I loved it!! 4.5 stars. I was a little confused at times what country we were in/talking about, but overall both very sad and wholesome historical fiction audiobook/novel providing perspectives of women, families, and children from various countries during WWII Nazi Occupation. Made me sad that some of this information was new to me because the US public education system does not focus much time at all on non-US history (or really any history we are in danger of repeating and therefore SHOULD learn more about). I’d love to read more novels like this! Reminded me of Ruta Sepetys “I Must Betray You,” which I also loved as a new historical perspective.

Listened to this as an ARC courtesy of NetGalley!

I received an advanced readers copy from net galley in exchange for my honest review
I give this book a solid 3 star rating. I didn’t love or hate this book, and I’d be willing to read other things from this author.
What would have made it better for me was more of the history leading up to the Spanish war. I would’ve liked to have more of a deep dive into what started the war. The story picks up with the war already engaged and the main characters working their way to the border. Also, I never expected it to be a happy story (that’s not really how war works) but by the end 2 out of the 3 main characters seemed like unlucky pennies. Pretty much most of the secondary characters if they lasted more than a paragraph with those 2 – they died.
I listened to the audio book and then was also able to check out the ebook from my library. I like to switch between the versions when I can, because then I can continue the book through out the day while doing different tasks. The reader for this was really good! I enjoyed not only listening to her but it helped a lot to hear the pronunciation of names and cities over reading them myself. I’ve heard other books she’s narrated and enjoyed those as well.
The parts having to do with Elizabeth are good. She seems to have strength and determination of character. She gets things done. I wish there were more about her though, like her chapters were longer. I wanted to know how she ended up taking the children at the beginning- what happened to those children and her fellow workers that went over first, I wanted to know the ins and outs of how she secured the maternity hospital. It was good but I wanted more

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. Saskia Marveeld narrated the audiobook brilliantly. I’ve heard a few other books with her as a narrator before, and she always does a great job. Accents are a big thing with novels such as this, and the narrator does them well, as she does convincingly distinguish between male and female characters. She adds passion and emphasis where needed. Great audiobook.
I requested a Audiobook of this title via Harper Audio on Netgalley. I wasn’t required to write a review, either positive or negative and all opinions expressed are my own.

This story is a well-written novel by Mario Escobar that I quite enjoyed. I listened to the audiobook and learned so much about the hardships during a historical period that I was not aware of. The story is set during the Spanish Civil War and WW2. One of the biggest takeaways from this story is about how war is started and fought by men, but it's the women and children that end of suffering and losing out so much. The women and children are the innocent victims that are punished, starved and neglected for actions that are not of their own doings. The story gave great details into the internment camps that the people were held like prisoners in. The conditions of this camps were horrible, and people were starving and dying from lack of food and clean water. Women were also giving birth on the beaches because they were no faculties to keep them in.

This story could have had more happy and joyous times because I felt like it was just one sad and horrible accident after another with very little happy times. I understand that this period of life was a bleak one, but it made it difficult to read one depressing situation after another.

I listened to this audiobook and often times I felt my mind wandering away from the story. It was told from the point of view of 3 different characters Isabel, Elizabeth and Peter and at times I was getting the stories of the 2 women confused. Just having one woman narrate the story may have been the cause of some of my difficulty following the storylines. The narrator however did a good job and overall was easy to understand.

Thank you to Harper Muse for allowing me to read The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar through Netgalley.

There is so much historical fiction about the two world wars that many frequent readers of the genre including me actually look for books that don't include war! This very poignantly written, heartbreaker of a book, while being about the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath, is also about one woman's determination and dedication to help others that led to her establishing the Elne maternity hospital in France that saved hundreds of mothers and babies from squalid camps and gave them hope.

Elizabeth Eidenbenz was a Swiss relief worker who by working tirelessly to protect women and children fleeing Spain after the Civil War illustrated that despite the terrible horrors that humans inflict on themselves and others, there are those who will not let humanity and compassion die. She just would not give up until the maternity hospital was established and her strong faith helped her through the most difficult times, inspiring those around her to also work to help others who were suffering.
Her story is interspersed with that of Isabel, a Spanish refugee who escapes to France, hoping to be reunited with her American husband Peter who had fought against Franco and fascism in France and is desperately trying to get to Isabel himself, only to be thwarted by circumstances beyond his control.

