This is the story of the development of Mary from a young woman bringing up her vanished sister-in-law's baby alongside a supportive mother and philandering husband to a mature woman who has determined where she wants to be - continuing her nursing career even after the devastating Korean war. She is conscripted early in the war as she continued as a reserve nurse following her husband's demand to do so for the stipend it offered. She had little time to update her nursing skills prior to being posted to Korea, the front line and with a MASH unit. She worried about her niece back home, she often wondered when the next sleep or meal would come and felt overwhelmed by the vast numbers of seriously injured young men passing through the Unit. She formed friendships with the other nurses, developed coping strategies for the wounds and deaths and became an integral part of Surgery Team number 1. There was some humour and a little romance but the main thrust was her work and concerns about family back home. I liked the odd paragraphs from newspapers of the time and would have liked more - became obvious the spin that was put out by politicians compared poorly with the grim reality on the ground. A good if harrowing read at times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I was interested in War Angel because my dad served during the Korean conflict. The main character is Mary, a young married Army reservist who is called to serve as a nurse in Korea. She is young and unsure of herself but gains friends and experience. The author shows the situation in Korea through the eyes of Mary but leaves us to form our own opinion. I like that the author let us know what she was thinking. I would recommend this book for several reasons. It gives an overview of a conflict that happened many years ago. The book shows us the inhumanity of war. Last, I really like Mary. She is the type of compassionate nurse we all want at our bedside should the need arise.
Thank you to #netgalley for an advanced copy of #warangel by #mikeweedall

Mary Belanger, a World War II Army nurse who remained in the Reserves at her husband’s urging for the small stipend it offered, is dismayed when, as the Korean War breaks out in 1950, her need to care for the infant left by her sister-in-law isn’t enough to get the Army to defer from calling her to active service—and almost immediately sending her to war. Worried about the welfare of her niece Cindy, whom her mother and good friend and neighbor Linda and her husband are caring for, uncertain what to do about her marriage to her philandering husband, and unsure of whether her skills in the OR will be sufficient for what she knows will be a daunting task ahead, Mary is soon to be pitched into the chaos of a front-line MASH unit. But buoyed by her friendship with the other nurses, encouraged by support from the head surgeon who requests that she work with him, and her sense of worth as a woman reinforced by the quiet friendship of another doctor, Mary gradually finds her self-confidence rising as she realizes how vital is the service she gives, giving the urgent care that saves the lives of so many wounded. Weedal’s unadorned prose brings to life the harsh front-line conditions, the difficulty of working through the blistering heat of summer and the arctic cold of winter, operating in tents or makeshift shelters, the primitive living conditions, poor food, and constant danger of working so close to the front lines. But despite the dire conditions, Mary becomes increasingly convinced that Army nursing is her calling, despite the conflict of trying to reconcile what leaving her marriage will mean for Cindy, who can only be adopted by a married couple. Weedal’s novel is a paeon to front-line MASH units whose courage and selfless service saved so many lives during the Korean conflict

A novel which tells some of the story of the Korean war from the perspective of an American nurse called Mary serving in South Korea. Mary herself is at something of a crossroads in her life when the draft order reaches her to serve in Korea - unable to escape orders, she heads over to South Korea (via Hawaii and Japan) where she joins the 10th MASH unit who follow close behind the troops to provide emergency hospital care for the wounded. It's an incredibly stressful situation.

Mary's thoughts are torn between her life back in the US with an unfaithful, lying husband, the men she meets in the army (many of whom treat her with respect with one notable exception), how her Catholic faith can cope with the death/destruction all around her and her work in the operating theatre with the surgeon Dave. She comes across as a talented, real woman trying to make sense of the situation around her and decide what she wants her future to be.

The story is fast paced and, in places, could do with slowing down slightly so that there's more description of her surroundings such as hospital rooms, sizes of spaces, etc. Other than that, an enjoyable read celebrating the resilience of women in war zones. I received an advance review copy of the book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted to read this book. Stories about lesser-acknowledged military conflicts are always of interest to me, especially when they include an “insider” perspective, such as Weedall does with Mary and her fellow MASH nurses.

A little bit of a slow start had me somewhat disheartened, but I quickly found myself invested in not only what was happening in Mary’s personal life at home but also what was happening in the 100th MASH unit.

The underlying romantic flirtations between Mary and her potential love interests are not overly exploited for the sake of a trope everyone expects. I found this refreshing. I think my favorite relationship Mary had was with the unit chaplain. He didn’t appear that often, but his presence came at the right time when he did make an appearance. Mary’s faith and her struggles not with God or her beliefs but with the whole of humanity touch on a realness that is still relevant today without being imposing.

I like Weedall’s attempts at retaining the connection between the front lines and what was being reported in the papers back in Mary’s hometown. Although I would have loved to have seen some clips from actual newspapers from the time, I also would have loved a map for reference of not only where the conflicts were happening but also where the troops and MASH unit landed behind enemy lines. Personally, I love a good visual reference for period pieces.

While this is a HEA, it does so in a way that is not sappy or even expected. It is a credit to Weedall that he embraces Mary’s sense of purpose and self-worth and allows her to develop her voice amidst all of her life's internal and external conflicts. This was a refreshing story of love, loss, and independence. I look forward to reading more from Weedall.