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A Rose for the Anzac Boys (The Matilda Saga)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 455 ratings · 48 reviews

The 'War to end all Wars', as seen through the eyes of three young women

It is 1915. War is being fought on a horrific scale in the trenches of France, but it might as well be a world away from sixteen–year–old New Zealander Midge Macpherson, at school in England learning to be a young lady. But the war is coming closer: Midge's brothers are in the army, and her twin, Tim,...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published April 1st 2008 by Angus & Robertson Publishers (first published January 1st 2008)

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Apr 24, 2012 Maree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, 2012-read, ya-historical-fiction

Having been educated at an all girls school, I have always been told that ‘girls can do anything’. This book proves that saying right – and in doing so recognises the efforts and achievements of millions of women in World War One.

Midge (pronounced ‘Migee’) is a wonderful heroine and I’m sure French has captured the spirit of the women who fought just as hard as the soldiers doing battle. However, she has also captured the spirit of the ANZAC boys.

“...the Anzacs were the bravest, stubbornest tr...more Having been educated at an all girls school, I have always been told that ‘girls can do anything’. This book proves that saying right – and in doing so recognises the efforts and achievements of millions of women in World War One.

Midge (pronounced ‘Migee’) is a wonderful heroine and I’m sure French has captured the spirit of the women who fought just as hard as the soldiers doing battle. However, she has also captured the spirit of the ANZAC boys.

“...the Anzacs were the bravest, stubbornest troops around...”

So far I’m kind of making this book sound wonderfully empowering and don’t get me wrong it is, but there is a much darker side to this book. It is, after all, a book about war and although it may be aimed at teenagers French has not shied away from graphic descriptions of the injuries Midge sees as she serves cocoa to the soldiers and transports them in ambulances. She also does not attempt to gloss over the hell-on-earth that Midge encounters near the front lines.

“Two rows of tables. Ordinary tables, like the kitchen table back home. But these were draped with sheets, not a tablecloth, and decorated with blood instead of teapots, and on each table, instead of … a plate biscuits, was a living, bleeding man”

“And still the wounded came staggering along the village street, on foot now as well as in the carts, an endless procession, desperate to reach the station and a hospital train, a doctor’s hands.”

The amount of research that has gone into this book really shows and the Author’s Notes at the end are insightful. It is very interesting to note that four young girls did indeed set up a canteen at a railway in France and that while this book may not be true, it is based on true events.

Amongst the moments of heartbreak and sadness in this book there were moments of love, laughter, strength and defiance. A beautiful and truly thought-provoking novel.

“One end of the cemetery was mud, the white crosses the only brightness. But the other, where the graves were months rather than weeks or days old, was a mass of flowers – poppies and yellow mustard flowers dancing between the wooden crosses as though to replace the flowers the mothers, wives and sisters might have bought...”

This book was read to commemorate ANZAC Day. This review and many more can be found at Maree's Musings.(less)

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Oct 06, 2011 Carissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed being able to read a historical fiction novel about World War I. I haven't read too many books during this era. I felt like I learned a lot, especially about women during this time period. The book did a great job at displaying how horrible war can be.

That being said, I was disappointed with the writing in this book. The author used letters frequently in her narration which felt more like her place to include facts about World War I then actual letters that people would write. T...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Kay.Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel is simply stunning. I first read ‘A rose for the ANZAC boys’ in year eight for The Readers’ Cup and since then it has kept a special place in my mind and heart. It is a perfect example of brilliant teenage fiction. A story inside a story. The prologue and the epilogue tell us about Lachie and his ancestry of war heroes and their tribute to the Anzac Boys.
The main story is set though 1915 to 1920 and follows the journey Margery McPherson takes to find her twin brother Tim. She and her...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, teenage, war

Wonderful book about the often unknown female volunteers of WW1 who worked as ambulance drivers, etc on the Western front. It tells the story of 3 schoolgirls who set up a canteen for the troops in France. Midge is a NZ who is worried about her twin brother missing at Gallipoli. Her other brother is fighting on the western front. She feels that she must do something to help, so persuades Ann, daughter of a duchess and another girl who has ties to the grocery business to help her in France with a...more

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May 24, 2009 Anthony Eaton rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful, if often confronting novel.

Plenty has been written about the Australian and New Zealand experience during World War One, both in the realms of fiction and non fiction. Few authors, though, have explored the often untold story of those behind the fronts, those women and volunteers who weren't 'official', but who lived, died, suffered and endured almost as much as the men in the trenches.

That French, one of Australia's most loved and most diverse authors for children and young...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Kathleen Dixon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, home-library, novel, historical-novels

Another excellent teen novel by Jackie French, this story begins at an Anzac Day Parade in Australia in the 1960s, with a boy pushing his grandfather up the hill in his wheelchair. His grandfather lays a single rose among the wreaths at the end of the service.

