The Lieutenant's Nurse

by Sara Ackerman

Overview

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER

“An emotional and heartfelt tale of love and courage.” —Chanel Cleeton, bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana

November, 1941. She’s never even seen the ocean before, but Eva Cassidy has her reasons for making the crossing to Hawaii, and they run a lot deeper than escaping a harsh Michigan winter. Newly enlisted as an Army Corps nurse, Eva is stunned by the splendor she experiences aboard the steamship SS Lurline; even more so by Lt. Clark Spencer, a man she is drawn to but who clearly has secrets of his own. But Eva’s past—and the future she’s trying to create—means that she’s not free to follow her heart. Clark is a navy intelligence officer, and he warns her that the United States won’t be able to hold off joining the war for long, but nothing can prepare them for the surprise attack that will change the world they know.

In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Eva and her fellow nurses band together for the immense duty of keeping the American wounded alive. And the danger that finds Eva threatens everything she holds dear. Amid the chaos and heartbreak, Eva will have to decide whom to trust and how far she will go to protect those she loves.

Set in the vibrant tropical surroundings of the Pacific, The Lieutenant’s Nurse is an evocative, emotional WWII story of love, friendship and the resilient spirit of the heroic nurses of Pearl Harbor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778307914
Publisher:	MIRA Books
Publication date:	03/05/2019
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	151,000
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Sara Ackerman is a Hawaii born, bestselling novelist. Her books have been labeled “unforgettable” by Apple Books, “empowering & deliciously visceral” by Book Riot, and authors Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin have praised Sara’s novels as “fresh and delightful” and “brilliantly written.” Amazon chose Radar Girls as a best book of the month, and ALA Booklist gave The Codebreaker’s Secret a starred review.

Editorial Reviews

01/21/2019

In this appealing novel, Ackerman (Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers) unites a military nurse and a military intelligence officer in the days preceding and during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. In late November 1941, Eva Cassidy has left Michigan to sail on the luxurious ship, the Lurline, to Hawaii, to start a new position in the Army Nurse Corps. While onboard, she meets Lt. Clark Spencer, a Navy linguist who works in communications and has studied Japanese. Eva is drawn to Clark’s quiet strength and caring nature even though her boyfriend, Billy, is stationed at Pearl Harbor. Clark starts to let his guard down and cares for Eva in a way he hasn’t cared for a woman since the death of his wife, but Eva reveals that she has a boyfriend, ending their budding relationship. Yet nothing prepares Eva for the devastation of the attack on Pearl Harbor as she and her fellow nurses work round the clock to save as many wounded as possible. When Clark turns up among the wounded, Eva begins to consider whether their shipboard romance was more solid than her fleeting long-distance relationship with Billy. Ackerman’s winning historical novel is fast-paced and rife with nonstop action, romance, and suspense. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Sara Ackerman

"The Lieutenant's Nurse illuminates the attack on Pearl Harbor with a riveting drama told from a unique perspective. Sara Ackerman brings a time and place to vivid life, putting a human and heroic face on events that changed history. I savored every page!" -Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Ackerman's winning historical novel is fast-paced and rife with nonstop action, romance, and suspense."-Publishers Weekly on The Lieutenant's Nurse

"Ackerman has a real talent for writing vivid descriptions and compelling characters. The reader is drawn in alongside Eva on the SS Lurline and experiences her wonder at seeing Hawaii for the first time. These beautiful scenes are sliced through as the attack begins, with the unflinching descriptions of falling bombs and wounded soldiers in the military hospital. Eva is a complex heroine, and even briefly mentioned characters are engaging and add to the story. I'm usually not a fan of romances, but I couldn't put this one down. Highly recommended." —Historical Novel Society, Editor's Choice, on The Lieutenant's Nurse

"Set against the backdrop of the attack on Pearl Harbor, The Lieutenant's Nurse is an emotional and heartfelt tale of love and courage. Depicting a dramatic period in history, Ackerman's richly detailed and evocative writing transports the reader, bringing Hawaii to life." -Chanel Cleeton, USA TODAY bestselling author of Next Year in Havana

"Ackerman writes about WWII Hawaii with vivid detail, wit, and a sense of place evocative of Kristin Hannah. She re-examines history with a provocative, nuanced and immersive narrative that is impossible to put down. Simply put, The Lieutenant's Nurse is a fantastic and enthralling read." -Emily Strelow, author of The Wild Birds

"With the wit and richness of a Beatriz Williams novel, The Lieutenant's Nurse weaves a tale of love and courage. Bittersweet and suspenseful, it offers readers a firsthand, female perspective of the harrowing days surrounding Pearl Harbor, honoring both the complexities of war and resilience of the human spirit." -Amanda Skenandore, author of Between Earth and Sky

"A close-up look at how wartime chaos affects a tight-knit group of women living on Hawaii in 1944 at the height of Pacific combat.... [Violet's] journey overcoming her trials and grief through friendship, family, and romance is a story of strength and perseverance." -Booklist on Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers

"A dramatic saga of motherhood, loss and the possibility of renewal... With a sensitive touch and an instinct for authenticity, Ackerman depicts the fraught nature of wartime relationships... mixes romance, suspense and history into a bittersweet story of cinematic proportions."-BookPage on Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers

"Strong female friendships and an unusual World War II home front setting add to this debut novel's appeal for historical fiction fans." -Library Journal on Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers

"A unique portrait of WWII... Ackerman's clear prose delineates how the ignorance that ran rampant could be healed by love. The interesting and well-crafted plot and characters carry the story while the backdrop will bring readers back in time. Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers is a novel of courage and compassion that is sure to satisfy fans of WWII literature." -RT Book Reviews

"It's hard to describe why this book simply engulfs you but it does.... Simply put, Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers is a great novel.... It tells of a time and place most of us know nothing about and keeps us entertained. It's hard to beat that combination." –Cooperstown Crier

"Set in Hawaii during World War II, the home front is maintained by women struggling to feed their families while maintaining equilibrium amidst racism and scarcity. This is merely a backdrop, however, for a mystery and a romance, as Violet provides for her daughter while hoping to learn the fate of her missing husband. Ackerman creates a time and place that ring true." -The Christian Science Monitor on Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers

From the Publisher