What do you think?
Rate this book
Róża Sewastopola
Wielka Brytania, rok 1854.
Wojna krymska rozpala wyobraźnię młodych Brytyjczyków, którzy rwą się do walki z nowym wrogiem – Rosją. Gdy nadchodzi zima, a Rosjanie zażarcie bronią się w zmienionym w twierdzę Sewastopolu, wojskowe szpitale zapełniają się chorymi i rannymi. Na Krym ruszają pielęgniarki ochotniczki.
Wśród nich jest Rosa Barr – młoda, ambitna i zjawiskowo piękna. Od początku przeciwna wojnie, chce nieść pomoc wszystkim, którzy jej potrzebują. W Londynie zostaje jej kuzynka Mariella Lingwood, pogrążona w marzeniach o Henrym, chirurgu operującym rannych żołnierzy sił sprzymierzonych. Kiedy Mariella dowiaduje się, że Henry zachorował i przebywa we włoskim Narni, wyrusza mu na spotkanie. Stamtąd udaje się na poszukiwania Rosy, o której słuch zaginął.
Podróż śladami fascynującej i nieuchwytnej Rosy zawiedzie Mariellę z uporządkowanej wiktoriańskiej Anglii na ogarnięty wojennym chaosem Krym i doprowadzi do romansu z oficerem kawalerii, którego skomplikowana przeszłość wiąże się z jej własną. To, czego się dowie, sprawi, że jej dotychczasowy świat wartości legnie w gruzach, choć jednocześnie pozwoli jej odnaleźć w sobie źródło niespodziewanej siły i namiętności.
Wojna krymska rozpala wyobraźnię młodych Brytyjczyków, którzy rwą się do walki z nowym wrogiem – Rosją. Gdy nadchodzi zima, a Rosjanie zażarcie bronią się w zmienionym w twierdzę Sewastopolu, wojskowe szpitale zapełniają się chorymi i rannymi. Na Krym ruszają pielęgniarki ochotniczki.
Wśród nich jest Rosa Barr – młoda, ambitna i zjawiskowo piękna. Od początku przeciwna wojnie, chce nieść pomoc wszystkim, którzy jej potrzebują. W Londynie zostaje jej kuzynka Mariella Lingwood, pogrążona w marzeniach o Henrym, chirurgu operującym rannych żołnierzy sił sprzymierzonych. Kiedy Mariella dowiaduje się, że Henry zachorował i przebywa we włoskim Narni, wyrusza mu na spotkanie. Stamtąd udaje się na poszukiwania Rosy, o której słuch zaginął.
Podróż śladami fascynującej i nieuchwytnej Rosy zawiedzie Mariellę z uporządkowanej wiktoriańskiej Anglii na ogarnięty wojennym chaosem Krym i doprowadzi do romansu z oficerem kawalerii, którego skomplikowana przeszłość wiąże się z jej własną. To, czego się dowie, sprawi, że jej dotychczasowy świat wartości legnie w gruzach, choć jednocześnie pozwoli jej odnaleźć w sobie źródło niespodziewanej siły i namiętności.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
106 people are currently reading
2819 people want to read
About the author
Katharine McMahon
23 books210 followersKatharine McMahon is the author of 10 novels, including the bestselling The Rose of Sebastopol, which was a Richard and Judy pick for 2007. The Crimson Rooms and The Alchemist's Daughter.
Her latest book, The Hour of Separation, is our in paperback on 22nd August.
Her fiction is based on the lives of extraordinary women. She loves to explore how women in the past - but with a contemporary slant. The Hour of Separation tells the story of a complex friendship played out against a backdrop of resistance and betrayal in two world wars.
Her latest book, The Hour of Separation, is our in paperback on 22nd August.
Her fiction is based on the lives of extraordinary women. She loves to explore how women in the past - but with a contemporary slant. The Hour of Separation tells the story of a complex friendship played out against a backdrop of resistance and betrayal in two world wars.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 452 reviews
June 19, 2019
I liked this book more than I thought I would, if I'm honest. Primarily I enjoyed the fact that the heroine, Mariella, is incredibly unlikeable. She is a perfect picture of someone who doesn't realize at all her own ignorance and so has no problem behaving appallingly and petulantly insisting that her position in society gives her a pass. I also thoroughly enjoyed that she is a stereotypically weak woman, or she has trained herself to be one (I think the latter is implied) in order to flatter men and catch herself a husband. Sparky and adventurous she is not.
What I enjoyed most of all was the fact that I managed to really empathize with her when she got out of her depth and resorted to her old fortress of class to defend herself, even in ridiculously irrelevant situations. Don't we all do that? Don't we all put up familiar walls and drag out tired old defenses when we aren't sure of our moral footing? Seeing it in print makes me squirm with embarrassment for Mariella, and discomfort for myself.
In the end, Mariella again does what we all do. She doesn't rush headlong into danger with vim and vigor like most more one-dimensional heroines. She finds herself coping with difficult situations as and when they arise, and then looking back and wondering where she found the ability to do so. She grows incrementally into a decent human being, much like a teenager transforms into an adult, never thinking about the changes at the time, but by the end of the book we have a character who sees shades of gray where before there was only black and white.
What I enjoyed most of all was the fact that I managed to really empathize with her when she got out of her depth and resorted to her old fortress of class to defend herself, even in ridiculously irrelevant situations. Don't we all do that? Don't we all put up familiar walls and drag out tired old defenses when we aren't sure of our moral footing? Seeing it in print makes me squirm with embarrassment for Mariella, and discomfort for myself.
In the end, Mariella again does what we all do. She doesn't rush headlong into danger with vim and vigor like most more one-dimensional heroines. She finds herself coping with difficult situations as and when they arise, and then looking back and wondering where she found the ability to do so. She grows incrementally into a decent human being, much like a teenager transforms into an adult, never thinking about the changes at the time, but by the end of the book we have a character who sees shades of gray where before there was only black and white.
