What a moving, rich novel, and so very different from most WWII historical fiction. So well researched and so effortlessly educational (in the sense that I learned so much I didn't know about the WWII efforts in the UK). Cross-cultural issues, racism, sexism, incredible sacrifice by people from colonial countries who wanted independence from Britain yet more than pulled their weight to support Britain. It also gave wonderful insights into the NHS midwife programme... no doubt far from as good in today's world. Some things back then were better than now. The structure is also excellent; dual timelines are not easy to get right but Ola Awonubi excelled here as well. I will be looking out for her next novel.
Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this digital ARC, and thank you to the author for writing it.

Another beautiful read I've read for Black History month.
I find it so fascinating to read historical fiction book based on actual people and events such as this one is. Richly detailed, I'll admit to having never reading about Nigeria and knew very little about its customs, people and foods and I found the learning process interesting.
This dual timeline effortlessly blends past and present this debut novel is one not to pass up.
Princess Adenrele Ademola was born Nigerian royalty, but you would not know by her actions. She only wants to help the people of Britan, training at Guy’s Hospital in London as a nurse, she receives no special treatment. She faces the devastating effects of WWII and prejudice behavior of some of those she is trying to help. She won't let this stop her though.
Through diaries Yemi who also comes from Nigeria to London, the great niece of Ade and her friend Mike who's relative was a friend of Ade are able to find out more about their families.
The story is magnificent and unique, I've never read a story taking place during WWII like this.
Though Adenrele Ademola faces many adversities she is strong, and she shines, not letting anyone hold her back.

Pub Date 07 Jul 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved this story!! Ola did an amazing job going between timelines and capturing what life was like.

I can’t imagine the courage it took for Yemis aunt to leave and train as a nurse.

I always find it fascinating stories from WWII.

I’ll def be watching for Ola’s next book!!

We are all very familiar with the stories of the Windrush generation who came over from the West Indies to work in the 50s. I did not know about the people who came to be nurses during WW2. This is the story of a Nigerian princess whose father was keen for her to train as a nurse & in particular as a midwife, so she could come back to share her skills & improve the health service in her home country. She put up with insults & treats all with professionalism. It is also the story of her grand-daughter who comes to London & armed with her grandmother's diary she attempts to find out more about both her grandmother & friends.

This was a very informative story as well being interesting & engaging. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I enjoyed this tale of a nurse who originated from Nigeria, and the difficulties that she faced during the war. She was different. Rich in historical detail, this book tells her story.
Many thanks to Harpercollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Nigerian Princess

A dual timeline story with 80 years in-between. A brave young Princess, Ade, from Nigeria studies nursing in London. She is determined to help other's and become a nurse. World War Two changes things and she is faced with a wartime romance and some hard times. Prejudice is very much in play in London and she faces not only prejudice but some hard life choices.

The great niece Yemi has her great Aunt's diary 80 years later. She travels to London and is determined to find the secrets hidden in her great Aunt's time in London.

It is a story which tells much of the fate of Nigeria during the war, the prejudice the Nigerians that came to other countries faced and how they dealt with it. A wonderful WWII story.

It is a story of two distinct women characters with courage and determination. I love stories about strong women and this story did not disappoint.

If you love historical fiction you will love this story. Wonderful characters and very well written. Absolutely worth reading.

Thanks to Ola Awanubi for writing a great story, to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

A rich full story about a Nigerian princess who trains and works as a nurse in England in world War 2. We live through the highs of her friendships and job satisfaction, plus the odd moment when she confused racists when they find out her royal status. We also feel the lows of loss, destruction and racism, a subject that doesn't always come to light when reading stories of this time. The modern day story of Yemi is OK, but not really needed, as Adès story is so strong that it can stand alone

