1915: Wounds of War

by Diana Menefy

When cousins Harriet and Mel joined the NZ Army Nursing Service to follow their brothers Frank and Drew into war, they had dreams of seeing the world, meeting new people and caring for the New Zealand boys. Harriet spends most of her time in the Egyptian hospitals and Mel on the hospital ships, but both have to cope with wards that are being inundated with wounded soldiers.

Genres: War, Historical Fiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book right up my alley!! ;-)

[Ian King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A brilliant read from eyewitness perspectives (fictitious as it is, but based on real stories). It is so good to read something of the great war, but with fellow Kiwi soldiers and Kiwi nurses involved, giving it to us as it was. Menefy has captured the realities of war, not in a gruesome way, but in a way that makes you really care about it and about the real people involved... and to understand how they 'just got on with it', no matter what they had to deal with emotionally, from both intense inward and external circumstances.
This is an easy read with a balanced mix of varying stories; stories from the front lines and also from the nurses that cared for them. Although there were plenty of horrors that had to be dealt with, it wasn't all 'hard-slog'.
Here, is a novel that can enlighten you and cause this to become a more personal experience, to help you understand, on a better level the true heroes, in every area. The nurses were true heroes too and helped with the war effort just as much, if not more, to give us all the better futures we now have today.

[Bookrapt (Est. 1983) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Kiwis at War series, following on from '1914: Riding Into War' by Susan Brocker, which was published in 2014. The story follows two New Zealand nurses, cousins Mel and Harriet, who volunteer during World War I alongside their brothers. They join the NZ Army Nursing Service. Harriet spends most of her time in the Egyptian hospitals whilst Mel is aboard hospital ships, such as the well known 'Maheno'. Both have to learn to deal with the sheer overwhelming numbers of wounded and the horrific injuries caused by war as well as the pain of personal loss and waste of young lives. Really well done, well researched and written. The contents page, detailed map, timeline, glossary, author's note and photographs all combine to make this another fantastic installment in this important commemorative series. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Debbie McCauley (Bookrapt)

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very simply written story without too much detail or a deep plot, but its characters are real in their personalities and many readers would be able to identify and empathise with them. While it is graphic here and there, it's nothing too bad, and young teens could definitely handle this very quick, yet thoroughly researched read. I definitely recommend it for people interested in YA set in World War One.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second instalment of the Kiwis at War series about NZ involvement in WWI, this book follows Harriet and Mel, two cousins who serve as nurses in military hospitals and hospital ships around Gallipoli and Egypt. This book offered a different perspective, dealing with the impact of combat on soldiers both physically and mentally, as well as the experience of women who served. An excellent example of historical fiction for the middle-grade reader.

[Darlene Gartside · Rating 5 out of 5]

an amazing read. like the first it only took me a few days to get through it all. lovely to see how this part of the war was seen by the New Zealand nurses who went overseas to look after their boys. can't wait for the next book in the series

[Julia Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Gina-marie Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the eye opener to not just the soldiers that went to fight, but to the nurses, and their hard work. Their part was integral to the war effort.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite reads of 2021. 

These are a fabulous telling of the reality of war, written in compassionate and informative ways that make you feel like you are standing in the trenches with the characters. The characters weave their way through each of the stories. You're in for a treat if you've never read a New Zealand accent; you will find it littering these pages. They are full of Kiwi lingo. They cover many of the ANZAC troop's critical battles during the war years, like that of Gallipoli in 1915 and Passchendaele - which still hails as the most significant loss of New Zealand life in action to this day. 

If you are fascinated by World War One...

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Read my full review on my blog: https://sarahgael3.wixsite.com/sarahg...

[Jayne Downes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a very well researched story that gives the reader plenty of details about the exhausting and harrowing work of New Zealand nurses as they care for the wounded soldiers. We also learn about what it was like for soldiers fighting in the trenches, their “clothes were filthy and tattered”, “alive with lice and fleas”, and as well as being wounded they were “worn out and starved”. A great read for young adults interested in nursing and World War One.

[Cally73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the series Kiwis at War focuses on the nursing experiences of two cousins Harriet and Mel. Harriet works in hospitals in Egypt whilst Mel is mainly on hospital ships. The book covers the difficult working conditions of the nurses as well as the harsh conditions faced by the soldiers. As a book aimed for teens, it's not overly graphic in descriptions, but doesn't gloss over things either.

[Leanne Neilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book talked about characters from the first Kiwis at war book. This tells the story of kiwi nurses "off to see the world" It describes the poor conditions these wonderful women coped under, the sheer tragedy and horror that they encountered everyday, the state that the troops were in when they finally got to the hospitals, yet it is not gory or gruesome. It's honest. Looking forward to next years installment.

[K.V. Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that looks at a different aspect of WWI - Kiwi nurses and how they fought their own war to save NZ troops from infection and disease. Well-researched & definitely picked up the language and etiquette of the time period. Enjoyed it.