The Swiss Nurse

by Mario Escobar

I am so glad that I had read other books by Mario Escobar, because this work of historical fiction started off roughly for me. I feel sure the fault was my own. I am shamefully unfamiliar with the Spanish Civil War, and I started the book too late in the evening. I persevered the next day, however, and was quickly immersed in a tale of evil hearts and the strength of some good people who worked to help others in dire circumstances.

When Franco and his troops were successful in this war, they were determined to obliterate the Republicans fighting for their freedom and anyone associated with them. The result was a massive exodus of refugees into southern France which was not prepared for the influx and did not welcome them with open arms. The “camps” they provided were sandy beaches with no structures. There was little food and no potable water; the refugees were not allowed outside the camp.

This book is about the refugees in that war which was followed up by the events of World War II and the further torment of innocents by the French Vichy government which was a puppet government of the Nazis, and then by the Nazis themselves. Much of the story describes the horrible conditions of the refugee camps and the strength and boldness of Elisabeth Eidenbenz, a Swiss woman whose focus was orphans in Spain until she was forced relocate to southern France where she opened a hospital taking in pregnant women and giving them a safe place to deliver their babies. The other main character is Isabel, a Spanish lady who married Peter, an American who fought with the Spanish for their liberation. Their lives intersect when Isabel gives birth to her precious daughter Lisa at the Elne Maternity Hospital. With Peter held in various prisons and concentration camps and conscripted into the army for manual labor, Isabel stays to help in the maternity hospital.

The author pulls the reader into the horrible conditions and the faith and courage of characters who stand up for what is right. As a reader, you want everything to turn out great for the sympathetic characters. This is, however, a work of historical fiction, so not everyone has a happy ending. It is important to read works like this so that we are not duped yet again by politicians who promise good things and deliver nothing, creating untenable situations. History like this must not be allowed to repeat itself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Historical Fiction, Multicultural, Fiction

Notes: Additional material includes: References, Clarifications from History, Timeline, Discussion Questions, and Information about the Author and the Translator

Publication: April 14, 2023—Harper Muse

Memorable Lines:

Gazing off into the distance, their gaunt faces reflected the weary sadness of their souls. Their cheeks were sunken with hunger, and their skin was pallid from exhaustion and malnourishment.

An entire generation had been killed for naught: anonymous heroes on both sides, idealists attracted by the siren songs of their leaders who stayed safe in the rear guard. The only hope was to erase those painful years from their lives and try to start over from scratch.

Argelès-sur-Mer had been both refuge and jail. It had stamped out of us the hope of recovering our lives one day. We were now flea-infested riffraff with bones aching from damp nights spent on hard sand with thin blankets. The starry sky had been our prison roof.

“Sometimes we have to feel our way in the dark in order to find the path, but beyond the fog the sky is still blue, and the sun is still shining.”

I connected with the characters in this book easily. The plot was enjoyable and hard to predict so it kept me guessing through out. Filled with facts about the world war that I had no knowledge of so it was a pleasure to learn even though it could be heartbreaking.

I didn't really enjoy this one. I didn't find the jumping from character to character was enough to keep me engaged.

Generally I liked the book but I found it somewhat hard to read. There were many characters that it alternated between and I found it hard to keep track of them all. It also would have helped if I had studied World History in school. Then maybe I would have known more about the wars in Spain and France. On the other hand, I learned quite a lot from reading this book. I have read several of the books by this author and I always find them interesting. These comments are my own.

This is a great book written based on the Spanish Civil War about a real nurse, but the other characters seem just as real. The pain and heartbreak that they face trying to save those that need it is so overwhelming and heartbreaking. I recommend this book if you like books that are written about war and the people who are trying to survive! Thank you for writing such a great book!

The Swiss Nurse is Mario Escobar's latest book about civilians during WWII in Europe. This is based on a true story about a Swiss run expectant mothers hospital in southern France during the war. Escobar's novel follows Isabel, a Spanish woman who is trying to find her American husband at the end of the Spanish Civil War, and Elizabeth, a Swiss woman who convinces the charity she works with to fund an expectant mothers hospital for the Spanish women stuck at the refugee camps in southern France after fleeing Franco.

Like Escobar's other books this is a story of regular people doing great things in the face of injustice and evil. You want to get to the end of the book to find out how the story ends, even though you kind of know from the beginning. If you are a fan of Escobar's books then you will enjoy this. Would I recommend this to someone who does not already have it on their list? Probably not. And I say that because I feel like this genre of WWII civilian novels needs to be over. Not every story needs to be told and I feel like that is what we are getting to now.

