Lives We Leave Behind

by Maxine Alterio

In July 1915 the hospital ship Maheno leaves Wellington with seventy New Zealand nurses on board. Addie Harrington and Meg Dutton are assigned to the same cabin. Quiet and cautious, Addie is taken aback by her impetuous, fun-loving roommate. The two women seem to have little in common other than a desire to serve their country. But as they care for injured and dying soldiers in Egypt and France, they discover that deep connections can develop under unusual circumstances. When Meg meets British surgeon Wallace Madison, she falls for him immediately and amidst the chaos of overloaded military hospitals they embark on an intense love affair. Addie suspects Wallace has much to hide and fears the relationship will destroy her friend. But nothing will deter Meg. Bewildered, Addie stumbles into a romantic entanglement of her own that could have life-changing repercussions. A powerful story of friendship, love and the legacies of war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

282 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2012

About the author

Maxine Alterio is a novelist, short story writer and academic mentor. She has a MA from Otago University and a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, where she studied the memoirs of First World War nurses. Penguin NZ published Maxine’s first two novels Ribbons of Grace (2007), and Lives We Leave Behind (2012), which Editions Prisma (France) issued in 2013. Penguin Random House NZ published Maxine’s recent novel The Gulf Between in 2019. Steele Roberts NZ released Maxine’s collection Live News and Other Stories in 2005. Several of her short stories have won, or been placed in, national and international competitions. Others have been broadcast on NZ Radio National or appeared in anthologies. Maxine also co-authored an academic text that links learning with reflective storytelling. She was the 2013 recipient of the Seresin Landfall/Otago University Press Writing Residency, and co-recipient of the inaugural Dan Davin Literary Foundation Writer in Residence in 2019.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing look at 3 years in the lives of two young nurses, Addie Harrington and Meg Dutton, who leave New Zealand to serve in Military hospitals in both Egypt and France during World War One. The story of their developing friendship given two quite contrasting personalities is engaging and the experiences and situations they encounter give a real sense of life in WW1.The real strength of this book is in the historical research and the descriptions of the conditions and events that occurred developing a picture of the horrors and desperation of war.
I was challenged with my rating for this book as I often base my ratings on emotional connection and enjoyment. I "liked" the story that was told (3 stars) it interested and fascinated me but I didn't find myself emotionally engaging with the characters however I "really liked" (4 stars) the understandings and insights that this novel offered into life for New Zealand nurses during war. A slice of history from a dimension that is not often told, relayed in a way that is easy to read and visualise.

[Chelsea]

Not going to rate this but I really didn't like this one.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic, well researched novel, telling the stories of two very different fictional New Zealand nurses (and friends) during world War 1, with a backdrop of some non-fictional people and real locations. They were based in Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt, then various locations near the front in France. It was really descriptive (presumably accurately) and gave a great insight into what their living conditions would have been like. It touched on topics like the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the high rates of syphilis amongst soldiers - and their reactions to people like Ettie Rout trying to reduce its occurence through the use of 'prophylactics'. A really great read.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An obviously well researched novel but oddly unengaging. By the end of the story Meg was the character who was the most interesting but most of the other characters were stereotypes. I'm not sure why very chapter end had to have a 'giveaway tell". good stories should be about showing. In particular I found the men very stereotypical especially Marsdon who was a predatory creep. The title didn't really relate to the story as we only saw glimpses of the lives they left behind.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. It was obviously well researched, and the characters were a marvel to read about. Being from the bottom of New Zealand myself, I could understand the wonder through characters had at the the new places they went in Egypt and France. A very good read, and one that I would highly recommend.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much. An amazing portrayal of war, nursing and relationships. Loved the fact these nurses came from NZ.

[Bronwyn Muggleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good NZ historical read, enjoyed the Ribbons of Grace also.

[Tash · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 It was a good story and felt historically accurate however I found it jumped a bit erratically between Meg and Addie which I found annoying right throughout the book.

[Ingrid Fasquelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Des Vies derrière soi est le premier roman de Maxine Alterio paru en France. C'est un roman historique remarquablement documenté qui retrace le parcours bouleversant d'un groupe d'infirmières pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, en Egypte et dans le nord de la France.

Des Vies derrière soi, c'est avant tout l'histoire captivante de deux jeunes infirmières néo-zélandaises, Meg Dutton et Addie Harrington, qui décident d'embarquer à bord du navire-hôpital Maheno pour participer à l'effort de guerre. Naïves et insouciantes, elles sont persuadées de trouver l'aventure loin de la vie confortable et préservée qu'elles mènent en Nouvelle Zélande. Mais les deux jeunes femmes sont loin d'imaginer les épreuves qui les attendent ! Leur amitié naissante deviendra vite indéfectible et les aidera à supporter toutes les horreurs de la guerre.

