I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good novel. Highly recommend. Love the cover.

I love this story! I have several reasons why I love it.

1. This story is what I had been looking for several months ago when I began to read a couple of other books about this historical event. I wanted to read about medical care for the injured during World War I. In one of the books, it seemed more focused on the extra activities of the medical personnel and the soldiers, rather than on their roles in the war. The other book gave me more knowledge about the physicians who operated on the injured. The Light Attendant shares the gritty details of what they actually did-on a daily basis, and during specific missions.

2. One of the reasons I love this story is that even though romance is a theme, it does not take away or distract from the events and personal experiences of war. What I mean is often when I read a book about two people who care for one another and they are both directly involved in the war effort, the romantic aspect totally shifts the story and can even hijack the overall story. The war then becomes a background, and this is never the reality during a time of war.

3. War is horrific, violent, lengthy, and damaging. People who are in a war, whether they are in combat or in direct contact with caring for the injured are changed. They cannot go back to the people they were before. This is never said in the story, but I can tell by the behaviors and developments of the characters.

4. Some things I’d never thought about that a soldier did. He learned to care for his own needs. For example, mend a torn shirt. This is a task their mother or wife or sister did. Now, they must do this type of thing. This is a personal but important example to share about the soldiers.

5. I learned that injuries and death is not always on the battlefield but is a result of accidents or negligence on the part of the soldier or another soldier.

6. I love that Abbi demonstrates that nursing is a skill, but it is also showing compassion, patience, and care to the injured.

7. I love the comparison stories of Henry and Abbi. He will share his story and then in the next chapter the same scene is shared but it is through Abbi’s eyes and thoughts.

8. I love reading how triage is handled by Abbi. She is thrust into this task without having done this before. And triage is probably not a word used at this point in history, but it is still an act that must be implemented.

9. I love stories that will give me a panoramic sweeping view of what is happening. In a war, during a battle, the story can take a reader up close, and it can shift away for the reader to see the larger scene taking place. The same can be said of a hospital tent or the injured laying on the grounds in front of a hospital. To me this is such an important structure for a story! It brings the scene to life in my mind.

I love this book so much I bought the 2nd part of Henry and Abbi’s story.

Format: Kindle e-book.
Source: I received a complimentary NetGalley Kindle e-book. I am not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Readers of war stories, World War I, and romance.

Hello! I was given an ARC from NetGalley, and I really appreciate it. I had difficulty getting into this book and not sure why. I think because I am not well-versed in soldiers' lives from the Great War. However, as I continued to read this story, I was really impressed with the scenes that Wendy Fehr created and implicitly asked the reader to imagine. It must have been a superb challenge to have been a nurse, let alone a soldier, during WWI. The interwoven story of Henry and Abigail really has shone a light into this era and also on lives torn apart and brought together by extreme circumstances. Thank you! :)

I loved it it is a beautifully written book with a lovely story. My only issue with it is that it reads as if it should have all been one larger book and not two separate books. normally in series each book feels like it ends but leaves us coming back. In this book it doesn't end as much as run out of pages. But it is a really good story so I am still giving it 5 stars.

This is the story of Private Henry Ryzak and Abbigail Grieves Lieutenant and Nursing sister during the First World War.
The book begins with their background living on farms in Canada and how their life progresses, leading up to enlisting. They meet very briefly and both think about that time during turbulent and dangerous times. Will they meet again?
The story is told in diary form from Henry and Abbigail, both in the first person but in Abbigail’s case also with amendments made later in life. This, I found sometimes a little confusing.
I loved the story which was describing how Henry and Abbigail experienced the war, not glamours or pretty but brutal with the occasional ‘normality’ thrown in.
Wendy Weir’s description of the nursing care and war situations was excellent. I can’t wait to read the next book

I loved both of the main characters in this book. I loved reading about Abbigail’s journey to prove herself as a Nurse, and Henry’s journey as a soldier and becoming a man. The story was often difficult with the description of the conditions the soldiers were living in on the front lines. It’s hard to imagine how soldier’s fighting for our freedom are not taken better care of. I do wish the author had labeled the beginning of Abbigail’s sections the way she labeled Henry’s as it was often confusing who was speaking. I look forward to reading Part 2 of this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and ShiftersPress for this advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is the first World War I novel I have read based on events as told from a nurses prospective. I found it a very fast read and a page turner. I learned a lot about what nurses faced during the Spanish influenza pandemic. The historical facts were well researched and portrayed clearly and accurately.

I read this book in one sitting as I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for granting me an advance copy in return for my honest opinion.