I read The Swiss Nurse through NetGalley with approval from the author Mario Escobar. Based on true events, set in the Spanish Civil War and the beginning of WWII, it details the hardships and triumphs of Elizabeth and Isabelle as Isabelle navigates leaving one country for another. Elizabeth is a nurse who runs a Maternity Hospital for refugees. Together they face many hardships such as food and supply shortages as the take care of many women and children in need. They saved many lives and protected them from the Nazis. This story draws you right in and just won’t let go. Easily one of my favorite books!

Rich in historical detail, this story captured me and I learned so much from it. I loved that it was based on a true nurse and facts.
Many thanks to Harper Muse and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Elizabeth Eidenbenz is a true hero and has left an awe inspiring legacy. For that reason alone I wanted to love the book and the fact that I’m also Swiss, but I just really didn’t care for it. I switched between reading and listening to the audio version, and I think that’s the only reason I did not abandon it. Thanks for this arc, in exchange of an honest review.

The Swiss Nurse is a very different take on the history of the civil war in Spain and how events unfolded that led up to WWII. I have never read a book from that perspective and admittedly I am uneducated on the history of Spain. This book really gave me a great perspective of what was going on and how horrific conditions were for every day citizens and how even though people escaped through Spain during WWII it was still a hotbed of violence and Nazi activity. I enjoyed how the lives of the characters ended up being entwined but gave great images of how different their lives were even side by side. I enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it to others.

Mario Escobar honors true life hero Elizabeth Eidenbenz in his latest well researched historical fiction novel, The Swiss Nurse.

Before reading this story, I knew little of The Spanish Civil War and the plight of the refugees, and had never even heard of Elisabeth Eidenbenz. Why an extraordinary woman. She was a teacher, a nurse and a humanitarian aid worker for refugees. A volunteer to help the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War, her work led her to the south of France after the fall of the Spanish Republic. The appalling conditions of the refugee internment camps and dire circumstances and treatment mothers and children amongst refugees faced, led her to organize a maternity home (The Maternity of Elne), that provided a safe haven for pregnant refugees and their children. Initially a means to help the Spanish refugees, the maternity home later hid Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi invasion. She is credited for saving the lives of more than 600 refugee children.

In his fiction account, Escobar tells his story through the point of view of three characters, Isabel Dueñas, a pregnant Spanish refugee, her American husband Peter Davis, separated from each other, they face horrors within their captivity, yet continue to hold hope for a future together in America, and Elisabeth Eidenbenz, the inspiring humanitarian who never quit in her efforts for making things better for others, despite the risk to her own safety.

This wasn’t an easy read. The authenticity of time and place was captured very well and the author doesn’t gloss over the brutality and hatred innocent people endured during this horrific period. But between the pages there was also beauty in the form of courage, hope, bravery, determination, friendship, love and compassion amidst the uncertainty of war. I am truly grateful to the author for sharing this story of this inspiring woman and humanitarian who did extraordinary things during the darkest of times.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the chance to preview an advance digital copy of this inspiring story. This is my honest review and the opinions expressed are my own.

Based on the heroic endeavors of real life nurse Elisabeth Eidenbenz, this heartfelt tribute chronicles the victims of the Spanish Civil War and the Nazis. Escobar has a talent for highlighting brave, unsung heroes who put their own lives at risk to help others.
The descriptions of the impacts of the Spanish Civil War in particular were a unique account. This will appeal to fans of Kristin Harmel and Pam Jenoff.

This novel is based on a true story of a woman who served in a hospital and refugee camp in France during the 1930s: it explores (in the first part) the events of the Spanish Civil War, which might be unfamiliar to many of my followers.

The Spanish Civil War was a political conflict between left- and right-wing parties in Spain the 1930s, and many civilians were caught in the middle. Neither side were averse to killing women and children. Although there is a subplot with who of the characters (a married couple who are separated by war)

They are American minister’s son who entered the war with high ideals and a Spanish woman Isabel Dueñas who married in the midst of war the titular Swiss Nurse Elisabeth Eidenbenz who fought tirelessly to protect the innocent from the forces of evil. It’s a heart-breaking, moving but eventually hopeful story. I see one of the most important themes of this novel to be a warning against the evils of extremism.

The 20th century was one of the worst in history for this: millions were killed by totalitarian regimes of both the left and the right.
Let me share a passage which I think summarizes this well:

“We’re all responsible for the lack of values that currently prevails in this world created by Marxism, Fascism, and Nazism... By getting rid of God, we thought we were freeing ourselves from divine tyranny. But all we did was turn men into gods and our ideologies into the new religion.

Nihilism and historical realism erased everything that was once sacred and of value in our world. We destroyed moral values and erected the most atrocious relativism in their place. The only new beginning we can reach for is to destroy all the tyrants and lay a foundation of hope for a world that is truly fraternal and is ruled by love for others and respect for human life and dignity.”

Yeah: that.

A must-read book.

