A Child at the Door

by Maggie Bennett

When nurse Mabel Court enters the Booth Street Infirmary, her future looks bright—this is the opportunity that she has always dreamt of. But it is August 1914, and her world is about to be turned upside down. As war rages across Europe, she and her friends try to keep their spirits up. But when Mabel's fiance Harry is wounded at the battle of the Somme, and returns home shell-shocked, Mabel realizes that the life she and Harry had always hoped for is now impossible.

432 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very absorbing read

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is set between 1914 and 1919 and it is the story of Mable Court and her friends Nora McLoughlin & Maude Ling. It takes us through the changes in their lives and those of their friends and work colleagues.

Mable and Nora met while doing their nursing training and Maude was a childhood friend of Mable’s. Mable is walking out with Captain Harry Drover, a Captain in the Salvation Army, Nora meets and falls in love with Mable’s brother Able Seaman Albert Court and Maude is walking out with Alex Redfern, a pilot. It is the story of their lives and their coming to grip with the ravages of war.

Harry comes back from the Somme wounded and severely shell-shocked, Albert is lost at sea when his ship went down and Alex’s plane is shot down.

There are a lot of secondary characters that are very good too. Dr Steven Knowles, Mable’s aunts and her sister’s Daisy and Alice and Harry’s sister.

I loved this story it has its sad and happy moments and it has a happy ending. I like a happy ending.

[Northern Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book featured Mabel who is training to be a nurse amidst the ravages of WWI. It brings to live the very real pain of waiting for news of a loved one while trying to live a normal life. Charecterisation was exceptional, they felt like real people. If you like dramas of the war period, nursing , coping through traumatic events or just a good story then this is te book for you.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I didn't realise until I'd finished it that it was the follow-up book to "A child's voice calling" and, had I known, I would have read that book first. However, it didn't take away the enjoyment of reading it.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book set around a nurse during the first world war. A great book which shows great nursing and morals of people. An easy read and i look forward to reading some of Maggie Holts other material.

[Laura avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it couldn't put it down, i adore war time books from a female prospective, heart warming and tragic, compelling also. Make me greatful for the nhs and advances in medicene.

[Vikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read. A tale that constantly has you gripped and on edge in an unusual way. A tragic war-time story that has an ending that only becomes predictable in the last few pages.