Pg. 137 “Nurse bulling is a significant problem in many corners of the world, etc. Worldwide, experts have estimated that one in three nurse quits her job because of it, and that bullying—not wages—is the major cause of a global critical nursing shortage.”

Relating to any of the characters was pretty much impossible. It felt like watching a slow thriller on the screen. That should’ve been a plus, but since it was too slow, the effect got diluted. Stephen and Marian are a typical long time married couple, leading an ordinary life, but their relationship has grown stagnant and stressful. Their daughter Nell works as a nurse at the hospital nearby, and though they aren’t super on top of each other, she remains fairly close to her mother, despite moving out a few years ago to live with her best friend and have some of the adventures her mother never had. The blurb seems to be taking the story in a very different direction from what it is. Nell is not the primary character for most of the story, which comes to us mainly from the pov of Marian and “Him”. Okay, wow! This was a lot. I have so many thoughts. So first of all, the cover is lovely but the book needed a better name and summary. I think people will skip it thinking it’s about nursing or a medical drama. That’s actually what I had in mind when I requested it but I liked this much more.

By the author of Call the Midwife, this is a series of essays about death – from euthanasia to the requirement of hospitals to resuscitate even frail and dying patients. Some chapters are love stories, others brutally explicit about how, as a society, we often get death wrong. Worth writes with searching authority about a subject she believed we all need to get much better at talking about. She died in 2011, meeting her end with the courage and dignity her book advocates. The events in the book do bring up unpleasant memories of situations of fear and harassment that women all over have endured because of the perverted view of certain men who try to find their own worth, in the pain of the women around them. The author's note at the end of the book provides a condensed insight into the 'incel' community, ensuring that it isn't simply fiction, but an existing and escalating movement of 'women-haters.' J’ai passé un bon moment avec ce roman. J’étais très intriguée par ce « lui » et je me demandais qui il était vraiment. Je dois bien dire que j’ai été très surprise en apprenant son identité. La mère de Nell est très présente et j’ai été très touchée par cette femme qui ne veut qu’une chose : retrouver sa fille. Mais dans ce moment de tension, elle va aussi remettre toute sa vie en question. Everyone has secrets, and some are too dangerous to hide in the dark. The world of the dark web can be a safe place to vent frustrations, but only until things don’t go out of hand. What happens when a single post spirals things out of control?

In a Nutshell: The story is sinister and creepy. The writing style needed to be crisper. But it’s still a thriller worth reading. Kortext is an e-book platform that gives you access to hundreds of books for NHS staff and learners including collections on sustainability, wellbeing and resilience and equality and diversity. There are lots of books on the Kortext platform for nurses and midwives including: Although there are many stories in the book from many interviews the author follows four nurses closely. Lara, Molly, Juliette, and Sam are nurses who are very different but all of them are very compassionate and dedicated to their work. Although they try to do what is right they are still human. For example one of them is in recovery for substance abuse who is surrounded by temptation everywhere at work. There is also an affair with a doctor and a situation of bullying while another is tired of being tired and feeling exploited. Their stories show how the exposure to trauma as well as death on a regular basis can take a toll on anyone.The ending is somewhat plain and simple, and could have been better. However, I much prefer this instead of a far-fetched twist. Nursing is more than a career; it is a calling. Nurses are remarkable. Yet contemporary literature largely neglects them.