Reviews

Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman

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hannah13's review against another edition

4.0

I would say this book was a strong 3.5-4 for me. I was engaged with each sisters storyline’s and the author did not shy away from the true horrors of war….

chasinash's review

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

rkeefer1011's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

4.0

robinlovesreading's review against another edition

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3.0

Ruth and Elise Duncan not only defy their strict father, they defy convention. Volunteering for the war effort, the sisters each take on different roles while attending to those injured in the war. Not only does Ruth aspire to become a doctor, Elise begins driving as part of an all-female ambulance group. The sisters strive to remain close despite rather bleak conditions. For Ruth, her love of medicine comes second to her love of her fellow man, and does not let the fact that she is a woman deter her from her goals.

Both Ruth and Elise find a chance at love, but not without its challenges. Before that could even happen they leave home armed with a lot of experience in fields that were mostly denied to women. Leaving their father and grabbing ahold of whatever freedoms they could, their travels eventually bring both sisters to Ypres, Belgium. Conditions are beyond deplorable, but hope slowly shines through for both sisters.

This was no delicate story. In fact, some of the field scenes were heartbreaking. Loss seemed to be winning time and again, especially when medical practices were severely lacking. Beyond that, Elise found love in an unlikely place, further proving her strong sense of independence. While this powerful story emphasized Ruth and Elise finding groundbreaking experiences, Elise's story also had more than a bit of a sensitive story that is not the norm for a historical fiction story.

This was a great story when it came to seeing medicine in the eyes of women during that time. I also enjoyed the relationship the sisters shared, especially when it came to Ruth really understanding Elise.

Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

bookanonjeff's review

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5.0

Visceral Tale Of Atypical Women. This is a tale of atypical women in a very atypical (well, not really) time, where Feldman does a remarkable job of showing the full realities of everything she portrays. Whether it be the one sister who wants to be a doctor and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, the other sister who is comfortable around cars and not much else, or the war itself - in all of its gory, gritty details and mechanisms. Truly one of the more realistic novels I've seen of this period, even as it portrays women who were far from normal in that period. Very much recommended.

bohogirl930's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

mcthilde's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked the story, the characters, the setting… but I didn’t love the writing, I felt it lacked emotional depth, and the writing made it feel rushed to me. Also, typos are annoying, and I couldn’t make sense of the timeline.