Bethnal Green by Amelie Skoda

In the 1970s, Suyin leaves Penang to take up a place as a trainee nurse at Bethnal Green Hospital in London, England. Seeking a better life is not without challenges - settling into a very different country, working in the overworked and underfunded NHS, making new friendships and relationships - and always the worry and guilt about the family she has left behind and the hardships they face.

Wow, what a fantastic story - I absolutely loved it! Such a fascinating period of history and the author creates a strong sense of place in both Penang and Bethnal Green. The characters were also brilliantly portrayed and I loved the details of their clothes, hairstyles, music and social activities. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Bethnal Green is a hopeful coming-of-age story set between London and Penang in 1971. Suyin has just arrived in London as a student nurse at Bethnal Green Hospital, following in the footsteps of her sister who has recently, suddenly, moved home to Malaysia. As Suyin explores London, she finds herself falling in love with the city, its people, and the immersive, rewarding work of caring and nursing for her patients.

At its heart, Bethnal Green is a gorgeous historical fiction that brings together sisterhood, self-discovery and hope. I loved Suyin so much; she felt like a little sister to me: switched-on, naïve, relatable and resilient. And it's true what the marketing says: this is a love letter to the NHS and the teams of nurses that keep it running. There isn't too much medical speak in the story, just a warm undercurrent of just what nurses do for us all.

I read this book over the course of 36 hours and was completely addicted. I love an immigrant story and especially all of the beautiful descriptions of my own beloved Malaysia. I just wish we had a bit longer in the story: Suyin talks about her sister's London A-Z map but I didn't get a satisfactory reason to why it'd been mentioned so much. The last 'part' felt a little disjointed and rushed, too, with more of the family-between-seas thread explored than in any other part of the book.

All in all, an enjoyable debut from Amélie Skoda that really got me in the heart.

What a gorgeous book this is. We follow six years in the life of Suyin Lim who leaves her childhood home in Penang to train as an NHS nurse in England in the early 1970s. London isn’t what she expects but she soon makes good friends with other trainees, settles in her adopted country and works hard in a role she comes to love but life is anything but smooth sailing. The book gives an insight into 1970s England and the unrest and troubles of the times and covers topics like immigration, family ties and secrets, friendship, love and hard decisions one has to make in life.

I find it hard to put this book into words but I really enjoyed it and would recommend if you are looking for a historical novel written with empathy, emotion of an era not often explored.

'Bethnal Green' is an enjoyable and gentle story about Suyin, a young Malayasian woman who comes to London in the early 1970s to train as a nurse. It's a well written coming of age story with factual references to the 1970's in England and life in Malayasia. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an early reading copy.

A thoughtful narrative which I enjoyed largely due to the geographically and historically accurate representation of Bethnal Green, a neighbourhood in which I have lived for nearly 15 years. Skoda weaves an engaging enough tale that deals with the complexities of Britain’s intertwining history of immigration and the NHS, but I ultimately found her prose and characterisation somewhat flat. I look forward to more from her though, and more stories like this one, as her talents evolve.

This has been described as "a love letter to the NHS", which makes it sound cornier than it is, but I can see why. We follow Suyin, who moves to London from Penang, Malaysia, in 1971 to train as a nurse in Bethnal Green Hospital. She works hard under strict rules - no dating, no boyfriend - a rule she eventually breaks -, the open racism she encounters, the long hours, to send money back home and build a better life for herself. Her sister Hua had attempted to take a similar course a few years prior but left abruptly, something that Suyin is trying to get to the bottom of.

It's definitely a light-hearted book, and the darker aspects of life for the characters are evoked but brushed aside quickly. I enjoyed the main character and the optimistic tone, the writing was light and smooth. I felt I learned a bit about Malaysia that I didn't know and enjoyed the family connections within the novel.

I’ve been really looking forward to reading this novel and it did not disappoint! Suyin’s story is told with warmth and empathy and plenty of historical detail. It was particularly interesting to see the lives of people at that time, as my parents and family were also immigrants from Malaysia, and I recognised some of the stories they would tell me about, such as the Malaysian curry pot lucks among students. Beautifully written and a real joy to read.

