Alice Ross-King went to war in 1914. They needed nurses and nursing was all she’d ever wanted to do. The young soldiers were excited to be part of ‘The War to End All Wars’, and so was Alice. But nobody imagined the blood and misery of the constant flow of wounded and dying men that needed help.

Alice met a soldier called Harry Moffit and they soon fell in love. They enjoyed their time together as much as they could, until Alice’s hospital unit was moved from Cairo in Egypt, to the city of Rouen in France. They didn’t know they would never see each other again…

The war raged on, and Alice kept nursing through her despair and fear that they were losing more than thousands of men. Were they actually losing the war?

This story has come from the war diaries of Alice Ross-King who was the great grandmother of the author. Snippets of actual letters have been used to tell this sad story, and be a reminder of the pain and suffering a war brings.

It is also a story of fortitude and courage of one of thousands who not only lived through it, but was in the thick of it, savings lives and then going on to have her own family.

Beautifully portrayed with muted colour illustrations by by Jess Racklyeft, black & white photographs, maps and letter scripts. A sombre but heartening picture book for any Anzac collection.

Sophisticated Picture Book

Author – Kate Simpson

Illustrator – Jess Racklyeft

Age – 7+

(War, WWII, Anzac, Nurse, Romance, Loss, Grief, Hopelessness, Historical, Australian, Courage, Bravery, Soldiers, Hospital)