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Gallipoli Street
An ANZAC tale of three families whose destinies are entwined by war, tragedy and passion.
At 17, Veronica O'Shay is happier running wild on the family farm than behaving in the lady like manner her mother requires, and she despairs both her secret passion for her brother's friend, Jack Murphy, and what promises to be a future of restraint and compliance.
But this is 1913 and the genteel tranquility of rural Beecroft is about to change forever ans the O'Shay and Murphy families, along with their friends, The Dwyers, are caught up in the theatre of war and their fates become intertwined.
From the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, through love lost and found, the Great Depression and the desperate jungle war along the Kokoda Track, this sprawling family saga beings to life times long past. A time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against improbable odds.
At 17, Veronica O'Shay is happier running wild on the family farm than behaving in the lady like manner her mother requires, and she despairs both her secret passion for her brother's friend, Jack Murphy, and what promises to be a future of restraint and compliance.
But this is 1913 and the genteel tranquility of rural Beecroft is about to change forever ans the O'Shay and Murphy families, along with their friends, The Dwyers, are caught up in the theatre of war and their fates become intertwined.
From the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, through love lost and found, the Great Depression and the desperate jungle war along the Kokoda Track, this sprawling family saga beings to life times long past. A time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against improbable odds.
437 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2015
32 people are currently reading
521 people want to read
About the author
Mary-Anne O'Connor
13 books174 followersMary-Anne O'Connor nee Best grew up in Wahroonga in the Bushland Shire of Hornsby-Kuringai, northern Sydney. The youngest of six children, her childhood was spent exploring the local bush and playing music with her siblings and close neighbours. An avid reader, she devoured her mother Dorn's extensive library and was often found trying to finish a chapter by torchlight late at night. She also began to fill every blank piece of paper in the house with stories and drawings of her own and dreamt of becoming a writer one day.
When she was twelve her father Kevin Best left his established career in the stock-market to become one of Australia's best-loved artists. The perseverance and ultimate triumph she witnessed during those years left her inspired to follow in his footsteps and pursue her own creative aspirations. A multi-faceted career path followed in marketing and teaching, along with the completion of education/arts degree with specialities in literature, music and environment. During this time she also co-wrote two books with her father, A Brush with Light and Secrets of the Brush. Work then began on her first major novel, Gallipoli Street. This work gained critical acclaim and finished at #3 for debut novels in Australia in 2015.
Since then she written four more best-selling novels: Worth Fighting For, War Flower, In A Great Southern Land and Where Fortune Lies. Her sixth novel, Sisters of Freedom, is due out in March, 2021.
Mary-Anne has drawn on her love of the Australian bush, her fascination with her own family history and her deep, abiding respect for the men and women who carried our nation through turbulent, formative times to produce these novels.
They were written in her office at home beneath a long window that overlooks her beloved gum trees. She still lives in the Bushland Shire with her husband Anthony, their two sons, Jimmy and Jack and their very spoilt, gorgeous dog, Saxon.
When she was twelve her father Kevin Best left his established career in the stock-market to become one of Australia's best-loved artists. The perseverance and ultimate triumph she witnessed during those years left her inspired to follow in his footsteps and pursue her own creative aspirations. A multi-faceted career path followed in marketing and teaching, along with the completion of education/arts degree with specialities in literature, music and environment. During this time she also co-wrote two books with her father, A Brush with Light and Secrets of the Brush. Work then began on her first major novel, Gallipoli Street. This work gained critical acclaim and finished at #3 for debut novels in Australia in 2015.
Since then she written four more best-selling novels: Worth Fighting For, War Flower, In A Great Southern Land and Where Fortune Lies. Her sixth novel, Sisters of Freedom, is due out in March, 2021.
Mary-Anne has drawn on her love of the Australian bush, her fascination with her own family history and her deep, abiding respect for the men and women who carried our nation through turbulent, formative times to produce these novels.
They were written in her office at home beneath a long window that overlooks her beloved gum trees. She still lives in the Bushland Shire with her husband Anthony, their two sons, Jimmy and Jack and their very spoilt, gorgeous dog, Saxon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
April 24, 2015
A sweeping saga of romance, friendship, family and war, Gallipoli Street is Mary-Anne O'Connor's debut novel.
Its 1913 and the declaration of war is about to shatter the rural idyll of Beecroft, home to the close knit O'Shay, Murphy and Dwyer families, who will discover their fates are intertwined by tragedy and love.
