Across a Broken Shore

Review Run Date: 04/24/2019
Review Posted: From Jen's Bookshelf Blog and Goodreads, will also be posting about my review on my instagram @fromjensbookshelf

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood

Read: 04/22-04/24

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

The last thing eighteen-year-old Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy wants is to be a nun. It’s 1936, and as the only daughter amongst four sons, her Irish–Catholic family is counting on her to take her vows—but Willa’s found another calling. Each day she sneaks away to help Doctor Katherine Winston in her medical clinic in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

Keeping secrets from her family only becomes more complicated when Willa agrees to help the doctor at a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate. Willa thinks she can handle her new chaotic life, but as she draws closer to a dashing young ironworker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all. 

First off: Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

What I Liked:

There was so much that I enjoyed about this book but I'll start with the general concept overall. I immediately fell in love with the historical fiction story of a young woman who is interested in the medical field. Set against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and you have a wonderful story. Willa was a fantastic main character. Her struggle between her family obligations and her duties was very well done. Everyone at some point has felt that struggle, although maybe not as extreme as Willa's. I also loved that we got a female main character that was interested in the science field. Oftentimes I find with YA that the strong female characters have to be warriors, but this book challenged that concept by showing us a strong female character who chose to healing as her battle against the patriarchy.

The plot kept me invested and I quickly found myself cheering for Willa. Her relationships with everyone in the book were an important aspect of that. Each one represented something different. Watching her interactions with Dr. Winston as she learned that her dreams of being a doctor were not impossible was truly inspiring. Sam was such a great love interest for her. I especially enjoyed watching her bond with Simon and Maeve.

What I Didn't Like:

There is one part of the ending that I didn't like but I am not going to say what it was and spoil the book for everyone. However, I will just say I don't quite feel that it was necessary for the plot but I guess I can see why the author chose to do it. I think I would have enjoyed the ending of the book even more if it hadn't happened though.

I do also want to note that while I have a personal interest in the medical field and was not bothered there are a few scenes that are graphic due to the nature of the topics addressed in the story. They do not take away from the brilliance of this book.

Overall, this was a fantastic historical fiction book that is inspiring for all young girls and women everywhere.

Rating: 10/10

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A wonderful story of independence and tradition by Amy Trueblood, Willa is a brilliantly clever young girl who longs to be a doctor after she sees Dr Winston treating her brother. But her Irish Catholic family want her to enter a nunnery to follow tradition. With just a hint of romance, this book was perfect for a Sunday read!

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is a story set in 1936 San Fransico, centered around Willa, an Irish Catholic girl who is split between two different worlds. Her parents wanting her to carry on the family tradition of being a nun, and her dreams of being a Docter. An accident with one of her brothers gives her the opportunity to practice medicine under Docter Katherine Winston. Pulled between her dreams and obligation as time goes on and more secrets and lies start pilling on top of her. Willa will finally have to make the ultimate decision please her parents or her dreams. A lovely story of grief and the power of family, exploring the bond between parent and child and how far both sides will take it to keep up tradition and respect.

I read Amy Trueblood's debut, NOTHING BUT SKY, so I knew that ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE would be right up my alley! Plus, I love historical fiction and 1930s San Francisco? Yes please!

Immediately, I connected with Willa and her desire to become a doctor--a job held by primarily men during that time. Her spunk and drive were admirable and I found myself relating so much to her! As someone who believes very strongly in following your passion, I found Willa's story so empowering!

I also particularly loved learning about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, a topic I knew virtually nothing about. It's clear that the author did a lot of research on the topic, and I really appreciated all the meticulous details. So intriguing! An excellent backdrop for the story!

Overall, an excellent read! I highly recommend!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this historical fiction account about the building of the Golden gate bridge. The well researched details of the men who risked life to construct and paint the bridge was evident of the authors attention to detail. I appreciated the details of what it would have been like for a girl to enter a convent and to practice medicine all while trying to hold onto her Catholic religion. The romance in the novel was sweet. Great read!

Willa McCarthy is the only girl in a rambunctious Irish Catholic family, in 1930s San Francisco. Her parents hold dear their plans and wishes for her to become a nun, but Willa has never held these same wishes. There has always been something else out there for her. When she brings her injured brother to the local doctor's office, she realizes that her dream is to become a doctor, a career that is rare and discouraged for a female in those times.

Dr, Katherine Winston is the new doctor in town, and she has recently replaced Dr. Maloy. People are doubtful that she can do as good a job as a male doctor. With every move and act, Dr. Winston proves that she can do as good, or better, a job than a man. Willa is instantly aware that Dr. Winston is the embodiment of all Willa wants in life. How will Willa tell her religious, adamant parents that being a doctor is what she wants? How does Willa convince herself that her worldly desires are stronger than being a cloistered nun?

This was a fast read, a look at the historical time when the Golden Gate Bridge (which figures prominently in this story) was being built. It's dramatic and realistic.

Set in the late 1930s during the building of the Golden Gate bridge you follow Willhelmina who has ambitions of becoming a doctor, the only problem is her parents expect to her carry on a family tradition of joining the convent. Willa has accepted her fate until she meets the new town doctor Katherine Winston who offers to take Willa under her wing and teach her some skills. Willa is now faced with the dilemma of following her parents dreams or following her own.

Willa has a strong desire to study medicine, she has studied a lot on her won and she wants to help those in need. Willa was a nice character and strives to help as many as she can. I liked seeing her help those less fortunate in town and continue to check on their wellbeing. Willa really deals with a lot of guilt and is afraid of disappointing her parents and is willing to give up her dreams to keep them happy.

I enjoyed the different relationships throughout the book. First the friendship that Willa forms with Dr. Katherine Winston. Willa tries to learn as much from her as possible and Katherine pushes Willa and believes that she has what it takes to become a doctor. I loved Willa's brothers and how overprotective they were of her and how supportive they became, especially Paddy who believed in her from the start. The romance between Willa and Sam was cute. Sam was a sweet character and is very encouraging of Willa to pursue medicine.

Filled with friendships, loss, and first love. A very enjoyable historical fiction read.

Very few things are perfect but this book? It might just be. This book was so incredibly special. The research and love that Amy clearly poured into this book is obvious. It is unmeasurable how wonderful this book was. I was completely swept up by the events of this story. Everything was so vivid. I feel like this book called on all five senses in the most extreme ways. I could see the bridge taking shape, I could hear the hollers of the workers, I could smell the sea air. I felt like I could feel the rain and wind on my skin. I could practically taste the rosemary beef prepared for Christmas lunch. This book was such an immersive experience. I’ve enjoyed books. I’ve loved books. But the absolute joy and sorrow I experience reading Amy’s books doesn’t happen very often. I feel very privileged that I get to read books as special as this.

Nothing But Sky was my favourite read last year and easily became one of my all time favourite books. Without a doubt Across A Broken Shore just joined it.

When I find a new favourite author I’m certain that I’ll read whatever they publish so I don’t always take stock of what the next book will be about. I knew this book was set in the 1930’s. I knew the Golden Gate Bridge would be there. I knew Willa was going to be strong and daring and challenge expectations but I didn’t realise how difficult it was going to be for her to be exactly who she was supposed to be.

This book really was all the feels. My heart soared and I stood on the side lines and cheered for Willa. My heart absolutely plummeted and I wanted to rush in hug all her broken pieces back together. Or maybe I needed someone to do that for me? I don’t know. I’m not even a hugging person. I sobbed and I sobbed and I’d do it all again because I’ve just finished and I already want to read about Willa and Sam and her family all over again. How is it possible that this book made my heart feel lighter and heavier all at once?

It’s always difficult to leave behind the characters of a wonderful book but it was especially difficult knowing that I live in 2019 and Willa lived in the 1930’s. I would love nothing more than to sit on a porch with Willa, drinking tea and listening to her stories!

