Tried to get into it but unfortunately this isn't for me.
Great storyline and beautiful cover though.

This had all the hallmarks of a good historical fiction. Emotion, strong characters, an interesting plot and a touch of romance. Suyin was a well written character, a little bit two dimensional at times, but still an enjoyable character to centre the story on. I really enjoyed reading about her training and the historical context surrounding it all. Also, her connection to her family back home and struggle with her two identities was a heart wrenching yet realistic element to the story. I found myself thinking of this book even when I wasn’t reading it, and I’m grateful to have read it.

I am afraid I got bored with this story. I was waiting for something to happen but a third of the way through it hadn’t. I think this would appeal to older readers who maybe were part of the recruitment drive in the ‘70s for nurses. The story is centred on one such recruit from Malaysia and how she adapts to life in the east end of London. Not the right book for me but I am sure others will love it.

I always try and read novels about people and places that are different from me and Bethnal Green was an absolute joy to read!

As someone who is in awe of the women who came before me to fight for my rights and as the daughter of a nurse this was a heartfelt account of that history. As an Irish woman I was also reminded of how hard things were for generations before me in England to find a new life and face such hardships.

My favourite part of this novel was the juxtaposition between the progression of women’s rights in England compared to how Suyin and her family were treated in Penang. However, this is mostly a story about incredibly strong women who were able to keep going and following their dreams despite the amount of pain they had.

This was a joy to read and I can’t wait to see what Amélie does next

[NETGALLEY ARC] [3.5 STARS]

Sujin is at the foot of an exciting possibility - she is being transferred from her unwealthy yet familial neighborhood in Panang to shining, smoggy London as a nurse-in-training. Yet, she is faced with the troubles following her spaced-out, newly-sickened sister who mysteriously declined in health after prematurely returning from her own post as a training nurse - and the trouble of upholding societal standards her family impose on her.

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In my opinion, I enjoyed this book because it felt familiar even in settings that I am not acquainted with. While I don’t think it was five star material, Bethnal Green hospital, Sujin, and the rest of her enveloping world led a welcoming, compassionate tale that I am happy to have been a part of. Another point was that I am grateful towards Skoda for this, as was said in the description, love letter towards the NHS - it was massively eye-opening and made me so compassionate towards those whose labour ofter just sneaks by.

I do think some parts of the story could have been more developed - the parts mentioning the London A-Z felt quite skipped over at some point and I feel could have been more clear, it felt like there should have been more to it even after that section of the narrative was theoretically ’wrapped up’.

Anyway, I did really enjoy this and I am glad to have been able to read it before it was released, thank you Bonnier Books!