Bittersweet in Aussie Readers

Jan 29, 2015 Brenda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-authors, historical-fiction, own-read, 2013-release

Edda and Grace were the elder twins by twenty months; their half-sisters Heather (Tufts) and Kitty formed their tightly-knit group of four – different mothers, the same father; they were all destined for different life paths back in the days of 1920s Australia. The fact that their father’s wife; Tufts and Kitty’s mother, Maude was a huge influence on their lives was known, but it was not in a good way. Maude was oppressive and she made no bones about letting everyone know her favourite child was Edda and Grace were the elder twins by twenty months; their half-sisters Heather (Tufts) and Kitty formed their tightly-knit group of four – different mothers, the same father; they were all destined for different life paths back in the days of 1920s Australia. The fact that their father’s wife; Tufts and Kitty’s mother, Maude was a huge influence on their lives was known, but it was not in a good way. Maude was oppressive and she made no bones about letting everyone know her favourite child was Kitty, who suffered greatly from that smothering and devoted woman.

When their father, the Reverend Thomas Latimer used his influence on the board of the Corunda Base Hospital to gain all four girls traineeships as nurses, their lives took on different meanings – they lived on-site at the hospital, therefore they were out of Maude’s clutches at last. Three of the sisters found they loved the ways of nursing; the fourth was unhappy but continued so she could remain with her sisters. The four girls bloomed as they learned – Edda knew her wishes of becoming a doctor would be unfulfilled but her sights were set high; Kitty loved working with children, with the Children’s Ward becoming her domain; Tufts found working with Dr Liam Finucan in pathology intriguing and Grace just wanted to marry and have children.

In 1929, Dr Charles Burdum from London, but with a grandfather in Corunda, arrived to become the new superintendent of the hospital. With deeply entrenched Britishness, Charles struggled to fit in with the locals – but he was set to change many lives, including those of the Latimer sisters. As the Depression moved across the country people from all walks of life were affected. Times became terrible – the struggle just to eat was a torment…

I thoroughly enjoyed this Australian saga set in the 1920s by renowned Aussie author Colleen McCullough - the lives of four sisters; two sets of twins who were close in age and bond. The love they shared was deep and unable to be broken – the paths their lives took, though different, continued to keep them together, even when apart.

There were many laugh out loud moments, including this one: He asked me to dinner at the Parthenon the other day - caught me doing a message... So I stood there and stared at him, slowly sucked my lips together like a fish, and crossed my eyes. He ran away. P57 - and I loved learning how Tufts earned her nickname! A wonderful story, one I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending highly.
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Aug 31, 2015 Kathryn rated it really liked it

Shelves: reading-list-2015, 4-stars, fiction, audiobooks, australian-authors

I enjoyed this and loved how it followed the 4 Latimer sisters through their nursing training. Set just before and during the Great Depression, part of the story revolved around economics and politics, which are not areas that I have a good grasp of, so some of it just washed over my head, but it was still an enjoyable story.

I felt the ending was a little less than satisfactory, but I as I finished the book a while ago (and am only now writing my review - oops!), I can’t remember what I thought ...more

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Jul 12, 2017 Alane Kataria-Rennie rated it really liked it

This was an enjoyable novel about four Australian sisters who lived in country NSW in the 1920s and 30s. Elements of the plot were a bit hard to believe, but the characters were rich and entertaining.

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