“Call Nurse Millie” by Jean Fullerton Cover Reveal

By Ruth on May 25, 2013 in blog tour, book, promo
0
0

 

(note:  my old site scheduled this but never posted it, and I just found it.)
Call
Nurse Millie by Jean Fullerton
It’s 1945 and, as the troops begin to
return home, the inhabitants of London
attempt to put their lives back together. For 25-year-old Millie, a qualified
nurse and midwife, the jubilation at the end of the war is short-lived as she
tends to the needs of the East End community
around her. But while Millie witnesses tragedy and brutality in her job, she
also finds strength and kindness. And when misfortune befalls her own family,
it is the enduring spirit of the community that shows Millie that even the
toughest of circumstances can be overcome.
Through Millie’s eyes, we see the harsh
realities and unexpected joys in the lives of the patients she treats, as well
as the camaraderie that is forged with the fellow nurses that she lives with.
Filled with unforgettable characters and moving personal stories, this vividly
brings to life the colourful world of a post-war East
London.
An absorbing and richly detailed novel
following the life and work of a young nurse in post-war East London – perfect
for anyone who loved CALL THE MIDWIFE.
Available
from:
 
Excerpt:
Millie Sullivan pushed an escaped curl of
auburn hair from her eyes with the back of her hand. She wished she’d put on
her cotton petticoat under her navy blue uniform instead of the rayon one.
Although the milk float was only just rolling along the street, it was already
sweltering hot.

With a practised hand Millie
wrapped the newborn infant in a warm towel. ‘There we go, young lady, say hello
to your ma.’

She handed the child to the woman
propped up in the bed. Mo Driscoll, already mother to four lively boys, took
the baby.

‘Thank you, Sister,’ she said,
tucking her daughter into the crook of her arm and gazing down at the baby.
‘Isn’t she beautiful?’

‘She’s an angel,’ Mo’s mother,
standing on the other side of the bed, replied. ‘And a welcome change.’ She
looked at Millie. ‘I’ll clear up, Sister. You look done in.’

‘I am, but thankfully it’s my
last night on call.’ Millie handed a parcel of newspaper containing soiled
gauze to the older woman. ‘Could you pop these on the fire?’

‘To be sure.’ She took the
packet and threw it in the zinc bucket alongside the dirty linen. ‘That
superintendent works you nurses too hard. You should try and put your feet up
when you get back.’

Millie smiled. Chance would be
a fine thing.

She plopped her instruments
into the small gallipot half-filled with Dettol, took off her gloves and
glanced at her watch. Eight-thirty a.m.!

Thank goodness. She’d be back by
the time Miss Summers gave out the day’s work. Also, as Annie Fletcher, the
trainee Queen’s Nurse student assigned to Millie, was laid up with tonsillitis,
Millie had given a couple of Annie’s morning insulin injection visits to Gladys
to do, and she wanted to make sure she’d done them.

‘Do you know what you’re going
to call her?’ Millie asked Mo, washing her hands in the bowl balanced on the
rickety bedside table.

‘Colleen, after me mum,’ she replied.

Mother and daughter exchanged
an affectionate look and Mille glanced at her watch again.

She ought to get on, as she’d
promised her own mum that she’d pop home in time for Churchill’s announcement
at three p.m.

Her parents, Doris and Arthur,
only lived a short bus ride away in Bow but, as Millie had two newborns to
check plus a handful of pregnant women to see before she swapped her midwifery

bag for her district one for her afternoon visits, it would be a close-run
thing.

Millie packed the four small
enamel dressing-bowls inside each other, then stowed them in her case between
her scissors and the bottle of Dettol. She snapped the clasp shut.

‘I’ll call back tomorrow, but
if there’s any problem just ring Munroe House to get the on-call nurse,’ Millie
said, squeezing down the side of the bed towards the door.

Like so many others in East London, the Driscolls’ home was just the two
downstairs rooms in an old terraced house that Hitler’s bombs had somehow
missed.

Colleen took the manila
envelope tucked into side of the dressing table mirror and passed it to Millie.
She opened it and took out two crumpled ten-shilling notes, popping them into
the side pocket of her bag.

‘Thank you’ said Millie. ‘I’ll mark it in
when I get back to the clinic.’

Author
bio
Jean Fullerton is the author of four
previous historical novels, which were set in Victorian East London. Her book
have won a number of awards and been shortlisted in national competitions. A
native East Ender, she is also a qualified District and Queen’s nurse who has
spent most of her working life in the East End of London, first as a Sister in
charge of a team, and then as a District Nurse tutor. She is also a qualified
teacher and now lectures on community nursing studies in a London university.
Find out more at www.jeanfullerton.com
FOLLOW ME
Spread the love
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Subscribe To My Daily Newsletter

Receive the latest interviews and reviews from the film, TV, and writing community!

Invalid email address
You can unsubscribe at any time.

About the Author

RuthView all posts by Ruth
“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” — Franz Kafka Ruth is an inspirational entertainment journalist who instinctively sees the best in all and seeks to share universal beauty, love and positivity. She is an artist who leads with her heart and gives readers a glimpse of the best of this world through the masterful use of the written word. Ruth was born in Tacoma, Washington but now calls Yelm, Washington her home. She lives on five acres with her parents, a dog, two miniature goats, cats and a teenage daughter who is a dynamic visual artist herself. Ruth interviews fellow artists both inside and outside of the film/television industry. At the core of all she does is the strength of her faith.

0 Comments

Add comment

Leave a Reply

Please know that comment moderation is in effect on this site. Comments may not appear immediately. Also, please note that any negative attacks on people, networks, or other comments that are deemed "inappropriate" or "overtly negative" may be removed and/or edited by the administrator.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

CommentLuv badge