I requested a PDF of this title via Harper Muse on Netgalley. I wasn’t required to write a review, either positive or negative and all opinions expressed are my own.

With rich history and masterful storytelling, Mario Escobar brings to life the history that surrounded the Spanish Civil War leading into WW II. Different points of view are used to give a wide picture of exactly what people faced in the dark days of war, including a soldier, a civilian, and a compassion-filled volunteer working in particular with orphans of the War.
Mario Escobar puts evident effort into the historical accuracy of his book. He transports the reader back in time to a dark period. With compassion and gentleness, Escobar treads through the dark memories and hard lessons each character must face. I loved the different side of the war this story shared. I also loved the compassion the author shined through in the care taken by international strangers to take care of the most vulnerable. If anyone is looking for a poignant read of WW II and the surrounding history, this is a book you must pick up. I learned so much from this fictional book, I look forward to the next book I read from this amazing author. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for allowing me to read The Swiss Nurse by the highly acclaimed author, Mario Escobar. I had little background knowledge of the Spanish Civil War. I felt confused in the book by the terminology used - Communists, Republicans, Reds, etc. Because of this I felt a step behind most of the time reading this.

Some of the characters were fleshed out really well, especially Elisabeth and Isabel. However, the two main male characters, Peter and Karl; not so much.

The story was heartbreaking and it appears that humanity still has not learned how to deal with refugees and immigrants in a humane way.

Set in the final days of the Spanish Civil War and the first half of WWII, The Swiss Nurse is both harrowing in its shocking bluntness and inspirational in its glimpses of human kindness. Translated into English, the sentences didn’t always sound natural to me, but don’t let that deter you.
This story is told through the eyes of three people, Spanish refugee Isabel, her husband Peter, and Elizabeth Eidenbenz, a Swiss teacher turned nurse, who founded a maternity hospital at Elne in southern France to care for babies and pregnant women from the beach refugee camps at Argelès-sur-Mer and Saint Cyprien. Much of this story is drawn from refugee accounts of their experience, making the story all the more shocking. From the bombing of Barcelona and Isabel’s flight over the Pyrenees tp Peter’s appalling treatment in prison camps in both Spain and France to the shocking conditions in the beach camps and on to the warmth, love and care offered by Elizabeth and her colleagues, we are shown both sides of the human condition. While this is a work of fiction it is also an important tale shedding light on a little known aspect of world history. I found it both compelling and enlightening and a very enjoyable read.

I wanted so badly to love this book, but it fell flat for me. The subject of the story, a young Swiss Red Cross volunteer helping provide relief during the Spanish Civil War and then the beginning of WW2, was fascinating. The story followed three different characters and it was hard for me to keep the different strands of the story straight, especially since one strand is told in first person and the other two are in third person. While this makes sense given the premise of the story being about the author's great-grandmother, there was not enough tie in to present day to make the different POVs work.

Also, as in any war story, there is A LOT of heartache in this book. A lot. So it wasn't something I could just sit down and read straight through, and it took a while to orient myself every time I picked it back up.

I appreciate receiving an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted this book to be more than it was. The idea of nurses setting up a maternity hospital in the middle of 2 wars should be full of action. This one was not.

Save the Children

This is a historical fiction story based on the true story of Elizabeth Eidenbenz. When the Spanish Civil War was lost and the Spanish Republic fell many Republicans fled Spain. These immigrants ended up in France on the border. Many of them were women and children. Many of the children were orphans losing their parents in the war. When the Nazi's invaded Spain many more fled to the already crowded immigrant camps.

Elizabeth Eidenbenz was instrumental in helping to save over 600 children and many women. She first worked in an orphanage for children then she started a maternity hospital for the women and children immigrants from Spain.

This is the story from the Spanish Civil War and continuing on into the WWII. It tells the story of the horrible conditions in the immigrant camps and how miserably those immigrants were treated. It is a story of war but also a story of compassion for those unlucky enough to be caught up in the war and without a country, without a home, without anything of their own.

It was a horrible time in history, with all the men gone fighting and the women left behind with little or nothing fleeing their homes with their lives, many dying before they even made it out of Spain. The ones that suffered the most were the children.

This story was heartbreaking and tragic, but it was also a testimony to what happens when a woman believes in helping others, and that a higher power will provide. Her faith carried her through some of the worse times.

This is the story of a strong woman, a devout Christian woman but a woman that would not bow down and take no for an answer. She made things happen. She plowed foreword and got it done. If you like stories about strong women you will need to read this story.

It was a very good story about a part of history I knew little about. I did enjoy reading the book.

Thanks to Mario Escobar for writing a great story, to Harper Muse for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Working with orphans during the Spanish Civil War, author Mario Escobar tells of the work of Elisabeth Eidenbenz and her work with refugees of the Retired and caring for pregnant mothers. Well written historical novel, and recommended!