No Small Shame

by Christine Bell

Australia, 1914. The world is erupting in war. Jobs are scarce and immigrants unwelcome. For young Catholic Mary O’Donnell, this is not the new life she imagined.

When one foolish night of passion leads to an unexpected pregnancy and a loveless marriage, Mary’s reluctant husband Liam escapes to the trenches. With her overbearing mother attempting to control her every decision, Mary flees to Melbourne determined to build a life for herself and her child. There, she forms an unlikely friendship with Protestant army reject Tom Robbins.

But as a shattering betrayal is revealed, Mary must make an impossible choice. Does she embrace the path fate has set for her, or follow the one she longs to take?

From the harshness of a pit village in Scotland to the upheaval of wartime Australia, No Small Shame tells the moving story of love and duty, loyalty and betrayal, and confronting the past before you can seek a future.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Australia

400 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2020

Reviews

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

'Some things cannot be changed, must be endured, but more could be changed than you might think. If you dared.’

No Small Shame is a rich historical yarn that encompasses themes of morality, mistakes, duty, acceptance, choice, survival, loss and hope. Written by Australian short fiction specialist Christine Bell, No Small Shame represents Bell’s first foray in the adult historical fiction genre. A story told with passion, sensibility and intelligence, this one will be sure to strike a chord with historical fiction readers.

No Small Shame introduces Mary O’Donnell, a young woman who makes an error of judgement and pays the ultimate price for indulging in a romantic interlude. Trapped in a marriage and bound by moral duty, Mary toils on in her loveless marriage. When her husband goes off to fight in the Great War, Mary is left to wrangle her controlling mother. Unable to face the pressure of her life as it stands, Mary decides to make a new life for herself in Australia. In Australia, Mary finds support and friendship via Tom, a man who is unable to fight in the war. Mary has high hopes for her new life in Australia with her child, but this is threatened by an act of betrayal. Mary is faced with the impossible, she has to decide how best to precede with her life, given the hardships of war and societal expectation. Fate, duty, choice and circumstance all play a part in Mary’s future.

Australian historical fiction is really at its height at present. If you are a keen eyed reader of this genre, there have been many wonderful releases in this category in 2020, with many more to hit our shelves in the coming months. No Small Shame is one such example of a sensational new release in this genre. I have been excited about the prospect of reading Australian author Christine Bell’s first historical presentation and I wasn’t disappointed.

Christine Bell sets her scene well. The reader is transported with ease to the first of her strong historical settings in No Small Shame. Firstly, we are immersed in Scottish village life at the turn of the century. Here life is tough and survival is of the utmost importance. Bell brings to life the pure grit, despair, hardship and poverty level of these times. In particular, Bell’s sequences involving pit life reminded me so very much of my own grandmother’s tale of my great grandfather’s work in a coal pit in northern England during this time period. These historical aspects of No Small Shame were well informed and authentic.

When Mary, the principal character travels to Australia for a new life, Bell explores what life was like for our early emigrants during the time period of 1900 and onwards. This was another tough time, but there was still hope as Australia was seen as the lucky country and a place where dreams could be made. Mary was inspiring character and I personally enjoyed following her story, despite the setbacks. I admired Mary’s strength, ingenuity, her fighting spirit and her resilient attitude. I think we could all take a leaf out of Mary’s book!

Bell fills the rest of her book with a range of characters who inject plenty into the unfolding narrative. Bell also explores many resounding themes from love, duty, sacrifice, expectation, the war, loss, grief, family, parental responsibilities, class differences, economic difficulties, martial relations, friendship, faith, morality and above all, the constraints placed on women. There are definitely some bleak times in this book and you will wonder if these characters can rise above their despair. However, there are also small celebrations and achievements, which really make us thankful for what our ancestors toiled through to help set us up for life today.

No Small Shame is a book that covers it all if you are looking for a solid historical fiction title.

*Thanks extended to Ventura Press and the author for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

No Small Shame is book #49 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge

[Lauren Chater · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gritty story of love and growth, beautifully told by debut novelist Chris Bell. The historical setting feels authentic and the characters act in believable ways. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian historical fiction is a genre that I have been reading a lot more of the past year. I have read a lot more more WW2 stories than WW1, so this was a bit different for me.

