A review by marryd
The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally

3.0

Sadly disappointed. I have a high opinion of Mr Kenneally's writing but on this occasion I really struggled. It seemed to me that he struggled to find the best the best medium to tell this story with the result that he chopped and changed strategies as he went along. The Durance sisters were known for being aloof and we can see why but it's not until the last 20% of the story that I got a real feel for who they were and felt an urgency to know what happened next. Much of the book focused on plot as if it didn't affect the protagonists with little resulting character development. If you know the story of WWI this makes the book a bit predictable although the depth and particularity of Mr Kenneally's knowledge is clearly extensive and to be respected. As an ex nurse I loved being reminded of the primitive nature of the the 'cutting edge' knowledge and technology they brought to bear and what a difference even that made. I appreciated the clearly delineated risks that nurses suffered from their own side due to the status of women and the terrible system that promoted incompetence. But how did Sally and Naomi FEEL about most of the hardships they experienced and witnessed? And how did these responses influence who they became? Mostly we don't know. And I question the value of the alternative endings. That seemed to me to be an intellectual conceit that added nothing to the whole book except another incompletely developed theme. In spite of all this I grieved the loss at the end. Which means he finally got me engaged!