Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2009
384 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
In 1854, beautiful, adventurous Rosa Barr travels to the Crimean battlefield with Florence Nightingale’s nursing corps. A headstrong idealist, longing to break out of the rigid confines of life as a young lady, Rosa is determined to make a difference in the world.
For Mariella Lingwood, Rosa’s cousin, the war is contained within the pages of her scrapbook, in her London sewing circle, and in the letters she receives from her fiancé, Henry—a celebrated surgeon who has also volunteered to work within the shadow of the guns. When Henry falls ill and is sent to recuperate in Italy, Mariella impulsively decides she must go to him. But upon her arrival at his lodgings, she makes a heartbreaking discovery: Rosa has disappeared without a trace. Following the trail of her elusive cousin, Mariella’s epic journey takes her from the domestic restraint of Victorian London to the ravaged landscape of the Crimea and the tragic city of Sebastopol, where she encounters Rosa’s dashing stepbrother, a reckless cavalry officer whose complex past —and future—is inextricably bound up with her own. As Mariella’s quest leads her deeper into the dark heart of the conflict, her ordered world begins to crumble and she finds she has much to learn about secrecy, faithfulness, and love.
"Marked by its passion and social commentary, this is a pleasingly unformulaic read, although its twin time frames and ending may not satisfy all readers." - Kirkus Reviews.
"McMahon's complex plot makes for an atypical but satisfying read, even if the ending feels a tad abrupt." - Library Journal.
This information about The Rose of Sebastopol was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kathleen MacMahon is a writer and journalist. Her first novel, This is How it Ends was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Book of the Year award, as well as two Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards and was chosen by the public as runner-up in the RTÉ Liveline listener's poll for Book of the Year 2012. Her second novel The Long, Hot Summer, was published in 2015 with both critical and commercial success. A former radio and television journalist with Ireland's national broadcaster, Kathleen lives in Dublin with her husband and twin daughters.
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