I was drawn right into No Small Shame. From Scotland to Australia, this sweeping story of love and loss, head and heart had me diving for my book each lunch break, and making me want to have just a couple of minutes more before I headed back to my desk.

Mary and Liam's story is one that has been played out for centuries. Boy meets girl, meets "unfortunate situation". It's just what they do in that situation is where this story goes.

Mary had my heart from our very first meeting. She is a warrior. She is strong and defiant. She fights for herself even when those around her want her to toe the womanly line. She is trapped by circumstance and the time in history, yet she does not keep her down.

Her journey of self awareness and personal growth had me cheering on each endeavour.

My heart hurt, my heart soared, and I was left thinking about the amazing women who paved the way for women today.

[Susan Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess the first thing I want to say, is that I loved this book, and it has taken longer than it should have, for me to write a review. A brilliant book, without some of the praise that it deserves, is a sad thing. So finally, on this drizzly middle of the week day, I'm placing my greatest respect and admiration where they belong - straight into the hands of the debut author, Christine Bell.

Two aspects of her novel I want to flag straight up. One, is the incredible attention to detail and the amount of research that must have gone in to writing this book. It's a cliche often used about historical novels, but for most of the book I really did feel like I was walking along beside the brave and resilient Mary, seeing and hearing her family and neighbours struggling through the poverty of a village in Scotland pre WW1 and witnessing Mary's hopeful attempts at a new life, in the streets of Melbourne. I particularly liked how the writer was more interested in showing the reader the realities of working class life at the turn of the century than romanticising it. The truth is fairly brutal but kudos to Bell for not shying away from it all. It leant integrity to her book, integrity underscored with the obviously critical research.

Additionally, the thematic threads of No Small Shame, mostly reflected through the character of Mary and her relationships with others, were explored in an equally unflinching style.
"A man who'd never been married, preaching that men couldn't help a show of temper on occasion. No to when they'd suffered a thousand tortures for King and country. What burden was it for wives and mothers to carry some small, if bitter load in payment for all the sacrifices made in their names? Seeing Agnes Holloway, in the pew in front, cringe to the left whenever her husband raised so much as his lips in a smile, Mary couldn't fight the devil thought a bullet aimed better might not have gone astray."

Mary's voice is so very authentic and consistent and I think this voice is what convinces us of who Mary is and also allows us see and hear the world she lives in- and believe the trials she endures which tease out ideas of duty, betrayal and the role of women, then and now. Someone else mentioned it in another review, but the book does force you to reflect on our female forebearers and all they endured to allow women to have a voice. No Small Shame, also highlighted for me, just how little life has changed for some of us.

I guess anyone reading this book might think about who it is Mary reminds them of. For me it is my mother. That idea of duty towards one's children and scarificing your own happpiness for theirs: the internal fortitude to keep going every day, despite grief and physical and financial challenges and when others don't agree with you.

I recommend this book wholeheratedly. It is a big hearted book and spans so much that is important about who we are. Raising a glass to Christine Bell for an extraordinary book. How you have worked!

[Clare Rhoden · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Small Shame follows the story of Mary O'Donnell from her childhood home in a Scottish mining village, through emigration to Australia and life during the tragedy and disruption of the First World War and beyond. The shadows of poverty and class/religuious division reach far into the future.

The young Mary has her hopes fixed on childhood favourite Liam, but their eventual marriage occurs under circumstances that cast a dark shadow across both their lives. When Liam goes to war, Mary discovers another focus for her life in Tom, but the cost to her and her child is daunting. Throughout her story, we discover that Mary's mother is a repressive and dominating influence, who demands that her daughter's life should be no wider than her own journey of hardship and struggle - the lot of a woman.

While this is overall a somewhat sombre story, the emotional stakes are high for Mary, and reading this story as a latter-day woman who has had access to education and gender freedom unknown to our historical sisters, my heart grieved for her lost potential and the blighting of many of her chances at happiness. On the other hand, Mary is a heroine who always seeks a better life and keeps her eyes on the horizon, looking for better days to come.

Backed by meticulous research and giving a detailed recreation of the places, habits, and speech of the time, this is a highly readable novel that will please lovers of stories where life is reflected accurately, and characters must come to terms with the real events and barriers they face while still making the best they can of themselves and their circumstances. There are no easy solutions, but plenty of hope, resilience, effort and love.