The romance of Gallipoli Street begins with the passionate love story between childhood friends, Veronica O'Shay and Jack Murphy. It is an epic tale that sees the couple overcome a scheming femme fatale, the perils of their service in the Great War, and Jack's struggle to reconcile his experiences on his return home.
Twenty years later their son finds love in a New Guinea field hospital ward with orphaned nurse Theresa, but their relationship is shattered when shocking secrets from her past are exposed.
The story takes us from the trenches of Gallipoli, to the deserts of Egypt, from the muddy battlefield of The Somme, to the dense jungle of the Kokoda Trail. No matter the period or arena, war proves to be a universally horrifying and heartbreaking experience which the author relates with truth and compassion.
An appealing and poignant tale, O'Connor has drawn inspiration for both the story of Gallipoli Street and its characters from the lives of her maternal grandparents lending it authenticity and heart.
October 8, 2015
This is a story of three families, The O’Shays, the Murphys and the Dwyers. It starts when Veronica O’Shay is 17. Veronica is in love with Jack Murphy. Her rival for Jack is the glamourous but manipulative Rose. 1913 war erupts and separates families and loved ones. At one stage the author was trying to convey the emotion of parting, but I found the writing too overblown for my taste e.g. ’She could look all she liked, though without realising it, she had her heart in her face as she returned his gaze.’ Later on the same page ‘her eyes were filled with an open love’ and on the next page ‘Veronica’s heart filled eyes poured into his.’
While the plot sounded good covering these families and two world wars losses that ensue and romances that blossom, I found I never really connected with the characters. This is a debut novel and I felt like the author had taken on too much for one book. Still, my guess is there will be plenty of people out there who will enjoy this romance and family story but I was left feeling disappointed. I never became so involved with the characters that I wanted to pick it up and keep reading. But that could be just me. So readers need to make up their own minds on this one.
While the plot sounded good covering these families and two world wars losses that ensue and romances that blossom, I found I never really connected with the characters. This is a debut novel and I felt like the author had taken on too much for one book. Still, my guess is there will be plenty of people out there who will enjoy this romance and family story but I was left feeling disappointed. I never became so involved with the characters that I wanted to pick it up and keep reading. But that could be just me. So readers need to make up their own minds on this one.
June 8, 2016
Gallipoli Street is an epic story of three Australian families whose destinies became entwined by war, tragedy and passion. Inspired by her grandfather’s own story, Mary-Anne brings a fresh perspective to the story of modern Australia. The true horror of war is bought to life in this gripping novel, from the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, a time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against impossible odds. I laughed and cried whilst reading this and am so looking forward to Mary-Anne's next book. - Kellie (QBD Hornsby)
March 29, 2015
This was a slow starter for me. But once it got going, heartstring after heartstring was tugged at, some broken all together.
Galipolli Street is a sweeping romance set amongst the turmoil of multigenerational wars, bloodshed, laughter, tears, heartbreak and reconciliation.
Following the lives of first the parents and then their children as each embarked on their own journey of war and life was an absolute privilege.
Mary-Anne O'Connor has written an incredibly beautiful book covering an area of Australian history that remains relatively untouched and she does it with poise and elegance.
The characters are well formed, fragile, funny and beautifully charming, all in their own individual ways. Veronica O'Shay is probably my favourite of the bunch, followed closely by Jack Murphy, I fail, at this moment to recall any other characters in any book with such depth and well-rounded histories.
The one negative I have to bring forth is the disappointing amount of editorial errors, mostly spelling mistakes, missing words or incorrect tenses of words; throughout the book, starting on page four. This book could have done with one more thorough read through and edit before printing, and that's where it loses a star for me, the sheer volume of errors.
This book had me laughing, crying and hoping in various stages and degrees throughout. I loved it in so many different ways that I'm not able to adequately explain how truly excellent it was.
Galipolli Street is a sweeping romance set amongst the turmoil of multigenerational wars, bloodshed, laughter, tears, heartbreak and reconciliation.
Following the lives of first the parents and then their children as each embarked on their own journey of war and life was an absolute privilege.
Mary-Anne O'Connor has written an incredibly beautiful book covering an area of Australian history that remains relatively untouched and she does it with poise and elegance.