Recomend.

A swooning romance to love amidst the horrors of war, this book stands out due to the beautiful prose and the complexity of the characters and their relationships. The author did a marvelous job at depicting the unique historical aspects of WWI - the trenches, the changing role of women in war, and the medical aspects were well-researched. I thoroughly recommend this book to any romantic who loves history in their story as well.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author. It was a well written book.

“John proposed to me today. It was the worst day of my life.”
“If I had known anything about the world and the path which I would have to take through it, I would never have had the audacity to write such self-involved melodrama.”

I loved this plucky Canadian heroine, Abbigail Grieves and her strength to stand up to her father in getting his approval for her nursing certificate. I was thankful for a front row seat to her growth. Fehr’s ability to get readers to connect to her characters resulted in me abhorring Abbigail’s fiancé, John, as much as she did! I appreciated the nods to our Canadian history with ‘soddies’ and the Canadian Expeditionary Force and liked learning new things, such as ‘puttees’ that I hadn’t picked up in history texts. It was good, too, to have insight into the crossings on the Canadian Pacific Railway steamships, the HMS Metagma and the SS Empress of Britain, both refreshingly new additions to WW1 historical fiction. Also important was the author’s ability to capture the language and societal expectations /conventions of the times; it felt true to the period she was writing about. The highlight was the author’s exploration into the work of the tireless nursing sisters who advanced and shaped the field of nursing. By writing to inform readers of the “lived experience of the people there,” rather than sharing “simply facts of the war’s happenings and the politics as told in history books,” Fehr has made sure that her writing appeals to historical fiction readers. I loved the little pieces of information that made the writing authentic; for example, Abbigail reminding Henry that she couldn’t tell him her full name.

Of minor significance, was the frustration caused due to the diary format. At one point (June 5, 1916), I stopped reading because I felt like I’d read about the nurse and soldier meeting before. Thinking I was having troubles with my e-reader, I soon discovered that it was the same even from different points of view. It interrupted my flow and focus. I knew what was going to transpire, so I found myself skimming - always a bad thing for a reader! I also noted that there were several characters mentioned, but not used to propel the plot forward. I wonder if they’ll turn up in the sequels? Although the narrative was well padded with superfluous conversation as well as facts about daily life, it didn’t take away from anything. Finally, there were sections that I felt could have done with better integration rather than an obvious information dump. Again, these are small personal issues and didn’t overly take away from my enjoyment of the story.

I look forward to part two in the trilogy as this is a well-researched and presented piece of historical fiction.

I was gifted this copy by Wendy Fehr, ShiftersPress, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

DNF - I truly adored the writing style that Fehr employed to tell this story & I was immediately engaged with the plot. However, I did not enjoy the way that the timeline was written. Having a particular event explained & described to the reader (ex. the second meeting between Abby & Henry wherein they ride in the Ambulance back to Base), from one point of view does not necessitate the total recollection from the second point of view. I know for a fact that there is an abundance of readers who will be unbothered by the details provided in the re-explanation of events, I am simply not one of them. I think it hinders the flow of the story to teeter entirely between points of view. The scene in the example is a perfect example of this. The tension that was built up during the scene from Henry's point is ruined by totally reliving the event, word for work, through Abby's point of view. In my opinion, had the author allowed tensions of first meetings, & other scenes to play out through a single point of view I would have found myself eager to read the detailings that Abby was giving during her recollections & re-read of her journal. Given that she was already creating footnotes I don't think we needed to see her detail everything that Henry had already provided us with.
That being said, I didn't read the entire book so this might have changed. I did love the writing style & I loved the book's subject matter. This is right up my alley & I am confident, up the alley of many other readers too.

I adored this book!

Beautiful character development, relatable family dynamics and historical elements that were written with poetic ease and fluidity. Each time I am given the opportunity to read a Canadian author, I will take that gift every time. This was absolutely a beautifully-written book by a very talented author. I will anxiously await the next chapter of this thoughtful story and look forward to many more to come.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for this advanced digital copy! Well done!

The Light Attendant: A Canadian Bluebird Novel is a story of love, second chances, and redemption found amidst the horrors of war. Once you start, you will not want to put this book down.

I really enjoyed this book, It was a quick and easy read that i finished in one setting. It was well written with a compelling plot and well developed characters that I really came to be invested in, especially Abbigail. I loved reading about her journey as a Bluebird Nurse and I loved the romantic elements of this book. It was heartrenching and emotive at times and full of hope in others . I couldn't put it down.