I had recently read quite a few hard-hitting intense books and I did wonder if my next read should have been something a bit more light-hearted, maybe a nice festive romcom. But I went with this one, slightly worried it would be quite depressing. But it's anything but. Yes, there are difficult topics - being away from home, women on their own, death, illness, racism - but it's wrapped up so well in this love letter to the NHS that the overwhelming effect is joy and hope.

It is very prose heavy, more narrative than dialogue - which is how I write - which was delightful. I really drew me in and I could walk alongside the characters.

Normally I note down my opinions on a book as I read it, and then put together the review at the end. But this was so addictive and I was so absorbed in it that I hardly wrote a thing.

It is a beautiful story and she's given equal weight to the characters and the plot. The main character of Suyin is gorgeous. She's so relatable (even if I am not from the same place or have the same job or are anything like her at all) and familiar, like a friend or sister. I was really willing her own to do well. There wasn't a dud character amongst them. Too many to go into detail here, but believe me when I say you'll fall in love with the lot of them.

It's historical yes, there's romance, family tensions, as well as adventure - and by adventure I mean similar to if Bilbo Baggins decided to eat a second fish for second breakfast kind of adventure, rather than the Bilbo Baggins fighting Smaug the dragon kind of adventure - I'm hoping some of my Tolkien fans are here too, otherwise I just sounded completely nuts.

Some bits are given more time than others. Overall the pacing works, but I do wish there had been slightly more detail on things - for example, she frequently talks about her sister's A-Z guide to London, but it's never fully explored. So things like that would just take it up a notch, but it didn't harm the enjoyment of the book.

It is true what the reviews are saying, it is a complete love letter to the NHS and to the nurses that keep it running, and it's not corny or oversentimental to say that. It's the book that I can imagine people will be buying for their nearest and dearest. I certainly will be.

It was really beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I read it in one day. It's so addictive. And yet I still think she's got room to grow, and I mean that in the most positive way. This is just her debut and it's amazing. Amélie is fabulous and I think she could be even more so, and I really cannot wait to see how she follows this up.

As someone who is a nurse I wholeheartedly can resonate with this 'love letter' to the NHS as it touched upon a lot of very serious and heartbreaking realities nurses have to face and also discusses difficulties Sujin faced as an immigrant nurse whilst also having to deal with her own familiar issues. Having made a lot of friends with nurses who have left their native country to come to the UK to work, I can understand (to a degree) the difficulties faced as I have heard so many stories from friends. I also loved the familiarity being based at Bethnal Green Hospital as I myself have worked at multiple hospitals (NHS and private) in London including completing my degree at King's college uni so that added an extra element to me.

I did my nurse training in London in the 70's and was looking forward to reading this book, perhaps as a nostalgic look at nursing in that era particularly from the viewpoint of an "overseas" nurse. I was slightly disappointed that, for me, it was as much about Sunyin's past and family traumas. which made it a different but equally interesting story to the one I expected, but I have to admit I did struggle slightly with the writing style which felt quite stilted at times.
Thank you to netgalley Bonnier books for an advance copy of this book

A gentle and heart felt portrayal of a Malaysian young woman who moves to London to train as a nurse in the early 1970s. I engaged with the story and the characters and enjoyed it.
Amelie Skoda's voice (and possibly family lived experience) came through and both Penang and London were well portrayed. I remember the 1970's and they were effectively captured. As were the challenges for the NHS and the reliance on immigrant neighbour (which was very familiar!)
Friendships, family and secrets were also at the centre of the book.
Bethnal Green is an easy read that would suit all ages.

I have spent long holidays in Penang for years, I also go to London quite often so I could picture and relate to the streets and the food mentioned in this book. I loved this book and have read it whilst on holiday in Penang. It is exceptionally excellently written. I turned page after page wanting to know what happens next. It was like I was there with them. It is very easy to read, it's a real gripping page turner with lots of culture.
Update: I have been in Georgetown today and stumbled upon a cafe called Emily Darling that we had not seen before. We went in and there were 3 ladies from Penang who asked us where we were from. When we said the UK they said they lived in the UK, 2 of them were on holiday from UK to Penang and the other now lives back in Penang. They said they trained as nurses in London in the 70's, I told them about the book and they found it on their phone. They said lots of girls went from Penang to London to train to be nurses in the 70's. They asked if they could have their picture taken with us and we did. They were so lovely. What a coincidence just days after I had finished this book.