The characters are well formed, fragile, funny and beautifully charming, all in their own individual ways. Veronica O'Shay is probably my favourite of the bunch, followed closely by Jack Murphy, I fail, at this moment to recall any other characters in any book with such depth and well-rounded histories.
The one negative I have to bring forth is the disappointing amount of editorial errors, mostly spelling mistakes, missing words or incorrect tenses of words; throughout the book, starting on page four. This book could have done with one more thorough read through and edit before printing, and that's where it loses a star for me, the sheer volume of errors.
This book had me laughing, crying and hoping in various stages and degrees throughout. I loved it in so many different ways that I'm not able to adequately explain how truly excellent it was.
February 18, 2015
I heart this book so much! <3 Jack and Veronica were just bright stars in the story right from the start and their attraction was just undeniable! Rose was initially just downright despicable and Pattie was a hoot! Mick and Tom stood tall and even their parents – you couldn't pick the biggest stand out! So much happening when the story of three families converges and their actions affect each other in so many ways. Heart wrenching scenarios… death, destruction, savagery and finding oneself again. From Gallipoli to Somme and even The Great Depression and on to The Kokoda Track. Descriptive, harrowing, dramatic and explosive reading!
Jack and Veronica’s story grabbed my heart strings right from the start, :D but every character involved in this story will steal your emotions in one way or another. I could shout from the rafters about this story, it was just that good. Many shocks in a story that has so many facets and one that keeps readers completely mesmerised. The sacrifices our Diggers and their families made were just gut-wrenchingly tearful and beyond our imagination. Just awesome storytelling by the author that you can sink your teeth into and completely get immersed in.
5 stars
*Review copy received from the publisher for an honest review.
Jack and Veronica’s story grabbed my heart strings right from the start, :D but every character involved in this story will steal your emotions in one way or another. I could shout from the rafters about this story, it was just that good. Many shocks in a story that has so many facets and one that keeps readers completely mesmerised. The sacrifices our Diggers and their families made were just gut-wrenchingly tearful and beyond our imagination. Just awesome storytelling by the author that you can sink your teeth into and completely get immersed in.
5 stars
*Review copy received from the publisher for an honest review.
October 19, 2017
I should have read this earlier! This book has been on my bookshelf for 2 years now and I never got around to reading it. I am so glad that I did. Amazing!
June 18, 2017
The title of GALLIPOLI STREET provides insight into what this book is trying to achieve; war and the domestic struggles at home during and after the war. The author follows several connected families from a small rural town near Sydney from the pre-war period until the post-WWII period. This includes some characters experiencing the horrors of Gallipoli. If, like me, you are expecting the book to have a strong focus on Gallipoli given the title, it is important to know that it doesn't. There are only a very few short chapters relating to Gallipoli itself. I'm a little cynical about the title, given how little Gallipoli is actually featured. Let's just say that I don't think Woolies are the only ones cashing in *cough*.
What I think the author has tried to achieve with this book, is the developing Australian identity, from being a British colony to being a country in our own right. As a country that was formed from the blood of our diggers in Gallipoli, and that spirit is forged again in placed like Kokoda, which is also briefly featured in the novel. The book didn't really achieve this for me, though, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the writing style was stiff and lacked flow for me. Secondly, and most importantly, the characters were stereotypes and didn't lift off the page. I'm an emotional reader. I cry over everything. But I didn't cry over this book and that for me demonstrates more than anything else the lack of connection I felt with the characters. I think the author over-reached and tried to achieve too much. Instead of covering some 30 odd years I think focusing on a smaller time period, with fewer viewpoint characters, would have strengthened her book.
The discussion of the challenges soldiers face when returning from war is an important one. A fantastic book I read last year tackling this was Ronan's Echo by Australian author Joanne van Os. That books remains the best book I have read on the demons soldiers face and the impact of that on their families.
GALLIPOLI STREET isn't a bad book, but it isn't my cup of tea. If you want something light-ish and romantic set during that pre-war to post-war periods, this may be a decent choice.
What I think the author has tried to achieve with this book, is the developing Australian identity, from being a British colony to being a country in our own right. As a country that was formed from the blood of our diggers in Gallipoli, and that spirit is forged again in placed like Kokoda, which is also briefly featured in the novel. The book didn't really achieve this for me, though, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the writing style was stiff and lacked flow for me. Secondly, and most importantly, the characters were stereotypes and didn't lift off the page. I'm an emotional reader. I cry over everything. But I didn't cry over this book and that for me demonstrates more than anything else the lack of connection I felt with the characters. I think the author over-reached and tried to achieve too much. Instead of covering some 30 odd years I think focusing on a smaller time period, with fewer viewpoint characters, would have strengthened her book.
