Simon & Schuster
August 2014
On Sale: August 19, 2014
352 pages ISBN: 1476755418 EAN: 9781476755410 Kindle: B00H5SDVSI Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List
In her first epic romantic novel since The Thorn Birds,
Colleen McCullough weaves a sweeping story of two sets of
twins—all trained as nurses, but each with her own ambitions
—stepping into womanhood in 1920s and 30s Australia.
Because they are two sets of twins, the four Latimer sisters
are as close as can be. Yet these vivacious young women each
have their own dreams for themselves: Edda wants to be a
doctor, Tufts wants to organize everything, Grace won’t be
told what to do, and Kitty wishes to be known for something
other than her beauty. They are famous throughout New South
Wales for their beauty, wit, and ambition, but as they step
into womanhood, they are not enthusiastic about the limited
prospects life holds for them.
Together they decide to enroll in a training program for
nurses—a new option for women of their time, who have
previously been largely limited to the role of wives, and
preferably mothers. As the Latimer sisters become immersed
in hospital life and the demands of their training, they
meet people and encounter challenges that spark new maturity
and independence. They meet men from all walks of life—local
farmers, their professional colleagues, and even men with
national roles and reputations—and each sister must make
weighty decisions about what she values most. The results
are sometimes happy, sometimes heartbreaking, but always . .
. bittersweet.
Rendered with McCullough’s trademark historical accuracy,
this dramatic coming of age tale is wise in the ways of the
human heart, one that will transport readers to a time in
history that feels at once exotic and yet not so very
distant from our own.