The Scent of Gardenias… Review by Jennifer Ramos

The Scent of Gardenias by Lorraine Haas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a compelling, beautifully written story of the impacts of World War II and the portrayal of women during this time period. The protagonist, Margaret starts off as a teenager when she starts contemplating what kind of life she would want to live.

The family pressures at a young age during this time period can take a toll on a person as expectations of marriage to start their own family is expected according to their parents’ wishes. Margaret already feels there is more to life than being expected to be a wife. When one of her younger brothers experiences an accidental fall, she takes charge of the situation to make sure he gets immediate help. Once they reach the doctor, he comments on her amazing stitching skills and ends up taking her as an apprentice at his office, where she is exposed to so many aspects of nursing.

Along with her own family experiences and situations, her love of nursing continues as she struggles to provide and be a devoted mother to her children. Even though this theme of a working mother is a common occurrence presently, it is great to hear of a story of a woman forming her own path to do so amidst life’s troubles. This is such a great,easy read!

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