The discussion of the challenges soldiers face when returning from war is an important one. A fantastic book I read last year tackling this was Ronan's Echo by Australian author Joanne van Os. That books remains the best book I have read on the demons soldiers face and the impact of that on their families.
GALLIPOLI STREET isn't a bad book, but it isn't my cup of tea. If you want something light-ish and romantic set during that pre-war to post-war periods, this may be a decent choice.
April 26, 2015
Veronica O’Shay is 17 and supposed to be learning how to behave in a way that is fitting for a young lady. Instead she’d rather be tearing around in a horse and cart having adventures. She harbours a secret passion for Jack Murphy, the friend of her older brothers but despairs of his connection to the stunningly beautiful Rose Dwyer, the daughter of friends of her family.
As the world teeters on the brink of war, the three families are caught up as Veronica’s brothers and Jack enlist when Britain enters the conflict. They’re sent to Gallipoli, the disastrous attempt at taking the Ottoman Empire and Veronica, unable to sit idly by at home in Australia while her boys are fighting decides to enlist as a nurse so that she might be of use and be closer to her beloved Jack, even though she has promised herself to another.
Gallipoli Street is a sweeping family saga encompassing several generations of three intertwined and closeknit families throughout the Great War, the traumatic aftermath, the Great Depression and into the conflict of World War II.
It’s kind of fitting that I’m posting a review of this novel today, given that tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. It was mostly an accident that I came to be reading it in time for the day, which has become the most important recognition of our veterans, to be honest. It’d been on my TBR for some time so perhaps these things just have a way of working out!
The story starts in 1913 with Veronica, on the cusp of womanhood and being pulled in several different directions. Her mother wants her to act in a certain way, Veronica would rather be more like her tomboyish friend (and Jack’s sister) Pattie. She has a deep love for Jack but is mostly forced to stand idly by and watch as Jack courts the pretty but very conniving Rose Dwyer. Things are made difficult by the fact that the Murphys, O’Shays and Dwyers are all friends, usually throwing them into close proximity with each other which leads to tension between Rose and the other girls. Rose is one of those girls who isn’t really interested in being friends with other women – she sees them as little more than competition. Men have the power and women acquire it by the men they connect themselves to. Rose makes several choices during this book, most of which render her utterly unpalatable presumably to smooth the way for Jack and Veronica’s true love and that meant that I ended up feeling little pity for her. I was sorry about several things that happened to her, but she still seemed to make choices that hurt other people. I suppose things are different in the war and you grasp what you can but it still made it difficult to connect with Rose or feel much for her.
Veronica and Jack are a lovely story, the friends-to-lovers against a backdrop of misery in WWI. I think if I were born in that time, I’d have been a bit like Veronica – I’m not much of a lady! I don’t like dresses and the idea of racing a pony and cart sounds like fun. I liked the carefreeness of their lives pre-war – the families all seem quite wealthy and spend a good deal of time socialising- and the way in which it changed during and after,which is showcased quite well. I admire Veronica for signing up, although I did feel as though her motives were a bit thin, to be honest. The depiction of places like Cairo etc during the war was interesting and contrasted with the vision of Australia and their lives back home. I also really appreciated the difficulties that several of the characters experienced post-war. Despite the fact there’s a strong thread of romance running through this book, not everything is rosy and a lot of the characters experience pain, difficulty and heartbreak after finding their match. Post-traumatic stress disorder is explored in a fledgling form, as back in the 1920’s it wouldn’t have even had a name or a treatment.
There is one thing that did sour me on this story a bit and that’s the behaviour of a character towards the end, when the story moves to the next generation of the families. I know it’s a different time and there were different views of women and behaviour but the words used are very harsh and really would’ve been quite damaging and quite possibly even unforgivable. You’re supposed to be able to trust in the person you’ve chosen to support you, to listen and believe in you and if they react in ways that are abusive, unsupportive and basically quite nasty, it would be difficult to put that aside, I think. Everyone seems to push for this person to be forgiven, but even his attitude in asking for forgiveness was somewhat abrasive – “I’ve apologised, what more do I have to do?” Yes, no one is perfect, but there’s a big difference between being flawed and needing time to process and lashing out with immature name calling.