1930s San Francisco comes alive in Amy Trueblood’s historical YA, ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE. In addition to the main plot revolving around Willa and her desire to become a doctor in a male-dominated field, I felt like I learned so much about this time period and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in particular.

Willa’s story is all about following her passion, and what that could cost her. I loved Willa’s tenacity, her ensemble of larger-than-life brothers, the world she finds through her friendship with mentor, Dr. Katherine Winston, and the love story had quite a few swoony moments as well. ;)

This book is YA, but I can also envision it being a hit for adult readers as well! Big thanks to NetGalley and Flux for providing this e-ARC.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is a wonderful novel written in the voice of a young 18 year old woman named Willa (Wilhelmina) MacCarthy.
Here is a historical nonfiction book set in San Francisco in the 1930s during the time of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is also a coming of age novel where Willa trying to find her future and calling and the struggle between what she “should do” based on what her parents want for her, and what her heart calls out for her to do.

The internal struggle of deciding on her parent’s path of Willa joining the convent as os a family tradition, or following her heart on this new-found discovery and journey into medicine at the encouragement of her new friends and her new mentor Dr. Katherine Winston, gives us a wonderful, heartfelt story that most of us can relate to in one way or another. Being a female practicing in medicine, I especially am drawn to Willa and her struggles. It even brought tears to my eyes at one point.

This is a wonderful book and a treasure. This is a must read and I give it 5/5.

Thank you NetGalley for this touching read and in return for this advanced read, I am submitting my voluntary and unbiased opinion and review. Thank you again.

Everyone should be so lucky to have a Wilhelmina MacCarthy in their lives. Against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge's tumultuous erection, I enjoyed experiencing the growth and transformation of this kindhearted, courageous, and spirited character that Amy Trueblood so expertly brings to life on the page.

I wish i could say i loved this, but i honestly could not connect with the writing style. Cover is gorgeous and reminded me of the movie Brooklyn, but, I just had the most awful time trying to click with the story. Sadly, I couldnt go thhru with it.

I thank the publisher for very kindly approving me for review and I hate to dissapoint, but Ive been struggling to even go thru page 40 at this point. Its just bot going to happen. Netgalley is asking me to rate this, so i will
Give it 4 stars as effort but please know I will not post any review of this or score it on amazon or goodreads. I rather not rate this book or place a bad review in any social media as respect to the author.

I loved nearly all of the characters in this book, the family aspect progressed well and was enjoyable to read.

It had a good message about following your own path in life and I loved the historical aspects.

3.5 stars rounded up.

“Across A Broken Shore” is historical fiction set in San Francisco during the early 1930’s during construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. You will meet Willa, who’s torn between a guilty promise made to he family and her true desires for a fulfilling life. Willa is set to enter the convent and realized her parents’ dreams, but she longs for a different future. In a chance encounter she meets Dr. Katherine Winston, who opens her eyes and her heart to the possibility of a career in medicine. This book touches on so many topics in such a masterful way — the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the men who risked their lives to build it — the prejudices and road blocks females faced in the early 1930’s, especially those wanting to be physicians — family responsibilities and limitations— the Great Depression and “Hoovervilles” where the less fortunate congregated — first love — and friendship. “Across A Broken Shore” is a touching novel filled with great characters and a piece of history that is sometimes overlooked. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Historical Fiction with strong female characters. Disclaimer— I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Release date: 11/5/19

With great storytelling ability, Trueblood tells a tale full of heart and emotion. I was completely enthralled by the story from beginning to end.
I loved the story and I felt as if I was living it myself. Very enjoyable read that I won’t forget for a long time!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review! I loved this book!

Across a Broken Shore is coming-of-age historical fiction novel set in San Francisco in the 1930's. We follow Willa who is from a strict Irish Catholic family and parents that expect her to go to the covent and become a nun since she has completed school. Willa intends to follow her family's expectations, but deep in her heart, she wants to go into medicine and secretly pours over medical books and journals in her spare time.

We get to know Willa and her family quite well throughout the book. It is well-written and the historical facts about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and homelessness during the Great Depression are interwoven providing a clear understanding of the setting. Trueblood's attention to detail is quite good.

Willa has a chance meeting with a female physician when her brother is injured that will turn her life upside down. She gains a new perspective and has big choices and lessons ahead. I thought I knew exactly where this book was headed and there is a turn that was very unexpected that sends the story into a completely different direction. I loved it and loved how the story wrapped up. It's a great read!

I enjoyed Across a Broken Shore! I was intrigued by the book due to both the setting and the story line. I love San Francisco and found the details about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge interesting.

Willa was such an interesting character. She definitely had a dilemma on her hands. as she figured out if she should stay true to her calling in the medical field or is she should stay true to her parent's wishes. I appreciated that she struggled with the lies she was telling. I thought she was more relate-able as she struggled with the lies. I would have been frustrated if she didn't struggle with all the lies.

While occasionally I felt like a turn in the story seemed a little unrealistic, I definitely enjoyed this story and would recommend it. I will now be looking for more books from this author!

Loved the historical characters and story. Very few books engage the reader to see a character so thorough as Willa and the struggles of family guilt vs her calling as a doctor. It is nice to be reminded of how far we have come and how much farther we need to go to deal with expectations of others and society.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood was heartbreakingly, beautiful.
“The last thing eighteen-year-old Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy wants is to be a nun. It’s 1936, and as the only daughter amongst four sons, her Irish–Catholic family is counting on her to take her vows—but Willa’s found another calling. Each day she sneaks away to help Doctor Katherine Winston in her medical clinic in San Francisco’s Richmond District.
Keeping secrets from her family only becomes more complicated when Willa agrees to help the doctor at a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate. Willa thinks she can handle her new chaotic life, but as she draws closer to a dashing young ironworker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all."
Amy Trueblood has made history come alive in this breathtaking book. I truly felt transported to 1936 San Francisco; from the streets of the city to the construction site of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Willa’s struggle between pleasing her parents by becoming a nun or pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor was extremely relatable. She quickly becomes a character that you absolutely love. Her character development in this book is what I wish all characters have. You see her find her strength, voice and fight for what she wants in every chapter.
I smiled, gasped, cried and cheered the entire time I was reading this book. This book is what every historical fiction book should be like. It stayed true to the history all while painting a new perspective of these characters lives and dreams. I would recommend this book to any historical fiction fan.

Willa wants to be a nurse, but her family wants her to be a nun. I loved the idea behind this book as soon as I read it and I could hardly put it down from the time I started reading it. Set on the west coast in the late 1930's, Amy Trueblood's writing is alive with the bustle of city life, the bustle of daily life, and budding romance. More than anything though, I just loved Willa. This being said, the book was quite fluffy and not much action, but there is a ton of heart and feeling.

This book is wonderful!! It is well written and grabs you on the first page. If you like historical fiction, you will love this book. I highly recommend it.. Thank you North Star Editions via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a great book and very well written! I love reading books by new authors and highly recommend this book to everyone. The story was easy to follow and the characters are described very well and area easy to relate to. I recommend this book to everyone and can't wait to read even more.

Thank you Netgally and Flux for the chance to read Across a broken shore for a review. 18 year old Willa MacCarthy is expected to continue a family tradition and become a nun, but secretly she has been reading Grey's anatomy and other medical books in the hopes of becoming of doctor. But in San Francisco in 1936 a female doctor in almost unheard of, until a mishap in her family's bar leads her to one person who could possibly show her everything she wants, Dr. Katherine Watson.
I totally loved this book and couldn’t put it down! The characters were real, and the backdrop of San Franscisco in the 1930’s with the building of Golden Gate bridge kept the story flowing. It is a beautiful historical fiction, with some grim reminders that not everything was wonderful back then. The novel touches on the themes of secrets in a close-knit family, working conditions for labourers/Unions and the attitudes of medical community to females doctors. This is a YA novel, with a romance (nothing heavy), but some medical scenes may be a bit heavy for the younger crowd.