March 9, 2012
Mariella, a young Victorian lady, spends her days sewing and writing to her surgeon fiancé, Henry, who has left England to serve in the Crimean War. Rosa, (as unlike her cousin Mariella in character as she is similar in appearance) also has ambitions to serve, as one of Florence Nightingale’s new breed of nurses. Moustache twirling lothario, Max (Rosa’s step brother) is a soldier (probably leading the charge of the Light Brigade, I forget the details) and appears to despise the Victorian primness of Mariella.
When Rosa disappears and Henry becomes ill, Mariella begs to be allowed to go the Crimea herself to nurse her fiancé and find her cousin. To her (and our) astonishment, she is given permission to make the journey and the four characters play out their story against the backdrop of one of the bloodiest conflicts in our history.
The plot is full of surprises and the historical detail is fascinating. But what I love most about this book is that, by the end of the story, each of the four characters has undergone an almost complete transformation. Each seems to have become almost the polar opposite of what we believed them to be in the beginning. This achievement by Katherine McMahon is all the more remarkable because it almost passes unnoticed. How did A, so smoothly and effortlessly, turn into B? How could we not have seen that about C? And who would have guessed D felt like that about A? The character development in this book is little short of masterful.
This is easily one of my favourite books of the last decade.
When Rosa disappears and Henry becomes ill, Mariella begs to be allowed to go the Crimea herself to nurse her fiancé and find her cousin. To her (and our) astonishment, she is given permission to make the journey and the four characters play out their story against the backdrop of one of the bloodiest conflicts in our history.
The plot is full of surprises and the historical detail is fascinating. But what I love most about this book is that, by the end of the story, each of the four characters has undergone an almost complete transformation. Each seems to have become almost the polar opposite of what we believed them to be in the beginning. This achievement by Katherine McMahon is all the more remarkable because it almost passes unnoticed. How did A, so smoothly and effortlessly, turn into B? How could we not have seen that about C? And who would have guessed D felt like that about A? The character development in this book is little short of masterful.
This is easily one of my favourite books of the last decade.
July 23, 2011
The Rose of Sebastopol is a fantastic read. Don't be fooled by those who can't read between the lines. The protagonist, Mariella, is one of those great unreliable narrators (Lockwood in Wuthering Heights) that you just love to tut at whilst you are reading. Enjoy her transformation. What McMahon does is depict Mariella's coming of age in a convincing way. Mariella is the archetypal Victorian lady; who happens to be thrown into the Crimean war. It's so engrossing that you will feel like you've packed your sturdiest petticoats in your portmanteau and are heading off to bandage some poor soldier in the siege of Sebastopol yourself! Now that's great writing...
April 15, 2009
The Rose of Sebastopol proved to be a more interesting read than I initially thought it would be. The first couple hundred pages were slow, but things began to pick up as the questions multiplied.
At first, I didn't care for Mariella -- I thought her mindset was too narrow, and she was wasting a good bit of intellect by deliberately shutting out anything that she wasn't told by an older male, either a father or fiance. But as the Crimean conflict grew, and as her role in the conflict grew, I began to like her more. She began to challenge her assumptions about how the world was supposed to work, and instead to make her own decisions about what was right and what was wrong.
Rose, on the other hand, I found myself respecting less and less as the book continued. I thought she ended up wasting her considerable talent possibilities because she refused to submit to any kind of order or regulation.
Rose and Mariella are a unique pair of foils to each other. Mariella learns to step outside the proscribed realm of female activism from Rose, yet Rose doesn't seem to learn any value of regulation and diligence from Mariella.
You are left hanging at the end -- you've found out the "truth" as much as it can be found out, and Mariella is left there in the Crimean, with no hint of her next step. Will she remain there, nursing soldiers? Now that she knows Rose's fate, will she return to England? What about Henry? Will she reconcile with him? What about Max?
There are so many unanswered questions, so many possible courses of actions she could take, that it's a frustrating ending. By the end, I cared what decision she made. I cared what happened when she returned home, if she did. I cared how the changes in Mariella had affected her mother and the society she came from in London, and I wanted to see more of how her changes played out after. Instead, I was left in the midst of the full horror of the Crimean war, with great loss on all sides, and a faint ray of hope for the future.
At first, I didn't care for Mariella -- I thought her mindset was too narrow, and she was wasting a good bit of intellect by deliberately shutting out anything that she wasn't told by an older male, either a father or fiance. But as the Crimean conflict grew, and as her role in the conflict grew, I began to like her more. She began to challenge her assumptions about how the world was supposed to work, and instead to make her own decisions about what was right and what was wrong.
Rose, on the other hand, I found myself respecting less and less as the book continued. I thought she ended up wasting her considerable talent possibilities because she refused to submit to any kind of order or regulation.
Rose and Mariella are a unique pair of foils to each other. Mariella learns to step outside the proscribed realm of female activism from Rose, yet Rose doesn't seem to learn any value of regulation and diligence from Mariella.
You are left hanging at the end -- you've found out the "truth" as much as it can be found out, and Mariella is left there in the Crimean, with no hint of her next step. Will she remain there, nursing soldiers? Now that she knows Rose's fate, will she return to England? What about Henry? Will she reconcile with him? What about Max?
There are so many unanswered questions, so many possible courses of actions she could take, that it's a frustrating ending. By the end, I cared what decision she made. I cared what happened when she returned home, if she did. I cared how the changes in Mariella had affected her mother and the society she came from in London, and I wanted to see more of how her changes played out after. Instead, I was left in the midst of the full horror of the Crimean war, with great loss on all sides, and a faint ray of hope for the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2019
This is the second time I've read this and I enjoyed it even more than the first. At first, you have very little sympathy for the maleable Mariella, who seems to lack any personality or any desire other than to sew her way complacently through life. I wanted to give her a good shake. Her cousin Rosa by comparison is vibrant and instantly likeable. And yet very slowly and subtly your empathies switch. Rosa is selfish, overbearing, and Mariella is repressed, you wonder what she will do if she'll just loosen her tightly-laced corsets a little. And that's what circumstances make her do.