Apart from that, I really enjoyed this beautiful, sweeping story that takes place during a time of such heartbreak and turmoil. Each of the characters experience such ups and downs but still manage to maintain that closeness of their childhoods, the relationships that have made them stronger. It showcases that classic Australian mateship and this was a perfect time of year to become absorbed in it.
As the world teeters on the brink of war, the three families are caught up as Veronica’s brothers and Jack enlist when Britain enters the conflict. They’re sent to Gallipoli, the disastrous attempt at taking the Ottoman Empire and Veronica, unable to sit idly by at home in Australia while her boys are fighting decides to enlist as a nurse so that she might be of use and be closer to her beloved Jack, even though she has promised herself to another.
Gallipoli Street is a sweeping family saga encompassing several generations of three intertwined and closeknit families throughout the Great War, the traumatic aftermath, the Great Depression and into the conflict of World War II.
It’s kind of fitting that I’m posting a review of this novel today, given that tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. It was mostly an accident that I came to be reading it in time for the day, which has become the most important recognition of our veterans, to be honest. It’d been on my TBR for some time so perhaps these things just have a way of working out!
The story starts in 1913 with Veronica, on the cusp of womanhood and being pulled in several different directions. Her mother wants her to act in a certain way, Veronica would rather be more like her tomboyish friend (and Jack’s sister) Pattie. She has a deep love for Jack but is mostly forced to stand idly by and watch as Jack courts the pretty but very conniving Rose Dwyer. Things are made difficult by the fact that the Murphys, O’Shays and Dwyers are all friends, usually throwing them into close proximity with each other which leads to tension between Rose and the other girls. Rose is one of those girls who isn’t really interested in being friends with other women – she sees them as little more than competition. Men have the power and women acquire it by the men they connect themselves to. Rose makes several choices during this book, most of which render her utterly unpalatable presumably to smooth the way for Jack and Veronica’s true love and that meant that I ended up feeling little pity for her. I was sorry about several things that happened to her, but she still seemed to make choices that hurt other people. I suppose things are different in the war and you grasp what you can but it still made it difficult to connect with Rose or feel much for her.
Veronica and Jack are a lovely story, the friends-to-lovers against a backdrop of misery in WWI. I think if I were born in that time, I’d have been a bit like Veronica – I’m not much of a lady! I don’t like dresses and the idea of racing a pony and cart sounds like fun. I liked the carefreeness of their lives pre-war – the families all seem quite wealthy and spend a good deal of time socialising- and the way in which it changed during and after,which is showcased quite well. I admire Veronica for signing up, although I did feel as though her motives were a bit thin, to be honest. The depiction of places like Cairo etc during the war was interesting and contrasted with the vision of Australia and their lives back home. I also really appreciated the difficulties that several of the characters experienced post-war. Despite the fact there’s a strong thread of romance running through this book, not everything is rosy and a lot of the characters experience pain, difficulty and heartbreak after finding their match. Post-traumatic stress disorder is explored in a fledgling form, as back in the 1920’s it wouldn’t have even had a name or a treatment.
There is one thing that did sour me on this story a bit and that’s the behaviour of a character towards the end, when the story moves to the next generation of the families. I know it’s a different time and there were different views of women and behaviour but the words used are very harsh and really would’ve been quite damaging and quite possibly even unforgivable. You’re supposed to be able to trust in the person you’ve chosen to support you, to listen and believe in you and if they react in ways that are abusive, unsupportive and basically quite nasty, it would be difficult to put that aside, I think. Everyone seems to push for this person to be forgiven, but even his attitude in asking for forgiveness was somewhat abrasive – “I’ve apologised, what more do I have to do?” Yes, no one is perfect, but there’s a big difference between being flawed and needing time to process and lashing out with immature name calling.
Apart from that, I really enjoyed this beautiful, sweeping story that takes place during a time of such heartbreak and turmoil. Each of the characters experience such ups and downs but still manage to maintain that closeness of their childhoods, the relationships that have made them stronger. It showcases that classic Australian mateship and this was a perfect time of year to become absorbed in it.
May 11, 2021
My belated ANZAC Day read for 2021.
May 9, 2025
beautiful, just beautiful 😍
April 1, 2024
Took me a while to get into it but it was a beautiful saga and I was glad to see it come full circle with Theresa.
