The Angels of Lovely Lane

The setting is the St. Angelus Hospital, Liverpool, England; the date is 1953; and the plot centers on three young nursing students. Pammy grew up on the docks in a warm, loving family. Dana came from an Irish farm where the future she faced was of drudgery and an abusive husband. Victoria is the sole child of a bankrupt aristocrat. Malevolence, in the form of fellow student Celia, will bring certain trouble for these kindly, hardworking girls, as they learn the difficult coursework and cope with the hospital staff, who run the gamut from supportive to surly and from charming to predatory. The girls' stories are told from multiple points of view and with each shift, the author slows the plot with backstory, and it continues throughout. Georgia Maguire is the best reason to listen to this book. Her attractive voice, range of accents, and excellent pacing make the most of the lackluster novel. She portrays the high emotions of the stressful hospital wards as well as the quieter longings of the more mature characters.