I loved this. The ending was not at all clear cut and those who like all ther t's crossed will find fault with it, but the imagery of the last scene was so stark and vivid I didn't think you needed any more. The atmosphere in the Crimea was horrific and vividly drawn, the pointlessness of the war, the tragedy of the needless suffering made me angry and at the same time fascinated. And the exploding of the myths around Nightingale, Cardigan and the Charge of the Light Brigade were so subtly done that you had no cause to question them.
I would highly recommend this, and I'm very surprised it hasn't been turned into a film, it would make an excellent one.
Well, a third read for me and I still vote it five stars. I love it.
I loved this. The ending was not at all clear cut and those who like all ther t's crossed will find fault with it, but the imagery of the last scene was so stark and vivid I didn't think you needed any more. The atmosphere in the Crimea was horrific and vividly drawn, the pointlessness of the war, the tragedy of the needless suffering made me angry and at the same time fascinated. And the exploding of the myths around Nightingale, Cardigan and the Charge of the Light Brigade were so subtly done that you had no cause to question them.
I would highly recommend this, and I'm very surprised it hasn't been turned into a film, it would make an excellent one.
Well, a third read for me and I still vote it five stars. I love it.
January 29, 2025
Knygos pradžia buvo daug žadanti, bet paskui mane nervino viskas: ir šiek tiek šizofreniška Roza, ir nuolat bijanti ką žmonės pasakys tarsi kilmingų panelių instituto auklėtinė Mariela, ir kažkoks durnavotas, niekaip neapsisprendžiantis ką myli, gydytojas, ir nuolat serganti, mirštanti bei niekaip nenumirštanti tetulė.
Bet knygos pabaiga atpirko viską. Pati geriausia knygos dalis - jos pabaiga. Dėl jos ir trys žvaigždutės.
Bet knygos pabaiga atpirko viską. Pati geriausia knygos dalis - jos pabaiga. Dėl jos ir trys žvaigždutės.
November 21, 2013
I've read several of Katharine McMahon's other books and enjoyed them very much. While the underlying story she created for these characters was interesting the telling of it just didn't work for me.
Once again that annoying tradition/habit/technique that authors are too likely to employ of taking us back and forth in time to reveal the past in proscribed amounts made the flow of the story stop-stutter.
I found myself repeatedly wanting to alternately shake and slap the protagonist, though she did toughen up by the end, thank goodness.
This book was far to plodding and dull for my tastes and there were so many really juicy ingredients that were never explored to my satisfaction.
I listened to this on audio and had it reading at 1.5 time, I would have stepped it up to double time if I could have understood the reader at that rate. I couldn't wait for the story to be over, but I wasn't willing to stop listening because I still wanted to find out what happened to the characters.
Once again that annoying tradition/habit/technique that authors are too likely to employ of taking us back and forth in time to reveal the past in proscribed amounts made the flow of the story stop-stutter.
I found myself repeatedly wanting to alternately shake and slap the protagonist, though she did toughen up by the end, thank goodness.
This book was far to plodding and dull for my tastes and there were so many really juicy ingredients that were never explored to my satisfaction.
I listened to this on audio and had it reading at 1.5 time, I would have stepped it up to double time if I could have understood the reader at that rate. I couldn't wait for the story to be over, but I wasn't willing to stop listening because I still wanted to find out what happened to the characters.
June 9, 2016
Reading the reviews on Amazon quite a few people seem upset by the ending, or what seems to be perceived as a lack of ending, but I have to say I disagree. This isn't the conventional romantic historical story it seems to set itself out as, and that's indicative of the way the narrator changes and hence re-shapes her narrative. There is a sort of closure at the end, or rather two ends, both of which close with a stunning image, the reverse of each other and yet somehow intricately intertwined.
I won't write a plot summary as that's already been done, but this is an extremely accomplished novel, beautifully written, subtle, intelligent. I don't usually like any Richard & Judy recommendations, but this book has stayed with me and resonates beyond what you would expect from the start.
Having said that, it's also just a good story: good characters, confident narrative, a plot-line that keeps you turning the pages. But it's a shame to respond to it just on that surface level.
I won't write a plot summary as that's already been done, but this is an extremely accomplished novel, beautifully written, subtle, intelligent. I don't usually like any Richard & Judy recommendations, but this book has stayed with me and resonates beyond what you would expect from the start.
Having said that, it's also just a good story: good characters, confident narrative, a plot-line that keeps you turning the pages. But it's a shame to respond to it just on that surface level.
March 5, 2009
It is the time of The Crimean War, and passionate though impetuous Rosa Barr abandons her stale London life to nurse the wounded. When Rosa vanishes, her cousin and our narrator, Mariella takes it upon herself to find her. Only Mariella is Rosa’s opposite; dutiful, loyal and dull. Mariella finds she is completely unprepared for life on the brink of battlefield. And as all the clues to Rosa’s disappearance point to Mariella’s fiancé, now mad with fever, Mariella is heartbroken. Forced to rise to the occasion, Mariella learns of betrayal, sacrifice and love.
The book has its aggravations. The story awkwardly jumps between decades and settings. McMahon also waits until late in the game to give us genuine reasons to care for any of her characters. Also be prepared for many stitching references and detailed clothing descriptions that do support the character, but are very distracting. Its abrupt ending is also unsatisfying, but perhaps because I was finally engrossed in McMahon’s tale.
