What is my novel 'Every Inch a Saint' about?

If you love unforgettable stories that touch your heart, stories about facing life’s challenges with courage, faith, and resilience, then Every Inch a Saint was written for you.

Set against the backdrop of World War I Sydney, the Spanish Flu pandemic, and the grinding poverty of the early twentieth century, this novel tells the true story of Eileen O’Connor, a severely ill, disabled woman who only stood 115cm tall, and, astonishingly, from her own sickbed, founded the Brown Nurses to care for the poor in Sydney’s slums.

The more I discovered about Eileen, the more astonished I became. Here was a woman wracked by tuberculosis, partially paralysed, in chronic pain, who refused to be defined by her suffering. She chose life believing it had meaning. She believed she still had something to give.

And she did. What it was, surprised even her.

This is not just a historical account.

It is a story about the power of hope and the human spirit.

Every Inch a Saint is a celebration of the quiet heroism of women history nearly forgot. An acknowledgement of how grief and trauma can haunt generations, but, miraculously, healing can travel through generations too.

Like many readers of historical fiction, I have always been drawn to almost forgotten stories. Not the records of great kings and generals, but of relatable people who endured challenges and suffering but never gave in to despair or bitterness. People I can look up to, who courageously and lovingly made a difference in their world.

My novel invites lovers you into a different world: horse-drawn carts rattling through Sydney streets, overcrowded terrace houses, fear and war and the devastation of the Spanish Flu. And to encounter deeply human struggles that are universal.

Loss, trauma, illness can turn our lives upside down in an instant.  We search for hope when we are confronted by despair.

How do we keep going in the face of overwhelming difficulties?

Eileen’s life is a shining example of the power of perseverance. Her message of hope is timeless… and timely in today’s world.

In Every Inch a Saint, the historical timeline is woven into a fictional account of a contemporary Australian family recovering from catastrophe and trauma. As they uncover their great-grandmother’s hidden recordings about Eileen, they begin to realise that healing is possible even after generations of pain.

Early reviewers have called the novel “inspiring,” “engrossing,” and “richly compelling.”

I personally found Eileen's message of hope, courage and compassion to be contagious. I hope you do to.

If you are searching for historical fiction filled with emotional depth, spiritual themes, strong female characters, and ultimately a message of hope, Every Inch a Saint may be the story you need right now.

Every Inch a Saint by Kate Clinch is available for purchase through online and physical bookstores.