The Nightingale Nurses

By: Donna Douglas

Narrated by: Penelope Freeman

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

It's the final year of training for three young nurses at The Nightingale Hospital. Helen is at a crossroads in her life as she battles with her domineering mother over both her love life and her future career. Dora can't stop loving Nick, who is married to her best friend, Ruby. Millie is anxious about her fiancé, sent to Spain to cover the Civil War, and things only get worse when she encounters a fortune teller who gives her a sinister warning.

With war looming in Europe, and the East End of London squaring up to the threat of Oswald Mosley's blackshirts, the women of the Nightingale have to face their own challenges, at work and in love.

©2013 Donna Douglas (P)2014 Soundings

Still interested, but a bit disappointed

This one isn't as light hearted as the other two-a beloved character passes away and others from the previous books are rarely seen. I didn't like the way two characters developed. Tom Armstrong goes from a guilt ridden, concerned older brother to a bully and Helen's mother is suddenly a protective loving mother after her history is reveled while for two books and a half books she has been a cold, cruel, manipulate and overbearing witch. I don't like it when characters make such a drastic change. I'm still going to listen to the next one though-

a totally wonderful listen..

What made the experience of listening to The Nightingale Nurses the most enjoyable?

The story was addictive as I followed each nurse as they not only dealt with life on the wards but also their personal lives had me gripped. This is the third book in this fantastic series and the nurses who we met in the first book are coming to the end of their training it was thrilling to learn about what life was like back then for not only the nurses on the wards but the many different treatments which they firmly believed in along with the hero worshipping of the doctors was so fascinating and totally unbelievable.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dora was my favourite as she had so much to deal with at home, my heart ached for her - yet her love for being a nurse kept her going as she deals with the Sisters who ran the wards yet she would have done anything to ease a patient's pain.

What about Penelope Freeman’s performance did you like?

Penelope Freeman is now one of my favourite narrator - I could sit and listen to her narrating the phone book as with her vivid ear for accents and characters she acted out she separate character by changing her tone of voice and she did it so well I felt she did so well I was sitting on the side-lines watching a play taking place.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Thrilling yet heart-wrenching throughout...

Any additional comments?

I loved this series of books in audio, and even though I have previously read the series the audio opened up this series in a new and very engaging way.

Well written and an engaging story

I found the nightingale stories really addictive to listen too. Donna Douglas writes really well and the narration by Penelope Freeman is the best I ever listened to. She's really adept at changing her voice to suit different characters.

A Heart Puller

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes if you would like to be totally hooked and listen to this in one sitting, my emotions were tugged in all directions.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favourite character was Charlie he made some tough decisions before he died on more than one occasion.

What does Penelope Freeman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

She had a great way of bringing the characters to life with her different voices and keeping you hooked to the book.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me cry on more than one occasion, it had a very emotional storyline.

Any additional comments?

Fantastic book

Excellent performance

A lovely story and the narrator brings the characters to life once again. Obviously, read the first 2 books before this one, I can wait for the next book.