Annie’s Day
By Apple Gidley
War took everything. Love never had a chance. Until now.
As an Australian Army nurse, Annie endures the brutalities of World War II in Singapore and New Guinea. Later, seeking a change, she accepts a job with a British diplomatic family in Berlin, only to find herself caught up in the upheaval of the Blockade. Through it all, and despite the support of friends, the death of a man she barely knew leaves a wound that refuses to heal, threatening her to a life without love.
Years later, Annie is still haunted by what she’d lost—and what might have been. Her days are quiet, but her memories are loud. When a dying man’s fear forces her to confront her own doubts, she forms an unexpected friendship that rekindles something she thought she’d lost: hope.
Annie’s Day is a powerful story of love, war, and the quiet courage to start again—even when it seems far too late.
Genres: Literary, Historical, Wartime, and Women’s Fiction
Pages: 300
MY THOUGHTS
When news that war may, once again, be on the horizon, reaches Annie’s family, things begin to change very quickly. Annie can’t simply sit by, when both of her brothers have joined up, offered their lives to the Australian military. She had been in nursing school anyway – she possessed life saving skills, and if her brothers were going to put their safety on the line, the least she could do was to patch up the other men risking their lives.
This novel follows Annie as she finds herself on a different kind of front line, with injured and dying men becoming the focus of her everyday. The desperation that surrounds her fills her with a daily purpose, to make these men as comfortable as possible, with the thought in the back of her mind that, should her brothers find themselves injured and seeking care, they would find the kind of care she offers out in the form of a gentle hand and a kind voice.
As the story progresses, we see Annie go from the daily horrors of Singapore and New Guinea military hospitals to life after war, when men are struggling to adapt to life back at home, and equally, the women are trying to move on from what they have endured. Annie is a character who is so very easy to like, for she is so kind and her caring nature, desperate to ease the suffering of those in pain, helps to portray a young woman determined to put good out into the world, and not afraid to put other’s needs before her own.
This novel is definitely emotional, and the people that Annie encounters on her rounds leave their mark on the reader, just as they do on Annie. Life for the nurses was not simple, nor was it remotely comfortable, but they pressed on, and their courageousness certainly comes across in this novel through Annie and her friends. Working alongside her friends brings a certain level of emotional security to Annie. Annie’s friends throughout the story are a driving force, keeping Annie sane as she encounters new horrors as bombs fall and more men are brought forward for either life-saving treatment, or comfort as their lives come to an end. Their conversations add in a touch of humour and light-heartedness, in a difficult and stressful environment, allowing them to keep on going in spite of the daily struggles they face.
This book doesn’t just focus on life during the war, though, but rather follows Annie after the war as well, when she finds herself in different countries, in particular, London and Berlin. The destruction that the cities hold, the structures and very backbones of the once great cities crumbled, shows the extent of the damages caused, and just how long it took to rebuild. The end of the war didn’t finalise unrest, and tensions continued for many years afterwards. Following Annie certainly educates the reader of what life was like for those directly affected by the war, and to what extent the damage and destruction stretched.
This is not just a novel of death and destruction, for despite the awful situations, and the lives needlessly lost and sacrificed, this story follows Annie through the ups and downs of her personal life. Falling in love, and the feelings of a first kiss, to the death of a loved one and the oppressing and overwhelming loneliness that shrouds her every waking moment, Annie’s story is one of both positivity and sorrow, but one that keeps your attention throughout, for she is such an endearing character, you start to think of yourself as her dear friend as you read, and only want the best for her.
With the addition of the few chapters of Annie in more modern years, the reader is allowed a glimpse into how her life played out, before some of the events have actually happened in the story. This certainly keeps you reading, for you are simply waiting for certain names to show up, already knowing that they are relevant, and that certain things are going to happen for the good. Throughout, Annie just doesn’t know it yet. This is definitely the kind of book that you don’t want to put down, and keeps your attention focused on it. I read the majority of this book in one day, because I just didn’t want to put it down. It is certainly emotional, and there are upsetting scenes that are enough to bring a tear to your eye, but it is also incredibly heartwarming, and the characters, Annie in particular, simply come to life as you read. If you enjoy books set during and throughout the aftermath of the second world war, this is certainly the one for you. There is so much more I could say about this book, but to keep myself from spoiling the whole thing by gushing about it, I must stop!
Anglo-Australian, Apple Gidley's nomadic life has helped imbue her writing with rich, diverse cultures and experiences. Annie’s Day is her seventh book.
Gidley currently lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her husband, and rescue cat, Bella, aka assistant editor.
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