We then go to a girls' finishing school in Britain, 1914. A Kiwi lass has been sent to finishing school while her 2 brothers have both enlisted. When one of them is listed "missing" she feels more frustrated than ever at being able to contr...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Chris Wolak rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-women-writers-challenge, world-war-i

This is one of those books that probably wouldn't have crossed my path had I not participated in a reading challenge. Two challenges, actually: the Australian Women Writers Challenge 2012 and the World War I reading challenge hosted by War Through the Generations. I needed--and of course wanted---to read one more book for each category so looked around for a WWI themed book written by an Australian women writer. What what an unexpectedly brilliant read this was.

ANZAC is an acronym for the Austra...more This is one of those books that probably wouldn't have crossed my path had I not participated in a reading challenge. Two challenges, actually: the Australian Women Writers Challenge 2012 and the World War I reading challenge hosted by War Through the Generations. I needed--and of course wanted---to read one more book for each category so looked around for a WWI themed book written by an Australian women writer. What what an unexpectedly brilliant read this was.

ANZAC is an acronym for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

A Rose for the ANZAC Boys is the story of Midge Macpherson, a teen from New Zealand stuck in a finishing school for young ladies in England during World War I. Her parents are both dead and her old brother has gone off to fight in the war. Her twin brother lied about his age to get accepted into the army. Midge feels like a useless burden that's been sent off to be out of the way. She and her group of friends are chomping at the bit to help the war effort in a more direct, hands-on way. Using family resources and donations, they set up a canteen for injured soldiers in France. They work grueling hours with rarely a day off. Growing up on a huge sheep farm in New Zealand, Midge knows how to drive and for a while serves as an ambulance driver when one of the driver's hands become so infected that she needs treatment. When that driver is ready to return, Midge then works as an aid in a field hospital where her aunt, a VAD nurse, is stationed. Midge sees the worst of what war does to men's bodies and minds.

There is a love story component but it--refreshingly--takes a back seat to Midge's work and person-hood. So often, at least in American YA novels (and I'm no expert), it seems like the romance gets the biggest focus and often at the expense of the girl's self-identity (i.e., she has none without a boyfriend). Midge is not a caricature of a ball-buster, but she is someone who has a strong sense of self and takes charge of her own life, even in the end when she does come upon love.

Jackie French obviously did meticulous research for this novel and yet the story does not get bogged down with details. The research is smoothly incorporated into the storyline such as when that ambulance driver's hands become so infected that she can no longer work and leaves for treatment. She later returns to her duty with hands that are healing but that will be permanently scarred. There are some chapters of factual notes at the end of the novel that explain in general terms the extent of the work women did during the Great War and that also expands on such details as infected and scarred hands. French writes, "Most women suffered severe infections, especially to their hands, from the suppurating wounds they tended, and in later years would recognize a fellow war volunteer by the scars on their hands, red and shiny and so thick it was difficult to sew or knit or even hold a teacup without dropping it."

If that quote made you queasy, you should note that the novel is also brutally realistic with horrific scenes from the trenches and at the treatment facilities. French doesn't shy away from the horrors of war and the horrors specific to WWI, but she doesn't linger on them either.

This novel and French's factual notes are a tribute to the thousands if not millions of women who volunteered for service during WWI. French also includes details about the men of Australian and New Zealand who fought, such as how they were often considered cannon fodder by their British officers. I didn't know that, per capita, Australia and New Zealand suffered the highest casualty and death rates of any country involved in WWI.

I think it's important to read about past wars in part to understand not only what people endured, but why (usually never a good enough reason) and to help understand the present, as well. The best fiction and non-fiction does this, but as French writes,"War is perhaps humanity's craziest invention. But it is also in war--in any adversity--that humans sometimes show their greatest courage, loyalty and love. It is important, I think, to understand the difference between glorifying war and celebrating the triumphs of the human spirit amid the battles."

French does as good a job as possible in not glorifying the war and seems to try more on celebrating the triumphs of the human spirit. She shows that there are many different sorts of battles that people may endure.

I highly recommend this historical novel to young adults as well as adults. Have you read this or other novels by Jackie French? Her historical novel Hitler's Daughter looks really good, too.(less)

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Jul 26, 2009 Emi B rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone interested in the women who served in the wars

Shelves: my-favorites

A Rose for the Anzac Boys:
Is about the forgotten army of WWI. The army of women who volunteered their time, supplies, skills and lives to help all the troops that went to war. This story is told through the eyes of a courageous girl called Midge Macpherson who gets sent to a school in England to become a lady, after her two brothers Tim and Dougie have headed off to war. Midge befriends two girls Ethyl and Anne at her school in England and the three of them decided that they are sick and tired o...more

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May 22, 2011 Nushiiii loves Peeta Mellark ♥1D♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who love sad stories, or history ficiton. And romance as well I guess.

