Jessie’s Promise by Rosie Clarke is a historical novel set in Devon in 1918. Jessie Hale is dismissed from her position as a nurse at St. Joseph’s after reporting Doctor Acrington for accosting a fellow nurse (he was handsy). After being unable to find a job locally, Jessie applies for a position in Devon at Kendlebury Hall. She would be taking care of two young children and Lady Kendle. Jessie feels fortunate when she gets the position working for Captain Harry Kendle and his wife, Mary. Jessie arrives to find Nanny (an elderly woman who was the Captain’s nanny) has suffered a stroke. Jessie now has two patients and two children to look after. Mary Kendle takes little interest in the children or the household. She is busy with her friends and parties (and other extracurricular activities). Captain Kendle loves his children, but he returned from the war a changed man. Her two young charges are Jack and Cathy. Jack is a lively boy who just needs a firm hand. Cathy is developmentally challenged much to her mother’s embarrassment. Cathy was deprived of oxygen during her birth. It turns out that Cathy just needs the right attention and help. Jessie soon adjusts to her new job and enjoys life at Kendlebury Hall. The last thing Jessie was looking for was romance when she came to Devon. Jessie lost her fiancé, Robert during the war (three years prior) and it has taken her this long to recover from his death. Slowly, Jessie gets to know Captain Harry Kendle and falls in love with the kind, gentle man. When the unthinkable happens, Jessie knows she needs leave the people and place she has grown to love. To find out what happens to Jessie Hale, you will need to read Jessie’s Promise.

I found Jessie’s Promise to be nicely written and easy to read. I really liked the character of Jessie Hale. Jessie forthright, stubborn, hardworking, knows her mind. I give Jessie’s Promise 4 out of 5 stars. There are a couple of slow paces, but they are outweighed by the rest of the novel. I really enjoyed reading about Jessie’s journey, and the author provides a lovely ending. The author did not give us another predictable romance novel. I only summarized the novel above. There is so much more in the book. Jessie’s Promise shows us a flawed family. She provides us with different characters with various personalities. Ms. Clarke also gave us the gamut of emotions with joy, tragedy, love, grief, heartbreak. I appreciate that Rosie Clarke included little Cathy and her challenges. It was interesting to see how Jessie responded to Cathy and her developmental challenges. Jessie’s Promise contains good life lessons that are still applicable in today’s society. I am looking forward to reading Rosie Clarke’s other novels. ( )