Due to the shortage of doctors, Julia sometimes must collaborate with young doctors who have less experience treating pregnant women, which can be frustrating to her.

So guard your face” (73), which shows that, for Julia, a calm and reassuring demeanor is just as important when working as a nurse as medical procedures. She even tells Bridie, “If a nurse looks worried, patients will worry. Every day, Julia rides her bike to the tram station and commutes. Julia lives with her younger brother Tim, a World War I veteran. The novel begins on October 31, 1918, the day before Julia’s 30th birthday. When Bridie first comes to help at the hospital, Julia carefully shows her how to clean equipment and wash her hands, showing how seriously she takes her work. Julia Power, the novel’s protagonist and first-person narrator, is a nurse working in a major hospital in Dublin in 1918. Julia is a skilled and experienced nurse. Moving, gripping and dazzlingly written - Stylist Dublin, 1918. ‘The Pull of the Stars,’ by Emma Donoghue: An Excerpt Buy Book When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. The Pull of the Stars is set during three days in a maternity ward at the height of the Great Flu. During the novel, Julia is assigned to oversee the small, makeshift Maternity/Fever ward for pregnant women infected with the 1918 influenza virus. Description The Sunday Times bestseller and Richard & Judy Book Club Pick, from the acclaimed author of Room. Julia began working as a nurse at age 21 and specializes in midwifery. Every day, Julia rides her bike to the tram station and commutes to work at the hospital.

Julia Power, the novel’s protagonist and first-person narrator, is a nurse working in a major hospital in Dublin in 1918.

A pull of the stars