Lucilla Andrews

Born in November 1919, in Suez, Lucilla Andrews' experiences of nursing, both during the Second World War and after it, provided her with material which she would draw on when writing her hospital-set romances. She died on the 3rd of October, 2006, in Edinburgh, aged 86 and an obituary, published in the Guardian, can be found here.

She was the author of 35 romance novels, focusing largely on her area of expertise: nursing.

Post-humously, Andrews' name filled literary news. Controversy arose when noted British author Ian McEwan was accused of plagiarizing Andrews' memoir, No Time For Romance, in his novel Atonement. McEwan's defenders, including literary luminaries such as Thomas Pynchon, rose to the author's defense, noting that McEwan's use of the source material constituted legitimate research of historical events. The material he used from the book were largely matters of fact. Andrews was apparently aware of McEwan's use of her memoirs as source material (and she was cited as a source in Atonement), though she never spoke with McEwan prior to her death.

Interestingly, her memoirs soared in value after the controversy erupted. A book that had previously sold for approximately $12.00 on Amazon was listed at over $2,000.

Books

• No Time For Romance
• House For Sister Mary
• Highland Interlude
• The Sinister Side
• The First Year (1973)
• Frontline 1940 (1993)
• Nurse Errant (1989)
• Ring O'Roses (1994)
• Hospital Circles (1971)
• The New Sister Theatre(1983)
• After a Famous Victory (1985)
• The Crystal Gull (1978)
• The Phoenix Syndrome (1988)
• Marsh Blood
• The Light in the Ward (Soundings) (1994)
• Quiet Wards (1987)
• A Weekend in the Garden (1982)
• In Storm and in Calm (1975)
• The Print Petticoat (1979)
• The Young Doctors Downstairs (1989)
• Busman's Holiday (1979)
• The Secret Armour (1990)
• Healing Time (1987)
• Hospital Summer (1994)
• Edinburgh Excursion(1989)
• Silent Song (1980)
• In an Edinburgh Drawing Room
• The Africa Run (1993)