Inspired to read this as my grandparents lived on Gallipoli Street at Long Jetty and my Pop served in the Navy during WW2.
Inspired to read this as my grandparents lived on Gallipoli Street at Long Jetty and my Pop served in the Navy during WW2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2017
Gallipoli Street is the debut novel of Australian author Mary-Anne O'Connor. If I had to choose one word to describe this book it would be ambitious. It spans two generations and three families from 1913 through to World War Two. Two of the families are the O'Shay's and the Murphy's, family friends for many years. The focus is on teenager Veronica and Jack, who have a great romance bubbling under the surface. The third family are the newcomers, the O'Dwyers, with Rose being the centre of family storyline. These three people become connected in a way that will affect themselves and their families for decades to come. While there was so much potential here for an epic story there were a couple of factors that spoilt it for me. The first one hundred pages occur before the war and I felt like I was reading Mills and Boom romance, instead of historical fiction. This wasn't what I picked up the book for! I powered on and was rewarded for my perseverance when the war began. O'Connor did a wonderful job of making these times of hardships ring true and I finally felt like I was becoming a part of history through the fighting and the Depression. The second point was that the story was too long. Set in five parts, I think part four should have been the end. This is where Veronica's, Jack's and Rose's story finishes. I found I had invested so much in these people because they lived such full, interesting, passionate lives (and yes, I was always rooting for Jack and Veronica!) in difficult circumstances. I (unfortunately) didn't care or have the emotional energy for their descendants story. While the last part does bring everything together, it could also have been done in a more timely fashion to stop me skimming over so much. So while O'Connor's first book was not perfect, I will read her next one because the potential is certainly there.
June 27, 2016
I am not a big fan of sagas, but I did enjoy "Gallipoli Street". Spanning over twenty years readers are taken from the trenches of Gallipoli to the jungles of the Kokoda Trail as they follow the lives of three families. With the hundredth anniversary of the landing of Gallipoli celebrated last year, I found this a poignant story of love, war, sacrifice, friendship and families. Well done Ms O'Connor.
March 8, 2024
4.5 stars
This was a brilliant debut novel by Aussie author Mary-Anne O’Connor, and one which tugged at the heartstrings of this reader. It brought to life the horror of war and its effects not only on those at the frontlines but also on the families back at home.
I like a story where I can see the characters grow and develop through the various circumstances taking place in their lives. This wonderful story of love, war and family did that for me.
This was a brilliant debut novel by Aussie author Mary-Anne O’Connor, and one which tugged at the heartstrings of this reader. It brought to life the horror of war and its effects not only on those at the frontlines but also on the families back at home.
I like a story where I can see the characters grow and develop through the various circumstances taking place in their lives. This wonderful story of love, war and family did that for me.
March 15, 2015
LOVED This ANZAC tale of three families whose destinies are entwined by war, tragedy and passion.The characters were enthralling. This book brings to life a time long ago ...a time of desperate love born during the war and acts of friendship against impossible odds. The sacrifices our soldiers and their families made were just heart wrenching and beyond our imagination. A brilliant debut novel.
April 12, 2015
A story of the three entwined families that goes through two wars. I enjoyed this book looking at relationships. not my preferred genre, but a nice easy read. I did feel it was specifically published now for the ANZAC centenary.
April 27, 2015
10/10 one of my absolute favourite books ever!!!! I absolutely loved how the story didnt just stop at the end of WW1 but continued to show us how the characters lives panned out and then threw us into the depths of Kokoda during WW2! A definite must read!
March 17, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
At 17, Veronica O’Shay is happier running wild on the family farm than behaving in the ladylike manner her mother requires, and she despairs both of her secret passion for her brother’s friend Jack Murphy and what promises to be a future of restraint and compliance.
But this is 1913 and the genteel tranquillity of rural Beecroft is about to change forever as the O’Shay and Murphy families, along with their friends the Dwyers, are caught up in the theatre of war and their fates become intertwined.
From the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, through love lost and found, the Great Depression and the desperate jungle war along the Kokoda Track, this sprawling family drama brings to life a time long past… a time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against impossible odds.
As an Australian, the title of this book alone evokes a strong sense of history and pride, so when this became available through Net Galley, I knew it was something I wanted to read.
This is Mary-Anne O'Connor's debut novel and, sadly, it does show. While the story itself is well done, there are a lot of moments when characters are just terribly over-written. An example:
"...she had her heart in her face as she returned his gaze."