3.5 stars.

eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amy Trueblood continues to astound me with her ability to make me fall in love with a world in a genre I normally detest. Historical fiction is not my thing. BUT. Amy Trueblood's books are my thing. I first fell in love with her debut NOTHING BUT SKY and, to this day, it remains one of my favorite reads of the year so far. So, I had a lot of expectations going into reading ACROSS THE BROKEN SHORE. Let me just say-- IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. This book is raw, it's real, it ripped my soul to pieces over and over again and then left me to clean up the own pieces. It's extremely different in tone from Trueblood's debut, but still presents characters just as real and strong as ever. The ending was significantly stronger than I thought it would be, it seemed like all the plot and character development happened in the last section of the book (this is what prevents me from giving it higher rating, because the first part was so slow). I would absolutely, definitely recommend to a friend, and can't wait to add this book to my shelf in November.

A thoughtful and heartfelt book about a young Catholic girl who has to choose between her parent’s insistence that she become a nun and her desire to be a doctor. The building of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge provides a fascinating backdrop to the story. Historical depression details like the Hoovervilles, drifters, and immigrants are seamlessly woven into the plot line.

Willa is a strong female character who is fettered by guilt and family expectations. She helps a female doctor who encourages her to follow her to go to medical school. Willa also meets a handsome young man named Sam, who is a Protestant. Their romance is a sweet sub plot.

Willa’s struggle between duty and dreams will resonate with young people who are searching for their own truth.

Set in 1930s San Francisco , against the backdrop of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, Willa MacCarthy is torn between her dream of studying medicine and her family's plan for her to become a nun.
When she meets a female doctor, Dr Katherine Winston, she finally has the opportunity to experience medicine first hand.
Willa has to make a choice between her dreams and her duty to her family.
Lots of interesting characters and detail about American life during the Depression - a lot of research has gone into this book and it was a great YA read

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Across A Broken Shore! A young woman is expected to join a convent in 1930s San Francisco and has a secret desire to study medicine, will she follow her families wishes or her own? Overall I liked the main character, Willa, though at times she was a bit whiny, It was a quick read and it was nice to see a different type of historical fiction as there hasn't been much set in this time period.

Across a Broken Shore is a wonderful mix of historical fiction, coming of age and girl power and I loved every moment of it.

Willa lives in San Francisco in the 1930s. Her Irish immigrant family expects her to join a convent and devote her life to prayer but she is fascinated by human anatomy and medicine. This story looks at the choices we make in youth and the struggles navigating family expectations versus personal aspirations.

The book is so well-written with well-developed characters and just the right amount of historical detail. There are glimpses into how women handle male-dominated professions, a streak of feminism and an overall message that it’s essential for young people to follow their dreams, even in the face of family opposition.

I loved the depth of this book and found it compelling from start to finish. This is a 5 star read for me!

As a fan of historical fiction, I knew this book would be right up my alley, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Willa is a fantastic heroine and a very relatable character. At eighteen-years-old, she is destined to fulfill her Irish-Catholic family’s tradition of becoming a nun, but Willa dreams of more. After meeting Dr. Katherine Winston and agreeing to be her assistant, she is even more convinced that her true passion is in the medical field. To make matters even more complicated, she meets a young man who is working on the Golden Gate Bridge and while he is only there until the bridge is completed, she develops feelings for him. All the while, she is keeping these secrets from her family and the fast approaching day of her joining the convent is looming over her head. Will she live up to her family’s expectations or will she go after what she truly wants?

This really was a great book, and I found all of the characters to be likable in their own way, but above all, I loved Dr. Winston. I think it was kismet that she came into Willa’s life at just the right moment...or maybe I should credit Paddy for injuring himself and forcing them to meet by chance. Either way, she had such a huge impact on Willa’s life and encouraged her to make decisions of her own, while everyone else was trying to make life choices for her. It was a time when women were just beginning to make a name for themselves in professions that were traditionally reserved for men, and Dr. Winston saw something in Willa, thus pushing her to stand up for what she truly wanted in life.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2788548264

#AcrossABrokenShore #NetGalley
A coming of age story during the time of the depression. The story kept my attention. Willa comes from an Irish Catholic family, the only girl in a family of boys. Willa has a love of reading medical books, but is promised to the convent, When her brother gets hurt, she meets the new doctor, Katherine Winston. Dr. Winston sees Willa's potential and invites her to come help in her medical office. A sweet coming of age story, a daughter who feels like she has already disappointed her parents, is fascinated by the medical field. The story is set around the building of the Golden Gate bridge, in San Francisco. I liked the story and the closeness Willa shared with her brothers.

In this story we follow Willa who comes from and Irish Catholic family and has already been promised to the church to become a Nun. However, Willa had discovered a love of medicine. She is given the opportunity to practice medicine when her brother severally cuts his fingers and requires stitches. The doctor they take him to end up being Dr. Katherine Winston, a female doctor, who offers Willa an apprenticeship. She agrees and hides the fact that she is working from her family.

I absolutely loved this novel. I loved the setting of it taking place during the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, I loved seeing the way women we treaded in the medical field at that time, I loved seeing the way people lived during the depression era, and I loved the sweet romance that developed thought out this story. The ending of this story broke my heart but I loved it even more for it. I would very much recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fiction.

Oh my heart! This book was more out of my norm than usual. But I absolutely loved it! I laughed and I cried. And the ending was beautifully done.
I’m not writing a synopsis because you can read that for yourself.
But I do highly recommend this read!

Across a broken shore is set in San Francisco during the great depression. It’s a story of a girl who is the only daughter in her Irish-Catholic family. She is forced by her family to become a nun, yet she has a burning desire to become a doctor.to peruse her dream she is secretly helping Doctor Winston in her medical clinic, but the situation becomes more compilated than what she was expecting.
This is a beautifully written novel presenting Willa’s great character. I enjoyed the fact that Amy Trueblood is emphasizing on the importance of family in her book.
Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much! It has the perfect combination of history, family life, and romance! Set in the Great Depression years, social issues are well depicted. If I ever need a reminder, as a parent, as to why we should encourage and let our children follow their chosen path, this is my go-to book! When you do something that you’re passionate about, you set yourself up for success. I liked how the characters sustain this idea throughout the book. Therefore, I recommend it as a reading choice for young adults, too.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

Willa MacCarthy is drawn to medicine. Despite the fact that her Irish-Catholic family expects her to become a nun, she finds a way to work secretly with Dr. Katherine Winston. Together, they work in a field hospital near the Golden Gate bridge, which is in the middle of construction. Torn between medicine and her family, Willa must make a choice.

I loved the setting of this book. Great Depression era San Francisco was a fascinating setting. I don't know that I've read any other books set here. Willa, although a bit whiny, was a good character, who showed tremendous growth throughout the book. Overall, well worth picking up.

Amy Trueblood does an amazing job of telling Willa's coming-of-age story. Willa is a girl living in 1930's San Fransisco. She struggles to find herself under the backdrop of the construction of the Golden Gate bridge. She is torn between her family's wishes for her to become a nun and her won to study medicine. The characters are colorful and the story unusual, but somehow incredibly believable.

The author brought to life the real struggles of Americans during the great depression. Her writing is beautiful and more than a few parts of the story pulled on my heartstrings. The ending surprised me, which is unusual. Usually, I can guess an ending early on. I could hardly put this book down! Overall it is an excellent work of fiction. I recommend it as great reading to both teens and adults.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Willa MacCarthy fights an internal battle between her family’s expectation that she becomes a nun and her interest in becoming a doctor. The setting is 1936 in San Francisco during the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Willa meets a woman doctor, Katherine Winston and starts working for her in secret from her family. She finds herself helping Dr. Winston at the clinic that handles accidents during the building of the bridge. She meets Sam Butler, an iron worker on the bridge and he assists her with attempts to help the homeless population as well as those injured while building the bridge. Willa starts to realize her true calling for medicine and feelings for Sam as her double life becomes more difficult by the day. The story is based on the life of real woman doctor during this time period – it is well researched and compelling. Those interested in reading stories of strong women that shaped this country will love the book.