Overall, I’m obliged to admit I did enjoy it. The descriptions of the war’s battles, conditions, and Londoner’s reactions are undeniably engaging. The layers of suspense and brisk pace McMahon builds cement this unexpected treat. I wouldn’t have put this book down during its final fifty pages for anything.
September 10, 2009
Without going off into spoilers, I have to say that the main thing that kept me from giving this book five stars was the ending. It left me saying "And then what happened," because it was so anticlimactic.
The plot concerns Mariella Lingwood, a well-to-do and very proper Victorian English lady, who leaves her family home in England to go to the Crimea -- not as one of Florence Nightingale's nurses, but find her missing cousin Rosa. Rosa has gone to the Crimea to nurse, but disappears without a trace; Mariella's fiance, Henry, asks that she find the missing girl.
Over the course of the book, Mariella learns a great deal about life and herself; exposure to a war zone that is being glamorized in the press at home (in direct opposition to the situation's reality) makes her re-think many of her ingrained mores.
The book is exceedingly well researched, with great attention to detail in terms of clothing, social strata, the miseries of the hospital at Scutari (Eskudar) and so on. Those interested in learning more about the era could do worse than reading this book.
The plot concerns Mariella Lingwood, a well-to-do and very proper Victorian English lady, who leaves her family home in England to go to the Crimea -- not as one of Florence Nightingale's nurses, but find her missing cousin Rosa. Rosa has gone to the Crimea to nurse, but disappears without a trace; Mariella's fiance, Henry, asks that she find the missing girl.
Over the course of the book, Mariella learns a great deal about life and herself; exposure to a war zone that is being glamorized in the press at home (in direct opposition to the situation's reality) makes her re-think many of her ingrained mores.
The book is exceedingly well researched, with great attention to detail in terms of clothing, social strata, the miseries of the hospital at Scutari (Eskudar) and so on. Those interested in learning more about the era could do worse than reading this book.
August 16, 2014
me: i read a book yesterday that made me angry
i am just so irritated by this book
bro: 'forget about it and stop reading it' ?
me: lol
yeah
i mean
i stopped about 2/3 of the way through and skimmed so i could see how it ended and be done with it
bro: ah
me: but it got me curious about the crimean war, which is good and i am reading about it, but this is reminding me of things in the book and i get annoyed again
bro: o
me: "Nightingale worked hard to educate herself in the art and science of nursing"
oh you mean she didn't just dash off to russia in wartime and then repeatedly leave hospitals because she couldn't abide "rules" and then ultimately join the russians GOD KNOWS HOW BECAUSE ITS NOT LIKE SHE SPOKE RUSSIAN?"
bro: LOL
me: this character
i dont know if i was supposed to like her or what
but in the event i thought she was a pain in the ass
all she does the entire first half of the book is whine about how she wants to become a nurse
but
instead of, you know, actually learning how to be a nurse, she dashes into operating theaters and then demands people let her go to the crimea to nurse
even though she has no fucking idea how
so when she does finally go
she stays at the hospital for like a few weeks
and writes in a letter that she has no idea what she is doing and everything is confused and unorganized
and i wsa like "finally! you see?"
so what does she do?????
"OH LET ME GO TO THE FRONT LINES AND NURSE THERE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE LEARNED LITERALLY NOTHING ABOUT IT"
"PERFECT SOLUTION"
so she does
her "nursing" appears to be rushing onto battlefields, giving the wounded water, and watching them die
bro: ok, what you're telling me is making me very frustrated
LOL
me: yes
it was very frustrating
bro: well, i dont really want to hear about it anymore...
me: please can i finish? there's only a little more
and it's killing me
bro: lol, ok
me: so this doctor becomes obsessed with her, which causes him to go live in a cave above a battlefield (???)
bro: are you kidding?
me: and one night she goes up to reason with him, and then decides that the "most helpful" course of action is to join the russians who are under siege in sevastopol
i am not kidding
bro: if they're under siege........
how will she join them?
me: one character goes "how did she do that" and another goes "knowing rosa she probably gave her name and then just walked right in"
...
????!?!??!!!
wat.
so, somehow the name of this annoying english woman is a secret pass that gets you around russian sentries
bro: well, i mean, you can try that were people are being nice to you. but i dont know that it allows you to cross combat lines....
me: yeah
and she didn't speak russian
so i picture
bro: english english english english english english *rosa* english english english english english
me: a sentry saying (in russian) "who goes there"
bro: and the russian's are like 'yeah, she's cool, let her through"
me: right
just like that
THEN
bro: and she somehow did not get shot?
me: she somehow manages to find the hospital AND convince them to let her nurse there....
bro: it she described as beign the most beautiful woman in the world?
maybe they're just desperate for anyone willing to help?
me: i guess but i still feel like the language barrier would be an issue
also
the book keeps talking about all the rapists
but somehow she's ok
anyway
bro: errr
me: that's the story - she dies in the final assault on sebastopol literal minutes before the family members searching for her find her
bro: what about rapists?
me: the book said there were lots and they were very rapey
bro: "very rapey" ?
but she avoids this fate?
me: right
like i just dont see how no one ever punched her in the face
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2010
This book is set in both England and Russia during the time of the Crimean War. The central character is Mariella, a pampered English maiden from a "connected" family. This book caught my eye for a number of reasons. First, it is Historical Fiction, which is probably my favorite genre overall, second, it fit a category in a challenge that I was participating in (you had to pick a random HF book off of the library shelves) and third, the book jacket hinted the Miss Florence Nightingale made an appearance in the book. She is an historical figure that has always intrigued me. What I found was an interesting tale of love and betrayal woven among the backdrop of Victorian England and the Crimean War. The two main characters, Mariella and her cousin Rosa, are as different as night and day. Mariella has always led a quiet existence, paying special attention to the social rules for women in the Victorian era. She is quiet, demur, shy, and spends her time sewing all manner of items for charity. Rosa, on the other hand, is headstrong, untraditional, artistic, wants to be a doctor, and considers Mariella the most important person in her life. Since women cannot become doctors, she is determined to become a nurse, like Miss Nightingale, and eventually follows her to the battlefields of the Crimean War to nurse the wounded. When she disappears, Mariella takes off for the same battlefields in an effort to find her.
