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Nightingales #13
Nurses on Call
Tearaway Viv’s fragile truce with her grandmother is threatened when her flighty mother suddenly shows up from America and expects to pick up where she left off. It’s what Viv’s always dreamed of - but is she ready for the drama Pauline brings with her?Helen finds herself playing surrogate mother to her French niece Katrine, while keeping their family relationship a secret from the rest of the Nightingale staff. However, independent Kat is determined to do things her way, and break the rules. But underneath it all, she is lost. She is in a foreign country, still mourning the loss of her mother. She is desperate for love, but is she looking in the wrong place?At the same time, Helen is still coming to terms with the end of her marriage to David, a man she still loves. We discover the reason behind their break-up - an illness left Helen unable to have children, and she wanted to give David the chance to be a father. But can love conquer all?
- GenresHistorical Fiction
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2024
65 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Donna Douglas
35 books256 followersWelcome to my Goodreads page.
I'm the author of the Nightingale novels, a series of stories set in an East End hospital in the 1930s, published by Arrow.
The first in the series, The Nightingale Girls, follows the lives of three girls from very different backgrounds as they join the Nightingale Hospital as students. The second, The Nightingale Sisters, will be published next spring.
I'm originally from London, but I now live in the beautiful city of York.
I'm the author of the Nightingale novels, a series of stories set in an East End hospital in the 1930s, published by Arrow.
The first in the series, The Nightingale Girls, follows the lives of three girls from very different backgrounds as they join the Nightingale Hospital as students. The second, The Nightingale Sisters, will be published next spring.
I'm originally from London, but I now live in the beautiful city of York.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 21, 2024
Absolutely brilliant. Love this series.
September 29, 2024
Another brilliant Nightingale book.
It has been good to read about the Nightingale characters again and to follow their lives through their ups and downs. Catrine, William's daughter is a new character but it has been lovely to see how agendas blossomed throughout this book. She has had a lot to put up with, both at the hospital and in family matters, but it all turned out well for her in the end. This book has really tied up a lot of loose ends in the lives of the Nightingale people. I am sure there is enough to work on for another book in the series, well, at least I hope so . I do not want to say goodbye to them all, yet!!
It has been good to read about the Nightingale characters again and to follow their lives through their ups and downs. Catrine, William's daughter is a new character but it has been lovely to see how agendas blossomed throughout this book. She has had a lot to put up with, both at the hospital and in family matters, but it all turned out well for her in the end. This book has really tied up a lot of loose ends in the lives of the Nightingale people. I am sure there is enough to work on for another book in the series, well, at least I hope so . I do not want to say goodbye to them all, yet!!
October 3, 2024
Another excellent story line updating the characters
A really enjoyable read. The characters were progressing with their lives and intermingling. I loved the nosey characters the bossy characters and enjoyed how the storyline flowed
A really enjoyable read. The characters were progressing with their lives and intermingling. I loved the nosey characters the bossy characters and enjoyed how the storyline flowed
September 29, 2024
Enjoyed all of these books x looking forward to the next
October 24, 2024
There was a lot going on in this book but little matched the description given on this page. Sadly neither Viv nor Winnie who were prominent in the last book got only a few scenes sprinkled throughout. This book was almost a throwback to the original series with Dora Helen and Millie featured throughout. Helen as matron of the Nightingale, Dora with her district nursing and Millie as the mother of a student doctor and step mother of a new nurse who is the real main character here. We begin in France with Catrine caring for her dying mother. They are poor, Catrine's father is Helen's brother William who I don't remember liking much in the orginal series either. Her mother's dying wish is for her to go to England and find her father. So off she goes to London and tracks him down. After keeping her a secret for months William is forced to come clean when Helen discovers his secret and she kind of reminded me of her mother at the beginning of the book. Kind of mean and stuck up and not like the Helen we've known throughout the series. Anyway once the secret is out in the family Catrine is warmly welcomed by all but Helen and Millie's son Henry, the trainee doctor. As she was training to be a nurse in France she is taken in as a student and placed on a ward with a bigot for a ward sister.