I don't know what to say. This book was beautiful and awe-inspiring. With the main theme of reaching for your dreams and the expectations of others, this book will resonate with many.
The characters! They were amazing and developed extremely well. Their emotions come across on the page and so do their hopes and dreams.
I normally don't mention plot as much, but this one was very interesting. Across a Broken Shore is set during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Another major part of the story is the introduction of women physicians. They and their struggles were portrayed very well.
Trigger warning: this is a book about medicine and some parts get a bit bloody. Nothing is graphic, but situations are described.
(I would also recommend you to go read Amy Trueblood's debut novel, Nothing but Sky.)
Rating; 5 Stars
Content: 2 Stars
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book about a young woman defying her family's expectations and pursuing a career in medicine instead of going to the convent to become a nun. Willa is a feisty heroine and the Depression-era setting is an interesting one, even if the desperation of that time doesn't always cut through. The building of the Golden Gate Bridge and the dangers the men faced on it are well researched and described, as is the prejudice women doctors experienced.

At times I felt Willa's thoughts were repetitive and I got a little tired of hearing her bang on about how disappointed her family would be if she didn't go to the convent, and how she owed it to them because it was her fault her sister died before she had a chance to live. But that's actually realistic, because who doesn't go over painful things in one's head over and over again?

As owners of a pub, Willa's family - large as it was - didn't not appear to be suffering as much from the depression as others, like the people living in the Hooverville camp near the beach. I felt the book could have delved more deeply into the hardships of the Depression; there was never any real sense of desperation from any of the characters, even those living in the camp whose circumstances were desperate. Perhaps Willa could see it, empathize with it, but not really understand it.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical settings and female characters bucking the expectations of the time.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this in advance.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am not familiar with this author and couldn't remember even what it was about when I started reading it. My attention was caught by the cover and the synopsis was interesting enough to request this title, but I forgot about it until given a copy. I am glad I had the chance to read it. I was immediately drawn into the story from the very first page. I found the story of Willa, a young 18 year old girl in San Francisco raised from a young age to be a nun, to be so interesting. Early on in the story, we learn that Willa is questioning a life as a nun just as her parents are finalizing her entry into the convent. Willa has a strong interest in medicine and while helping aid her brother during an injury to his hand, she meets Katherine, a female doctor who invites Willa to return and work as her assistant. I loved the historical references woven in this novel around women in medicine, life in early San Francisco, and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Willa and her family were all interesting and likable characters that I enjoyed reading about. There is a lot of internal dialogue over her desire to follow her passion with medicine or joining the convent to please her parents and lessen the guilt she feels over her past. It sometimes felt a little redundant, but overall an enjoyable and likable story that I would recommend to others.

3.5/5 **

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

After reading the synopsis, I was really excited to receive a copy of Across a Broken Shore! A mix of history, religion, and a woman trying to find her place in the world was such a draw for me. I haven't read a lot of historical fiction recently, so I enjoyed the chance to jump into the 1930s and what San Francisco would have been like at the time.

Love the History
I'm a huge fan of history, and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge was such a massive moment in San Francisco's history that I was really excited to read a fictional story of what it might have been like. I loved getting to watch Willa learn about medicine and then use it to help those working on the bridge. It was wonderful to read about this part of history through the eyes of such a strong young woman.

Good Protagonist
Willa was a wonderful protagonist to follow in this story. It was great to watch her figure out how to balance her family's needs with her own and her relationship with the different members of her family. As the only daughter, she has a lot of roles to fill, and it's difficult for her to figure out how to voice her wants. I also loved that she was interested in medicine; women fighting against the social norms is always so wonderful to read about, especially when that fight is not a physical one. Finding a strong female who challenges the social norms through her studies was wonderful.

I Question the Romance
Ok, this is what really confused me about the book. If Willa's family is so incredibly Catholic that they are basically forcing her to become a nun, there is absolutely zero chance they would be ok with her relationship with a Protestant man. While I appreciate that this relationship in general is part of her struggle, I really don't think it needed the extra step of Sam being a Protestant. Even if she doesn't become a nun, I doubt her family would ever accept Sam. I think it would have been enough for him to be in Willa's life; him being a Protestant felt like overkill.

I enjoyed this novel and thought it was a good story. I've recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction or about a character finding their voice. Across a Broken Shore doesn't come out until November, but I know I'll be rereading it before then to get another little taste of history!

Historical fiction set in San Francisco. A headstrong young girl must decide on whether to follow her heart or obey her family. Perfectly evokes the era in which it is set. A gorgeous read.

Wilhelmina has a burning desire within her to become a doctor. She reads and studies Greys Anatomy fervently, absorbing all she learns. She knows that it is just a dream. For many generations the woman of the MacCarthy family have become nuns at the Catholic convent. She knows that to choose anything else would devastate her parents. Of course there is that solemn promise she made when she was twelve. The day she accidentally pushed her mom. Her mom was eight months pregnant with her sister. The shove sent her mother down the stairs where she suffered a miscarriage.
Her love for medicine is just a dream. She will enter a convent.
When her brother Paddy severs two fingers and her and her brother Nick take him to the local doctor, she is thrilled to meet Dr. Winston. Dr. Katherine Winston. She may not recognize it yet, but Willa's life is about to change.
Placed in the year 1936, the story takes place during the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a historical time. It is also a time that very few women were doctors. Less than 5% were in university.
Great story, with some awesome history. Strong characters.
Excellent!

This is such a wonderful story! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I love, love, love historical fiction and this book has it all. I love the fact that this book provides us with two strong and memorable women in Willa and Dr. Winston. Willa's character is developed beautifully! When a book gives me the feels as much as this one did, it instantly becomes a favorite in my book.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is a historical fiction about Willa; a young Irish Catholic girl on the brink of the rest of her life. Does she accede to her parents wishes to go with a family tradition and expectation of her dedicating her life to God by becoming a nun or does she bravely break tradition and listen to her heart? Set in 1936 during the Depression and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the book describes the age old struggle of a young woman who wants to follow a career in a man’s world. Ms Trueblood dilligently develops the main characters and paints a realistic vision of San Francisco in 1936. Desiring to become a doctor, Willa is fortunate to meet her new friend and mentor, Dr Kathryn Winston, who shows her that a woman can break through the bonds of working in a man’s profession. Torn between living her dream while lying to her family, Willa struggles against a looming deadline of going to the convent. The book was well written and kept me very interested. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this enjoyable book.

I adored this book set in San Francisco in the 1930’s and centers around the building of the Golden Gate Bridg.
Totally enjoy the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. "Across a Broken Shore" releases to the general public November 5th, 2019. 

SUMMARY

The last thing eighteen-year-old Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy wants is to be a nun. It’s 1936, and as the only daughter amongst four sons, her Irish–Catholic family is counting on her to take her vows—but Willa’s found another calling. Each day she sneaks away to help Doctor Katherine Winston in her medical clinic in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

Keeping secrets from her family only becomes more complicated when Willa agrees to help the doctor at a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate. Willa thinks she can handle her new chaotic life, but as she draws closer to a dashing young ironworker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all.
REVIEW

This was another example of the classic "I requested this from NetGalley, not expecting anything, only to end up loving it" scenario. Across a Broken Shore was at times dark, depressing, and bleak, but it was undercut with hope and progress and familial bonds that no amount of suffering broke. 

The book's selling point for me, at first glance, was Willa's interest in medicine. As a teenage girl interested in science, I love reading about girls my age who are also passionate about STEM fields, regardless of what they are. That works especially well for me in settings where the character has to face down and defeat prejudice to practice her profession of choice. There aren't many stories more empowering for me, a girl who loves science and deeply values education, than those of young women who overcome societal barriers to their education/ability to practice a profession. Thus, Willa's journey towards becoming a doctor in a world where female doctors were extremely rare was very inspiring for me. And the medical parts of the book were realistic and well-handled;  they were realistically gory at times, but never gratuitous. Any aspect of the book related to medicine got no complaints from me. 