I gave this book 4 stars. The story was really enjoyable, and kept me interested from the beginning. It was especially interesting to read about medical practices in the 1850s, which were actually more primitive than I expected. Although the book hinted at involving Florence Nightingale, I was disappointed to find that her character was only anecdotal in the story. My disappointment was offset, though, by the unconventional view of Miss Nightingale that the author presented. It made me want to study this historical figure more, to see what her personality was actually like. My only other disappointment came at about the halfway point in the story, where a potential love triangle appeared that I felt was not necessary to include.
I gave this book 4 stars. The story was really enjoyable, and kept me interested from the beginning. It was especially interesting to read about medical practices in the 1850s, which were actually more primitive than I expected. Although the book hinted at involving Florence Nightingale, I was disappointed to find that her character was only anecdotal in the story. My disappointment was offset, though, by the unconventional view of Miss Nightingale that the author presented. It made me want to study this historical figure more, to see what her personality was actually like. My only other disappointment came at about the halfway point in the story, where a potential love triangle appeared that I felt was not necessary to include.
abandoned
June 20, 2016This is clearly not the book I need to get me out of a reading slump of mega proportions. Try again another day. Maybe.
March 22, 2022
An excellent read, full of history and pertinant to the world today.
January 31, 2015
I've had to back-burner this book so many times that I'm not sure I can see it clearly anymore. At least I'm left feeling confused, because a lot of what I liked is also what I found problematic.
The first half of the book reads relatively slowly. Mariella is a pampered, sheltered girl who is a perfectly proper example of a lady in her time. She's a bit naive, she lacks a sense of adventure, and she's consumed with maintaining propriety. Although she's not a girl I'd like to hang with, she fits in her world and is sharply contrasted with her cousin, Rosa, who is strong-willed and impetuous and strains at the bonds of a proper life. The first half of the book, Mariella fits and it's Rosa who's jarring. Despite my belief, as a modern woman, that her impulses to career and education and travel were her absolute right, and despite the fact that I know that I would appreciate Rosa much more were we actually to meet, she comes across as grating and heedless. She doesn't fit this London life, while Mariella does.
Then the second half begins, and the tables are sharply turned. Rosa, who has gone to the Crimea as a nurse, disappears and Mariella goes to find her while also visiting her wounded fiancé. All of the sudden we are on the front in the Crimean War, where Rosa's independence and spirit are not only valuable, but downright necessary. And it's Mariella's focus on propriety and social position, her weakness in every respect, that's jarring. The second half of the book is not only much faster-paced, but is also the point where we get some serious character development from everyone concerned. It's sometimes uncomfortable and can be embarrassing or frustrating to read, but I also found it really satisfying.
This book, even though it exclusively follows Mariella's thoughts and movements, is about Rosa. Rosa is the lens through which we understand everything. Her family, the role of women, the horror of war. And so when she re-enters the story after her disappearance, the story ends. This is kind of a quest novel, and once we learn where Rosa went, the quest is finished. It feels abrupt, and I know a lot of people here didn't like it, but I found it strangely appropriate, and even satisfying. It fulfilled, for me, the Rosa of the first half, who always drew the attention of everyone around her, whether for good or bad. It also fulfills the Mariella of the second half, who for better or worse finally has a complete picture of her cousin. Once that's done, the rest is just details.
So, the slow first half made this book rough going for me, but I also think it's essential to the telling of the story. And the ending feels abrupt, but again... same thing. The very things that feel so unfulfilling also seem perfectly right.
The first half of the book reads relatively slowly. Mariella is a pampered, sheltered girl who is a perfectly proper example of a lady in her time. She's a bit naive, she lacks a sense of adventure, and she's consumed with maintaining propriety. Although she's not a girl I'd like to hang with, she fits in her world and is sharply contrasted with her cousin, Rosa, who is strong-willed and impetuous and strains at the bonds of a proper life. The first half of the book, Mariella fits and it's Rosa who's jarring. Despite my belief, as a modern woman, that her impulses to career and education and travel were her absolute right, and despite the fact that I know that I would appreciate Rosa much more were we actually to meet, she comes across as grating and heedless. She doesn't fit this London life, while Mariella does.
Then the second half begins, and the tables are sharply turned. Rosa, who has gone to the Crimea as a nurse, disappears and Mariella goes to find her while also visiting her wounded fiancé. All of the sudden we are on the front in the Crimean War, where Rosa's independence and spirit are not only valuable, but downright necessary. And it's Mariella's focus on propriety and social position, her weakness in every respect, that's jarring. The second half of the book is not only much faster-paced, but is also the point where we get some serious character development from everyone concerned. It's sometimes uncomfortable and can be embarrassing or frustrating to read, but I also found it really satisfying.
This book, even though it exclusively follows Mariella's thoughts and movements, is about Rosa. Rosa is the lens through which we understand everything. Her family, the role of women, the horror of war. And so when she re-enters the story after her disappearance, the story ends. This is kind of a quest novel, and once we learn where Rosa went, the quest is finished. It feels abrupt, and I know a lot of people here didn't like it, but I found it strangely appropriate, and even satisfying. It fulfilled, for me, the Rosa of the first half, who always drew the attention of everyone around her, whether for good or bad. It also fulfills the Mariella of the second half, who for better or worse finally has a complete picture of her cousin. Once that's done, the rest is just details.
