Charles T

Thomas Keneally has written an epic novel of the First World War and made it unique by telling the story from the viewpoint of Australian nurses and soldiers instead of the traditional viewpoint of the French and the English and the Americans. The Australian insistence on non conscription forces and volunteers, gives that country a place in the horrible fighting that sets them apart and supports the indefatigable efforts of the country's nurses and soldiers. The book is magnificent in it's characters, plot and language.

The author uses dialogue with no punctuation so it is completely unobtrusive and effective in moving the action and at the same time adds dimension to the characters.

The plot revolves around the Durrance sisters and their nursing work close to the front lines that tells the story of the brutality of the fighting better than blow-by-blow descriptions of the actual combat.

One of the main points of the book is the age old question of the morality of pacifists who participate in war. A primary character is a Quaker (Friends) who is found guilty of treason because of his refusal to be transferred from a medical support unit to a weapon carrying unit.

I'm not sure what the author is trying to do by confusing the reader with two endings but It didn't do justice to the bulk of the book.

An engaging book where a woman, whose family has fallen apart because of her husband's attempted fling, finds herself working for a Public Relations firm and, through her personal honesty and candor, becomes an expert in crisis management for corporate accounts. The main theme of the book, and the title, revolves around the concept that if a company or an individual simply admits their wrongdoings there is a good chance they will be pardoned. The tactic is difficult for many of her clients to accept. Their first reaction is to bluff and stonewall and refuse to admit any responsibility for what has gone wrong. But the main character's sincere and calm advise, to admit mistakes and ask for forgiveness, convinces them to give it a try and it works. The theme of the book is clear but in most instances the characters glide through crisis and catastrophe without suffering appropriate consequences.