Nor did the characterization. Willa was a deeply-realized character, even if she had a rather irritating tendency towards indecision and her brain repeated itself a lot. And the supporting cast was equally strong - Willa's brother Paddy was an equally fleshed-out character, the MacCarthy siblings' relationships were explored in depth and quite touching, and SAM. I read some reviews saying the romance was cheesy - perhaps, but I do NOT care. I'm a sucker for cheesy romance, and Sam was a smol bean. It was adorable  and that's final. :)

But perhaps my favorite part of this entire novel was its exploration of religion in Willa's life. Though she doesn't want to be a nun (and I can't blame her - I wouldn't either), Catholicism is a HUGE part of her life. As a religious person, I get what it's like to simultaneously rely on your faith and feel incredibly pressured by it/the expectations of fellow practitioners; I related to that part a lot, even though I've never exactly promised to be a nun. Thus, I was a bit apprehensive that this book's treatment of Willa's faith was going to be sort of toss-aside-y. I was pretty sure it was going to present Willa with a "something's got to give" scenario where she either had to become a nun or completely abandon her faith to become a doctor, but it didn't. Rather, Willa simply realizes that God is calling her to something other than the path her parents think she is on. I loved that, and was very pleasantly surprised that her continual adherence to her faith wasn't ridiculed as "blindly obeying her parents" or something (as a Christian teenager who has chosen to remain in the faith I was raised in after my parents stopped making me do so, I get "you need to think for yourself" a LOT, and expected Willa's experience to be the same). That was really well-done. 

The main problem with this book was that Willa's internal conflict was hashed out so many times, and in such similar words, that it just felt tired. There were commas missing, and the dialogue was quite awkward. Those were about the only defects of this fantastic book.  

RATING 

Plot: 4.5/5 - compelling, and a storyline (both the girl-in-STEM aspect and the religious one) that is very close to my heart. No complaints there. The only issue I took with the plot, and the reason for the 4.5 and not a 5, was that, like, 65% of the conflict could have been avoided with proper communication, and some parts of it were unnecessarily repetitive. 

Characters: 5/5 - I fell in love with nearly all of them. IDK, I just really love these crazy Irish kids. 

Pacing: 4/5 - like I said, tends to repeat itself. A LOT. But not awful. 

Content/Messages: 5/5 - great messages about overcoming obstacles and pursuing your true passions rather than letting others tell you what path to follow. The content is never vulgar or gratuitous, but as the story revolves around physicians who mostly serve the impoverished, it gets dark at times. The harshness of the circumstances might make it too much for younger readers, but given its contemplative nature, those too young to handle the content probably wouldn't like it much anyway. I'd peg this one for the older end of YA (16+) not because it's wildly inappropriate but because I can't see many 13/14-year-olds enjoying this. 

Handling of Subject Matter: 4.5/5 - medicine, sexism in STEM fields, and Catholicism were all handled very appropriately, but for a Great Depression-era novel, there wasn't much of the setting evident in the story. The economic realities of the Depression could have been addressed more; there are no more than four impoverished characters in a novel set during a time when there was a ~30% employment rate. That was a little implausible in my mind. 

Writing Style: 3/5. This was the weakest aspect of the book. There were a lot of commas missing (this is an ARC, I know, so that'll get fixed, but still) and the dialogue was really unrealistic at points. Not egregiously bad, though. 

Overall: 4.33/5

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Willa's story is set in 1930's San Francisco during the building of the golden gate bridge. The cast of characters was absolutely wonderful. Willa, being the only girl in her family (besides Mam) with a bunch of over protective brothers, has made promises to her family. Unfortunately, promises made when you are 12 years old in the midst of grief are hard to hold as our hands and hearts grow. On this journey, we follow Willa as she toils with her promise, her passion, and her family.

I adored the historical details woven seamlessly into the novel and I highly respect any novel that can teach me something without me realizing it. Watching the bridge being built by the boys in this book, made me feel as though as I saw it. I loved getting to see all the injuries and personalities from the guys on the bridge. And Sam (excuse me while I swoon) was the perfect romantic interest. He grounded the book with his common sense and maturity, which was a nice balance to Willa and her emotional journey

The story moved with a steady pace and around 60% of the way through, I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen and how. I WAS WRONG and I loved being wrong. Trueblood turned the story on its head and I was there for it. I flew through the last pages and felt utterly satisfied with the end.

The characters Willa, Dr. Winston, Sam, and Paddy were my favorites. I loved their interactions and the dynamic between everyone was full of tension, though I did occasionally want to beam a few of them on the head. Usually Willa. I liked that most of the conflict in the story arose from the characters instead of events. It made for a great read with room for all the historical details.

I would absolutely recommend picking up this book if you like YA historicals with interesting background and fun stubborn female characters.

Across a Broken Shore is a wonderful historical fiction novel set in San Francisco in 1936. The building of the Golden Gate Bridge is a key event in this book. The main character Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy loves all things medicine, however due to family obligations she is destined to become a nun. Over the course of the book, we watch Willa struggle with her choice to be a nun and her strong desire to learn about medicine. The book does feel repetitive at time due to this struggle.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is very evident the amount of research the author did on the time period. I feel that this book will appeal more to adults than teen readers. I do think it is worth purchasing for our high school collection. However, it will need to be promoted and book talked strongly for the typical teen reader to want to choose this book.

What was it like to be a young woman who wanted to study medicine during the 1930s?

In her novel, Across a Broken Shore, Amy Trueblood, examines the constraints put on young woman by both her family and society. Set against the building of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Trueblood delves into both working conditions for the common labourer and the chauvinistic attitudes of the medical community. Determined to become a medical doctor, not a Catholic nun, Willa proves herself to be one of the strong females who fought to allow women to have the rights we often take for granted today.

This reviewer does not think the title fits the book.

I received a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One of the prime characters is described as wanting to be a bridge across a broken shore. In this way the title of Amy Trueblood’s work of historical fiction becomes a metaphor for the entire novel. As the Golden Gate Bridge is erected, those in its shadow play out their lives trying to maneuver the devastating effects of the Depression. Willa, bound by a guilt-ridden promise to become a nun, fears this is not what she wants. Katherine faces daily prejudice for being a woman in the medical field. Sam, an itinerant worker, has never been able to stop in one place and find happiness. The McCarthy family is unsure how to conquer their grief. The Hooverville occupants want to survive. At times solutions seem unreachable. I engaged with these characters from the start. I shall watch for this author in the future.

San Francisco1936, the middle of the Great Depression. Families were struggling to make ends meet and this was no different for the MacCarthy family, with 4 boys and 1 daughter, they were working hard to keep their pub alive and food on the table. For 18 year old Willa MacCarthy the only girl amongst 4 brothers, she had been told by her parents that she was to become a nun. Yet this was not the ambition she had set her mind to... she wanted to become a doctor, a secret she had to keep from her family. One fateful date opportunity knocked on her, when her brother suffered from a severe accident and Willa took him to see the neighborhood doctor. It was Katherine Winston, the young female physician who came to their aid. Yet, more than that she fueled Willa's ambition to go into the medical field, becoming her mentor. Conventions at that time period were quite strict, it wasn't easy for women to become independent, to go into the medical field was almost impossible. With her over-protective brothers as well as her parents, it was difficult for Willa to ever think she would become her dream of being a doctor. And while this conflict was taking place in her life, the Golden Gate Bridge was being built in San Francisco. There were many risks to be taken for those working on the bridge, but to be sure times were tough, the Depression had a strong hold on the population and just having a job, albeit the dangers involved, was better than nothing.

This was a strong story, with the lead character having the strength to go after her dream in spite of her family's wishes. The guilt implied was emotional, especially in a family where a child would have difficulty challenging the rules set by their elders. I dare say that was the way of it in 1936. Well written, even though for me getting through some of the medical chapters was not so easy.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful book! Set in the thirties, it focuses on Willa, the main character who is an 18 year old girl wanting to learn medicine. It also focuses on her family, who is Irish. Told while the Golden Gate Bridge was being constructed, we learn about breaking barriers as women of that time period. The writing was great and the story line was interesting!

LOVED this book! Trueblood wrote beautifully about a young woman struggling to make a difficult life decision: follow her heart and her passion or do what is expected of her by her parents. Willa, is such an interesting main character. She’s strong, open-minded, intelligent, and loyal even when she lacks self-confidence, she’s always working towards bettering herself.
Willa longs to work in the medical field, but in the 1930s, women do not make up a large percentage of doctors in the field. Despite this, she sneaks reading anatomy texts and ends up apprenticing with a female doctor, who is another inspiring and beautiful character in this story.
Set in San Francisco while the Golden Gate Bridge is being constructed, Willa finds herself able to help others who need medical attention due to accidents working on the bridge. She also finds herself falling for a certain light-eyed, kind young man, Sam. Her and Sam’s relationship blooms despite her promise to her parents to join the convent and become a nun.
Willa is conflicted many times throughout the story, either study medicine or become a nun. I enjoyed reading her struggles to make this difficult decision and the relationships she forms along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Flux, for the ARC for an honest review. 5 stars!

Amy Trueblood’s Across A Broken Shore brings us young Willa, living in depression-era San Francisco, who has the skill and desire to become a doctor while her parents dream she will enter the convent. A female doctor (inspired by Dr. Lucy Wanzer, the first woman west of the Rockies to be recognized as a physician) notes her interest and invites Willa to be her assistant as they treat the desperately poor people who are willing to see a woman health-care provider. Many of the injuries that the doctor sees result from work on the Golden Gate Bridge, which is being constructed during this time.
In the 1950’s and 60’s, most TV shows had one storyline because television writers and producers thought their audiences could only pay attention to one situation at a time. Across A Broken Shore conforms to this model, as every scene, plot, and dialogue comes back to Willa’s desire to become a doctor. Her love interest is, of course, supportive, her brothers willing to lie for her when she snuck away, and convenient coincidences throughout helped Willa conceal from her parents her continued work with the doctor.
I enjoyed reading about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, and I rooted for Willa to accomplish her goal.The story, however, was far too predictable and wrapped up too neatly in the end for my taste. Perhaps it might fare better in the Young Adult category.

This was a wonderful book. Set in 1936, it mainly focuses on WILLA, an 18 year old female girl aspiring to learn medicine when she is expected to enter the convent. It also focuses on her Irish family, expectations and regrets. Told during the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, we learn about breaking barriers as women of that time period. The writing was great and the story was interesting. I truly enjoyed it and thank netgalley for the ARC.

The history of San Francisco is interestingly and skillfully set as the background for an engaging story of love, hardship, growth, grief, and redemption. The building of the Golden Gate bridge, the first female graduate of the University of California Medical Department at San Francisco, the Sutro Baths, the Richmond District, communities of poverty still in the shadows of the Depression, all are threaded as integral pieces of a well written story.
Willa MacCarthy is a young woman who has been promised to the church by her parents. She is to become a nun, ostensibly because it is a family tradition. However, when Willa was a child, her mother lost a baby girl in an accident for which Willa blames herself. The commitment to the church is her mother's way of placing Willa somewhere safe, some place where nothing harmful can happen to her. Just months before time to begin the first steps to entering the convent, important events in Willa's life cause this foregone conclusion about her life to come into question.
First, she is offered a job in a doctor's office; in a female doctor's office, unheard of in 1936. It becomes clear that Willa is a natural for the medical field and she accepts the job, hiding it from her parents. How will this affect the commitment to the church?
At about the same time, Willa meets Sam, a young man who adores her and makes her heart sing. How will this affect the commitment to the church?
Her parents and the priests discover that Willa has been deceiving them about where she has been going and with whom she has been keeping company when she was to have been working in a soup kitchen. Again, how will this affect the commitment to the church?
Across a Broken Shore is a very good story, well-wnritten, with well-developed characters whose relationships with each other are also well formed and meaningful.
The constant references to Willa's commitment to the church and her constant rejection of the many obvious reasons for her to reconsider that commitment become tiresome. Those particular references are redundant and actually reach the point where the reader wants to shake her by the shoulders and tell her to get a grip. Otherwise, it's a very good story with a plot that's outside the box of familiar patterns. It handles parental relationships, sibling relationships, friendships, a love story, sadness and redemption, all in interesting historical context - and handles them very well.
I really enjoyed this book and am grateful to Netgalley and Flux for the opportunity to read and review it.

This book was very eye opening and shows how different culture collide and form a new future. I loved the main character and her determination to follow her dreams even though her parents wanted a different path for her.

Immediately, I was enthralled with Across a Broken Shore's synopsis: 1930s, Irish-Catholic family, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and a female character, who wants to be a doctor in a time that was unheard of? Sign me up, I'd like to receive this ARC! And I was not disappointed, however, officially my rating is 3 1/2 stars. The story follows Wilhelmina "Willa" McCarthy, one of five children and the only girl, as a result, her parents have their heart set on her joining the nunnery but Willa has a different aspiration. She wants to be a doctor and her chance comes when her brother, Paddy, accidentally chops off his fingers at their family pub and she encounters the female doctor, Katherine Winston, who desperately needs a nurse. With five months to spare until she's consecrated to God, Willa decides to take the opportunity.

Dr. WInston takes Willa under her wing and forces her to step outside of her comfort zone. Not only does she teach Willa basic skills, but she also takes her on field excursions, where Willa begins to see how the depression has affected the world. She works with Dr. Winston at the Golden Gate Bridge construction site, seeing how these men put their lives on the line to complete the work and encountering a young thief named Simon, who's family moved to Ireland and fell on hard times. She ventures into Hoovervilles, where homeless individuals/ families gather together in a makeshift community. Here, Willa experiences the true horrors of the depression as she cares for the Cleery family, which includes a very pregnant Mrs. Cleery, Simon, who steals to feed his family while his father is gone, and Maeve, who grows sicker as the story progresses. Through these little trips,

As Willa grows as a physician, she grows out her shell and it is truly rewarding to read. At the start of the novel, she is a dutiful daughter and good Catholic, who wants to do right by her parents and earn the MacCarthy family respect but as the story unfolds this changes as she experiences the world. Of course, there's Sam (the romantic interest), a wanderer, orphaned at a young age, who has lived all the United States and encourages her to pursue her desires, which is a terrible temptation for Willa. However, I absolutely loved how Trueblood dealt with this relationship and showed Willa's internal conflict with her Catholic upbringing and sense of right/wrong, which is challenged by herself finally growing into herself. I thought that was realistic and how Catholicism can be restricting and confusing to someone growing up in the religion in a changing time.

It’s 1936 and Willa MacCarthy is certain she has no options. She’s known since she was 12 that she would become a postulate at the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Spirit and take her vows. The only girl in this Irish Catholic family, her Mam & Da and four protective brothers expect her to become a nun.
San Francisco is coming back to life as the building of the Golden Gate Bridge is bringing the citizens hope with so many construction jobs. Even though dangerous, the lure of steady paychecks is worth the risks involved. The MacCarthy boys are willing to wait to be chosen to work on the bridge, while Willa, now 18, secretly reads Grey’s Anatomy in her bedroom and attends parties with her somehow wealthy high school friend, Cara Reilly. Willa and her brothers face the same decisions as youth do today: respect parental expectations or follow your calling? Willa’s chance meeting of Dr. Katherine Winston certainly seems to acknowledge the peace she finds when “doctoring,’ as opposed to the deep fear that envelops her in the pew at church. Finding her voice, coping with guilt, confession & forgiveness and allowing for failures to become achievement, are just some of the issues dealt with by Willa and her family.
Mam & Da’s life long dream of having her enter the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Spirit has a profound impact on Willa. Dr. Katherine Winston, who mentors and encourages Willa, Sam Butler, whose transient life Willa changes, and the struggling Cleery family at the Hooverville camp, all play important roles in Wilhelmina MacCarthy’s decision to take her vows and enter the convent or follow her heart to become a doctor.
Willa’s dilemma of choosing between honoring her parents and the women of her past by entering the convent or following her call to be a doctor, the “hand of God in the world,” will keep you “praying and hoping” until the final page.