A slow enough start to the book, built to the most beautiful, emotional and realistic ending.
Suyin leaves Penang in the 1970's to travel to London to train as a nurse.
It tells the story of entering adulthood, where you need to be in one location for your own life purpose, but your family are in another.
Your heart goes out to Suyin and all the others in this situation, especially in the 70's where they did not have the communications or cheaper travel of today. Think airmail letters as the primary form of communication.
An impressive work from a debut novelist, bringing through many elements to the story.

The atmosphere generated by the written words really help painting the picture of the times. How brave you had to be, to leave everything you knew in Penang to brave a city like London. Also made me nostalgic for buildings that housed nurses. Not sure such safety is available to todays travellers. Although there were restrictions, which were of the time.

The pain of having two lives that needed Suyin was so raw, I felt every emotion, and made me wonder what I'd have done in same situation. It also made me very aware of people who travelled from Ireland, where I live, 50 years ago and still live in London. To see what they went through was very poignant.

I really enjoyed this book; the author's writing style made it an engaging and easy read. The storyline felt authentic, with a clever blend of past and present that flowed seamlessly. I could easily picture the settings and connect with the diverse characters, as well as the activities they engaged in. Suyin's journey, particularly her career and the emotional tension of leaving her family behind to build a new life in London, was inspiring, especially given the time period in which the story is set. Overall, I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you NetGalley & Bonnier Books Ltd for allowing me to read this advance copy.

Bethnal Green. A book that I absolutely adored.

hen Suyin Lim is offered the opportunity of a lifetime - a place as a trainee nurse in London's Bethnal Green Hospital - she jumps at the chance to leave her job as a seamstress and unite with her sister, who left for the same path a year before. However, without warning her sister returns to Penang, a shadow of her former self and Suyin is forced to leave without any answers. Suyin soon finds herself starting a new life in London, falling in love with the vibrant city and its people and as she immerses herself in the gruelling but rewarding work of caring for her patients, she begins to understand what she really wants out of life . . .

Bethnal Green is a fantastic, hearty, warming, honest, elegant novel that spans immigration, love, family, desire, heartbreak and sacrifice.

Skoda writes with the charm and delicacy of experienced contemporary writers. It's a tale told over generations of anyone with immigrated parents/grandparents, and it is executed well.

The only downside of this book is that is doesn't come out until next year and I'm desperate to gift it to my friends and family.

A historical fiction about nursing and immigration in 1970s England. Suyin is a young girl from Malaysia seeking a better life, and therefore follows her older sister's footsteps to become a nurse in a hospital in Bethnal Green. This is a coming of age story as we go through years of nursing training with Suyin, with some shocking discoveries along the way.

I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend it to any fellow historical fiction fans.

This was a really lovely book, following a young trainee nurse Suyin as she trains in London of the 1970s, facing racism and sexism that was endemic at the time before having to return home to Penang. Highly recommend it!

Amélie Skoda's Bethnal Green is a vivid and poignant portrayal of life in one of London’s most historic neighborhoods. Skoda skillfully weaves together the stories of diverse characters, capturing the rich tapestry of cultures, struggles, and triumphs that define Bethnal Green. Her evocative prose brings the area to life, painting a picture of a place where tradition and change coexist, highlighting both the beauty and the challenges of urban living. Through its nuanced narrative, the novel explores themes of community, identity, and resilience, making it not just a story of a neighborhood, but also a reflection on the complexities of modern city life. Bethnal Green is a captivating read that lingers long after the last page, offering a deep sense of place and humanity.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Bethnal Green is a delightful story about a student nurse from Malaysia working in a London hospital in the 1970s. As someone who has lived and worked in the area, the author has researched the setting well—it brought back a few memories of Bethnal Green and the East End, particularly the deprivation. I enjoyed the storyline and how Suyin's character developed throughout the novel.
I look forward to reading more work from Amélie Skoda.