The other story is Dora who while on duty at an antenatal clinic discovers some shocking news about herself that could upset her marriage.
Helen besides being cold toward her long lost niece is also trying to recover from the end of her marriage even though she still loves her husband dearly.
We see glimpses of Winnie and Viv mostly as they are assigned to the same wards as Catrine. Camilla the posh girl from book one is a nosy jealous gossip determined to marry Andrew another trainee doctor and Henry's roommate and she makes it clear she doesn't like Catrine at all.
With the family secret of Catrine's identity hidden, jealousy, fear and deep insecurities bubble and threaten to explode and destroy lives and careers.
As always with these books I loved every page. A lot of books don't hold your interest right to the end with the last chapter feeling like filler but this one tied up things nicely but left me wondering where the story will go. It appears that the younger generation will again take centre stage with Winnie, Viv, Henry and Catrine as Helen, Millie and Dora stepped back by the end of the book. One of the storylines about a difficult pregnancy had me looking through some history only to realize that we are arriving at the era where Thailidomide was being used on pregnant women late 50s and early 60s so I wonder if that horrific drug and it effects will feature in the next book or future books. It was a huge part of medical history in Britain. I guess I'll have to wait and see. I hear the next book is expected in late July and I can't wait for it! I'm tempted to reread the original series again if only I didn't have so much else to read.
The other story is Dora who while on duty at an antenatal clinic discovers some shocking news about herself that could upset her marriage.
Helen besides being cold toward her long lost niece is also trying to recover from the end of her marriage even though she still loves her husband dearly.
We see glimpses of Winnie and Viv mostly as they are assigned to the same wards as Catrine. Camilla the posh girl from book one is a nosy jealous gossip determined to marry Andrew another trainee doctor and Henry's roommate and she makes it clear she doesn't like Catrine at all.
With the family secret of Catrine's identity hidden, jealousy, fear and deep insecurities bubble and threaten to explode and destroy lives and careers.
As always with these books I loved every page. A lot of books don't hold your interest right to the end with the last chapter feeling like filler but this one tied up things nicely but left me wondering where the story will go. It appears that the younger generation will again take centre stage with Winnie, Viv, Henry and Catrine as Helen, Millie and Dora stepped back by the end of the book. One of the storylines about a difficult pregnancy had me looking through some history only to realize that we are arriving at the era where Thailidomide was being used on pregnant women late 50s and early 60s so I wonder if that horrific drug and it effects will feature in the next book or future books. It was a huge part of medical history in Britain. I guess I'll have to wait and see. I hear the next book is expected in late July and I can't wait for it! I'm tempted to reread the original series again if only I didn't have so much else to read.
August 9, 2025
The Nightingales series has been ongoing, focusing on the nurses of the Nightingale Hospital in London’s East End since the 1930s. This book is set in 1957, and a number of characters from the first books make a return. The young nurses Viv and Winnie who were the main characters in the last book take a back seat this time.
About the first 100 pages deal with a new character, Catrine, and her relationship to Matron Helen and Doctor William. This was glimpsed in the previous book, but it plays out in great detail here. There isn’t much hospital action here as it’s focused on these characters’ personal lives as well as William’s son Henry, now a medical student, and Millie, his wife (and friend and fellow nurse with Helen). After these relationships are temporarily settled, the action moves back to the Nightingale, focusing on Catrine’s training and experiences. There are more patient stories from there on, and I think this is where the story excels – in the interactions between the staff and patients. It’s both happy and sad. Familiar faces also return to the Nightingale, such as Helen’s estranged husband David and her friend Dora, now a district nurse.
