From the Bookshelf of Tyler Public Library…

[close] In his latest novel “The Daughters of Mars”, Keneally, author of “Schindler’s List,” pays homage to the unsung nursing heroes of WWI. Australian sisters, Sally and Naomi Durance are nurses who volunteer in 1914. They serve aboard the Archimedes, a Red Cross hospital ship, and later are stationed in France on the Western Front. I felt the most riveting part of the novel covered the description of the sinking of the Archimedes, which is based on a true occurrence. Readers will be hard-pressed to forget Keneally’s historical rendering of this disaster. Remarkable also, are the depictions of wartime sacrifices made by animals for mankind.

The complicated bond between Sally and Naomi blossoms as they struggle to maintain their sanity tending to the horrific number of casualties suffered by Australian troops during the 9 month Battle of Gallipoli. Not only are the sisters faced with insufficient supplies to tend the wounded, but the nurses suffer disrespect and degradation at the hands of the Army officials. Kenneally is a master of action, characterization and setting which included depictions of Australia, Egypt, the Greek Islands, Belgium, France and Britain. While the novel’s ending is unusual, it felt right to me. Keneally does not mince words in his description of the death and destruction WWI inflicted. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.