The Daughters of Mars

From the acclaimed author of Schindler's List, the new novel that has been called the best of Thomas Keneally's career, and hailed as "magnificent...stunning...full of suspense, searing particulars, and deep emotion" (The Guardian). In what is perhaps "the best novel of his career" (The Spectator), the acclaimed author of Schindler's List tells the unforgettable story of two sisters whose lives are transformed by the cataclysm of the first world war. IN 1915, Naomi and Sally Durance, two spirited Australian sisters, join the war effort as nurses, escaping the confines of their father's farm and carrying a guilty secret with them. Amid the carnage, the sisters' tenuous bond strengthens as they bravely face extreme danger and hostility--sometimes from their own side. There is great humor and compassion, too, and the inspiring example of the incredible women they serve alongside. In France, each meets an exceptional man, the kind for whom she might relinquish her newfound independence-- if only they all survive. At once vast in scope and extraordinarily intimate, The Daughters of Mars is a remarkable novel about suffering and transcendence, despair and triumph, and the simple acts of decency that make us human even in a world gone mad.

Review :
"Along with a Tolstoyan ability to describe the horrors of battle, this amazing book also has an extraordinary intimacy, especially in the relationship between the sisters...an altogether towering achievement."--A.N. Wilson "A big and brutal book, a new prism through which to think about World War I...breathtaking...magnificent and almost magical. There are moments of joy, of pleasure, that make you look up from their page for a while to arrest and savour their sensation." "Extraordinarily moving...Keneally isa master of character development and period detail.... Fans of "Downton Abbey" and "Gallipoli" alike will find much to admire in Keneally's fast-moving, flawlessly written pages." "Greatly detailed... boasts authentic characters set in equally authentic locations." "May be the best novel of Keneally's career... a book that aims for, and achieves, real grandeur." "Not only is "The Daughters of Mars" one of the most ambitious novels in a career that stretches back to 1964, but it might even be "the" best... The result is something few other authors would aim for, let alone achieve: genuine grandeur." "Now, at last and triumphantly, there is a full-scale Keneally novel of the Great War...All of it is handled by Keneally with calm mastery. If epic is no longer a literary category that fits this world, "The Daughters of Mars" nonetheless has a tragic and humane span that few recent novels have attempted, let alone equalled." "Superbly exciting to read..... An unmissable, unforgettable tribute." International Praise for "The Daughters of Mars" "Magnificent... a stunning performance, full of suspense, searing particulars, and deep emotion.... The huge talents of Thomas Keneally are everywhere on display."