OMG THIS BOOK IS SO SAD! like i dont think i even encountered ONE happy bit! srsly it was super depressing. Also, I didnt get t enjoy the book properly (the end bit anyway) because we were reading it for school and had to answer four REALLY INDEPTH questions about EVERY CHAPTER which took about 2 weeks to do (like every single day). But anyway, half way through doing the activity I was so into the book I just stopped and read the whole thing, because it's that kinda book where you can't keep put...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Therese rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance, top-rated

A great book about WWI which pays homage to the women of the time who, though not able to go to the front lines, volunteer in any way they can to contribute to the war effort from setting up canteens in the rail stations to "ambulance" drivers and VADS for the Red Cross. The great mix of letters and third person narrative transports the reader back in time and allows for greater identification with the characters.

But the best was how the book manages to convey how the indomitable human spirit s...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Clare Cannon rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 12+ years (girls)

Shelves: 13-15yrs, adults, young-adult, favorites

This is one of the most moving historical novels I've found. Three girls are attending boarding school when World War I begins. Their brothers are sent to the front, and the three look for ways to contribute to the war effort themselves.

They set up a station canteen in France to serve food to the soldiers who pass through. As the fighting escalates, their station becomes a transport point for the wounded, and in increasingly dire conditions the girls exhaust themselves to make these men a little...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, young-adult

I liked this book; I think this is an important book. I always feel like I don’t know enough about history and about the great wars, and it was so interesting to get into the headspace of the 1910s, and into the lives of the women who worked themselves to the bone for their ‘boys’. It was also fascinating to learn of how during the war women had to take charge and gained independence, and like a domino knocked over, the push for women’s rights followed. The back of this book says ‘exhaustively r...more I liked this book; I think this is an important book. I always feel like I don’t know enough about history and about the great wars, and it was so interesting to get into the headspace of the 1910s, and into the lives of the women who worked themselves to the bone for their ‘boys’. It was also fascinating to learn of how during the war women had to take charge and gained independence, and like a domino knocked over, the push for women’s rights followed. The back of this book says ‘exhaustively researched, yet written with the lightest of touches’, and I definitely agree. It certainly wasn’t heavy going, and was a very compelling novel. Only trouble was it felt a bit too light really; it’s so unfortunate but I feel like the characters and their relationships never felt truly solid and real. The characters all felt a little sterile somehow, and I never felt like I knew them as people with any fullness to their personalities. Midge with her twin Tim, brother Douglas, her best friends Anne and Ethel, her Aunt Lallie, - I never truly felt those bonds. It was still definitely a touching novel, but I feel it would have had so much more impact if we’d known the characters more. Not trying to sound too negative, though, because I definitely did like this book, and it had great moments. My favourite part was when Midge is given the drawing of roses for her birthday from Harry and his mates, drawn by his artist friend who’s blind from being gassed. And it’s all a bit shaky, rose stems don’t match rose heads, but it’s seems as though the little roses are glowing, and it’s the most beautiful thing Midge has seen. The bookend chapters were quite effective, it gave the feeling that this is all over now, long in the past and the people who lived through this are gone. And yet they should not be forgotten; their legacy lives on. And yet the meat of the story, it’s like travelling back through the brittle yellowed pages of diaries and letters, and getting a sense of living through the war years with these people, gaining some little understanding of what they went through. (less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Joyce Sandilands rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all ages

Shelves: historical-adventure, ww1

This book was sweet, but expectantly sad, giving a very realistic picture of what it could have been like for three young girls (from England and New Zealand) who decided to go the edge of the war zone in France during World War One ... to help. This was the attitude of so many of the soldiers and volunteers, and the reason so many of them volunteered for this unknown adventure. It was about the soldiers they met in the course of their duties at their canteen and how the people and the experienc...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Whenever I see this book, I have this weird sensual memory of who I used to be. There's always this flashback of me walking home from school in uniform as neat as I can manage, hair pinned back sensibly, a book clutched to my chest. On the path I walk home, there's a steep downhill and then a small patch in the middle then an uphill. I picture myself standing in the patch, just thinking about life. Thinking I'm just a little tiny thing in this giant world, doing absolutely nothing. There's peopl...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Jacquie Rodgers rated it 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful book seen through the eyes of teenage girls who want to make a difference in war time. Set in 1915, it is a real Australian treasure and a story that has now been read by nearly every member of my extended family from my 11 year old niece right through to my then 70 year old mother. A must read for any Australian for a step back to our war time. Jackie French has really set the mark for engaging readers of all ages with this one.

