Secrets of the Frontline Nurses

Leonora Trilogy/Frontline Nurses #3

by Hilary Green, Holly Green (pen name)

When war comes, friendship will see them through the tough times

As the First World War rages on, Leonora has been separated from best friend Victoria as they both do their bit for the war effort volunteering for the Red Cross and as a nurse at the Front. Despite the hardships of war, Leonora is delighted to be reunited with her sweetheart Colonel Malkovic.

But her happiness is short-lived when she falls pregnant. When she finally plucks up the courage to tell him the news, tragedy strikes and he is reported missing in action. Now an expectant mother, heartbroken and alone, Leonora must turn to her friends back in England to help her through the toughest of times. Can Leonora find happiness when the country is still at war?

A moving emotional wartime saga about brave nurses on the battlefield, based on an amazing true story.

*Make sure you’ve read the other books in the Frontline Nurses Series. Frontline Nurses and Frontline Nurses On Duty are available now*

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Hilary Green is a trained actress and spent many years teaching drama. She has always written, producing novels, scripts for the BBC, and short stories, one of which one the Kythira Prize awarded by the Historical Novel Society.

When not writing she gardens, rides horses, walks in the countryside and plays bridge as well as enjoying travel and has been round the world several times. Hilary is married, a grown-up son and two grandchildren.

Reviews

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, a quick read on a very weighty subject, not that any of it is taken lightly. As I finished the book I realized that the library had it marked a ROMANCE. I didn't really think of this trilogy as a romance but I guess that was a huge portion of the stories. I was actually more interested in the historical portions, which is the whole thing. And, if I remember properly I forsaw a doomed relationship for Leo and Sasha. Well, I can be wrong.....

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Although I enjoyed this book just as much as the other two in the series, I thought it was a little bit predicatable. It did however finish of the story of the main character. I think the author did a good job in her research or the conditions of the war and the various medical organisations connected with it.

[Marilyn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant

I have read all three books in this series and loved them. Holly's storytelling is amazing , you feel you are actually there. I knew a lot about the first world war but never realised what was going on in the Balkans at the same time. I have read previous books and can't wait for more to come.

[Teresa Levett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resilience

This maybe a novel but it identifies and confirms the dedication and resilience of women in austere times and difficult conditions. The books highlight the importance of the Red Cross, FANY's and Stobart's nurses. Holly Green's research and delivery of her stories gives readers a glimpse of the reality of war and it's horrific affects on those involved.

[Anne Shine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting mix of fact and fiction about the horrific conditions and sacrifices of the WW1. In truth the Balkan’s area is still a mystery to me but it’s a very good read about the bravery of the nurses on the front line

[Cathy Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent group of stories I would recommend to anyone

[Daisy Mawdsley-hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good saga set in world war one

[Fi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read the last 'Leonora' book, but I soon picked up - and in fact read this in one sitting (and have the bags under my eyes to prove it)!

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted at The Good the Bad and the Unread:

I already raved about pretty much anything written by Hilary Green, and then she wrote this series about the conflicts between 1912 and 1918: not just the First World War, but the conflict in the Balkans that led up to it, i.e. one of my favourite authors writing one of my favourite eras. So, what can you expect from the saga? Women who get involved. Women who travel across dangerous territories by whatever means necessary. Men who may disapprove, but who love those women anyway and will generally help rather than force them to sit at home knitting scarves, packing up food parcels and waiting. This series has all that in bucket-loads and the third book was the stand-out volume.

The book picks up the story of Leonora (Leo) Malham Brown in Salonika during July 1916. Having travelled with the Serbian army during their retreat from Albania, she is once again nursing – this time with the Red Cross – in order to do her bit for the war while staying close to her lover, Colonel Count Aleksander (Sasha) Malkovic. Leo is far from your standard heroine – she spent much of the first book dressed as a boy, even fooling Sasha for many of their months as comrades-in-arms – and she refuses to stay at home in England, no matter what her brother Ralph has to say on the matter.

Leo's one concession to respectability has been to become engaged to Tom – himself in love with Ralph – on the understanding that they will never actually go through with a wedding while there is a chance she might one day marry Sasha.

Over the next two years of the war, Leo loses Sasha, has his baby, has to leave her child behind in Macedonia when she falls ill and is evacuated back to England against her will, and is reunited with her best friend Victoria (Vita) and their friend Luke (who is in love with Vita). Tom and Ralph meanwhile get caught up in the horrors of the Somme. It's grim at times, but throughout the horror there is love between the couples and among the friends. Not everyone survives – it wouldn't be a realistic WWI story if they did – but they all get to know love and success at some point.

The series also contains one of the most understated and angst-free abortion subplots I've ever read. The abortion takes place in the second book, and is only vaguely alluded to in this book, when the character in question is communicating news of her new, much-wanted, pregnancy.

As for Leo, Sasha, and their baby? Well, two of them are the main characters in the saga, what do you think?

Highly recommended to anyone who likes 20th century history, but you really ought to read the whole series back-to-back.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished the series in record time. I think it has been a while that I have read books that allow me to plow through them - or the time to do it.

The book ended pretty much as I expected with one exception - Victoria. Won't go into it due to the spoiler but suffice it to say, I have a different outlook on what should have happened to her.