The series is gentle and a light read. However, this is not really where you’d want to be starting the series as there is a lot of backstory (above is just the very bare bones!). I feel that the stories now are simpler and less detailed than the ones initially, or perhaps that’s just my own biased memories. It’s cosy to return to familiar characters, and catch up with their problems and feelings. Despite the first part of the novel not really being about the hospital, the ending sets up for a brand new era at the Nightingale with opportunity for new characters, as well as conflict between secondary characters (for example, a very religious board chair in an era coming up to the invention of the contraceptive pill and where botched abortions are common is going to be fiery!). Douglas writes her characters well. They are always distinguishable from each other with their own quirks and weak points, so it’s easy to love (or hate) them!
Despite the cover being reminiscent of Call the Midwife, there aren’t any nurses riding bicycles in this story that I can recall!
Weirdly enough, the blurb here on Goodreads doesn't match the story that's told in the book - do look at a blurb elsewhere if you're interested in reading.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
About the first 100 pages deal with a new character, Catrine, and her relationship to Matron Helen and Doctor William. This was glimpsed in the previous book, but it plays out in great detail here. There isn’t much hospital action here as it’s focused on these characters’ personal lives as well as William’s son Henry, now a medical student, and Millie, his wife (and friend and fellow nurse with Helen). After these relationships are temporarily settled, the action moves back to the Nightingale, focusing on Catrine’s training and experiences. There are more patient stories from there on, and I think this is where the story excels – in the interactions between the staff and patients. It’s both happy and sad. Familiar faces also return to the Nightingale, such as Helen’s estranged husband David and her friend Dora, now a district nurse.
The series is gentle and a light read. However, this is not really where you’d want to be starting the series as there is a lot of backstory (above is just the very bare bones!). I feel that the stories now are simpler and less detailed than the ones initially, or perhaps that’s just my own biased memories. It’s cosy to return to familiar characters, and catch up with their problems and feelings. Despite the first part of the novel not really being about the hospital, the ending sets up for a brand new era at the Nightingale with opportunity for new characters, as well as conflict between secondary characters (for example, a very religious board chair in an era coming up to the invention of the contraceptive pill and where botched abortions are common is going to be fiery!). Douglas writes her characters well. They are always distinguishable from each other with their own quirks and weak points, so it’s easy to love (or hate) them!
Despite the cover being reminiscent of Call the Midwife, there aren’t any nurses riding bicycles in this story that I can recall!
Weirdly enough, the blurb here on Goodreads doesn't match the story that's told in the book - do look at a blurb elsewhere if you're interested in reading.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
October 5, 2024
A brilliant story.
This is another enjoyable read from the Nightingale nurses series. Was is good to be back with the nurses old and new and to follow in their adventurers.
This is another enjoyable read from the Nightingale nurses series. Was is good to be back with the nurses old and new and to follow in their adventurers.
October 14, 2024
A brilliant read!!
It was lovely to catch up with old characters and meet new ones.
I was hooked from the beginning glad the right people got together
Can't wait for next book
It was lovely to catch up with old characters and meet new ones.
I was hooked from the beginning glad the right people got together
Can't wait for next book
December 9, 2024
The books
As a retired nurse , these books took me right back to my student days. Really enjoyed the whole series of books.
As a retired nurse , these books took me right back to my student days. Really enjoyed the whole series of books.
January 1, 2025
Nurses on call
Such a good story I couldn’t put it down, really interesting. I have recommended it to several of my friends.
Such a good story I couldn’t put it down, really interesting. I have recommended it to several of my friends.
January 4, 2025
Loved this book
February 7, 2025
Total love these books keep them coming Donna 😊
January 10, 2026
Darlington
Great series really enjoyed reading them all again the characters all came alive with their different personalities hope there will be more to come
Great series really enjoyed reading them all again the characters all came alive with their different personalities hope there will be more to come
October 11, 2024
I haven’t found a book by Donna Douglas that I don’t love. She has you hooked immediately and you can’t put the book down. You are so invested in all of the characters. I love that old characters reoccur and you get to see how their lives progress. She isn’t afraid to touch on the taboo subjects of the times either. I cannot wait for her next book x
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews