The queen of the epic story has come up trumps with this powerful historical novel about two sets of twins; four sisters - all attractive, headstrong, clever yet vulnerable – all training as nurses in Australia during the 1920s. Colleen McCullough has lost none of the writing strength shown in The Thorn Birds, with her deft observations, complexity of plot, quick-witted dialogue and smart characterisation, all wrapped up in her trademark humour. A wry meditation on love and its consequences.
From the author of The Thorn Birds comes this epic saga of love, betrayal, ambition and redemption in 1920s and '30s Australia. Do bonds between sisters ever break? Edda, Grace, tufts and Kitty didn't think so. the four Latimer sisters, famous throughout New South Wales for their beauty, wit and ambition, have always been close; always happy. But then they left home to train as nurses, swapping the feather beds of their father's townhouse for the spartan bunks of hospital accommodation. And now, as the Depression casts its shadow across Australia, they are bound by their own secret desires as the world changes around them. Will they find the independence they crave? Or is life - like love - always bittersweet? 'As clever, compelling and as down-to-earth as its four heroines.' Australian Women's Weekly 'McCullough's richly drawn characters grab hold of the heartstrings from the beginning of their journey through early 20th-century Australia, and prove that, even when choices are not in wide supply, happiness is attainable - even if, at times, it is bittersweet.' Publishers Weekly
Colleen McCullough was born in Australia. A neurophysiologist, she established the department of neurophysiology at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, then worked as a researcher and teacher at Yale Medical School for ten years. Her writing career began with Tim, followed by The Thorn Birds, a record-breaking international best-seller. McCullough has also written lyrics for musical theater. She died in January 2015.