This is an amazing book based on a true story. I really enjoyed reading this book. I have read a lot of historical novels about World War 2, but this one is definitely one of the best. It is well written and very emotional.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Told through the eyes of two women around 75 years apart, The Nurse’s Tale is a fascinating look at the life of Princess Adenrele of Egbaland in Nigeria, who came to London in 1935 for finishing school and to train as a nurse. Inspired by her father, she went to live in an unknown world and an alien culture to look after people that mostly didn’t welcome her with open arms. I was so impressed with ADE, with her drive and her strength of purpose. For ADE, racism is an everyday reality: “Sometimes it is just so tiring. The constant feeling that I have to prove that I am just as good, just as competent, just as civilised.”
While Ade’s story is told largely through her diaries, her great niece Yemi, an advertising creative working in London for a year as part of her project to tell the stories of 100 influential Nigerian women, brings the lose ends together. I have never read a story like this one. It has changed the way I think about racism both historical and existing racism and the ways we sometimes completely inadvertently treat people of colour differently just because of a difference in skin tone. Food for thought, but not the only important takeaway from this story. It adds a richness to Second World War history and is also an excellent story.

This true story is set in two time lines
& was quite an interesting read.
It’s about a Nigerian princess, who came to London in the late 1930’s, to train as a nurse at Guys hospital.
When war broke out she decided to stay & help.
Little did she realise she not only had to face the blitz but also the prejudices of the very people she was trying to help.
She kept a diary through her long life & these were found to be a valuable source of information for her great niece Yemi.
80 years on we find Yemi who lives in America & is doing research for an awards article.
Her award article is about 100 powerful African women.
This is quite a powerful story of what women had to overcome wether it be gender or race & the injustices of it all.
Well worth reading.

A dual time novel set during WW2 and the present day. This tells of a Nigerian lady who trains as a nurse in London and the way things were during the war. and how she was treated by some people. Present day, her niece comes to England with her diaries to follow the life of her Aunt. Great book and a must read book. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

A lovely story. Sad in places and very unsettling about the racism and hated that went on. It’s a beautiful story which will stay with me for a very long time. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found it both interesting and enjoyable to read. Historical fiction based on facts. Romance and hardships. Set in the present day and the second world war as Ade, the Nigerian Princess trains at Guy's Hospital to be a nurse. Her great niece is researching her for an awards article about 100 powerful African women
I found the story totally engaging and didn't want it to end. All the characters were believable. Pi can recommend this book to those who enjoy Historical fiction from a different perspective.

Prejudice, bravery and love. A compelling novel set partly during World War II, partly 80 years later. In the 1930s, Princess Adenrele Ademola, known as Ade, came to London from Nigeria came to London to work in Guy's Hospital as a nurse. She loved her work and made friends but also faced racial prejudice and the Blitz. In 2019, her great-niece Yemi finds Ade's diaries and goes to London to find out more about her. She also meets Mike, who is trying to solve the mystery of a photo of his great-grandfather with a beautiful blonde, whom his family never talk about. A great story told with skill and full of detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this historical novel. Well researched and well written. The characters both during the war and in the present day were interesting and likeable. The book was very thought provoking bringing racial discrimination into the forefront. Well worth reading.

Princess Born Nigerian royalty, Princess Adenrele Ademola trained to be a nurse at Guy's Hospital in London and stepped up to serve the people of Britain when war broke out - facing both the devastation of the Blitz and the prejudice of some of the people she was trying to help. Eighty years later, Ade's great-niece Yemi arrives in London clutching the Princess's precious diaries and longs to uncover the mysteries they hold.

