Review: After the Fog by Kathleen Shoop

After the Fog by Kathleen Shoop
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Every May 6 is National Nurse's Day (Teacher's Day too!) with the following week celebrating these two great professions (of which I'm a part of both!). Kathleen Shoop has written her sophomore novel about Rose Pavlesic, a community health nurse working in Donora, Pennsylvania in the 1940's. The steel mills are what keeps Donora running and, due to the economy, Rose wonders what will keep her running monetarily. There is so much more work to do than there are medical professionals who can care for the citizens of Donora. When a new mill Superintendent moves to town, many changes begin to take place. Could he and his wife possibly fund the clinic that Rose has dreamed of all these years?

I must admit, I had a bit of difficulty getting into this story but once I did, it became hard to put it down. I found this to be a very enjoyable book but I want to explain why I gave it the rating that I did. First of all, historical fiction is my favorite genre of books to read. Ms. Shoop kept true to the historical accuracy of the 1940's. I did take some offense at the strong language and suggestive scenes (a couple of them became borderline erotic). I guess that took me a bit by surprise and has caused a slightly lower rating from me than I would have otherwise given.

Rose's character is very dynamic. She is a true Type A personality nurse. She puts her clients first and foremost, but at the expense of her family. How many of us in the field have done this to ourselves and our families? Nursing professionals truly do have a calling to do what they love but often times we fail to care for ourselves, thus finding it necessary to become a patient. I love how Ms. Shoop "got this" and was able to incorporate it into Rose's character.

I do recommend this book with warnings and reservations as previously mentioned. The story is incredible if you are able to look beyond the language (which I can) and the intense scenes (this was a bit much for me). I would like to encourage you to read the guest post by Ms. Shoop about her book and the Donora Fog. You may find that post here.

If you've read this book, what did you think?

Many thanks to Kim Cecere and Kathleen Shoop for providing this book for review.

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Guest Post by Kathleen Shoop

For My Own Little Corner of The World

By Kathleen Shoop, author of After the Fog

Thank you so much for having me to your blog, Julie!

The true story of Donora’s 1948 “killing smog,” and the facts related to it are compelling, but I knew After the Fog needed more than that to keep fiction readers absorbed. The novel needed Rose Pavlesic’s family—characters who were struggling—siblings, children and parents who were already falling apart when the suffocating smog settled in, pushing them to the brink.

Aside from family issues Rose’s initial problem arose from her need to raise money to fund her community nurse position and the clinic that saw hundreds of patients per week. It was common for these services to be funded by wealthy patrons, community chests, and other soft money sources.

One of my favorite parts about writing After the Fog was exploring the elements of community nursing that I never knew existed. In pouring over vintage nursing manuals, reports, and newspaper articles it became very clear that adding this layer—community nurse to Rose’s character was exactly right. Community or Public Health nurses were the health champions of the average American in the first half of the 20th century. They were charged with a multitude of tasks—everything from teaching women to store food appropriately to changing patients’ beds, bathing newborns, delivering post-partum care, and providing follow-up care for those with infectious diseases. Some even crafted wheelchairs from a regular chair and roller-skates.

Public health nurses kept meticulous notes regarding the formal care they delivered and the sociological observations that helped shape their on-the-job actions. The hand/typewritten reports revealed incredible humor, pride, and dedication to what is both the art and science of nursing. The efficiency and directness with which they did their jobs led them to be revered by most, but feared by some who wondered what it would mean to let a nurse have a say in their lives. All in all, community nurses were a central part of our country’s progress. I hope I was successful in honoring this group of women as Rose tends to her family and friends while Donora experiences one of the worst environmental disasters America has ever seen.

Kathleen Shoop

Author of After the Fog and The Last Letter

After the Fog is the second historical fiction novel by bestselling Kindle author Kathleen Shoop. It will be released in May 2012. Her debut novel, The Last Letter, sold more than 50,000 copies and garnered multiple awards in 2011, including the Independent Publisher Awards Gold Medal. A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. www.KShoop.com

Kathleen, Thank you so much for stopping by! I appreciate how you have honored community nurses through this book. I am about halfway through the book and I have really enjoyed it so far. 

I do want to point out to my readers that this book does have "tender" scenes and strong language. I hope to have a full review for you soon! 

Many thanks to Kathleen for providing a review copy of this book to read!

The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop

The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After reading all the raving reviews about this book, I really thought I would enjoy it. The book is loosely based on the author's great great grandparents and the letters they wrote back and forth. It is set in the 1800's and talks of the horrible way of prairie life.


Jeannie and Frank have to move. They can no longer be the upstanding socialites of Des Moines after what Frank and Daddy did. They decide to give homesteading a go. Tragedy after tragedy leads these characters down depressing roads. Can love be recovered? Can forgiveness be given?


This book was so tragic that it became boring to me. I almost put it down but I just had to know so I kept reading. The book is written so that Katherine is having flashbacks to the family's time on the prairie. I have never really enjoyed books that are written in this manner. Jeannie's character is forced to the point that I have no sympathy for her whatsoever. The only character I really enjoyed was James.


I will say that the ending somewhat surprised me and I'm glad I finished this one. Others may have more of an appreciation for this but it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Jessica Hickam for providing a review copy of this book.


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Teaser: The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop

Today it is my pleasure to offer you a teaser of a debut novel by Kathleen Shoop! I am just getting started with this book but I'm hooked so far! 
Katherine's mom is dying and ends up on Katherine's doorstep. There are some issues from the past (I'm just now finding out what some of those are but I'm not going to ruin it for you!) and Katherine has to try to find a way to forgive her mom before it's too late. 
From what I've read so far, it's a bit creepy, mysterious, and obvious that Katherine has had a troubled life. There is a deep dark secret that has caused her family to lose their life of luxury and they find themselves homesteading.
My only problem with this book so far is that it switches back and forth from present day to the past. For those of you who have faithfully read my blog since it's inception, you know that I struggle with these types of stories. However, the chapters are fairly short and I'm able to keep up with this one better than previous books such as this in the past. 
I do hope you will take the time to check this book out. Also be sure to check back soon for a full review on this book! 
Many thanks to Jessica at BookSparks for offering this book for me to read!