Willa is the granddaughter of Irish immigrants who settled in San Francisco. During the Depression, her dad tries to make ends meet by running a small pub. Willa was told when she was six that she would become a nun, as family tradition stated, but Willa discovered a Gray's Anatomy book in the trash and wants to pursue medicine. When her brother Paddy cuts off two of his fingers, it's Willa's quick thinking and knowledge that keeps Paddy from bleeding to death. The doctor he's taken to is a woman who offers to let Willa work with her. From then on, Willa fights a inner battle between lying to and disappointing her parents or living the life she chooses. She and Dr. Winston work with the poor and the men building the Golden Gate Bridge. The more she works with Dr. Winston, the more she struggles with her decision.

Amy Trueblood weaves a compelling story, in Across a Broken Shore, that combines the building of the bridge with the first women physicians in the area. I could not put it down! It will be November before this released. You'll want to read it. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!

This book was beautifully written and absolutely captivating. I found myself feeling every emotion right along with Willa. She is an extremely likable character and, even though her circumstances and the time period are so vastly different from my own, I found Willa very relatable as well.

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is a moving and truly beautiful story. I found myself sneaking away to read a few more pages at every possible opportunity. It is a story about a woman limited by society and family expectations, who will need to stand up to the most important people in her lives to realize her true potential. It is a story of familial love, self-discovery, the gift of mentorship, and following your heart. Although it is historical fiction, these are lessons that are still relevant for young women today. Set in San Francisco in the 1930's, the book also gives us fascinating perspective into the lives of the men who built the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm so grateful Amy Trueblood gave me the chance to get to know Willa MacCarthy-- I was sad to see it end!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

This book was amazing! I was hooked from the beginning because of Willa and her brothers, but her determination and dreams had me vested in her future. I rooted for her throughout the whole book. While this book was on the short side, it was an amazing read. The underlying theme was never give up and always stand your ground even when it might upset someone else because you are responsible for your own happiness.

The 1930’s, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, family, promises and secrets! I started this novel a day ago and couldn’t put it down.
Historical fiction with a new story line I have yet to read. Near the end, I actually shed a tear. The emotion in this story really got to me and this receives 5 stars from me!
Thank you NetGalley and Amy Trueblood for the opportunity to read and review for an honest review.

<b>DEFINITELY NOT MY LAST BOOK BY THIS AUTHOR</b>

This was one of those books that I didn't really have any expectations for before starting it. But I am so happy that I did because this was a treat! A strong, character driven historical fiction novel with a grand historical backdrop! This was my first Trueblood novel but it will not be my last.

<b>THE THINGS I LIKED</b>

<u>Historical setting</u>: I don't usually read historical novels set in the USA (I am a eurocentric European, sadly) so it was really nice to get out of my comfort zone for once. And the Depression era was new for me too, but I felt that it was handled really, really well. It was nitty gritty and I could almost feel the despair.

<u>Science and medicine</u>: I absolutely loved that Willa (the female MC) was into medicine and science. That is so unusual and strongly needed! More women need to be inspired to follow a career in the sciences! Willa was a great inspiration.

<u>Willa</u>: I not only liked her dedication to science and medicine, I liked Willa - period. Yes, sometimes she infuriated me so much! But I also admired her, felt for her and felt with her. She has a duality to her character, strong and independent on the one hand and vulnerable on the other. It was this duality that stirred my emotions and made her a great lead.

<b>THE THINGS I DISLIKED</b>

<u>Circular plot</u>: This has a lot to do with the character driven aspect of the book. The book revolves around Willa's internal struggle, having to choose between doing what she herself wants and what her parents want for her. That is the plot - Willa's struggle. Which also means that it, sometimes, got a bit circular. She went back and forth a lot. I found myself needing something more. It got a little old...

I consumed this book in one setting. Nothing like a pre-WW2 historical fiction book to get me interested. I enjoyed following Willa's journey through out the whole book, learning more about female doctors in the 1930's, and reading about the Golden Gate Bridge getting built. Also appreciated all the research that went into this book and how didn't seemed rushed at all for only bring a 360 page book. Only real problem I had with this book was how indecisive Willa was at the end but, over all this is a wonderful young adult historical novel.

Across a Broken Shore is a historical fiction novel set in San Fransisco during the 1930s. The depression is affecting many with Hoovervilles around the country. Men travel far and wide seeking employment. And in San Fransisco, the Golden Gate Bridge is under construction. Everyone sees it as a monument and testament to the people.

Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy is an eighteen-year-old girl, surrounded by big brothers and parents who are intent on her becoming a nun. But, at night, she secretly reads discarded medical books. Those secreted moments come in handy when her beloved brother, Paddy, is injured at the family bar. She escorts him to the local doctor's office only to find the new doctor is a woman!

Doctor Winston sees in Willa a passion for medicine and helping others that should not be denied. With Paddy's help, Willa begins working as her assistant. It is through her work at the clinic and the field hospital near the bridge that she also becomes attracted to Sam, an ironworker.

Yet, she continues to believe entering the convent is the only way to make her parents happy.

There is WAY more involved in this book. Lots of history about women in medicine, especially in the San Fransisco area. Plus, the history surrounding the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Along with that is what life would be like for a young Catholic girl.

This is not a title that you binge read. Rather you mosey your way through. If you are squeamish over the thought of anything medical, there are some scenes that could be considered graphic in description.

Many thanks to Amy Trueblood for taking the time to write such an engaging and thoroughly researched novel.

Willa MacCarthy has grown up as the only sister amongst four older brothers. Her family own the pub. It's 1936 and Willa's parents believe the most appropriate place for Willa is in the Church. For as long as Willa can remember their expectation is that she go to the convent. She has never wanted to please them more, after her mother's near fatal miscarriage and the circumstances surround it.

Unfortunately, Willa's heart isn't in the convent as it once may have been. Her heart belongs in medicine - in the text books she has hidden away, and in the surgery she finds herself in with Dr Winston. She has never felt more strongly that this is her calling but at the same time she is riddled with guilt for going against her parents' wishes. Whilst Willa sneaks out to help her mentor, she befriends Sam, a young man working on what will soon be the finished Golden Gate Bridge. His is a dangerous profession, and Willa and Dr Winston provide medical services at the hospital near the bridge and to the camp of workers and drifters. The conditions are poor and by virtue of visiting Willa places herself at risk each time to assist.

This is a story about a young woman knowing herself and standing up for her beliefs and her future. We see her at odds with the version of herself her parents wish for her, and the version she wishes for herself. We see the growing love between Willa and Sam borne out of mutual respect and admiration. We see the power of one voice that motivates another to follow their chosen path in the face of adversity and loss. We see human struggles and emotions.