Australian history brought to poignant life.

[Kate Murdoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Small Shame tells the story of Mary O’Donnell, a Scottish immigrant to Australia around the time of the Great War. Mary has always been infatuated with Liam, a man she has known since childhood. As they grow older, Liam suffers the loss of his mother and becomes disaffected and irresponsible. Neither wish to follow the paths of their parents, nurturing dreams of a different life, free from the constraints of the working-class world they know where women’s only purpose is to raise children and men go underground into the mine.

Mary withstands numerous trials in the story—she is trapped in an unhappy marriage but does her best to ensure the survival of her family. I was immersed in the narrative for a number of reasons: the emotional honesty, the authentic depiction of life during this period in Melbourne and Wonthaggi, the tension of the difficult choices Mary is forced to make. But what really stayed with me was Mary’s indomitable strength—she’s never beaten and does not give up. Her integrity shines throughout. Having a mother who is unsympathetic and judgemental makes her position even more precarious.

No Small Shame is well-written and reveals the sacrifices and challenges women faced in the early part of last century. Their choices were limited, and, in Mary’s case, one mistake has a huge impact on her prospects. The author doesn’t shy away from exploring these consequences. Yet this novel leaves the reader with hope, because of Mary’s determination to make a better life for herself and her children.

[Cel Jel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of families and their lives and aspirations. Of consequences to choices and the curve balls that life can throw. Relations between mothers and daughters, and sisters with siblings.
The main character is a girl Mary whose close friend is Liam. They both dream of a better future but life conspires against them. Liam travels with his father to the antipodes to work in a new coal mine in a newly developing town. Mary has always felt close to Liam but has to wait till her family travels to the same mining town in Victoria.
Liaim and Mary of them have changed from the children they were, which leaves Mary confused and more vulnerable in the fractious relationship with her mother.
The story relates a grittiness of life for those who worked in the mining towns, the misconceptions people can have of others because we only see the surface, the difference between the work women could do during WWI in Australia and the UK, and the consequences of the war on men who returned.
The story took hold of me, and I hope this author will write another historical fiction book. The style of the narrative is reminiscent of previous times, I found the voice was one of the things that helped me feel a part of a time past.

[Stephen Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been tardy in rating and providing a review for this fabulous book. It was like opening a time capsule on Australia in the early 20th century. Christine Bell takes us back to that era and the everyday struggle to scratch out an existence. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find themselves sharing a fascinating journey with young immigrants in a new land.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of choices and consequences set in Australia during the Great War.

A longer review appears on my blog, Kathryn’s Inbox.

[Bree T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books like this make me really, really grateful that I’m living life as a woman in 2020, not 1920.

The story begins in 1913 Scotland and with young Mary, 14. Her Irish Catholic family are poor, her father works in the mines and her mother births babies, some of whom live and some of whom don’t. When the entire family as well as the family of her closest friend Liam move to Australia, it’s supposed to be a new beginning. However, little changes – Liam finds himself down in the mines, one in Wonthaggi this time, something he was desperate to avoid. And Mary and her family live in what is basically a tent, all of them crammed in together in conditions that are harsh in an entirely different way.

The story moves through the war and Mary’s forced marriage to Liam after one night and then Liam’s vanishing to Melbourne with a promise to send for her that never eventuates. Mary doesn’t find much sympathy from her Irish Catholic mother, who treats her like a leper even after Mary is safely married, punishing her it seems, for her sins and the sins of someone else. Mary makes a friend, who also takes advantage of her and finally she leaves for Melbourne, where she finds a room with a friendly married woman, whose husband is away in the war. Pearl is an unwavering support for Mary, a friend and even perhaps mother figure, someone who treats her with respect and consideration, probably even love. And then there’s Tom, a Protestant nephew of Pearl, who cannot ‘sign up’ into the war effort. He and Mary build a friendship that is interrupted by the return of Mary’s husband Liam from the war, broken and damaged in more ways than one.

