Bethnal Green

For readers of Small Island by Andrea Levy and Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, Bethnal Green vividly brings to life the experiences of women who came from across the world to join the NHS and build their lives in Britain in the 1970s.

Penang, 1971. When Suyin Lim is offered the opportunity of a lifetime - a place as a trainee nurse in London's Bethnal Green Hospital - she jumps at the chance to leave her job as a seamstress and unite with her sister, who left for the same path a year before.

However, without warning her sister returns to Penang, a shadow of her former self and Suyin is forced to leave without any answers. Suyin soon finds herself starting a new life in London, falling in love with the vibrant city and its people and as she immerses herself in the gruelling but rewarding work of caring for her patients, she begins to understand what she really wants out of life . . .

Bethnal Green explores the themes of sacrifice and heartbreak, the power of using your voice and the will to build a life of one's own against the odds. It is also a powerful love letter to dedicated NHS workers from around the world, whose work touches countless lives every day.

Heartstring-pulling and hopeful - SARAH TURNER

A captivating immigrant story about a young nurse... I was hooked from the first page - LAUREN HO