So, the slow first half made this book rough going for me, but I also think it's essential to the telling of the story. And the ending feels abrupt, but again... same thing. The very things that feel so unfulfilling also seem perfectly right.
March 20, 2016
I really, really enjoyed this book. I will be keeping it, although loaning it to my mum and also one of my workmates. It was such a good read, and I will have to keep an eye open for other books by her.
This is set mostly during the Crimea War. It focuses on two cousins - Rosa and Mariella. Mariella is mad keen on her embroidery and is a proper Victoria who doesn't mention unmentionables etc. She lives just outside London. Rosa has been brought up with a step father and is more radical in her thinking. She is desperate to get away and become a nurse, and when the Crimea War starts, off she goes. Mariella is engaged to a brilliant surgeon called Henry, who also goes off to war. Then Rosa's letters stop and message comes that Henry is very ill in Italy. So Mariella heads off to Italy, and from there is sent to the Crimea to look for Rosa. Now I've finished the book, it feels like a dramatic, sweeping, tragic historical epic that you could imagine as a brilliant costume drama film. The very ending was quite a comment on war.
I think you're supposed to love Rosa and let Mariella grow on you gradually. I know Mariella was a bit repressed, but to be honest, I did like her from the start and I really felt for her when people discarded her or betrayed her. It took me a long time to like Rosa. I found her quite insincere and shallow. She was so angellic and being overly nice and enthusiastic to people, but it never felt as though her words had any sincerity behind them as she'd just dash off and do what she liked regardless of anyone else. And the whole nursing thing was to fill a hole in herself rather than to actually want to nurse.
It was also interesting to read a fictional account of the Crimea, from the nurses' point of view mainly. Really made you think about war in those times (and even today) and how people treat one another.
2009 bookcrossing journal
This is set mostly during the Crimea War. It focuses on two cousins - Rosa and Mariella. Mariella is mad keen on her embroidery and is a proper Victoria who doesn't mention unmentionables etc. She lives just outside London. Rosa has been brought up with a step father and is more radical in her thinking. She is desperate to get away and become a nurse, and when the Crimea War starts, off she goes. Mariella is engaged to a brilliant surgeon called Henry, who also goes off to war. Then Rosa's letters stop and message comes that Henry is very ill in Italy. So Mariella heads off to Italy, and from there is sent to the Crimea to look for Rosa. Now I've finished the book, it feels like a dramatic, sweeping, tragic historical epic that you could imagine as a brilliant costume drama film. The very ending was quite a comment on war.
I think you're supposed to love Rosa and let Mariella grow on you gradually. I know Mariella was a bit repressed, but to be honest, I did like her from the start and I really felt for her when people discarded her or betrayed her. It took me a long time to like Rosa. I found her quite insincere and shallow. She was so angellic and being overly nice and enthusiastic to people, but it never felt as though her words had any sincerity behind them as she'd just dash off and do what she liked regardless of anyone else. And the whole nursing thing was to fill a hole in herself rather than to actually want to nurse.
It was also interesting to read a fictional account of the Crimea, from the nurses' point of view mainly. Really made you think about war in those times (and even today) and how people treat one another.
2009 bookcrossing journal
September 2, 2009
I have to admit I picked this book because I liked the cover. Not sure what that says about me. I loved the premise of the book. And of course, I'm a sucker for English 19th century books. I was quite pleased with this book. The characters are rich and I was eager to learn more about them as I devoured each chapter. I learned a lot about the Crimean war and as a result, I would like to do more reading on this time period and especially Florence Nightingale. I'm not a huge war book fan, but this had just enough details without being too horrific. I wish the end had been a bit different. I thought there was going to be some huge plot twist or ah-ha moment but I believe the author deliberately did this to leave the reader with open ended questions. Perhaps, I've grown a bit custom to Jodi Picoult books where there is usually some major topsy turvy ending. Overall, I thought this was a beautiful book. And like the cover of the book, the story was a painting that left its mark on its reader.
August 7, 2022
This book...😍😍
Really didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did especially as it was a random find in my bookshelf. I was instantly hooked and I found the writing so nice to read. The plot was amazing. I really liked the back and forth between timelines. The main character is a relatable and realistic person which I appreciated.
If you're into historical fiction with a hint of heartbreak this book is for you. This book also gave me Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier vibes. Rosa really reminds me of Rebecca, especially when she goes missing, her ghost haunting everyone's present and her memory never leaving people & everyone adoring her etc. The ending was interesting... I think the author intentionally left it quite open ended but I would have prefered things to be more black and white.
Really didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did especially as it was a random find in my bookshelf. I was instantly hooked and I found the writing so nice to read. The plot was amazing. I really liked the back and forth between timelines. The main character is a relatable and realistic person which I appreciated.
If you're into historical fiction with a hint of heartbreak this book is for you. This book also gave me Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier vibes. Rosa really reminds me of Rebecca, especially when she goes missing, her ghost haunting everyone's present and her memory never leaving people & everyone adoring her etc. The ending was interesting... I think the author intentionally left it quite open ended but I would have prefered things to be more black and white.
February 3, 2008
This is an historical novel set during the Crimean War, about two women, cousins, one of whom goes to nurse at the front - I read the first chapter at the lovereading site and pre-ordered it from the library. I was especially interested to read a novel set in this period after reading Mary Seacole's autobiography.
I enjoyed the book but found the way it is written slightly confusing - it keeps jumping to and fro between several different periods in Mariella's life, so that you have to remember to look at the dates in the chapter headings. I think I would probably have got more caught up in it if it had just carried straight on. Having said that, it is beautifully written, with a strong romance element which is something out of the ordinary.
I enjoyed the book but found the way it is written slightly confusing - it keeps jumping to and fro between several different periods in Mariella's life, so that you have to remember to look at the dates in the chapter headings. I think I would probably have got more caught up in it if it had just carried straight on. Having said that, it is beautifully written, with a strong romance element which is something out of the ordinary.