As Isabel and Peter hold onto their dreams of a life together, they must survive war, refugee camps that have their own horrors, a French government that does not care about refugees and wants them gone, sickness, lack of basic supplies and the terrible sadness of losing friends and companions.

This is a very difficult book to read in places as all war based books are. The brutality experienced by innocent civilians who are forced to flee is the worst part. So many instances brought tears to my eyes and once again made me think that life is really precious and so many have learnt this in the hardest way possible. Having said that, the story also has beautiful moments of selflessness and compassion and sharing where politics and ideology and ethnicity and national identity is forgotten and human beings just behave in a human way.

Elizabeth's staunch refusal to back down in the face of the strongest hurdles has her going up against several men in authority who don't like what they see as her 'meddling'.
Her strong devotion to the cause sees her setting up and operating the hospital through the initial years of WW2 which brought fresh horrors.

As is the case for Isabel and Peter whose struggle to be together as a family seems neverending, shaking Isabel's belief in a higher power as they get stuck in one situation after another and finally get embroiled in the uncertainty of WW2. The friends Isabel makes, the ones she helps and is helped by, give her the support she needs to face the sadness of daily life.

This is a bittersweet story, filled with the pain of violent conflict and its most innocent victims, children. It is also a look at the undeniable fact that no one is above anyone else and helping others, caring about their welfare, staying united,is the only way to live.

Elizabeth Eidenbenz was a true hero and one who deserves to be lauded and remembered forever for her humanitarian effort.

The audiobook is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld who is fabulous as usual and brings out the pathos and emotions of all the characters.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Muse audio for this ALC in return for my completely honest review.

Elisabeth Eidenbenz left Switzerland in 1937 to care for children orphaned in the Spanish Civil War. As the war ends, she crosses to France, opening a hospital for refugee mothers to give birth in. Isabel Dueñas is one of the people fleeing Franco’s fascist army, leaving behind her American husband fighting for freedom in Spain. The refugees lack shelter, clean water, and medical care, but when Isabel meets Elizabeth, she gains a chance to stay and work at the hospital. As Germany invades much of Europe, the hospital finds itself in demand even more than before.

While Isabel and her husband Peter are fictional characters, Elisabeth Eidenbenz was a real woman who spent years caring for children and pregnant women. Escobar relied on the testimonies of real Spanish refugees in creating this story. Saskia Maarleveld did a nice job narrating the audiobook, although I feel the audiobook would have been better (and easier to follow for those complaining about that) if different narrators had been used for Elisabeth, Isabel, and Peter. I knew little of the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath going into the book and appreciated learning about it. Toward the end of the book, the constant jumps in time made me feel disconnected from the characters, although I understand this was done to keep the book from becoming repetitive and overly long. Overall, I would say this is a good book that could have been better.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Let’s begin with the narration of this novel. I may never listen to a historical fiction narrated by anyone another than Saskia Maarleveld again! She is incredible! Absolutely the right choice for this. She brings the characters to life in a way that seems so realistic for the time period. She held me spellbound, and I am sure she is the reason for my newfound love of historical fiction. Thank you for making my listening experience so enjoyable. To give credit where it is due, if Mario Escobar question myself throughout the book. While I guessed early on, I doubted myself so many times that I am still not sure if I believe the words that were written. What a fantastic cast of characters, whom are well developed and intertwine so well with one another. I am not sure if I am completely happy with the ending. While I agree with the decision (no spoilers), I do feel it was potentially an unfair outcome.

Elisabeth is a Swiss woman who left Switzerland to provide aid orphaned children during the Spanish Civil war. Once she got the children to safety she saw the need to help expectant mothers and their babies and opened a hospital so they could have a safe shelter as the camps they were in did not provide that. Isabel is one of the women that Elisabeth befriended and helps.
It was heartbreaking to hear how hard a time expectant mothers faced, but it was encouraging that some women were willing to risk it all to help them.
I struggled reading this book because of how bleak the story was... the first couple of chapters were especially hard as the characters faced the trials of escaping during war and many died... But once Elisabeth and Isabel met and the characters were more steady I had an easier time following along and not feeling so depressed... This novel was beautifully written about a friendship made during a very hard time.
The author researched facts very well to provide adequate details for this novel. I wasn't familiar with the Spanish Civil War before this story. One of the many reasons I love Historic Novels!!

