September 1896: An aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into the male-dominated field of excavation. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously. But when a simmering conflict between Greece and Turkey erupts into open warfare, Betsy throws herself into the conflict as a nurse, not knowing that the decision will change her life forever—and cause a deep and painful rift with her oldest friend, Ava.
June 1898: Betsy has sworn off war nursing—but when she gets the word that her estranged friend Ava is headed to Cuba with Clara Barton and the Red Cross to patch up the wounded in the Spanish-American War, Betsy determines to stop her the only way she knows how: by joining in her place. Battling heat, disease, and her own demons, Betsy follows Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders straight to the heart of the fighting, where she is forced to confront her greatest fears to save both old friends and new…. bn.com
Lauren Willig introduces you to Betsy Hayes and the journey she goes on. What starts out as a desire to go an archaeological dig through her school leads her to enlisting with the Red Cross as a nurse. From there, she finds herself on the front lines of two wars. Betsy is faced with all the emotions, loss and anger that comes with war. The highs and lows that come with war. When fear becomes reality despite all your efforts to prevent it. Within the pages of this book you see a determined, feisty woman rise above the overwhelming and come out the other side a completely different woman. You will journey with Betsy all over the emotional map. I found myself heartbroken every time her heart broke, angry whenever she was delt a blow to her dreams, and cheering on her every victory- no matter how big or small- because there weren't enough of them. You read as a naïve woman is shaped by the biggest of losses. You watch a feisty girl become a driven woman who makes the world a better place for all who are among her.
Betsey's dream in life is to go on a school dig. She sees no reason why a woman can't do such a thing, though the faculty involved see plenty of them. This leads her to achieve her dream in a different way: if she comes back from a war a "hero", the school will have no choice but to let her go. So, she enrolls in the Red Cross to learn how to be a front lines nurse. Not only does Betsy get to the front lines of a war, but she quickly realizes how in over her head and unprepared she is. But, Betsy is blessed with helpful coworkers.
During her time in Greece and during that first war, Betsy falls in love with the most complicated of matches. Love overrules logic and she falls head first into a romance that will forever change her life.
Betsy finds herself involved with the Cuba/Spanish war by accident. Her intentions were to prevent friend, Ava, from going. However, life had other plans and to the frontlines she goes. Once again, the realities of war await her. This time the fight isn't just involving gunfire. Often times the nurses are under supplied and overwhelmed with soldiers. Battling wartime injuries gets even harder once Typhoid and Yellow Fever come into play- taking out nurses and soldiers alike. But it's during this war that Betsy not only finds love, but the guts to be the fighter you know she is. You watch Betsy step up to the plate in an inspiring way. She fights for her soldiers with everything she has. She is determined to not let history repeat itself and you cheer her on every step of the way.
By the time you turn the last page and have read the end of Betsy's story, you are emotionally exhausted. But you are so proud of her. Like I said, as you read her story, you fight with her, cry with her, cheer her on and applaud her take no prisoners attitude when it's necessary. You are so proud of the woman she becomes. While you don't wish to live vicariously through her, as some historical fiction stories, you are inspired by the bold fighter you watched come to live before your very eyes.
0 comments:
Post a Comment