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I found this to be a supreme let down. But I'll qualify that by saying that I rarely read Australian books and I even more rarely read Australian literature.
Full of stereotypes and cliches, I honestly felt like McCullough was checking boxes off the "What to include in your period lit novel" list.
I think that each of the four girls would have been better developed if they had gotten to be the sole focus of their own novels.
I didn't hate any of the characters all that much apart from Charles, he was an utter goose from the beginning. I did enjoy reading about each of the sisters though Grace was by far the least interesting. Domestic life, just, I can't even.
This was an interesting era in Australian history to read about but the book as a whole just felt a bit higgledy piggledy. As this was McCullough's final novel before her death, one has to wonder if her health impacted her writing.
The ending was okay but far from solid and it grosses me out endlessly that Jack Thurlow held no qualms, along with everyone else it seems; about getting through three of the four sisters before settling for a life of adultery with the still married Kitty. Consequently, their "relationship" was extremely rushed and felt flat and baseless. This book makes it seem like 1920s Australia was nothing but political upheaval, social standing and instalove.
Generally speaking, I didn't hate this book (I'd have given it 1 star) but it was far from something I enjoyed or would recommend. - Samantha (QBD)
Guest, 22/06/2017