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Apr 29, 2011 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

An engrossing tribute to the largely unrecorded female contributions to world war one. Very moving and well-written with a wonderful heroine - who develops beautifully as she matures through her harrowing experiences. Lessons of war and women's rights are deftly handled without a trace of dictacticism. Well researched and well written, with a modern context for a historical novel. Highly recommended.

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Feb 28, 2013 Louisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

A book like no other. It begins with a light and nearly conversational touch, yet goes onto describe the most gruesome and inhumane things in a way that tugs the reader's heartstrings. Everything falls into place at the conclusion without being overly typical. It exploits details, effects and emotions of war that nobody but a veteran would notice. A superb read.

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Oct 20, 2011 Sue Bursztynski rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jackie French does such a good historical novel. Her heroes/heroines are not kings, queens, generals or big names. In this novel, the young heroines go off the France during the Great War to open a canteen for soldiers passing through their town and the war is seen through their eyes without the author ever having to give the reader an official history lesson.

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Apr 21, 2009 Imogen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. Really, really really.

If it wins CBC book of the year I'll be slightly miffed (because it beats Into White Silence, of course), but apart from that I think it is a wonderful book, about a very important subject matter. Obviously very well researched, well characterised and very captivating. And it made me cry.

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Oct 08, 2012 Nell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

For Yr9 ESL. I'm really glad they put this on the syllabus because there is nothing less awkward than explaining to one's ESL class that the phrase 'He's a white man' is another way of saying 'He's a great guy'. At least I got to bake the kids some Anzac biscuits. I think the real take-home message here is that golden syrup is delicious.

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May 18, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, war

i love this book. i love the detail she puts into the book. it makes you sad and then happy and they way she has researched the book to make it fiction is amazing. it has the most amazing love in it and the worst hurt in the world. jakie has wrote this book to make you feel as if you are inside it and that your there and its you feeling the pain of the war and the great losses and gains.

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May 12, 2011 Miss Silvertongue rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very informative and touching story about three brave girls and their endeavour to their bit in the war and for the world. I really enjoyed it, as wih anything written by Jackie French, and I would recommend it to you if you're looking for an interesting war time story or if you just want another perspective on the war.

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Jul 26, 2009 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was wonderfully written, very sad and upsetting and grisly of course, but a worthwhile read. I thought J French did a good job of, as she puts it, 'understanding the difference between glorifying war and celebrating the triumphs of the human spirit amid the battles'.

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Apr 23, 2013 Bronwyn Rykiert rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, audiobook, library-book, family, friends

I loved this story which starts on Anzac day 1975 when young Lauchlan Harrison is asked by his grandfather to push him along the streets for the march. Lauchie is wondering what all the uss in about. Then the story goes to World War 1 and we hear the story of Lachie's great grandparents Harry Harrison and Marjory (Midge) McPherson (from New Zealand). It was an interesting tale and it seemed pretty in depth with the story of WWI in France.

It ends with Anzac day 2007 with Lauchlan now a returned s...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I bought this book while I was in Australia. I happened to be in Australia for ANZAC day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps), so I thought it was fitting. This book was beautifully written. I've read several books about WWII, but none, really, about WWI. It was heart-breaking, touching, and simply gorgeous. The characters drew me in to their lives and I was sad to see it end.

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Mar 29, 2012 *~*♥Bron♥*~* rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing story, i love reading books about the anzac's as my dad is in the army. You dont understand the sacrifice men make until someone you love makes those sacrifices.

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Aug 16, 2011 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kickpunchfighting-action-hooplah, im-going-on-an-adventure, kick-ass-heroine, the-past-will-haunt-you

Moving story about life during the war through the eyes and letters of a young girl who escapes INTO the war, to find out more about her brothers and twin. Historical fiction at its best.

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Aug 13, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars. A wonderful historical fiction. This moving story is based on the diaries and records of the many, many women who volunteered during WWI. As my children and I visited the national WWI museum earlier this summer, I found this story particularly touching. French portrays the horrors of war and the emotional and physical devastation of battle, without glorifying or needlessly horrifying the reader. This would be an excellent book for a teen girl with an interest in history to read. I lov...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

My second favourite book tied with Anastasia's Secret and just behind Harsh Cry Of The Heron!!
A beautiful story set in the first world war: Love, War, Death and tragety!!

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Sep 24, 2012 Jeni rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoy fictional stories based on historical fact. This story is a wonderful account of a group of women described as the "forgotten army of World War 1".

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About Jackie French

Jacqueline Anne "Jackie" French, is an award-winning Australian author of children's fiction and books on gardening.

Jackie French was born in Sydney and grew up in Brisbane, but moved to the bush in her early twenties. She is a keen gardener and appeared on the TV series Burke's Backyard. She has written well over a hundred books. Jackie lives in New South Wales, near the small town of Braidwood a...more

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A Rose for the Anzac Boys (The Matilda Saga)

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