Books matching: maternity ward setting
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- #1
Save:The Women's Decameron by Julia Voznesenskaya is a modern-day version of Boccaccio's Decameron, where ten women share their stories daily for ten days while quarantined in a maternity ward. The tales cover a wide range of moods and styles, exploring different aspects of women's lives from poverty, lack of education, love, security, and unhappiness. Through the clever choice of diverse characters like an engineer, secretary, stewardess, and tramp, the book delves into various themes such as first love, assault, seduction, unfaithfulness, revenge, generosity, and more. The narratives provide insight into Russian culture, especially women's lives, post-WWII, offering a nuanced portrayal of the characters and their interactions.
Voznesenskaya's writing style in The Women's Decameron is highly imaginative and witty, with each tale described as a little pearl that could be developed into a novel or short story. The book is structured to allow readers to pick it up and put it down easily, with a deeper continuity within the work as the stories progress day by day. The author's brave challenge to societal norms and her ability to encapsulate a wide spectrum of emotions and themes such as sensuality, vulgarity, love, cruelty, sentiment group, and more make this novel a compelling read that sheds light on the state of Soviet society during its decline.
- #2
Save:Set in Dublin during the 1918 flu pandemic, "The Pull of the Stars" by Emma Donoghue follows Nurse Julia Power as she navigates the challenges of a maternity ward filled with pregnant women suffering from the flu. The story delves into the harsh realities of the time, highlighting poverty, illness, and the impact of the Catholic Church on women's lives. Through detailed descriptions and a focus on historical events, the novel captures the struggles of the characters as they face life and death situations in a Catholic-run hospital.
The narrative is driven by the interactions between Nurse Julia, a rebel doctor named Dr. Kathleen Lynn, and a young volunteer named Bridie Sweeney, who bring different perspectives and experiences to the forefront. As they work together to care for the patients in the ward, the book explores themes of friendship, resilience, and the fight for survival amidst the turmoil of post-war Dublin and the deadly influenza outbreak.
STILL HOURS OF DARK to go when I left the house that morning. I cycled through reeking Dublin streets that were slick with rain. My short green cape kept off the worst, but my coat sleeves were soon w...
