THE DAUGHTERS OF MARS
by Thomas Keneally
I had a hard time getting used to the lack of commas and
quotation marks in this tale of two sisters who nurse for Australia during
World War I. Although slow and quite
lengthy, the book held my interest with details of nursing under primitive conditions
during war conditions. The most
interesting parts for me were the descriptions of life aboard ship on the
journey to Egypt from Australia and then in the war zone of Gallipoli. The horror of war was clearly indicated in
the details of battle injuries and the care available both in the Dardanelles
and later in France. The tragedy of the influenza epidemic of 1919 makes
up the later part of the book.
The sisters, their nurse companions and the soldiers they
work with and fall in love with comprise the characters in the novel.
Book groups will find many topics to discuss
including class distinctions, city versus farm life, Quakers and war, biologic
weaponry, courage under great duress, disfiguration and disability, and the
roles of women.
No comments:
Post a Comment