Fabulous book, moving and tender. A wonderful story, one I won't soon forget. ( )

I found this book in the Peddlers Mall. The cover compared this book to another I liked very much, so for q buck I bought it.

Absolutely wonderful. After years of WWII books, a WWI was a change of pace that dovetailed with seeing the recently released movie 1917.

Great story that resonates today as much as 100 years ago in regards to a woman's strength and abilities. ( )

Book received from GoodReads FirstReads program. Thanks for the book!

In Falling Snow was an easier read than I first imagined. And I don't mean that it was light material easy to read. But everything flowed so well. Even when we had sudden scene, POV, or timeline switches, I was able to follow along with absolutely no bumps and continue to enjoy this wonderful story. I don't think I can remember right now a book with such a free-flowing narrative and seamless story-telling.

I also enjoyed the characters immensely. Everyone felt very real, with all the quirks, faults, and love that everyday people have. Everyone was very distinct as well. From Iris' strength and deterioration to Grace's practical logic to Violet's larger than life approach to everything, every individual shone with life, vivacity, and yet intimacy as well. I really felt like I knew everyone on a very personal level.

Both WWI historical and '70's obstetrical worlds intrigued me. Learning the hard road many women doctors and professionals have had to take in both eras entertained and taught me at the same time. The author captures the triumphs and the hardships very well and makes the reader engaged in every step these women took towards their goals. I really enjoyed seeing how the individual women reacted to the struggles of their calling, from Grace's very logical approach to her friends cynicism to Frances' almost blind optimism to Violet's very hard go-getter attitude. Each individually shone in her brilliance and brought both eras to vivid life through their individual struggles.

The author kept me engaged throughout the entire book with jaw-dropping twists, realistically messy lives, and characters made for the big screen yet that also feel like I could have a coffee with them and feel at home. I learned about and got into the book because of the historical aspect but found myself enjoying so much more of it. I highly enjoyed every word and recommend this very highly. ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2014/10/review-in-falling-snow-by-mary-rose.html ( )

A beautiful, lyrical, emotional novel set during the First World War. Australian nurse Iris Crane travels to France to find her young brother, who has joined up to fight for the British. A chance meeting in Paris with Frances Ivens of the Scottish Women's Hospitals leads Iris to help with establishing Royaumont Abbey, a military hospital for French soldiers close to the front. At Royaumont, Iris becomes good friends with ambulance driver Violet Heron, falls for an enigmatic French doctor, and manages to locate her errant baby brother - but the war changes all her plans for the future. Offset against Iris' life in France is the story of Grace, Iris' granddaughter, another medical woman struggling with decisions made in the past and the implications for her family in the years to come.

Apart from the twist at the end, which I felt was unnecessary, I was absolutely bowled over by Mary-Rose MacColl's novel. Iris, Grace, Violet, and even the fictional representation of the real-life Miss Frances Ivens, are such strong yet sympathetic characters, living their lives and doing what they believe to be for the best. The author pulls no punches with depictions of the war and the devastation wreaked in the trenches and at home, and her prose is poetic without turning purple. Female doctors like Miss Ivens really risked life and reputation to set up a womens' hospital in the thirteenth century abbey, and Mary Rose MacColl's poignant embroidery around the truth of their bravery and compassion brings the past to life in a way that non-fiction accounts cannot.

Readers who enjoyed Jojo Moyes' novel The Girl You Left Behind will love this First World War counterpart. ( )