June 1, 2018
3.5 stars
February 4, 2010
"The Rose of Sebastopol" is a historical (with a bit of mystery) set mainly in 1844 and 1854-1855 in England, Italy, and the Crimea. If you like nuanced historical novels, you'll probably find this one a lovely read.
The historical details were expertly woven into the story background, bringing the society, setting, etc., vividly alive in my imagination. Yet the details served the story rather than being the point of the story. The level of detail given for the Crimea landscape made me wonder if the author had really been there (which, according to her website, she has). The settings varied widely, from higher-class home life to various hospitals to a lead mill to the war front, yet they all had depth.
The characters were complex and nuanced. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but I understood why they acted the way they did and wanted to know what happened to them all. The novel maintained a nice level of suspense that kept me turning the pages.
The story switched between Mariella's childhood, events in 1854 leading up to Rosa going to the war hospitals, and what happened in 1855 after Henry turned up sick and Rosa went missing. I didn't find these different time lines difficult to keep track of, though, and this set-up kept the suspense up for me--how did all three time lines tie together to explain what had happened?
Though Mariella was the point of view character, the story was about Rosa--it started with Rosa ("what happened to Rosa?") and ended with Rosa (solving of what happened and why). Mariella's future wasn't neatly tied up for the reader, though it was clear where things were headed. I usually hate untidy endings for POV characters, yet I didn't feel like I was left hanging with things left unresolved. While I would have liked to know more, her ending fit what she learned in the novel--that unexpected, uncontrollable things happen so don't plan too firmly too far ahead. In a way, the story structure was that of a mystery, with the story ending when the mystery was solved.
There was a minor amount of swearing and a very minor amount of cussing. There was unmarried sex with a very small amount of explicit foreplay (removing clothes, kissing, upper body touching). There was a lot of sexual tension, but not really of the erotic type. Overall, I'd highly recommend this novel was well-written, fairly clean reading.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
The historical details were expertly woven into the story background, bringing the society, setting, etc., vividly alive in my imagination. Yet the details served the story rather than being the point of the story. The level of detail given for the Crimea landscape made me wonder if the author had really been there (which, according to her website, she has). The settings varied widely, from higher-class home life to various hospitals to a lead mill to the war front, yet they all had depth.
The characters were complex and nuanced. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but I understood why they acted the way they did and wanted to know what happened to them all. The novel maintained a nice level of suspense that kept me turning the pages.
The story switched between Mariella's childhood, events in 1854 leading up to Rosa going to the war hospitals, and what happened in 1855 after Henry turned up sick and Rosa went missing. I didn't find these different time lines difficult to keep track of, though, and this set-up kept the suspense up for me--how did all three time lines tie together to explain what had happened?
Though Mariella was the point of view character, the story was about Rosa--it started with Rosa ("what happened to Rosa?") and ended with Rosa (solving of what happened and why). Mariella's future wasn't neatly tied up for the reader, though it was clear where things were headed. I usually hate untidy endings for POV characters, yet I didn't feel like I was left hanging with things left unresolved. While I would have liked to know more, her ending fit what she learned in the novel--that unexpected, uncontrollable things happen so don't plan too firmly too far ahead. In a way, the story structure was that of a mystery, with the story ending when the mystery was solved.
There was a minor amount of swearing and a very minor amount of cussing. There was unmarried sex with a very small amount of explicit foreplay (removing clothes, kissing, upper body touching). There was a lot of sexual tension, but not really of the erotic type. Overall, I'd highly recommend this novel was well-written, fairly clean reading.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
April 6, 2011
The setting is Victorian England and the Rose is cousin Rose. Is this impetuous young thing coming in between proper Mariella and her up and coming surgeon/dreamboat/fiance Henry Thewell? While Henry and Rose go off to be the hero doctor and valiant nurse in the Crimea, Mariella stays home and worries, sews, pays calls, listens to her parents, is the poster child for the well brought up Victorian young lady. After Henry becomes ill and is evacuated to Italy, Mariella takes her first step toward independence and maturity by going there to nurse him. Her second step happens when in his delirium, Henry calls out for Rose. Mariella learns that Rose has been reported missing. She decides that she has to try and find her or at least find out what happened to her and turns of Rose's unreliable stepbrother for help. Despite all the letters from Henry and Rose detailing the horrors of the war that Mariella received it is no surprise that she is completely unprepared for the reality of the battleground and the military hospitals.
McMahon easily combines good storytelling with stellar research meant to entertain and enlighten not to bludgeon the reader into glassy eyed submission. My bare bones outline of the plot doesn't begin to address the complexities that McMahon layers into the story. She has taken an interestingly twisty love triangle set in a historically vibrant backdrop and mixed in significant emotional turbulence and freshness. The conflicting loyalties, class struggles, trust, betrayals, newly developing industrial tyrannies and the war are all used by McMahon to bring The Rose of Stebastopol up to the level of extremely satisfying read.
April 12, 2010
This is a tough one to review. I just finished it and I'm still processing it. Basically I had a hard time putting it down, but now that I'm done, I'm not satisfied.
The main conflict of the book is the disappearance of a character, and it was such a circuitous route to get to the climax. I found myself skimming and not caring about all the details because I just wanted to find out what happened to her.
The action in the novel switches back and forth in time and, while that technique CAN work, I didn't like it here. It was too disjointed.
The romantic aspect of it was disturbing to me. It reminded me of Brideshead Revisited and its strange love triangles and the same themes of envy and obsession. Although Rosa is Mariella's cousin, there were undertones of homosexual love. I felt like the author kind of tricked me into what characters I should or shouldn't like and then twisted it around. Some details are raised near the very end that were disturbing, and the book ends abruptly and doesn't resolve all of the twists. So in all, I wouldn't recommend it. Friends who read this: talk to me. What did you like about it? Did you enjoy it overall? Why?
