The Pull of the Stars

Bridie Sweeney is a young woman of about 22 who volunteers at the hospital, helping Julia in the Maternity/Fever ward. Julia describes Bridie as “the pale, freckle-dusted type of redhead, light blue eyes, brows almost invisible. Something childlike about her translucent ears, the one on the left angled a little forward, as if eager to catch every word” (45). At first, Julia is disappointed by Bridie, finding her to be “unqualified; uneducated, by the sounds of her accent; and with a clean, new-hatched look like nothing had ever happened to her” (45). However, as they continue to work together, Julia discovers that Bridie is brave and hardworking and learns fast.

As Julia and Bridie get to know each other, Julia learns of Bridie’s difficult childhood. Bridie lived with a foster mother until age four and then lived in a home for orphaned or unwanted girls, which nuns ran. At the home, the nuns made Bridie do chores, pray for paying churchgoers, and care for babies. The girls at the home often didn’t have enough to eat and suffered sexual abuse at the hands of teachers, clergy members, and other adults in the community. Nevertheless, as an adult, Bridie still lives at the convent, along with about 20 other young women. Bridie must work and give the money she earns to the convent as payment for her upbringing. Bridie’s stories shock Julia because she was unaware of the poor conditions at these homes.

Toward the novel’s end, Julia and Bridie kiss while spending the night on the hospital’s rooftop, and Julia realizes that she has fallen in love with Bridie. The next day, Bridie begins to have flu symptoms. Over the next several hours, she succumbs to the virus and dies. Bridie’s experience at the convent is what compels Julia to take baby Barnabas White home with her: She wants to save him from the same difficult childhood Bridie endured. Julia explains, “I had this particular conviction that she’d want me to keep Barnabas White out of the pipe” (285). Even though they only knew each other for a few days, Bridie has a profound influence on Julia.

Although The Pull of the Stars is a work of fiction, Dr. Kathleen Lynn was a real doctor who lived and worked in Ireland in the early 20th century. In the novel, Dr. Lynn is a doctor who comes to work at the hospital in Dublin where Julia works. Dr. Lynn is a surprise to the other staff because she is a woman, as few women are doctors. Nevertheless, Dr. Lynn has experience in many fields of medicine and Julia comes to respect Dr. Lynn’s opinion, often asking for her specifically when she needs a doctor in her ward.

Dr. Lynn is an activist and believes that Ireland should be independent from British rule, a major political debate at the time. She tells Julia that she was involved with the uprising in 1916, in which Irish Citizen Army members led an insurrection at Dublin’s City Hall. Many people consider members of the Irish Citizen Army and others in the uprising rebels or terrorists. Though Julia doesn’t consider herself politically active, she tells Dr. Lynn that she disagrees with protests that turn violent. Dr. Lynn tells Julia, “Here’s the thing—they die anyway, from poverty rather than bullets. The way this godforsaken island’s misgoverned, it’s mass murder by degrees. If we continue to stand by, none of us will have clean hands” (209). In Dr. Lynn’s eyes, the violence is justifiable because the Irish people are already suffering from poverty and misgovernment at the hands of the British Empire. When armed officers arrive at the hospital searching for Dr. Lynn to arrest her, Julia and Bridie tell the officers that they don’t know where she is.

Tim Power is Julia’s 26-year-old brother. Julia and Tim live together in a small house outside Dublin, which they can afford because of Tim’s government pension as a war veteran. Tim served in World War I but returned from the war mute, a side effect of the psychological trauma he endured. Tim’s inability to speak has no medical reason, but even Dr. Lynn says to Julia, “I’ve never met your brother, Nurse Power. But if he’s been to hell and back, how could he not be left altered?” (210). Julia and Tim love each other and look out for one another. While Julia is at work, Tim cares for his pet magpie, gardens, and cooks.

Groyne is an orderly at the hospital. He helps transport new patients to the ward and helps carry the bodies of deceased patients to the morgue. A World War I veteran like Julia’s brother, Groyne is outspoken and often makes inappropriate jokes or shares his judgmental or controversial opinions, such as gossiping about Dr. Lynn’s involvement in the protests for Ireland’s independence. At the beginning of the novel, Julia dislikes Groyne because she finds him vulgar and inappropriate. Julia says to Bridie, “Don’t you find him grotesque? The constant ditties, the morbid vulgarity of the man. Went off to war but never got within whiffing distance of a battle, and now he swans around here, the greasy bachelor, trying out his music-hall numbers on women in pain” (267). However, Bridie tells Julia that she asked Groyne about his family and learned that he had a wife and children but they died of typhus years earlier. Hearing this, Julia realizes that she was unfair to judge Groyne so quickly, as he has experienced tragedies in his life.

Sister Luke is a nun who lives at a nearby convent. The convent is also home to other nuns and about 20 boarders, including Bridie, who work in exchange for their lodging. Sister Luke oversees the Maternity/Fever ward at night, while Julia oversees the ward during the day. Even though she’s a nun, Sister Luke makes judgmental comments about the pregnant women in the ward. When Honor White, an unmarried pregnant woman, arrives and is praying and holding a rosary, Sister Luke speculates that her piousness is just for show because she’s ashamed for having gotten pregnant a second time out of wedlock. Later, when Julia tries to take baby Barnabas home, Sister Luke points out that people will gossip cruelly about where Julia got the baby. At the novel’s end, Julia accuses Sister Luke and the other nuns of mistreating the young women and children in their care. Julia says, “What was Bridie to you but a dirty orphan—free labour, and you took the wages she earned too” (289). Sister Luke’s character reveals that even someone religious can be rude, cruel, or judgmental.

Ita Noonan is one of Julia’s patients at the hospital. She’s 33 years old and experiencing her 12th pregnancy, though only seven of her children are living. At the beginning of the novel, Ita is delirious and incoherent. She and her unborn fetus eventually die of influenza.

One of Julia’s patients, Delia Garrett is 20 years old, a protestant, and more affluent than many other patients. Delia often complains about being stuck at the hospital and is anxious to return home. She delivers her baby prematurely, and the baby is stillborn.

Mary O’Rahilly is one of Julia’s patients. Mary is 17 and pregnant with her first child. Julia is surprised by Mary’s lack of knowledge; for example, she initially believes that the baby will come out through her belly button. Eventually, Mary gives birth to a healthy baby, Eunice. Bridie realizes that Mary’s husband is abusive toward her based on Mary’s stories and the bruises on her body, and before she leaves the hospital, Bridie and Julia encourage Mary to stand up to her husband the next time he tries to hurt her.