayment through a kind of slave labor, their babies becoming trapped in servitude and subject to abuse.

The myth of progress is challenged by reminders of how little has changed in 100 years. War still crushes, the human body still is attacked by enemies large and small, society remains inequitable, ingrained social prejudices destroy lives.

Nurse Julia Powers is dedicated and hard-working, although underpaid and lacking authority. Readers spent several days with Julia at work, the action taking place in a small hospital room of three hospital cots.

This is not a novel for the squeamish. So many things go wrong. In graphic detail, readers endure the patients suffering, the heroic endeavor to save the lives of mother and babies. We meet the female patients, learn about their lives, their illness, their deaths.

Every loss is marked by Julia on her silver cased watch, a memorial and reminder to never forget.

This is not a novel to escape, the world too closely reflects what we are dealing with with today's pandemic. Warnings, fake cures, the uncertainty, government endeavoring to play down the threat--nothing has changed.

I finished the novel in two days.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

It’s 1918 Dublin, in the midst of the flu epidemic, and nurse Julia Power is overworked in the hospital’s flu ward for pregnant women. Donoghue gives the reader an inside look into old (sometimes horrifying) obstetric practices and beliefs and also explores the terrible treatment of young unwed mothers in Magdalene Laundries. I flew through this book, pulled into Julia’s daily work life and her worries about her younger brother, Tim, whom she lives with and who hasn’t been the same since his return from war. The book lost me at the end, but overall was still a good story.

Nurse Julia Power has been placed (alone) in charge of the maternity/flu ward. It is 1918, during the Great Flu, and her charges are at risk due to the flu and also due to childbirth-related complications. We follow Julia across a 3-day period in which she is supported by a volunteer (Bridie) and an interesting Dr. Lynn (a real obstetrician who worked with Sinn Fein). For the first 2/3 of the book, it felt a bit like an old-timey ER episode spanning 72 hours.

Although the pacing is not quick, the writing is so good and there is a lot of historical information about the time and especially medical aspects regarding pregnancy (surgeries [sawing the pubic bone], procedures, and treatments [whiskey!] that were popular at the time when treating pregnant women).

The final 1/3 of the book felt a bit disarrayed, though. (view spoiler)[I am not familiar with O'Donoghue's sudden twists to a lesbian romance, so I had not expected any romance to develop. That was fine, she had me and I was ready to go with it. But then...in quick succession, Bridie dies and then Julia decides to adopt an orphaned child. It didn't feel overly true to the character that had been developed. (end spoiler)]

In any case, a very good book that is definitely worth a read. It felt very timely to read a pandemic-related book during the current COVID-19 period and it was interesting to note the similarities and differences.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Little, Brown and Company for an opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is certainly odd to read a book about a pandemic during another pandemic (which the author notes in her afterword) but I really enjoyed it none the less.

Focused on the maternity ward of a hospital in the height of a new epidemic we see a nurse, doctor, and runner experience the life and death of multiple women and babies as they come into the hospital in various stages of pregnancy.

I really enjoyed the characters as we get to know them in this high stress environment in a book that only encompasses a few days. It is heart warming, heart wrenching, and filled with tons of vivid imagery.

This book may be a bit much for right now but it shows the humanity within the hospitals, and the people behind the masks.

The Great Influenza in Ireland in 1918 bears some striking resemblances to our current pandemic. Nurse Julia Powers is assigned to the maternity flu ward of a local hospital and the action centers on the patients and medical situation of the ward.

Beyond the pandemic, the book interweaves several women’s issues of the time - women’s position in the workplace, unwanted pregnancy, the heavy load of large families on women’s health.

To me this was a fascinating look at a pandemic of a different time. The parallels between then and now are inescapable. It’s a somber book and a bit of a slog through some of the detailed medical situations. The female characters are strong and the varying stations of doctor, nurse, assistant and the various patients adds clarity to the complexity of local society at the time.

For readers of historical fiction, this is an excellent look at challenges faced by front-line workers in a historic pandemic and is highly relevant to our times.

Unfortunately I think this book was a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. Perhaps lots of people want to read about a deadly pandemic during a pandemic, but the entire experience was too much of a downer for me. Since I only like to publicly write about books I would promote, I won't be writing about this one on my site. Thanks for the chance to try it.

I'm not sure I should have read this now -- too many emotions! I loved the headiness, and the heart, and felt that final twist like a physical blow. So very good and can't wait to recommend widely.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 by Emma Donoghue Thank you to @littlebrown and @netgalley for the e-ARC⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Julie works as a nurse in an understaffed, under financed hospital during the Great Flu of 1918 in Dublin. She works in a tiny, makeshift ward for maternity patients suffering from the flu. When a few new characters come into the hospital, the staff and patients make unforgettable connections in a time of trauma. ⁣
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I was expecting a historical fiction, but got a medical thriller as well. I’ve always been interested in midwifery, and this book certainly has a lot in it. There were many detailed obstetrics medical emergencies, and as the reader, I was right there along for the ride. It was interesting seeing the government’s reaction to the pandemic, including the signs they would post to try to keep panic away. This book showed how necessary nurses are, not only in a pandemic, but also to relieve and care for patients in between medical procedures. This was definitely a unique and interesting read. Make sure to read the afterword; that’s the part that explains the historical basis of the novel and is very informative. ⁣
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“𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺. 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.”⁣
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The Pull of the Stars comes out 7/21. ⁣⁣

Emma Donoghue books are hit or miss for me; the hits far outweigh the misses making me anticipate any new novels by Ms. Donoghue. My favorites being ROOM and THE WONDER. I expected THE PULL OF THE STARS to be like THE WONDER which I enjoyed immensely. Though I enjoyed THE PULL OF THE STARS I did not find myself nearly as invested in the story as ROOM or THE WONDER.

THE PULL OF THE STARS is set in Ireland during the outbreak of the flu pandemic of 1918. I read this during the Covid19 crisis making the references very familiar and the
story all too real. Perhaps the book would have been less interesting to me before the Covid crisis.

The main character, Julia Power, is a nurse in a maternity ward. The story follows Nurse Power as she cares for her pregnant patients over the course of 3 days. The novel feels like a documentary and was partly based on fact and real people. The novel deals with the grim reality of life and death during a pandemic.

Though I liked this book and always enjoy Ms. Donoghue’s writing style even when I don’t necessarily invest in the story, I think the 3-day time frame used was hard for me to believe. Too much happened, too many emotions were brought to the surface in just 3 days. I would read this book again and I would recommend it to anyone especially interested in historical fiction though part of it left me wanting.