Ronan's Echo in Aussie Readers

Feb 27, 2014 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, own-read, favourites, aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, reviewing-by-request, 2014-release

Bridie O’Malley was a beautiful young woman with deep rich flowing red hair; even as a child she was stunning. Her three brothers doted on her; as well her father Eamonn – their life was happy and peaceful in their home, “Connemara” in the Sydney suburb of Manly. They had left their Irish home behind in 1906 when Bridie was only eight years old and headed to Australia to make a new life.

At age fourteen, Bridie’s best friends were identical twins Denny and Connor Ronan – she enjoyed their company Bridie O’Malley was a beautiful young woman with deep rich flowing red hair; even as a child she was stunning. Her three brothers doted on her; as well her father Eamonn – their life was happy and peaceful in their home, “Connemara” in the Sydney suburb of Manly. They had left their Irish home behind in 1906 when Bridie was only eight years old and headed to Australia to make a new life.

At age fourteen, Bridie’s best friends were identical twins Denny and Connor Ronan – she enjoyed their company like no other, and they hers. The three of them were inseparable through their childhood years and Eamonn often wondered which one Bridie would choose to be her husband. Her choice would be difficult he knew, as they both idolised her. But when war was declared in Europe and Britain requested troops from Australia, the lives of many were set to change in terrible and permanent ways. When first Bridie’s three brothers went to war, and then both Connor and Denny signed up in 1916 and followed them, Bridie and Eamonn were desolate, and could only pray for their safe return...

In 2009, almost one hundred years later, forensic anthropologist Catriona Kelso, or Kat as she was known, was home for a break from her last job before she headed to Fromelles. She was to assist in the identification of the recovered Australian soldiers’ bodies which were lost in that disastrous WW1 battle. Kat was Bridie’s great granddaughter, and lived with her mother Fiona and great Aunt Hattie at “Connemara”, the old family home. Learning of her family’s history from Aunt Hattie was stunning but exciting – the thought that one of her very own relatives could be found at Fromelles had her heart racing. But the secrets and lies which Kat uncovered shocked her, turning her family history into one of strangeness; there were suddenly more questions than answers – would she be able to discover the truth?

What a deeply moving, powerful story! I absolutely loved this wonderful novel by Aussie author Joanne van Os – the characters are so well drawn, the emotion so incredibly raw; I felt like I was there in France with Connor and Denny. Kat’s journey was also an inspiring and meaningful one with her earlier grief still needing to be dealt with. The novel travels in both time frames very successfully with the story coming together perfectly, but with an unexpected twist at the end. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this historical fiction novel extremely highly.

With thanks to the author and her publisher for my copy to read and review. ...more

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Mar 17, 2014 Kathryn rated it really liked it

Shelves: australian-authors, reading-list-2015, 4-5-stars, released-2014

I have heard many positive remarks about this book and it didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the current-day stories of Kat, the forensic anthropologist who unearths (sometimes literally) the stories behind how and why people died, and her mother, Fiona, who is cool, unemotional and undemonstrative, and her aunt, Hattie, who they live with. Going back another generation, we see Hattie’s mother, father and uncle - the young Bridie and twins, Denny and Connor, as they vie for Bridie’s affections before ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: provided-by-publisher, aussie-author

In 1916, twin brothers Denny and Connor Ronan are eager to prove themselves in the theatre of war, and at eighteen find themselves in the front line trenches in Fromelles, France, having left behind the flame haired beauty Bridie O'Malley, they both love. Sadly, only one survives the horrors of war and returns home to the arms of his beloved, but he is not the same man who left.
Nearly a century later, forensic anthropologist Catriona Kelso's curiosity is roused when she learns her next assignmen

In 1916, twin brothers Denny and Connor Ronan are eager to prove themselves in the theatre of war, and at eighteen find themselves in the front line trenches in Fromelles, France, having left behind the flame haired beauty Bridie O'Malley, they both love. Sadly, only one survives the horrors of war and returns home to the arms of his beloved, but he is not the same man who left.
Nearly a century later, forensic anthropologist Catriona Kelso's curiosity is roused when she learns her next assignment will be the exhumation and identification of the hundreds of World War 1 soldiers buried en masse on the French battleground, and that her great grandfather's twin brother may be among them. Excited by the possibility, Cat begins to ask questions about her family, but uncovers more than one long buried secret.

A poignant tale of war, love and family secrets, Ronans Echo is a wonderful story from Australian author Joanne Van Os. Set largely in Manly, New South Wales, the narrative shifts between the present and the past, revealing the tragic legacy of war that blights the lives of four generations.

Dual timelines are often tricky for authors to negotiate but Van Os does so masterfully, developing two equally interesting storylines that converge to tell the tale of the descendants of the Ronan brothers. The wartime experiences of the returned Ronan brother at the Battle of Fromelles, echos through the family tree, sparking a legacy of violence after the symptoms of PTSD overwhelm him. Though the twist to the story of the Ronan twins is heavily foreshadowed, it takes little away from the intrigue of the novel, or its heartfelt sentiment.

The scenes that depict the Ronan brothers experience of war are particularly heartbreaking. The battle at Fromelles is believed to have led to the greatest loss of life by a single division in 24 hours during the entire First World War with over 5,500 Australians killed or wounded. Until recent years, 1,335 Australian soldiers remained ‘missing’ from the Fromelles battle, having no known grave but thanks to the efforts of a retired history teacher, the remains of 452 soldiers were discovered, identified and re-interred with full military honours. This is the project Cat lends her expertise to, and where she discovers a twist in her family history.

Cat knows few details of her lineage when she begins to ask her elderly Aunt Hattie and mother, Fiona, questions about the family's past nearly a century later. She is shocked to learn of the tragedies that ended the lives of her great grandfather and his twin, and how these secrets have affected her own life, particularly in regards to her strained relationship with her mother, and her own aversion to commitment. For Cat, unraveling the mystery of her ancestry answers questions she didn't realise she had.

A moving exploration of the legacy of war and family secrets, Ronan's Echo is a well crafted and eloquent novel. I found it to be an absorbing and thought provoking story which I'd recommend to readers of both historical and contemporary fiction.

*Statistics sourced from the Australian War Memorial website ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Ace Taylor rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, real-life, relationship, historical, european-history, australian-history, australian-authors

Originally posted at https://alexandramtaylor.com/book-rev...

Ronan's Echo is everything I love about this sort of book and more. Much along the lines of Kate Morton's novels, it tells two interconnecting stories. That of Kat Kelso in modern day Australia and that of her great-grandmother Bridie O'Malley. Focusing on World War 1 and Kat's search for the truth of her family history - not just her Great-Grandparents, but also the truth of about her mother whom she has never had the best relationshi ...more

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Jan 14, 2019 Dee-Ann rated it it was amazing

Great read. Loved and at times horrified by the detail in the book about war and forensic science. The book did well in showing that the whole truth may never be known. A disturbing insight into PTSD and the effects it can have in those around them, which can carry on for generations. I have a 17 year d son and it is unimaginable to think of him going off to fight a war and experience what they did.

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