Ambitious young nurse Agnes Sheridan had a promising future ahead of her until a tragic mistake brought all her dreams crashing down and cost her the love and respect of everyone around her. Now she has come to Leeds for a fresh start as a trainee district nurse. But Agnes finds herself facing unexpected challenges as she is assigned to Quarry Hill, one of the city’s most notorious slums. Before she can redeem herself in the eyes of her family, she must first win the trust and respect of her patients and fellow nurses.
Does Agnes have what it takes to stay the distance? Or will the tragedy of her past catch up with her?
Eagle eyed followers of the blog will have noticed that I have reviewed most of the Nightingales series from Donna Douglas although I am a couple behind which I hope to read before the next book The Nightingale Christmas Show is published later this year. I have to confess that I've had this first book in her new Steeple Street series on my Kindle since last year so when I was asked to be part of her latest blog tour it was the perfect time to finally read The Nurses on Steeple Street.
When Agnes first arrives in Steeple Street from London, via Manchester, she is like a fish out of water, her posh accent and training at the prestigious Nightingale hospital stand for nothing in the back streets of Leeds where she'll have to fight hard to earn the locals trust. And it doesn't help that she seems to have made an enemy from day 1 in her supervisor Bess Bradshaw who sniffs out that there is more to the story behind Agnes' arrival in Leeds and she's determined to find out what the secret is.
Like the Nightingales series I immediately felt myself drawn into the lives of the characters, not just Agnes, Bess and the other nurses, but also the families of Quarry Hill that she encounters on a daily basis who despite their living conditions were determined to make the best of what they had. They might not have much but they had their pride and so they fought hard against Agnes and some of her methods until she finally proves herself to them. One of my favourite characters was Isaiah Shapcott who certainly made quite a first impression on Agnes but also underwent a total metamorphosis under Agnes' care.
A great start to a new series from Donna Douglas that includes everything I've come to expect in her saga stories, family drama, heartbreak, love and of course plenty of humour throughout. And the good thing about reading this story a year late is that I can continue straight away with the next book District Nurse on Call.
I'd like to Arrow for my review copy of The Nurses of Steeple Street which I received via NetGalley.
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