So happy to share information about this novel that releases on November 15, 2025. The author provided an ARC so I was able to read it for review. Historical fiction, especially stories set during WWI and WWII, is always of great interest to me, and I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to read Annie’s Day. It’s set in theatres of combat not often written about, which was an added bonus for me.
*** ABOUT THE BOOK ***
War took everything. Love never had a chance. Until now.
As a young Australian Army nurse, Annie endures the brutalities of World War II in Singapore and New Guinea. Later, seeking peace, she takes refuge in Berlin—only to find herself caught in the upheaval of the Blockade. Through it all, the death of a man she barely knew but loved deeply leaves a wound that refuses to heal, threatening to bind her to a life of loneliness.
Decades later, Annie is still haunted by what was lost—and what might have been. Her days are quiet, but her memories are loud. When a dying man’s fear forces her to confront her own doubts, she forms an unexpected friendship that rekindles something she thought was long gone – hope.
Annie’s Day is a powerful story of love, war, and the quiet courage it takes to start again—even when it seems far too late.
“Delicious” Jane Johnson, author of Secret of the Bees
“Absorbing” Katherine Mezzacappa, author of The Maiden of Florence
*** REVIEW ***
There is much to love about this book, and for me the love affair with any novel always starts with character. Is the protagonist someone I can relate to on a human level? Does the characterization ring true? Does it “hold” through the entire story? Is the supporting cast interesting and believable?
The answer to all those questions is a resounding “yes” when it comes to Annie May Cutler from the small town of Armidale in Australia and her family and friends.
We meet Annie first in 2003 when she is 70 years old, musing about her life while preparing for a much-anticipated visit from grandsons. Those preparations involve baking special pies for each one with their name etched on the top crust. So much can be inferred from that little detail, the depth of love from generation to generation shown so exquisitely instead of the reader being “told” how strong and deep the bond is between them.
That wonderful way of letting the reader see relationships develop is carried through the whole book in a narrative style that is extremely readable and engaging.
The first chapter contains descriptive passages that bring everything to life, such as this when Annie is looking at a gum tree. “It’s a reminder of a life so long ago that some days it didn’t seem hers. The tree towered above, trying to surpass the church steeple on the other side of a garden wall held together with ivy and stinging nettles. A hint of September hung on the wisp of wind that rustled the eucalyptus leaves.”
Vivid and fresh like so many other passages of description in every scene, every chapter. Never having been to Singapore, or New Guinea, or Australia, or Berlin, those places came alive for me. I could see and hear, smell and taste, the places where Annie and her nursing unit lived and worked and “played” when they were stationed in those various places.
The dialogue is spot-on and so enjoyable. The characters have distinct voices , and the author uses bantering between the friends and teasing between siblings to show an undercurrent of deep love and mutual respect and support. Touches of humor also ease the tension of living and working in combat areas.
Annie’s mother’s sister, Aunt May, doesn’t some on stage very often, but when she does, she has a strong presence and some of the more humorous lines. She’s a woman who has ignored convention in many ways and has been a wise confidant of Annie through her whole life. When discussing how to recognize true love, she says, “Love whacks you around the head like a breaker dumping you in the surf. You come up sputtering.”
Annie’s Day is presented in alternating time periods, starting in 2003, then going back to the start of the Second World War and coming forward, chronicling Annie’s time in Service to that day she is baking pies. The transitions are seamless, and I was never lost as to time or place.
In addition to being a first-rate tale filled with drama and adventure, this is a story of friendship – the deep abiding kind that is formed when people share the same challenges in life. And the challenges of being a nurse in wartime are myriad. Friendship holds the main characters together and gives each of them the strength they need to do the job of caring for sick and dying patients, as well as handle their own loss and grief, which is such a huge part of living in wartime.
I highly recommend Annie’s Day for readers who enjoy a heartfelt story with plenty of adventure, wonderful characters, and built-in lessons in history and geography. This one’s a winner on all fronts.
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*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR ***
Anglo-Australian, Apple Gidley’s nomadic life has helped imbue her writing with rich, diverse cultures and experiences. Annie’s Day is her seventh book. Gidley currently lives in Cambridgeshire, England. You can also find her online.
WEBSITE ** FACEBOOK ** BLUESKY ** INSTAGRAM
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That’s all from me for today, folks. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend. I hope it is filled with good times with family and friends. Be happy. Be safe.
Do come back on Wednesday when Apple will be my guest with a blog post about writing historical fiction and the research involved to get it right.