I don't even really know what that means, honestly. And there are lots of this kind of phrasing which was so unnecessary as the plot would have kept this book chugging along perfectly fine...
I look forward to her next book and see what that brings.
Paul
ARH
At 17, Veronica O’Shay is happier running wild on the family farm than behaving in the ladylike manner her mother requires, and she despairs both of her secret passion for her brother’s friend Jack Murphy and what promises to be a future of restraint and compliance.
But this is 1913 and the genteel tranquillity of rural Beecroft is about to change forever as the O’Shay and Murphy families, along with their friends the Dwyers, are caught up in the theatre of war and their fates become intertwined.
From the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, through love lost and found, the Great Depression and the desperate jungle war along the Kokoda Track, this sprawling family drama brings to life a time long past… a time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against impossible odds.
As an Australian, the title of this book alone evokes a strong sense of history and pride, so when this became available through Net Galley, I knew it was something I wanted to read.
This is Mary-Anne O'Connor's debut novel and, sadly, it does show. While the story itself is well done, there are a lot of moments when characters are just terribly over-written. An example:
"...she had her heart in her face as she returned his gaze."
I don't even really know what that means, honestly. And there are lots of this kind of phrasing which was so unnecessary as the plot would have kept this book chugging along perfectly fine...
I look forward to her next book and see what that brings.
Paul
ARH
December 28, 2019
Blurb from web: An Anzac tale of three families whose destinies are entwined by war, tragedy and passion.
At 17, Veronica O'Shay is happier running wild on the family farm than behaving in the ladylike manner her mother requires, and she despairs both of her secret passion for her brother's friend Jack Murphy and what promises to be a future of restraint and compliance.
But this is 1913 and the genteel tranquillity of rural Beecroft is about to change forever as the O'Shay and Murphy families, along with their friends the Dwyers, are caught up in the theatre of war and their fates become intertwined.
From the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, through love lost and found, the Great Depression and the desperate jungle war along the Kokoda Track, this sprawling family drama brings to life a time long past… a time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against impossible odds.
A love letter to Australian landscape and character, Gallipoli Street celebrates both mateship and the enduring quality of real love. But more than that, this book shows us where we have come from as a nation, by revealing the adversity and passions that forged us.
A stunning novel that brings to life the love and courage that formed our Anzac tradition.
My review: a good read. Solid throughout. Loved the characteristics of the brothers Mick and Tom in particular. Some of the story fell thin in a few parts for me, but I looked forward to picking it up again. Will look out for the author’s other work.
At 17, Veronica O'Shay is happier running wild on the family farm than behaving in the ladylike manner her mother requires, and she despairs both of her secret passion for her brother's friend Jack Murphy and what promises to be a future of restraint and compliance.
But this is 1913 and the genteel tranquillity of rural Beecroft is about to change forever as the O'Shay and Murphy families, along with their friends the Dwyers, are caught up in the theatre of war and their fates become intertwined.
From the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, through love lost and found, the Great Depression and the desperate jungle war along the Kokoda Track, this sprawling family drama brings to life a time long past… a time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against impossible odds.
A love letter to Australian landscape and character, Gallipoli Street celebrates both mateship and the enduring quality of real love. But more than that, this book shows us where we have come from as a nation, by revealing the adversity and passions that forged us.
A stunning novel that brings to life the love and courage that formed our Anzac tradition.
My review: a good read. Solid throughout. Loved the characteristics of the brothers Mick and Tom in particular. Some of the story fell thin in a few parts for me, but I looked forward to picking it up again. Will look out for the author’s other work.
May 15, 2022
I really struggled with this book as I found it predictable and its characters stereotypes.
There have been so many books about World War I that it is hard to find a new perspective in which to set a story. Here we have a book that revolves around well-to-do families in country (at that time) Beecroft with sons following fathers into careers and women doing their bidding.
Jack is the typical hero figure - good looking, strong and a true country boy who is obsessed with Rose but she is obsessed with herself and her own goals. Vera, who has been like a sister to Jack has a big soft spot for him and slowly Jack starts to realise that perhaps his true love lies elsewhere.
When war is declared the boys all volunteer and head for Gallipoli where they are fighting in the trenches with mates injured and killed in dreadful circumstances.
Sadly that's about where I gave up - I was not engaged in the story as there was nothing new here.
