No Place for a Woman

by Val Wood

When Lucy’s parents are killed in a train crash, her kindly uncle steps in to look after the little girl – to the initial apprehension of his wife and her son. However, Lucy’s sweet, spirited charm slowly wins over her new family, and as she overcomes the trauma of her childhood, she grows up inspired to become a doctor, just like her father.

But studying medicine in London takes Lucy far from her home in Hull and the people she loves, and she has to battle to be accepted in a man’s world.

With the dark clouds of the First World War gathering on the horizon, an even greater challenge approaches. Can a woman find her place on the front line of battle? Will Lucy be able to follow her dreams – and find love – in a world shattered by war?

Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

Genres: Historical Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

Published January 12, 2017

About the author

Valerie Wood

Since winning the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her first novel, The Hungry Tide, Val Wood has become one of the most popular authors in the UK. Born in the mining town of Castleford, Val came to East Yorkshire as a child and has lived in Hull and rural Holderness where many of her novels are set. She now lives in the market town of Beverley. When she is not writing, Val is busy promoting libraries and supporting many charities. Find out more about Val Wood's novels by visiting her website: www.valeriewood.co.uk

Reviews

[Bookread2day · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a train crash Lucy was nearly four years old and was left unconscious and a broken arm but tragically her parents are killed in the train crash. Lucy went to live with her Uncle William, he was determined to do his duty by the child. William had been appointed in Joseph's will as Lucy's legal guardian and he will make sure that Lucy will be his main priority. As Lucy grows up she wants to become a doctor, just like her dad was. It is very clear while reading No Place For a Woman that the author Val Wood writes about strong women. Val has lived in Hull which is where many of her novels are set. Val Wood is Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started off slowly but when it got going it was fine. The first part of it was a bit mundane to be honest and could have been shorter I thought.
Lucy wanted to be a doctor in a time when women were expected to stay at home and rear the children and look after her husband. It was a tough decision for any woman to make and I would have like to have seen more of her struggle achieving this. We were told how difficult it was but not really shown.
When she went to the front, which is the part I was looking forward to, I felt it was a bit flat. There were some great descriptions of injuries and how they were treated but somehow it didn't grab me.
It all tied up very neatly at the end. One thing I did like however, was, when Lucy was left an orphan and was to be cared for by her Uncle and Aunt, we didn't have the stereotypical relatives who put their own child first and turned her into a burden and a duty. She was well loved and treated like one of their own.
This was a pleasant read.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first chapter of this book had me absorbed. It begins with a four year old girl, Lucy who survives a train crash that kills her parents, after first going to live with her Uncle and aunt in London, they all move to the house Lucy shared with her parents in Hull. Her kindly uncle has a step son called Oswald, who at first dislikes Lucy. The housekeeper introduces Lucy to her family and strong friendships are forged. This is when I thought this story was just my cup of tea and I looked forward to finding out what happened to Lucy. Unfortunately, the story slowed and even began to bore me, just a slow account of Lucy studying and returning home during holidays, it didn't improve during the long and difficult years of war war one, although I did think that part was well researched. Overall I have to say I was disappointed with this promising book.

[Brenda Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really found this book a fantastic read.highly recommend.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one. It started okay. I feared we'd go into Rosie Goodwin territory with a somewhat cold mother figure and angry brother figure but it didn't. Happily the threat of sexual assault wasn't used as a plot point which is getting old and kind of annoying. Anyway Lucy is our main character, at almost four years old she's a genius who speaks like an adult. She also loses her parents in a train crash and suffers a concussion. Her aunt and uncle and her aunt's son move in to take care of her. Lucy becomes good friends with Edie a cousin of the family's maid and vows to marry another of the cousins as a child. Lucy decides to become a doctor like her dad and eventually goes to war as WWI starts. This was mildly interesting but I had a hard time staying with it. The romance creeped me out. Instead of marrying someone else she chose a man who was raised as her brother all her life and that's so gross. At least in Flowers in the Attic they had trauma as an excuse. Oh well it wasn't bad had potential and I'm sure I've read better by this author.

[Jocelet Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are inspiring

When I first opened up this book it did take me a while to get in to it, but after a chapter or so I couldn't out it down, I felt I was in the story from nursing/ doctor/military trading to the front line, had me crying tears of sadness to tears of joy to tears of sadness again & it was so inspirational with what our first female doctors had to go through to get noticed & be accepted in this crazy world, it got me thinking if it wasn't for them & the fight for acceptance that they put up I may not be as lucky as I am today in having the most wonderful of female doctors imaginable, great historical context & Well worth the pennies it costs to buy.. Val Wood Respect to You...

