An Ocean Apart

Absolutely loved it.The characters had me hooked from the start and I couldn’t even tell you who was my favourite because I was totally invested with each of them and their journeys. How hard they worked, their ups and downs, how they totally believed in what they were doing and carried on regardless of any struggles, I won’t lie it had me all emotional.This book took me on a historical journey of a time, I regretfully admit, I knew little about. This is an amazing part of our history that definitely needs to be heard.An absolutely beautiful read and sincerely hoping another one is to follow.

Sarah Lee's story of three young women from the Caribbean coming to 1950s Britain to work as NHS nurses is a wonderfully heart-warming read. The characters are instantly likeable, and you are immediately drawn into their world as they find themselves in a cold, grey country training to be nurses. They also have to deal with racism, something the story doesn't hold back in revealing. Sarah uses her own mother's history as a Windrush NHS nurse to bring authenticity and compelling detail to the story.

I'd been looking for a few novels based around historical events and this one appeared on a couple of recommendation lists.The book has 324 pages split into 25 chapters - first published in 2021.This is a debut novel, based on the personal experiences of the author's family. The book has not been widely reviewed (although reviews are generally positive) so I'm guessing that it has not been widely read.This is a story that has been told before. Of course, it is important that we reflect back to how people were treated when they came over to England and novels are a good way to do that.Unfortunately this book didn't work for me as the characters were stereotypical - seeming that they had been written to tick specific boxes.There were many occasions where we were given information that could have been worked out by any intelligent reader. I could see that the author had a passion for the subject but needs to learn to treat readers with respect - a book is always more engaging when you have to work things out for yourself rather than being handed the plot on a plate.The dialogue is OK but nothing special and I got bored with the characters, so the book failed for me.I could see that the author had done a lot of research and I celebrate her reasons for wanting to write the novel so it's a shame it wasn't better.

An enjoyable read which I found interesting.

Learning about the start of the NHS and how the people from the Caribbean came to help out, and the bad way they were treated

I bought this book to read on holiday and read it in 48 hours as I couldn’t put it down. Hopes and dreams are at the heart of this story, but as it is in real life, not everything goes exactly to plan. There are some twists and turns along the way and that keeps the book very engaging. The characters are bought to life well and are relatable. It was a brave thing to travel halfway across the world, often alone, to start a new life in a country that sometimes wasn’t as welcoming as it should have been. An interesting story and I’m left wondering what happens next to my favourite characters.

I loved everything about this book! Learning about such an important time in history through the lives of three such wonderful characters. It's a very cosy read, I finished it in two sittings. I'd love a sequel to find out where they all go next.

I could almost have written this bookI loved all the stories in this book I am 86 but the nurse training and life was just as it was when I trained.

Great read. This is the story that tens of thousands can relate too. The great migration plays a great part of a lot of Americans today. Lots of West Indian parents came here to the US after they left there and the stories still go on. This is a story for the grand and great grand children of today.

I felt that the beginning of the story was drawn out. The author could have spent more time developing the different plot twists that appeared at the last 1/3 of the book. She did good with the character development, but the plot was overall underwhelming.