Book Review: The Pull of the Stars

• The Pull of the Stars
• Written By: Emma Donoghue
• Released: 2020
• Available as: Book, eBook, Audiobook
• Feature Image found on Evening Standard
• BookBrowse Review

Review:

You need to be prepared to read this book.  

Set in 1918 war-torn Dublin during the Influenza pandemic, this novel shows the relentless stress and horror of living through turbulent times that are not dissimilar to those of today’s reader.  Published in July of 2020, The Pull of the Stars managed to become one of the timeliest books of last year. The thin veil that exists between the reader and the characters (a mere 100 years of history and fictional status) provides insight and empathy, as well as a strange sense of hope. The reader follows Julie Power, a nurse in a hospital where everyone is sick, and everyone has to fight to survive another day. The strongest technique that Donoghue uses in her novel is the massive constraint of time. The entire novel takes place over only three days, allowing the reader to be consumed by the life of a nurse in a pandemic and the women she meets. Donoghue cements her tale with details and descriptions that bring the reality of today into the fictional past she summons. This novel is exhausting, gripping, and shines a bright light on the power of humanity.  

BookBrowse has extensive Read Alikes as well as information around the history of the book, you can find more here! Need more from Emma Donoghue? You can find more of her books in our collection, or by clicking on the book covers below!