The main conflict of the book is the disappearance of a character, and it was such a circuitous route to get to the climax. I found myself skimming and not caring about all the details because I just wanted to find out what happened to her.
The action in the novel switches back and forth in time and, while that technique CAN work, I didn't like it here. It was too disjointed.
The romantic aspect of it was disturbing to me. It reminded me of Brideshead Revisited and its strange love triangles and the same themes of envy and obsession. Although Rosa is Mariella's cousin, there were undertones of homosexual love. I felt like the author kind of tricked me into what characters I should or shouldn't like and then twisted it around. Some details are raised near the very end that were disturbing, and the book ends abruptly and doesn't resolve all of the twists. So in all, I wouldn't recommend it. Friends who read this: talk to me. What did you like about it? Did you enjoy it overall? Why?
Read
August 5, 2011Mcmahon's novel had many wonderful elements. I enjoyed reading about the time period - England in the 1850's, during the Crimean War. I also enjoyed the author's decision to focus on Mariella, a well-behaved, well-to-do young woman with a pleasant home life, rather than the more obvious choice -her independent, outrageous cousin Rosa. I liked the book's set-up, and continued to find it interesting even after too many of the characters turned up in the middle of the war under circumstances that did not always make sense. Mariella's development when she left her sheltered life was believable enough to allow me to suspend my many disbeliefs elsewhere. Toward the end, I read anxiously to find the answer to the large number of unsolved mysteries set up, only to find by the last page that.....almost no answers were given! Aside from Rosa's location at the end, the reader learns far too little. Everything ends so abruptly that I don't know if Mcmahon couldn't figure out what to do, or if she wanted room for a sequel.
October 29, 2011
This would have had three stars were it not for the unsatisfactory ending. The last of the five parts was, overall, my favourite, but it felt as though it was leading up to a revelation or realisation or even twist and in the end there was nothing.
The first few parts are rather twee and ladylike and unfortunately the main protagonist (first person narrator) isn't very likeable. It's not really feasible that other characters would fall in love with her. Luckily she develops over the last couple of sections, but not really enough.
Some of the information about the Crimean war - which I didn't know a lot about - was quite interesting as was the glimpse into medical practise of the time. However, the major exposition of the book seemed to be that war isn't very nice, which I think most of us knew already.
There's nothing wrong with this book and I got quite into it towards the end. There's nothing very impressive about it either, though.
The first few parts are rather twee and ladylike and unfortunately the main protagonist (first person narrator) isn't very likeable. It's not really feasible that other characters would fall in love with her. Luckily she develops over the last couple of sections, but not really enough.
Some of the information about the Crimean war - which I didn't know a lot about - was quite interesting as was the glimpse into medical practise of the time. However, the major exposition of the book seemed to be that war isn't very nice, which I think most of us knew already.
There's nothing wrong with this book and I got quite into it towards the end. There's nothing very impressive about it either, though.
December 17, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I admit, it started somewhat slow, but once it picked up, I wanted to devour it. Two female cousins, constrained by the expectations of Victorian England, find themselves in the midst of the Crimean War, one (Rosa) in order to help, and the other (Mariella) to find Rosa when she goes missing. The story is told in flashbacks, so it can be difficult to figure out what's happening if you don't pay attention to the chapter headings, but I had no trouble following along. The story is stronger for being told in this manner, as little tidbits of information are revealed about Rosa that strengthen the main storyline. I admit I was a bit disappointed in what happened to one of the main characters by the end of the novel, but it was probably for the best.
January 9, 2012
There were many things about this novel I enjoyed while there were other things that didn't quite work for me. Rosa and Mariella seemed a bit extreme to me and not entirely real. They were such opposites, Rosa fearless while Mariella never stepped a toe out of line. I was thrown in the beginning with the changes in time and place, often having to go back to see what had happened previously. It wasn't as bad the farther into the book I got. I think the character I was most rooting for was Max. I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe he felt the most realistic to me. Overall, I did enjoy this book but feel I could have enjoyed it more.
May 31, 2021
This was a really well written book. To be honest, I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did or be engrossed as much as I was with this story. The beginning hooked me and at first I was annoyed with all the jumping into flashbacks but then I came to appreciate the foreshadowing the past scenes gave to better add context to what was happening in the present.
I was not a fan of the ending though which is why I only gave this book 4 stars. I found the ending overly sad and rather flat too. I would have liked more closure with some of the characters.
I was not a fan of the ending though which is why I only gave this book 4 stars. I found the ending overly sad and rather flat too. I would have liked more closure with some of the characters.
July 17, 2024
Um excelente romance histórico com a Guerra da Crimeia como pano de fundo.
Nele seguimos a história de Rosa, uma jovem destemida e corajosa que se voluntaria a ir para a Crimeia como enfermeira, numa altura em que apenas freiras ou mulheres mais velhas eram consideradas para o efeito.
Após várias semanas sem saber de Rosa, a sua prima Mariella segue as suas passadas para descobrir o que é feito dela. No entanto o que vai descobrir acaba por mudar toda a sua visão do mundo, da guerra e da sua própria vida.
Nele seguimos a história de Rosa, uma jovem destemida e corajosa que se voluntaria a ir para a Crimeia como enfermeira, numa altura em que apenas freiras ou mulheres mais velhas eram consideradas para o efeito.
Após várias semanas sem saber de Rosa, a sua prima Mariella segue as suas passadas para descobrir o que é feito dela. No entanto o que vai descobrir acaba por mudar toda a sua visão do mundo, da guerra e da sua própria vida.
May 7, 2009
I found this quite informative and interesting, but I found the characters quite annoying and I didn't like the ending! Too abrupt and too many loose ends for my liking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 452 reviews