The Lieutenant’s Nurse

by Sara Ackerman

Paperback: 352 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (March 5, 2019)

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Eva had been shown a Pro-kit— sulfa ointment, directions, and a soaped-up cloth— and told to hand them out to every soldier who left the hospital. A Good Soldier Will Not Get Venereal Disease was stamped across the front.

Murmurs erupted and the room cleared faster than if someone had let loose a bagful of snakes.

He felt as though he were watching a war movie, his eyes unable to believe what he saw. He kept thinking about that first Zero and how close it had been. The bastard had actually waved. That face, he would never forget.

I swear to you, that morgue right there is enough to turn anyone against a war. Even the most hardened general. You ask me, it ought to be required visiting for those folks.

 My Review:

This was an engaging and poignantly written tale which combined fact and fiction, although, there were more surprising factual events than I was ever aware of or would have expected. The premise was unique and entertaining, with writing that squeezed my heart while continually plucking at my curiosity. I enjoyed the well-crafted mystery as well as the interplays between characters as much as I appreciated the historical significance of the story. Ms. Ackerman’s characters were complicated, smart, disarmingly endearing, and well fleshed out. Her scenes were lushly described and well textured to involve and employ all the senses. And despite the traumatic backdrop of the carnage of war, the emotional tone was generally well-balanced with surprising twists and unexpected bursts of wit tucked in.

I live in Hawaii and though I wasn’t around during the attack on Pearl Harbor, I am old but not that old, it was several levels beyond cool to read a book that mentioned quintessential local landmarks that were familiar and special to me. Some are no longer standing such as the iconic Dole Cannery water tower, which was shaped and painted like a pineapple; where else in the world would you ever see one of those? Having trod many of the same steps, it was supremely pleasing to be able to read of the locales they frequented and know exactly where they were and what it looked like. I’ve also sucked back drinks at sunset at the illustrious Royal Hawaiian Hotel, which is still lovely and still pink. And I could hear the crunch and taste the pleasant crispness as the nurses snacked on Saloon Pilot crackers, which are the absolute best and still baked fresh in Honolulu. Reading that scene had me cheating on my diet while digging my own tin out of the pantry and grabbing the guava jelly for an afternoon treat. That extra pound on the scale tomorrow will be blamed on Sara Ackerman’s charismatic storytelling.