This book just didn't work for me, I normally love historical fiction but this felt sadly quite boring. This felt more like I was being told facts, which was just fall of war and death with no real let up/light-hearted areas, and there was no real story or characters I could connect with. There were interesting parts which I'd never heard about and it's nice the author is finally shining a light on these terrible events and giving people a voice. But sadly I just couldn't get into this.

I wanted to try a historical fiction book and man this wasn't it. It wasn't for me. Had me laughing when the American told other people "Remember the Alamo" as if it common knowledge what happened there.

Just not for me. Now I know to stay away from Historical Fiction books even if they have nice cover or try to cover a subject a like.

I probably shouldn’t have requested this. It is set during the midst of war/death/destruction and my heart has more than it can hold right now, so having more heartache was just too much and I sadly didn’t finish this.

Although the writing style was not to my liking this was a beautiful, emotional and heart wrenching story. Following the story of this woman committed to helping the needy in war torn Europe was intrancing. The bravery shown during this time is extraordinary. It’s uplifting to know there were people in the medical profession with hearts of compassion and hope.

Being a NICU nurse, I wanted to love this story so much. Unfortunately for me, it didn't hold my attention and I felt bored. I wasn't connected to any of the characters. I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, so perhaps this book will meet the desires of other readers!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Amidst the tumultuous and challenging times of the Spanish Civil War and World War II, the remarkable story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz and her establishment of the Elna Maternity Hospital and the Mothers of Elne serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Through evocative and eloquent prose, readers are transported to bear witness to the incredible struggles and triumphs of Elisabeth and Isabel as they navigate the horrors of war. They remain selfless in the face of extreme circumstances. Though hard to read at times, I enjoyed how this book made me believe in the human spirit again.

Thank you #netgalley for this #giftedaudiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

I will admit this was a slow burn for me. I didn't connect with the characters until the middle of the book, but then the story took hold. In addition, it didn't have the emotional impact I was expecting. That's not to say the events that took place weren't inspiring, I was simply unaffected. The strength, tenacity, and courage these women had to create a maternity hospital under the circumstances should have moved me to action, but I didn't feel that. I wanted to love this because I am a fan of Mario Escobar, but in my opinion, this isn't his best. I did appreciate hearing more about the Spanish Civil War since it is not a conflict I read much about.

This book is full of so much history that I was never aware of and has given me the opportunity to learn new things. Unfortunately, it is sad history but knowing there people out there that care so much for other people.
This book is a real life telling of the Spanish War up to world War 2, talking about many refugees and prisoner camps on the south border of France. It follows the story of Isabel, Peter, and Elisabeth, who is the swiss nurse that started the Elne maternity hospital and helped many pregnant mothers and babies.
This was a wonderful book to listen too! It was sometimes hard to follow with the switches between the different characters but the story is great!
I received this book from netgalley in return for an honest review!

An interesting book about the life of a nurse during WWII. It was heartbreaking to hear about the struggles she faced as she fought to care for the children and mothers during the hardships. Insightfully told in a way to keep you reading and following the story.

I listened to the audiobook and found that the narrator did a good job of portraying each individual character, but found it difficult to follow the back and forths of the differing POVs throughout the story. As other reviewers have mentioned, I chose this book because there are very few historical fiction accounts of WWII from this lens, and appreciated the careful steps and research that the author took to frame and provide context throughout the evolution of the story.

1939-1940 Spain & France

The Swiss Nurse honors the work of Elisabeth Eidenbenz. Elisabeth left her home country of Switzerland to use her nursing skills to benefit the orphans of the Spanish Civil War. Her selfless acts saved the lives of numerous pregnant women and their babies. The conditions for refugees was deplorable. Elisabeth was committed to better conditions for the women and children.

While part of the novel is told from Elisabeth's point of view, there is also the perspective of fictional characters Peter and Isabella. Peter is an American that voluntary came to Spain to help with their civil war. Spaniard Isabella and Peter fall in love and marry. Their tale begins years after their wedding and with Peter serving in the army and Isabella fleeing to France.

I enjoyed learning more about Elisabeth Eidenbenz and the Spanish Civil War through this novel.

The Spanish Civil War sometimes is lost in history as it was between WWI and WWII. I enjoyed reading another this war and the early part of WWII. This is the story of woman trying to give pregnant woman a safe place to give birth and also the stories of the women. I liked listening to this an an audiobook because the foreign words were pronounced a lot better than I would have!