Bittersweet

June 30, 2014
In this sweeping historical saga, McCullough (The Thorn Birds) explores the lives and loves of four sisters in 1920s Australia. Edda and Grace are twins, as are Heather (dubbed Tufts) and Katherine, (called Kitty). Since career options for women are sparse, the sisters enter nursing school, encouraged by their father, the Reverend Thomas Latimer. The four leave their home in the small New South Wales town of Corunda, each with different goals: Grace wants to be a wife and mother; Tufts wants independence, Kitty wants to be known for more than her beauty, and Edda longs to be a doctor. Each finds love, of a sort, and tragedy is not in short supply—the Great Depression hits; one sister’s husband is lost; another’s is cast off; miscarriages occur. As each sister finds her path in life, though, one thing remains clear: family means everything to these women. No matter what befalls them, they remain fiercely loyal to each other. 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. Agent: Michael Carlisle, Inkwell Management.

August 15, 2014
Four sisters are McCullough's avatars of women's progress in Depression-era Australia.In the fictional town of Corunda, New South Wales, two sets of twins are born to Anglican rector Thomas Latimer. Edda and Grace are the progeny of the reverend's first wife, who dies in childbirth; Kitty and Heather, nicknamed Tufts, are born to Maude, his redoubtable second wife. Stunning Kitty is her mother's favorite, which poisons Maude's relationship with all four girls. Largely to escape Maude, the twins, upon reaching young womanhood, train as nurses at the local hospital. (Edda's dream of medical school has been dashed, thanks to Maude.) This rambling, episodic tome follows the women into their 30s. Dreamy Grace, who's obsessed with steam locomotives, marries fellow train enthusiast Bear. Edda begins a discreet affair with Jack, one of two heirs to the vast Burdum family fortune. Spinsterish Tufts has a similarly intense but platonic friendship with Liam, a pathologist. Charles Burdum, raised in England, returns to claim the lion's share of his family's wealth. Determined to enter politics and marry Kitty (not necessarily in that order), he achieves both goals but can't tame Kitty's volatility or modulate her foul mouth. Edda surprises everyone by marrying Melbourne politico Sir Rawson-since he's gay, this is another deep but platonic friendship. The chief attractions here are the dissection of Australian society during the Great Depression and the detailed exposure of sex discrimination and feminist struggles, Australian style. This is clearly territory that McCullough knows well, but she doesn't manage to endow her story with much conflict or narrative drive. An uneven but enlightening novel.

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August 1, 2014
The four Latimer sisters are two sets of twins with different mothers. Born in the small Australian city of Corunda, they come of age during the post-WWI era, when opportunities for women are greater than ever before. All four enroll in a nurse's training program but with different goals in mind. For ambitious Edda, it is as close as she can get to becoming a doctor. Dreamy Grace hopes to meet a husband. Independent Tufts wants to support herself, and stunning Kitty wants to do something worthwhile with her life. It is an uphill battle for these women, but they provide emotional support for one otheroften to the detriment of their relationships with outsiders. It can be difficult to make each main character interesting in ensemble fiction, but McCullough, a master of the romantic saga, manages to do so. McCullough's background in medicine is apparent as she seamlessly weaves in information about the history of nurse's training in Australia and the development of modern pathology. Bittersweet is both a fascinating exploration of the bonds between sisters and a fine historical novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

Starred review from August 1, 2014
At the start of 1926, in a rural town in New South Wales, Australia, Rector Thomas Latimer's four daughters are about to embark on their first independent adventure, nursing school. The two sets of twins, Edda and Grace, and Tufts and Kitty, don't just have different mothers, their tastes and temperaments are complete opposites. What they do share is a true, abiding love for each other and for their father. Can these bonds last a lifetime or will individual hardships break this family apart? In her first romantic epic since "The Thorn Birds", McCullough, does a remarkable job of creating distinct voices and personalities for each of the four girls, cleverly placing them in situations that offer opportunities to complement or contrast with impressions that are already made. Along the way, readers learn more about Australia, the social nuances unique to this time and place, the devastating impact of the Great Depression, and how nursing evolved from primarily manual labor into a science requiring specific knowledge and training. VERDICT Readers of historical family dramas will be excited to find a new, satisfying book to enjoy while longtime fans of "The Thorn Birds" will be over the moon, welcoming back a dear old friend. Take it to the beach, on the plane, or to the couch, this book will be the best traveling companion of the summer.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2014

Two sets of twins, the four Latimer sisters have big dreams, but in 1920s New South Wales their best option is to enroll in a training program for nursing. Men come their way with decidedly mixed results.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014

At the start of 1926, in a rural town in New South Wales, Australia, Rector Thomas Latimer's four daughters are about to embark on their first independent adventure, nursing school. The two sets of twins, Edda and Grace, and Tufts and Kitty, don't just have different mothers, their tastes and temperaments are complete opposites. What they do share is a true, abiding love for each other and for their father. Can these bonds last a lifetime or will individual hardships break this family apart? In her first romantic epic since The Thorn Birds, McCullough, does a remarkable job of creating distinct voices and personalities for each of the four girls, cleverly placing them in situations that offer opportunities to complement or contrast with impressions that are already made. Along the way, readers learn more about Australia, the social nuances unique to this time and place, the devastating impact of the Great Depression, and how nursing evolved from primarily manual labor into a science requiring specific knowledge and training. VERDICT Readers of historical family dramas will be excited to find a new, satisfying book to enjoy while longtime fans of The Thorn Birds will be over the moon, welcoming back a dear old friend. Take it to the beach, on the plane, or to the couch, this book will be the best traveling companion of the summer.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 22, 2013
Pitched as a return to form for Colleen McCullough, Bittersweet is a family saga (although to describe it as ‘sweeping’ might be pushing it) set in depression-era rural New South Wales. The tale begins as four sisters (two sets of twins) begin their apprenticeships as professionally trained nurses, and follows their journeys to establish their individual identities at a time when women were still expected to stay at home and look after the children. Although they come from a background of relative privilege, each sister has her own particular struggle against the prejudice and restraints of the time. Edda is sexually liberated and desperate to become a doctor; Grace’s only desire is to be married; Tufts is determined to never marry; and then there’s beautiful and fragile Kitty. Each portrays a slightly different, yet compelling, archetype of female emancipation. McCullough draws on her own medical training to provide a layer of authenticity to the story and setting and as I read the book I was reminded of both the television show Call the Midwife and Kerry Greenwood’s fabulous ‘Phryne Fisher’ series. It is this combination of elements that I expect will have widespread appeal for McCullough’s many fans.

Rachel Wilson is a Melbourne-based media academic and former bookseller