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The Daughters of Mars

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The Daughters of Mars

By: Tom Keneally
Narrated by: Jane Nolan
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About this listen

Naomi and Sally Durance are daughters of a dairy farmer from the Macleay Valley. Bound together in complicity by what they consider a crime, when the Great War begins in 1914 they hope to submerge their guilt by leaving for Europe to nurse the tides of young wounded. They head for the Dardanelles on the hospital ship Archimedes. Their education in medicine, valour, and human degradation continues on the Greek island of Lemnos, then on the Western Front.

Here, new outrages - gas, shell-shock - present themselves. Naomi encounters the wonderful, eccentric Lady Tarlton, who is founding a voluntary hospital near Boulogne; Sally serves in a casualty clearing station close to the front. They meet the men with whom they would wish to spend the rest of their lives.

Inspired by the journals of Australian nurses who gave their all to the Great War effort and the men they nursed, The Daughters of Mars is vast in scope yet extraordinarily intimate. A stunning tour de force to join the best First World War literature, and one that casts a penetrating light on the lives of obscure but strong women caught in the great mill of history.

©2012 The Serpentine Publishing Co. (Pty) (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War

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Critic reviews

"No Australian author has written more eloquently or extensively of war than Tom Keneally.... 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." ( Canberra Times)
"Keneally, for decades one of Australia's most prominent and exuberant storytellers, has a passion for history that is infectious and irresistible. His new novel tackles - on an epic scale - the role of Australian nurses in World War I.... Keneally's fascination with the roles of ordinary people like these young women play in momentous events gives The Daughters of Mars its terrific energy and freshness." ( Adelaide Advertiser)
"The huge talents of Thomas Keneally are everywhere on display." ( The Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant  
perseverance is essential but the ending beautiful. A brilliant story told over some pages, with at times challenging vernacular, but appropriate to the context.

a wordy but beautiful wartime epic

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Atmospheric biography of WW1 behind the trenches (mostly); the horrors and anxieties of war thankfully balanced by stories of love, hope and valour.

Anzac nurses in the spotlight

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... and a reminder of such unnecessary loss. I learnt a great deal about the bravery of nurses and the young men from Australia during WWII. The detail is astonishing, and so vivid thanks to an incredibly professional narration.

Compelling, evocative ...

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I enjoyed hearing about the lives of the Australian nurses in the First World War. I found it interesting to see the development of treatments at the clearing stations to help soldiers better recover. I liked the attempt at realism in the way the nurses were initially treated, and only later gained respect. Although this is fiction - told through the lives of two sisters - I felt it was based on historical facts, without being gruesome or gratuitous. The drawback however, is I found little to distinguish the two main characters apart, and often didn't know which sister's story I was following until she was named. The narrator didn't help as she read the story with a monotone throughout. Her narration was clear and well pronounced, but it made this long book (18 hours) feel even longer. For me it lacked any sparkle to make me care about the lives of all the characters, but it's worth listening for the historical details

Historical Novel Lacking in Sparkle

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I frequently listen to audiobooks when unable to sleep, but this book was haunting in such a way that I found myself trying to keep awake (!) and concentrate, as the characters are so worthy and have attitudes and manners which are so honourable and are very different from those of today. The horror of WW1 emphasised. Reader was perfect choice and much admired too, thank you

Unforgettable

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This just wasn't the one for me. I liked the sound of Tom's description of the novel and I did listen to the whole 18+hrs, there was nothing wrong with the story or the narration, it just didn't grip me as wartime stories usually do, sorry Tom.

Not for me

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If you could sum up The Daughters of Mars in three words, what would they be?

bleak, engaging, informative

What other book might you compare The Daughters of Mars to, and why?

the forever war

Which scene did you most enjoy?

when the aid station is bombed

Any additional comments?

A very appropriate read around the 100th anniversary of key WW1 dates.

bleak, engaging, informative and a good read

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