Staff Pick: The Pull of the Stars
Published on 26th August 2025
The Pull of the Stars is set over three days in a Dublin maternity fever ward during the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918. Published in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the parallels are obvious and makes this a fascinating read. The main focus of the novel is the women who are working or being treated in the maternity ward. While reading this book, I instinctively knew that the author, Emma Donoghue, had done her research. More than this though, she’d also made her topic interesting, her writing style engaging and her characters relatable.
I loved reading this book. I enjoy reading historical fiction as I am interested in history. Historical fiction is a very accessible way for me to get a feeling of what life was like for someone in a particular place at a particular point in history.
This novel is heartbreaking, tender, funny and infuriating. Donoghue does an impressive job in mixing the mundane and the extraordinary. Highly recommended.
Borrow the book today from your local library. Also available as an eBook or eAudiobook.
Sarah Reidy, Librarian, Ringsend Library