I am sure many people will enjoy it, especially if you've not read too many WWI tomes but the author's style is not one I enjoyed.
There have been so many books about World War I that it is hard to find a new perspective in which to set a story. Here we have a book that revolves around well-to-do families in country (at that time) Beecroft with sons following fathers into careers and women doing their bidding.
Jack is the typical hero figure - good looking, strong and a true country boy who is obsessed with Rose but she is obsessed with herself and her own goals. Vera, who has been like a sister to Jack has a big soft spot for him and slowly Jack starts to realise that perhaps his true love lies elsewhere.
When war is declared the boys all volunteer and head for Gallipoli where they are fighting in the trenches with mates injured and killed in dreadful circumstances.
Sadly that's about where I gave up - I was not engaged in the story as there was nothing new here.
I am sure many people will enjoy it, especially if you've not read too many WWI tomes but the author's style is not one I enjoyed.
January 4, 2018
'Sweeping saga", "epic tale" are some of the descriptive cliches that spring to mind with this novel. That is not a bad thing - just a way to describe the book. Reminiscent of Judy Nunn and even Jeffrey Archer (with the parallel lives that intersect towards the end), this book tells the story of 3 families. From the pre WW1 days, through to the battlefields of Turkey and France, the difficulties faced by returning soldiers, a mention of the Great Depression and then the period of WW2, this book depicts some of the moments of Australian history that have shaped our country. Criticisms are minor : A family tree would have been helpful at times, some eras were rushed through and some characters not as fully developed as I would have liked. However, that would have turned this book into a 600-700 page epic,lol! Highly recommended
December 8, 2017
Didn’t even finish this book unfortunately! The cover is absolutely gorgeous, but I found it hard to relate the characters and their motives, as the story seemed to skim through everything and there wasn’t enough depth to the characters. Also, the relationships were quite boring in that they were all kept within the small group, and when the characters did annoying or frustrating things I didn’t like them enough to overlook it!
March 22, 2018
What can I say? This book bruised my heart on numerous occasions, had a few good cries reading Gallipoli Street. The family drama took you through a journey of both Great Wars where there was much love, sacrifice, pain and strength. Gallipoli Street was well written, a page turner to say the least. A new favourite, which I will most likely read again.
Mary-Anne O’Connor’s books are not good for the heart, there were times where it felt my heart was ripping to pieces!
Mary-Anne O’Connor’s books are not good for the heart, there were times where it felt my heart was ripping to pieces!
June 25, 2023
Challenge; Book with Clouds on the Cover - Dymocks Winter 2023
A book set around two world wars and three families. The story centres around one family’s daughter, Veronica, and her live during the first and Second World War. This story is made up with different parts and different characters as they come and go.
Part three was my favourite.
Three stars given for this historical fiction.
A book set around two world wars and three families. The story centres around one family’s daughter, Veronica, and her live during the first and Second World War. This story is made up with different parts and different characters as they come and go.
Part three was my favourite.
Three stars given for this historical fiction.
July 9, 2017
Wow! Absolutely loved reading this book, I couldn't stop! After an involuntary break from reading for pleasure due to the amount of readings for uni assignments.. Gallipoli Street was the perfect book to reawaken my love of reading. It was amazing escaping into the worlds of the characters within and watching them grow and change over time.
September 3, 2017
A fast-moving generational story of the trials and tribulations of two Australian families that stretches from before the First World war to after the Second World War. Some funny and poignant moments throughout.
March 3, 2018
I loved this book, it seemed disjointed in some parts but overall it was a great book. It had a lovely storyline that you didn't need to overthink. It took me back to my younger days of reading Gallipoli by Jack Bennett. I enjoyed it very much.
May 31, 2020
Oh my goodness, what an absolute joy to listen to. This had everything and it made me laugh, cry and gasp in both delight and shock. It was amazing! It'll be hard to knock out of my top reads for 2020!
December 29, 2021
Gallipoli Street is a winding tale of families, mateship and love which spans across the two World Wars.
I enjoyed it overall but I did find it long winded in parts. Also, I had a definite sense that I’ve read it before but only grabbed this copy recently... 🤔🤷♀️
I enjoyed it overall but I did find it long winded in parts. Also, I had a definite sense that I’ve read it before but only grabbed this copy recently... 🤔🤷♀️
May 17, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to read the next one from this author. I believe she will be a favorite.
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