Pourtant, presque antagonistes au départ, Meg et Addie n'étaient pas destinées à devenir inséparables ! Meg est une jeune femme immature, impulsive, pleine de fantaisie et vulnérable alors qu'Addie est tout son contraire, réservée, douce, timide et introvertie. Ensemble, elle réussiront cependant à s'adapter aux environnements les plus hostiles et à maintenir, envers et contre tout, une présence bienveillante à proximité des champs de bataille. Malgré le froid intense, les bombardements, les épidémies, l'insuffisance de médicaments et de nourriture, elles parviendront à prendre soin et à réconforter les soldats blessés. Il y a quelque chose de très féminin et de profondément maternel dans le roman de Maxine Alterio. C'est très touchant !

J'ai aimé cette histoire, tout particulièrement je l'avoue, lorsque Meg rencontre le chirurgien anglais Wallace Madison, dont elle tombe immédiatement amoureuse. Lorsqu'elle s'engage dans une relation intense, dévorante et destructrice, je me suis surprise à espérer pour elle que son amour survive à la guerre, aux épidémies et aux drames ! Mon cœur a également battu pour Addie, dont l'histoire s'est construite plus lentement et s'est approfondie avec le temps. Ses sentiments pondérés, son attitude réfléchie et sa maturité m'ont complètement charmée...

Les efforts de Maxine Alterio pour créer une histoire d'amour au milieu du chaos et divertir le lecteur sont payants. La relation passionnelle de Meg et Wallace m'a tenue en haleine d'un bout à l'autre du roman mais ce sont surtout les détails et le contexte historiques qui ont véritablement retenu mon attention. Grâce à un travail de recherche remarquable, l'auteure a su rendre un hommage vibrant aux infirmières et médecins pendant la Première Guerre Mondiale. Son récit fascinant rend compte des difficultés de la médecine et témoigne des conditions horribles dans lesquelles soldats comme civils ont dû vivre.

Les âmes sensibles seront prévenues que Maxine Alterio n'hésite pas à étoffer son récit de détails sanglants et de scènes éprouvantes, parfois difficilement soutenables pour le lecteur. En même temps qu'Addie et Meg, on découvre les horreurs endurées par les combattants, les membres à amputer, les visages défigurés et les maladies qui accompagnent les temps de guerre, la dysenterie et l'épidémie de grippe espagnole, qui n’épargnera personne, pas même pas les membres du personnel soignant, ni d'ailleurs leur famille pourtant si loin... Ces scènes dures et violentes sont indispensables. Elles sont un témoignage bouleversant de l'horreur et des atrocités commises pendant la guerre. Elles ajoutent au sentiment d'incompréhension qui s'empare du lecteur et le laisse abasourdi devant tant d'horreur et d'absurdité ! C'est si saisissant de réalisme, si choquant que le lecteur même le plus averti, ne manquera pas de tourner les pages la boule au ventre et des sanglots dans la gorge...

"Un régiment de soldats au visage enfantin se déversa de la passerelle au Havre, bavardant avec animation. Ils s'éparpillèrent sur le quai, autour des caisses de munitions tout juste déchargées, et leur vacarme se réduisit à un bourdonnement continu. Meg admirait leur impatience, pourtant elle ne pouvait les acclamer. Tant d'entre eux seraient morts à la fin du mois, et le même sort attendait les jeunes Allemands. Avant longtemps, aucun pays n'aurait assez d'hommes pour donner naissance à la génération suivante."

Des Vies derrière soi est une histoire d'amour puissante, un roman délicat et attachant, d'une rare intensité dramatique. Une véritable leçon de courage, un bel hommage à toutes ces femmes qui ont lutté pour sauver des vies humaines !

[Lizie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mills and Boon type story, poorly written and, in my opinion, dishonouring to the memory of the New Zealand nurses who served in the first world war. The characters are one dimensional - focused on "getting a man" and giving way to hysterics. This book is easy to put down and then hard to pick up again! A much better historic novel about nursing in WWI is "In Falling Snow" by Mary-Rose MacColl.

[Darkpool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wavered back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, but decided there was too much that annoyed me to give it 4 in the end. I did eventually warm to the characters, although I still found most of the supporting cast of nurses indistinguishable from each other. Still, it was pretty interesting in a lot of ways.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very up and down - there were parts I really enjoyed & parts that I didn't.

[Vicki Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As if the WW1 wasn't bad enough there was the freezing cold, the starvation then the influenza and finally syphallis to finish off anyone still standing!

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked this very easy to pick up

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was well written and showed a different perspective of the war. It kinda reminded me of the ABC's tv show Anzac Girls.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite thought provoking in how women served in world wars but are never really remembered or thought of for their bravery and sacrifice.

[Cally73 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well researched but unengaging. For a book about nurses in the First World War there was very little actual nursing. The book tried to squeeze too much in and with the dual perspectives there just wasn't enough depth.