Review by Booklist Review
Inspired by a trailblazing woman she researched for her previous novel, Band of Sisters (2021), Willig tells the tale of an American archaeologist turned war nurse at the dawn of the twentieth century who finds herself caught up in two foreign wars. In 1896, fresh from graduating Smith college, heiress Betsy Hayes travels to Athens to study Greek archaeology only to be derided by her male classmates. She finds a safe haven lodging with a wealthy Greek woman, but soon her heart and life are in jeopardy when she falls in love with an older, married French archaeologist and throws herself into volunteer work as a nurse in the Greek fight for independence from Turkey. Willig jumps back and forth between 1896 and 1898, when Betsy once again volunteers as a wartime nurse, this time in the conflict between Spain and Cuba, with the hope of saving her estranged friend, Ava, from the horrors of war. Willig delivers yet another engrossing historical yarn, replete with surprising twists and compelling romances.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Willig (Band of Sisters) delivers a winning epic of war and friendship in the late 19th century. The nonlinear timeline begins with Betsy Hayes, a Smith College graduate and aspiring archaeologist, boarding a boat for Cuba in 1898, determined to stop her estranged friend, Ava, from taking a dangerous nursing post during the Spanish American War. Betsy had already witnessed the horror of the Greco-Turkish War, and though the details don't come out until later, Betsy believes her own life is of little value. In flashbacks to Athens, where Betsy had traveled two years earlier hoping to work on a dig, she meets Charles de Robecourt, a charming married archeologist who gives her a leg up (they also have an affair, and she falls in love with him). But Betsy's choice to become a nurse when war breaks out in Greece drives a wedge between her and Ava, who doesn't think Betsy is cut out for the work, and she faces further heartache involving Charles. Willig's strong character work and extensive research on the Smith College Relief Unit brings Betsy to vivid life. The harrowing battle details, too, are spot on, from the Spaniards' smokeless gunpowder to the menacing whine of a Mauser bullet. Readers will devour this riveting tale. (Mar.)
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