The Daughters of Mars

 

Shirley J.                      Adult Fiction                         Australian Nurses in World War I

The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally  528 pages

Set in World War I, the story revolves around the lives of two sisters who join the Australian nursing corps. during World War I.    The story is pretty graphic in detailing wounds, suffering and injuries sustained during mustard gas, bombs, bullets, tuberculosis, infection, etc.   Not for the squeamish.  A very real and personal up close view of the effects of war and the tragedies of war.   It also goes into how people treat their fellow man, ie. a Quaker medical officer is beaten, spit on, called a coward and worse because he will do his best to heal his fellow man but refuses to take up arms against him; a graphic rape of one of the nurses is told; stories of the loss of limbs in very real in the moment detail.    An exceedingly well told tale that brings you into the chaos of war in brilliant detail while sharing the personal stories of the nurses and soldiers in the midst of the fray and all that can be accomplished with few supplies but lots of moxie.   Because of the detail I would recommend this one to mature teens and maybe even adults rather than teens.  Good book that will touch your emotions.