Review for The Woman at the Front by Lecia Cornwall

 

The Woman at the Front by  Lecia Cornwall 

ebook, 464 pages

Publication: September 28th 2021 by Berkley

Genre:  Historical Fiction, France, WWI

 

From Goodreads:  A daring young woman risks everything to pursue a career as a doctor on the front lines in France during World War I, and learns the true meaning of hope, love, and resilience in the darkest of times.

When Eleanor Atherton graduates from medical school near the top of her class in 1917, she dreams of going overseas to help the wounded, but her ambition is thwarted at every turn. Eleanor's parents insist she must give up medicine, marry a respectable man, and assume her proper place. While women might serve as ambulance drivers or nurses at the front, they cannot be physicians—that work is too dangerous and frightening.

Nevertheless, Eleanor is determined to make more of a contribution than sitting at home knitting for the troops. When an unexpected twist of fate sends Eleanor to the battlefields of France as the private doctor of a British peer, she seizes the opportunity for what it is—the chance to finally prove herself.

But there's a war on, and a casualty clearing station close to the front lines is an unforgiving place. Facing skeptical commanders who question her skills, scores of wounded men needing care, underhanded efforts by her family to bring her back home, and a blossoming romance, Eleanor must decide if she's brave enough to break the rules, face her darkest fears, and take the chance to win the career—and the love—she's always wanted.

My Thoughts:  Eleanor Atherton is a hero.   She gets accepted into medical school and then graduates near the top of her class.  WWI is going on and she wants nothing more than to do her part as a doctor.   I found her persistence amazing.   She had everything working against her, but she still found a way to make a difference, to follow her heart, and to become the doctor she dreamed of becoming. 

Lecia Cornwall wrote a book that I could not stop reading.  I was so intrigued by the characters but also by the storyline.   The horrors of war, the way Eleanor had to travel to get to where she had to be, and the people she dealt with kept me turning pages and hoping that all would be okay.  I was hopeful that Eleanor Atherton would find people who would support her, who would guide her, and who would get her to where she needed to be. 

The Woman at the Front is a strong, powerful story of a woman challenges the parameters of her time and her family.   She pushes the boundaries, she challenges those who question her, and she is amazing. 

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