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as am fascinated by the role of women in the war. The first section deals with Lucy's life after she is orphaned and she goes to live with her uncle. This part introduces us to all the main characters but it dragged a bit and I would preferred it to be shorter with more time spent on Lucy training to be a doctor.
The second part was much more interesting and gives a good insight into the struggle women had to become a doctor, as well as the role of nurses in the first world war.
Overall a good read that added to my knowledge of women in the war.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all Val Wood books I immediately engaged with the main character. I thought the mixing of real historical figures into the plot was sheer genius and somehow helped to place the characters ambitions into context.

The only reason it took time to read this book was a lack of time. This is a perfect book to read sitting on a lounger in the sun on holiday.

[c m bolton]

Great read

As always Val knows what we want and need. This tells the reader about different families and them coming together. It would be even better if we find out in another book how they all get on. How many babies they have and there careers. Thank you Val I loved it xxxx

[michelle reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book

Great storyline and characters in this book, as well as factual moments from World War 1. Really enjoyed the whole story. Great research by Val Wood.

[Kinsey Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing story. The determination that women had to be able to do what they wanted is incredible

[Roz Radmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lucy was very small she and her parents were in a train accident hwre her mother and father were killed . On recovering from her injuries Lucy finds that her Uncle and Aunt have come to take her home. She soon bounces back and grows to love her new family .
Lucy decides from a young age that she will become a doctor like her late father. As she grows up she finds that she must fight to become a female doctor in a man's world . Her years of hard work pay off and finally she is qualified .
Then when the first news of terrible casualties reach England after the early battles of the First World War Lucy decides that is where she is needed most .
The fields of Flanders and France are full of almost unimaginable horrors and Lucy and the other doctors and nurses out there are overwhelmed at times . Occasionally she has meetings with her cousin Oswald and they both know that they have fallen in love , but love has no place near a battlefield . They will have to wait until this bloodbath of a war has ended before they can explore their new relationship , if they survive till then .

[Wendy Jakob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a genre of book I'd usually read but a book club challenge was to read a book set during WW1. This starts before that but it does cover the period during the war too.

It's an easy read and although I'm sure some of the facts are correct, the blurb suggests it's about the battle for a woman to become a doctor during those times and I felt the training period was glossed over. There was a great deal written about the interview process but very little about the actual training. And then she was off to France in the thick of things.

If you like historical novels with a medical theme and a bit of romance thrown in you'll probably enjoy this but for me it was a case of ticking a box.

[Jan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful story.

Another wonderful story from this great author. After reading her very first book I was hooked; now I am working my way through every book she has written and each one is just as exciting as the previous one. I just love the way she brings her characters to life, and you feel as though you know each one of them, and live through their experiences. I cannot wait to start the next one!

[Earl Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rating this book with 3.5 stars but I'll just round it off. Lucy is such an inspiring character and I love Edie's enthusiasm! There are a lot of deaths involved in this book which was distressing and there are characters popping up here and there and I tend to forget their names and get so confused whenever this or that character pops up 😅(I'm bad at remembering names). Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the book and the ending surprised me.

[Narelle Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a light and interesting read. Some interesting and likeable characters combined with the story of a young woman who studied medicine and then travelled to French battle fields in WWI to treat injured soldiers. I found that the narrative skimmed the surface of the struggles to study medicine at the turn of the century as well as the true horrors or war.

[mrs ruth mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb read.

I really enjoyed reading this book it was well written and a lot of history of the war years , what each character has to physically go through in their professions.,and of course a love story also.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read. I enjoy Val Wood books because of local interest but like Catherine Cookson books, they are definitely more romance than historical. I'm not saying they're not well researched but they are formulaic, the poor girl always marrying way above her class, which just isn't realistic.

[Suganya D · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much inspiring, lively, romantic and patriotic.

Women's in the story will live forever in your heart Lucy, Edie, Nora, Dolly, Rose, Milly, Mary, Ada, Eleanore, Alice, Elizabeth etc.,

[pauline bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable

Nice book interesting and keeps you thinking about it have read other books by the author and all very good

[jackie thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me very slow all about war no depth to it

[Mrs Janet M Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Showed the determination of women to be declared equal in the medical profession and to serve in the war. A great read of love and romance that comes through adversity

[Daphne Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Very interesting reading the struggle of women doctors before and during world war 1. They were then regarded as equal to men in their profession.

[De Beresford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read

Enjoyed reading this novel........in fact couldn't put it down! Such a lot of interesting facts and not always obvious outcomes.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable story.

[amy hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A constant challenge to be seen as good as her Male colleagues.
A great read of determination, heart break and success

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written with interesting historical facts throughout

[Sandra Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read of true love, family

[Debra Reedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out strong and interesting, but there seem to be no real plot other than the challenges of WWI.

[Rebekah Doostdar-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story about a woman following her dreams at a time when women were not encouraged to do so. A reap feel good book