The Nurses

Okay, so before I post about the final set of characters - the nurses - I just have to give a rather exciting update. Having sent the novel to the Writers' Workshop, I received the feedback and have made a few adjustments following the advice given. During this process, my dad discovered that he knows somebody who works for a big publishing company, and he passed the manuscript on to her last Thursday. Received feedback from her last night that she had read it and it made her cry, so she has passed it on to an editor! NYDN is one step along the way to actually getting out into the world! No guarantee yet, but is definitely a start!

So anyway, onto the last character profiles.

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“He could see why she had been avoiding her sister; the older woman wouldn’t have been particularly pleased with the girl’s choice of clothing. She had a plain grey hat rammed tightly over her curls and a shabby overcoat that made her almost unrecognisable as the sister of Mrs Peter Gale.”

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It was not only men who played an important role in the war. Women at home took over work in the fields and the factories, and volunteers travelled to the front itself to work as nurses for the wounded men of both sides. This third viewpoint of the novel follows two sisters and their journey from carefree girls to the blood-soaked saviours of their patients.

Key Characters:

Harriet Redmond: Harriet is the youngest daughter and apprentice nurse of the esteemed Dr Redmond, travelling from London to accompany her newly wed sister to her marital home in the country. Here, she is reacquainted with her childhood friend Ben Stack, who she slowly falls in love with. Feisty and reluctant to do nothing while her friends are risking their lives on the front, she volunteers as a nurse and follows them across the channel. Harriet has always felt inferior to her glamorous sister and finally finds her place caring for the wounded soldiers.

Eliza Redmond: Harriet’s older sister, Eliza is the perfect image of beauty and good society. Having married well above her family’s status, she is used to getting what she wants and has to mature quickly when her sister pulls her into a world where things are suddenly beyond her control. Volunteering with Harriet, she attempts to juggle the responsibilities of nursing her patients while still looking after her little sister. 

Thanks very much for reading, sorry this is a pretty short one - I am far too excited about this editor business!

Oh one more thing, the Writers' Workshop report thought that the title may be a little too hard to understand, suggesting that I shorten it to simply Not Yet Dead instead of Not Yet Dead Nearly. What are peoples' thoughts?

Thanks again for all the support.

Cheers,

Harry