Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood
San Francisco, 1936. On a day when Willa MacCarthy is supposed to be meeting with her parish priest about taking her vows as a nun (something she does not want, but her Irish-Catholic family insists on), her brother Paddy slices off parts of two of his fingers while working at the family pub. Willa, who secretly reads medical books in her free time, knows enough to create a tourniquet and take Paddy to their family doctor. When she gets him there though, she learns the old Doctor has retired and a new Doctor, a woman, has taken over his practice. The Doctor, Katherine Winston, stitched Paddy up while Willa watches in awe. Noticing her interest in medicine, Dr. Winston offers Will a job, as she needs a nurse. Willa declines though, knowing her family would pitch a fit. However, Paddy talks her into doing the job, and promises to help her cover it up from her parents. They end up telling Willia's parents that she and Paddy will be helping a few times a week at a soup kitchen. On he