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There are currently 40 member reviews
for The Daughters of Mars
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Nancy H. (Foster City, CA)
A very powerful portrayal
The author writes about the battlefield realities of WWI with great power and poignancy. One is drawn into what could otherwise seem an overly bleak tale by the humanity, bravery and dedication of countless medical professionals and volunteers whose everyday heroism insists on our respectful attention. It is a whallopingly powerful story that is likely to become a screenplay and successful movie in no time.
I have not read other books by Keneally, and if the writing style is the same as this I would not. I found the lack of traditional punctuation uncomfortable and the overall style dense and yet somehow bloated at the same time. He seems to paint characters with greater clarity than he does their situation and surroundings. The characters were so interesting that I found much of the other description a distraction. Many times I put the book down because there was too much of a slog through descriptions when what I really wanted to know was what would next happen to his wonderful characters. Honestly, I think a good hundred pages could be removed without weakening the story. I'd also be curious to know if he was over deadline when he wrote the ending, which to me was another distraction from the respect I developed for many of the characters.
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Becky H. (Chicago, IL)
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, biological weaponry, courage under great duress, disfigurement and disability, and the roles of women.
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Carol P. (Mendham, NJ)
WWI and the Extraordinary Women who Volunteered
I was always interested to read about WWI and this period in history and this story about two sisters volunteering to be nurses during WWI seemed to be a perfect reading choice.
Sally and Naomi met many other exceptional women as they cared for so many wounded in battle. They also met exceptional men who demonstrated remarkable bravery.
Mr. Keneally is a gifted writer and there were aspects of the story that were very touching- you truly see the horrors of war and yet you also are made aware of the bravery of those who sacrificed their lives. The author also touches on the women of the time and the social mores impacting them.
There were highlights in the book which drew me into the story but I also found I lost track of the characters. Mr. Keneally focused on multiple characters while at the same time moving from Sally to Naomi and at times I had to go back and double check where I had left off. The sisters also shared a secret regarding the death of their mother and it seemed the resolution of this secret lost its focus.
I would recommend this book to those interested in reading about WWI from the perspective of the women and men facing the war from the trenches. There is a beauty in the words of this novel which captures the reader.
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Diane S. (Batavia, IL)
Daughters of Mars
I love historical fiction and I really admired Schindler's list. This is an epic novel that seemed to go on and on. Loved the historical facts, loved the two sisters and the closeness they at times shared. So why didn't I love this novel? There is a fine line, between adding details to keep the reader interested in the story and adding details in such a quantity that it overwhelms the reader. That is what I felt happened in this story. Every time I felt myself melding into the story it would go wandering off on some detail or tidbit that would interrupt the narrative flow. The lack of punctuation did not bother me half as much as the endless details. Yet, I cannot deny the amount of research that went into this novel. Just wish I could have enjoyed it more.
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Amy F. (West Roxbury, MA)
The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally
I so wanted to love this book. Schlindler's List by this author is one of my favorite books of all time. This book just did not do it for me. I found the topic interesting and loved that the story focused on the lives of two nurses, but the epic events described in the book that should have pulled me in just did not pull me in at all. I thought that the author had the historical timeframe portrayed perfectly, but the writing just did not make me happy, sad, angry, etc. The book was so descriptive and long that I think it took away from my ability to feel the emotion of the story. I also did not like the uncertainty of the ending. After 500 pages there should at least be clarity of which sister lives and which sister dies. Unfortunately this book was a big disappointment for me, especially given my previous experience with this author.
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Judith B. (Retired Reader, NE)
Tedious but Somewhat Worth the Effort
My problem with this book is that I couldn't determine what it wanted to be: the story of two sisters and their difficult relationship, an insight into nursing conditions in WWI, or a summary of Australia's contributions in the war. The book would benefit from the use of quotation marks to designate conversations and chapters marked with dates and the character involved. Much of the time I couldn't determine which sister was in the action. And the ending is a real cop out. After patiently reading 500 pages, I'm not sure how it ended. This is my first book to read from Keneally, and I won't read another one. A good author owes us better construction and explanation. He assumes too much. The book would benefit from maps of Australia and the war movements. Also a timeline of the war would help. I did enjoy the parts about the nurses and what they had to endure.
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Judy W. (Tucker, GA)
Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally
I plowed through this book in order to write a review for BookBrowse; otherwise, I would have stopped reading after the first 50 pages. The writing is quite good, but nothing seemed to flow throughout the 500 pages. His character development is quite in-depth and descriptive. The plot of the story, Australian nurses serving in WWI, is unique. I would recommend this title to others with the caveat that I did not enjoy it.
