I don't know what to say. This book was beautiful and awe-inspiring. With the main theme of reaching for your dreams and the expectations of others, this book will resonate with many.
The characters! They were amazing and developed extremely well. Their emotions come across on the page and so do their hopes and dreams.
I normally don't mention plot as much, but this one was very interesting. Across a Broken Shore is set during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Another major part of the story is the introduction of women physicians. They and their struggles were portrayed very well.
Trigger warning: this is a book about medicine and some parts get a bit bloody. Nothing is graphic, but situations are described.
(I would also recommend you to go read Amy Trueblood's debut novel, Nothing but Sky.)
Rating; 5 Stars
Content: 2 Stars
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. ( )

I really love this book. I was enthralled in the entire story line and never wanted to put it down. Willa I saw so much of myself as a daughter of immigrants in her though we are over 80 years apart in time. I was thinking nice no love scenario but then comes Sam I mean i think everyone deserves a good time so I guess its fine. I loved how I could feel and visualize the trauma within the family. There are various topics: education, roles of women & their rights, abortion, sex, culture, religion, addiction, poverty, I mean I see so much connection between that time period and now the only difference is the race & culture. I was sad to see some characters not make it. I was shocked by paddy but happy for him none the less. The entire MacCarthy family really have a lot to work through. Therapy and the medical treatment of all women. I have never wanted to be a doctor. I hope more good doctors like Winston exisit in the real world because with these laws set against so many and the divide in care its always needed. Thank you Amy Trueblood and really such an iconic name. ( )

This is about as good as YA historical fiction can get. Granted, I've walked from Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge, but the author's description makes that part of San Francisco come alive in the reader's mind. Great accuracy and detail, engaging characters and a storyline that easily pulls in readers. This deserves a place in many library collections. ( )

Willa MacCarthy is drawn to medicine. Despite the fact that her Irish-Catholic family expects her to become a nun, she finds a way to work secretly with Dr. Katherine Winston. Together, they work in a field hospital near the Golden Gate bridge, which is in the middle of construction. Torn between medicine and her family, Willa must make a choice.

I loved the setting of this book. Great Depression era San Francisco was a fascinating setting. I don't know that I've read any other books set here. Willa, although a bit whiny, was a good character, who showed tremendous growth throughout the book. Overall, well worth picking up. ( )

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood
Source: NetGalley and Flux
Rating: 5/5 stars

Willa McCarthy has known for much of her life that her life is not her own. As the only daughter of a large Irish-Catholic family, it is Willa’s duty and responsibility to honor the family by taking vows to become a nun. What’s more, even if Willa wanted to escape her duty and responsibility, her family has made it clear, that isn’t an option and certainly not the actions of a good girl.

For Willa, the prospect of taking vows and living out the remainder of her life trapped inside a convent is nothing short of a prison sentence. Though Willa believes in God, she knows He hasn’t called her to service as a nun. What’s more, Willa truly believes her calling is to medicine, but to travel that road would not only disappoint her parents but likely see her shunned by her family. Since she encountered her first medical textbook, Willa has been fascinated with the subject and spends every available moment not just reading the text, but studying, learning, and memorizing. To become a doctor would require tremendous sacrifice, time, effort, and money, and Willa just isn’t sure those options are available to her.

Dr. Katherine Winston isn’t your average doctor. Above all else, she is a woman working in a predominately male world and struggles each and every day to be accepted among her peers. She has fought tooth and nail, at great personal cost for her position and her practice and she isn’t going to let it all slip away. Meeting Willa and seeing her enthusiasm for medicine bolsters Dr. Winston and encourages her to ask Willa to work alongside her as an apprentice of sorts. Though working with Dr. Winston will require no small amount of lies and deceptions, Willa is thrilled with the opportunity. As Dr. Winston believes in a teaching by doing method, it isn’t long before Willa is up to her elbows in all manner of illnesses and injuries. The work is exhilarating and exhausting but ever so worth it every time a patient leaves the practice feeling better.

Each day with Dr. Winston is a gift Willa feels has a very short life expectancy. Willa is so very torn between two worlds, her work with Dr. Winston and her duty and responsibility as a member of her family. To work with Dr. Winston means Willa is making a difference in the world, but it also means she is constantly and consistently lying to her family, hiding from them a vital part of her existence. As it happens, Willa’s secret doesn’t remain so for long. As a part of her work with Dr. Winston, Willa is often called to the small clinic set up for injuries incurred while work on the Golden Gate Bridge is being completed. The work is exciting, often dangerous, and always comes with the risk of Willa being found out by brothers who work on the bridge. As with working in the clinic, the risk is well worth the reward and every day, every incident, every injury teaches Willa something more about medicine and where her heart truly lies.

The Bottom Line: Historical fiction has long been a favored genre for me, and this book certainly fit the bill. I make a habit of reading the author’s notes when the genre is historical fiction and I was glad to read just how much of this book is based on reality. Every character, even the purely fictional characters, read as perfectly authentic and real. The setting is brilliantly described yet not so much that the landscape and setting take over the story. From beginning to end there is a very real sense of dread and danger, dread that Willa will be found out and danger from the bridge building to the consequences of Willa’s actions. Enhancing the truly fascinating medical side of the story is the very real family and romantic situations Willa finds herself a part of. This story really does have something for everyone and is an excellent example of what historical fiction should be. I have high hopes for Amy Trueblood and look forward to her next historical offering. ( )