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catherine_louise's review
3.0
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. Technically, it's nearly flawless: tightly plotted, well-researched, with well developed main characters (the Durance sisters) and a good mix of supporting characters. The writing, too, is smooth, sometimes lyrical. Keneally knows how to turn a sentence on its ear, although sometimes he goes for the more obscure metaphor when a simpler description would be more evocative.
Most of all, he avoids much of the "men marching off to war" trope that's so common in other historical novels; a lesser writer might overgeneralize the war as pointless fighting waged by rash and petty generals, who duped naive young men into fighting and dying (these men, who only joined because they wanted an adventure, nothing more, nothing less). Alternatively, shows like Downton Abbey never quite show the impacts of such traumatic fighting on the psyche of those who fought it; in the show's universe, the war is forgotten once it ended. But here, the brutality of the war is rendered with much nuance and empathy to offer a fresh take on the period.
However, I didn't find it compelling, truly compelling, until well past the halfway mark, which is surprising given all the technical merits of the book - there's something about the writing that feels rather distant. Sally and Naomi don't come into their own as characters until around the halfway point, and until then, it's very difficult to really care about them, meaning that the first half of the novel drags, instead of pulling you in. I'm not sure if this is intentional on Keneally's part - for example, he often opts for "Sally saw a man standing in the corner" instead of "A man stood in the corner," a choice that feels very much like telling instead of showing - and if it is, I still haven't figured out the reason for it. Or perhaps it's just clumsy writing, I'm not sure.
I'm glad I didn't give up on this book, since it has a lot to offer - but it was not the tour de force that the reviews promised.
Most of all, he avoids much of the "men marching off to war" trope that's so common in other historical novels; a lesser writer might overgeneralize the war as pointless fighting waged by rash and petty generals, who duped naive young men into fighting and dying (these men, who only joined because they wanted an adventure, nothing more, nothing less). Alternatively, shows like Downton Abbey never quite show the impacts of such traumatic fighting on the psyche of those who fought it; in the show's universe, the war is forgotten once it ended. But here, the brutality of the war is rendered with much nuance and empathy to offer a fresh take on the period.
However, I didn't find it compelling, truly compelling, until well past the halfway mark, which is surprising given all the technical merits of the book - there's something about the writing that feels rather distant. Sally and Naomi don't come into their own as characters until around the halfway point, and until then, it's very difficult to really care about them, meaning that the first half of the novel drags, instead of pulling you in. I'm not sure if this is intentional on Keneally's part - for example, he often opts for "Sally saw a man standing in the corner" instead of "A man stood in the corner," a choice that feels very much like telling instead of showing - and if it is, I still haven't figured out the reason for it. Or perhaps it's just clumsy writing, I'm not sure.
I'm glad I didn't give up on this book, since it has a lot to offer - but it was not the tour de force that the reviews promised.
leemac027's review
3.0
Naomi and Sally are sisters, competitive and perhaps a bit wary of each other. They are both nurses, Naomi in the city and Sally in the country. With the outbreak of World War I, they both sign up but there is a secret they hold.
The book follows their experiences in the war - the horror, stress, conflict, loves and turmoil. Like a few others I was not immersed in the text and found it a bit disconnected from the action, so I did not form a connection to the characters as I normally am when reading a Thomas Keneally novel.
The book follows their experiences in the war - the horror, stress, conflict, loves and turmoil. Like a few others I was not immersed in the text and found it a bit disconnected from the action, so I did not form a connection to the characters as I normally am when reading a Thomas Keneally novel.
maplegrey's review
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
agjuba's review
4.0
Great writing with lots of historical detail. The pacing of the book was slow (to me) at the beginning, but gradually became more and more absorbing.
little_red_dragon's review
4.0
Thomas Keneally doesn't sugarcoat war and the sacrifices made by the Australian nurses who served during World War I. Instead, he paints a beautiful, haunting picture of bravery in the face of suffering, both by the wounded soldiers and the nurses themselves.
pelicaaan's review
5.0
Terrific World War I novel, seen through the eyes of Australian nurses. Long, sometimes rambling, sometimes epic. People seem to be of two minds about the ending -- I liked it. Excellent.
alcyon_alcyon's review
3.0
Really wanted to like this book, but it was all told and not shown. No real point of view for most of the book, and lots of just mechanical telling of events...inadequate, even though the events and settings were potentially very interesting. Will be a much better movie!
gr8reader's review
5.0
Not an easy read in terms of length, language (Keneally tends to be quite wordy) and some of the content (can be disturbing/gruesome) but an excellent read........a different perspective of WWI --- told from the nursing side, the sidelines and not the front. (If you read this for a book club, be sure to give yourself more time than you think you need. This was the first time I did NOT finish a book before the discussion! {And I gave myself twice the usual amount of time than I usually would! } )
lgiegerich's review
2.0
Meh. I just couldn't get into it, nor could I connect with the two somewhat enigmatic main characters. Ah well. Not all WWI books can be winners.