This is a story that was such a pleasure to read. From the characters, to their interpersonal relationships to the historical perspective of the Golden Bridge being built. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Amy Trueblood, FluxBooks, and Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review will also be posted to my instagram @aplace_inthesun

This book will be released on 5 November 2019

Such a great coming of age story set in San Francisco during the 1930's and the building of the Golden Gate bridge! It provided delightful insight into the Great Depression and the rise of female empowerment. Seemed so well researched and well written-so vivid! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. I highly recommend

*Thank you to NetGalley and Flux for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I’m so glad I requested this book from NetGalley and had the chance to read an early copy!
I loved it, such a fast-paced and engrossing story with relatable characters I deeply cared about, heartwarming family dynamics and the sweetest kind of romance.
It developed important themes such as questions of faith, loyalty, responsibility -both towards the others and ourselves- and coming of age in a unique and original setting - the building of San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge In 1936.
The protagonist, Willa, is the youngest and only daughter in an Irish-American family of five children, and is expected to enter the convent soon, as she promised to maintain a family tradition, although this is the last thing she wants.
Her dream is to study medicine, and the fortuitous encounter with a lady doctor, headstrong Katherine Winston, brings her closer to fulfilling it than she ever thought.
Willa is a great character, with a deep respect and strong affection for her family, in spite of all the limitations imposed by her strict parents and overprotective, ever intruding brothers - with the exception of Paddy, who is always on her side and helps her all along.
I would have hit her on the head a couple of times, when she refused to change her mind about her promise out of a sense of guilt, trying to repress her real vocation and love for Sam, the adorable ironworker who works on the Bridge and steals her breath away, but the ending was perfect, so I forgive her for her almost devastating stubbornness.
I loved her relationship with her brothers - it took them some time to finally listen and understand her, but their love for her was evident all along and they were all darlings in the end.
Her parents are good characters too, but I literally bristled at the injustice of the expectations they forced on her - their impatience for sending her off to the convent as soon as possible and their selfish reasons for it were almost unbearable.
Even keeping in time the historical period and the beliefs of the time, I just couldn’t believe how easily so many parents sent their daughters off to the convent, just because it was a honorable and safe life, refusing to listen and even taking into consideration their real ambitions and dreams.
I hated it, but it was also terribly realistic.
The author’s documentation is commendable and she wrote a great piece of historical fiction, which I recommend to anyone who wants to read a good book with an engaging story and a lovely atmosphere.
I highly enjoyed this novel and it surely won’t be my last by Amy Trueblood - I’m already looking forward to her next!

An interesting story for me as I don’t know much about Golden Gate and how the bride was built as I never been in the states.
I loved the heroine for her willingness to study something that she likes more and feeling that she can help more the people around her instead of becoming a nun as her very conservatives parents are requesting from her.
I didn’t liked that she didn’t stand for herself from the beginning and that she had to hide and involve her brothers as well, but I liked the family bound between them.
Overall was a great story and i’m Looking forward to other books by the author.

Where my review will be posted: Netgalley and Goodreads
When posted: 9/8/2019

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Across a Broken Shore was an incredible and engaging reading experience. I enjoyed many of the historical aspects that rooted me in the 1930's as well as the vivid setting of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I loved Willa as a character. She was fleshed out, had both high and low points, and had deep internal conflict. She was headstrong and bold, and I ended up rooting for her all the way. I also appreciate all the work Trueblood puts into her side characters--Willa's family, Sam, Doctor Winston, Cara, the Cleerys. They all felt real and added depth to the theme of the novel as well as Willa's world.

The pacing was absolute perfection, without being too fast or too slow. There's just something about Willa and her internal conflict that drives readers towards the end; I was hooked from the beginning.

However, although the theme--following one's passion--is very strong, it did feel forced in some places (Cara is the example I thought of.) Added to this is that there is some telling via dialogue near the end of the book that pulled me from Willa's world for a moment. It did not feel smooth and I thought it could have gone through some revision.

On the whole, Across a Broken Shore is a historical fiction I would definitely recommend to historical fiction fans, anyone who's even mildly interested in medicine, or anyone who needs push to follow their dreams.

Rating: 3.8 stars

I throughout enjoyed this book and felt like this was a breath of fresh air. My favorite aspect of this book was the setting of San Francisco and the learning aspect with Dr. Katherine. Would highly recommend this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Flux for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.


1930's San Francisco: Willa McCarthy is the youngest of five children and the only girl in a loving Irish-American family. Although Willa loves to pour over medical textbooks, it is the convent that she is bound for in less than six months. A long ago promise that she made to her parents. But when one of her brothers needs medical attention, a chance meeting with a female physician will have Willa wondering " do I follow my family's dream or my own?"

Oh I just really enjoyed this story and once again settled in for an all together enjoyable read. I appreciate it when the author ensures that we(the readers) see the situation from all points of view. As the storyline unfolds, I knew that Willa was going to be faced with a big decision because there was no surprise that she was naturally talented as she learns from DR. Katherine. But she definitely doesn't want to disappoint her parents and I could totally relate to that feeling.

In addition, I liked how the building of San Francisco 's Golden Gate bridge was also part of this novel. Amy Trueblood paints a picture well of the feats and perils that the workers encountered during construction.

Don't let this one slip by you!



Goodreads review published 22/09/19
Publication Date 05/11/19

There is nothing I love more than religious and family drama set mid 1900's. Seriously. I don't know why I love it so much. This book checked all my boxes.

Synopsis: The last thing eighteen-year-old Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy wants is to be a nun. It’s 1936, and as the only daughter amongst four sons, her Irish–Catholic family is counting on her to take her vows—but Willa’s found another calling. Each day she sneaks away to help Doctor Katherine Winston in her medical clinic in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

Keeping secrets from her family only becomes more complicated when Willa agrees to help the doctor at a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate. Willa thinks she can handle her new chaotic life, but as she draws closer to a dashing young ironworker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all.

A fast and enjoyable read about San Francisco in the 1930s, during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Deals well with a young person struggling between family tradition and expectations, and her own aptitude for and interest in another path entirely.

It's 1936 San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge can be seen being constructed through the fog, and Willa knows her destiny, to become a nun. Her heart is not with the church however, it is in medicine. For years she has been hiding medical textbooks and dreaming of helping people, but she doesn't want to go against her family. After an accident with her brother she runs into a female doctor and starts to learn that maybe her destiny can change after all.

This book was lovely and it was a story that I really enjoyed reading. I enjoyed the setting and how we are brought up against many different facets of San Francisco's society in the 1930's. Willa is also a likeable character and one that frustrated me at times, but whose motivations opened up throughout the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and am excited for more from this author.

Ever since Willa was 12, she's been destined to become a nun. At first, that wasn't a problem, but as the time she enters the convent grows closer, Willa struggles with her desire to become a doctor. When Dr. Katherine Winston offers her the opportunity to learn medicine and make a difference, Willa jumps at the chance even though it means that she must continually hide her activities from her family. Willa must come to terms with herself and what she wants while navigating the complex issues of family, the Great Depression, and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Will Willa's desire tear her family apart?

I really liked Willa! Her story is realistic and compelling. I appreciated that her decisions are not easy and her struggle. I was sad to finish this story and would love to read more of Willa's adventures.

This is definitely a book that will make you cheer, make you feel, and make you grateful for what you have.

It’s San Francisco 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge is rising out of the Pacific. And Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy’s world is set on fire with dreams of a future she didn’t believe she could actually have.

It’s the story of determination, heart and a forbidden love.

And one of my favorites of the year!

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood was actually a great cozy read. I'm glad I read it in the Fall. It follows Willa who is torn between what her parents want for her, to be a nun, and her true passion for medicine. It is set during the Great Depression and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Willa meets Katherine Winston, a female doctor something not very common, and becomes her assistant without her parents knowing. They end up working at the field hospital taking care of the workers on the bridge where Willa meets a boy and tries to keep out of sight of her brothers.
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You guys I loved this book! So much history and I loved the author's note at the end where she talks about her research and what scenes stemmed from true events. It was really emotional too, I may have cried at one part that just came out of nowhere, but somehow made the book better. I've always said if it can make me cry it's probably a 5 star read. Willa was a great character who always thought about others and their feelings, her duty to her parents, and fighting her feelings about following her own passion in order to make others happy.
I'm excited to read Amy's other book.
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This book comes out on November 5.
Thank you @netgalley and @fluxbooks for a free arc.