Yemi finds her great-aunts diaries and becomes interested in her ancestors. Ade had been a nurse in the 1940s. We learn how the people from the Commonwealth were overlooked during WWII. The story has a dual timeline - Yemi from the present day and Ade from the past. The abuse these nurses suffered from patients and fellow members of staff was heartbreaking. All Ade wanted was for her country to come out of the colonial rule establish the NHS. Yemi was working on a project about a hundred women of Nigeria. This story tells of inequality in gender and race and what women have overcome to prove themselves worthy.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #OlaAwonubi for my ARC of #ANursesTale in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the best historical books I have read in a long time.
Based on a real person it did not retract from the true facts of this woman's life born of noble decent who came to England to train as a nurse in order to improve the lives of her fellow countrymen.
The one thing that runs through this book is the racial discrimination that women of colour experienced in the war years of the 20th century and the sadness that it seems that in some societies nothing has changed.
Can’t recommend it enough

Princess Adenrele Ademola is from Nigeria, she’s the daughter of King Papado Ademola the Alake of Abeokuta and she trains to be a nurse in the 1930’s at Guy’s Hospital in London. Here she makes friends with fellow students Violet Dobbs and Elvina Thompson and Violet encourages Ade and Elvina to go to dances and have fun while they can.

When the Blitz starts, Ade doesn’t return home, she passes her nursing exams and starts training to be a midwife. Despite being from a royal Nigerian family, in England Ade is judged by the colour of her skin, she faces terrible racism, people say rude things to her and including patients she's helping.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view, Adenrele and her great-niece Olayemi and eighty years apart.

Yemi Akindele is a graphic artist in Lagos, she’s given the opportunity to travel to England and their compiling a list of Nigerian women who have been trailblazers in the past hundred years and she takes with her great-aunt’s diaries. At a Gala night, Yemi meets Dr. Michael Benjamin and he's trying to find out information about his grandfather Cyril, he was born at St Timothy’s a home for unwed mothers and a mixed race baby. Yemi and Mike discover the connection between their families, they know whose Cyril’s parents are, a coloured Flight Sergeant, one of Ade’s nursing friends and why did he end up in an orphanage in near Derby?

In their quest to solve the mystery Mike feels very attracted and drawn to Yemi, she not ready to being a romantic relationship, she’s returning to her job and family in Lagos at the end of the year.

I received a copy of A Nurse’s Tale by Ola Awonubi from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. The novel is full of fascinating information and is inspired by a true story, Adenrele being a princess, her training to be a nurse in London, like everyone during the Second World War she endured the bombings and blackouts, food and clothes being rationed.

I must admit I knew very little about Nigeria, its history, culture, heritage and traditions and now I do. A narrative based on two strong women, both were ambitious, loyal to their friends and loved ones and overcame life’s challenges. Four stars from me, a great debut novel and perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction full of long buried secrets, and learning about different cultures and I want to make Jollof rice.

This wasn't a typical British story during WW2. The main character, Ade, is a princess from Nigeria who comes to England in the late 1930's to train to be a nurse so she can help in her country's development. Her two best friends are Violet and Elvina. For the first time Ade had to deal with racism. Even though she wasn't a spoiled princess she was privileged and in between her nursing assignments she would do state things with her father, i.e., the King's Coronation. The author did a great job of portraying the racism and the mood of London during the Blitz. In 2019 her great niece, Yemi, is writing about prominent Nigerian women. Yemi is interesting but not as well developed a character as Ade. Although I liked Ade's story more Yemi's her story revolves around her budding romance with Mike. He is related to Violet and is searching for his family's roots. Elvina was an interesting woman, having traveled from Jamaica to train. What I found off putting was the author trying to write in Elvina's dialect which I had a hard time understanding.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me a digital copy.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

this is about all the people that came over to england during and before the war to help establish the nhs, they worked tirelessly and put up with a lot to help us with the goal in mind that once they had finished their education they could go home and help their own countries establish their own rule and their own nhs

Princess Born Nigerian royalty, Princess Adenrele Ademola was one of those nurses, the abuse she suffered on a daily basis makes you want to weep, even from fellow work colleagues but her aim was to see her country come out from under colonial rule and establish an nhs was her goal and luckily her father was a man of foresight

this is a powerful novel and it makes you wonder if we have ever learnt anything, the duel timeline is interesting