This book was very slow to start – the first 100p were a bit of a struggle to be honest, but once it got going, it really got going. There are a lot of issues explored here, but mostly they seem to base themselves around the role of women at this time and how difficult it was to be a woman born into a poor or low family. Life is a constant struggle to survive with disease and illness rampant in the sorts of communities that spring up around mines. Babies are born on the regular and die, also with regularity. Mary experiences a lot of loss in her life by the time she’s a young teenager and her childish infatuation with her best friend lowers her guard around him. Although Mary gets the marriage she desires, it doesn’t work out the way she planned and she finds herself alone and pregnant and responsible for their child all on her own. Liam makes Mary’s life a misery, callously before the war and then perhaps not intentionally when he returns.

Despite his treatment of Mary earlier, Liam is a sympathetic character as well, you can dislike him but also feel for him as he’s a product of his own desire for freedom, for something more. And no one knew what they were truly signing up for when they enlisted for WWI – they thought it’d be a lark overseas, an adventure they’d be home from in six months and it lasted over four years – some would say, if you were lucky and got to come home at all. But the Liam that returns home is a shell of the man that left, in a time when PTSD was not named nor even understood, nor was there sympathy to be found in many corners. Liam is volatile, often violent (although not really deliberately, he’s fighting demons and can’t always tell between sleeping and waking). He can’t hold down a job and they live in near poverty with Mary forced to take on a breadwinning role when he cannot. It means she has to leave him in charge of the children and Liam’s mental capacity is such that it’s a ticking time bomb every day.

A lot of the relationships are examined really well here, particularly the difficult relationship between Mary and her mother, the tough ‘Maw’, an unrelenting woman of judgement and religion who honestly for me, is everything that’s wrong with rampant Catholicism. Maw is brutal, with zero empathy and what feels like a desire to punish Mary simply for living. She is relentless in her criticism and her putdowns are sharp and well aimed, determined to bring Mary down. But Mary grows in strength over the course of the book as she emerges from struggles and times of grief. I think she comes to realise that sometimes, there is just no pleasing some people and it would be a waste of her time and effort to continue to try. Mary has a chance for happiness that she must decide whether or not to take, because the cost of it might be her family. The relationship between the two of them frustrated me on behalf of Mary – she tries so hard to please her mother, to connect with her, to have some sort of connection with her but her mother is so unyielding that it’s like she cannot let her guard down for a second and she constantly feels the need to enforce distance between them in her criticism of Mary. I honestly wanted Mary to just…be free of her, stop looking for her approval when it clearly was never going to be given, no matter what Mary did. Take a chance on happiness and leave the negativity behind. Despite all she’d been through, Mary herself wasn’t negative and I felt like she needed to hold onto that.

It did take me a while to get into this but once I did, I felt like it was a very vivid story, rich with history and the struggle of being a young woman trying to find her place in what was a difficult world. Mary is a character easily identified with – young, idyllic, optimistic, hard working and a dreamer, despite having to do her duty and care for her traumatised husband. It’s a story of young love gone awry in the worst of ways and the desperate and unforeseen circumstances of a war that everyone went into blind. And despite it’s often bleak tones, the end felt uplifting, which in these times, satisfied me.

***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***

[Jane Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping read of female agency during WW1 years - Mary O'Donnell wants out of the poverty of her Scottish mining village and travels to Australia for a better life. However, a world war, babies, a loveless marriage and society's judgment all stand in her way. A beautifully researched, expertly written and captivating story of a female life.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Small Shame (Impact Press 2020) by Christine Bell is a romantic historical fiction set at the time of the First World War and featuring themes of migration, the trauma of war and the strength of women.
The book begins with protagonist Mary O’Donnell growing up in the centre of a firmly Catholic family in the grim reality and harsh conditions of a Scottish pit village, and moves fairly quickly through the early period of her youth and her family’s immigration to Australia. I felt this initial part of the story moved a little too fast, but it did cover a lot of ground and built the framework for the rest of the story, particularly concerning Mary’s relationships with her family members and her friends and neighbours, which all develop significantly throughout the novel. Once I got into the rhythm of the story and the characters, however, I was hooked.
The early part of the novel is set in a Scottish mining village and the characters from the two main families are each involved in difficult and dangerous underground work. The decision to migrate to Australia is made in the hope of a better, safer, more prosperous life, but it is not without its problems. There are moments in the story when you expect it to follow a predictable path but then there is an unexpected plot twist or a character makes a surprising decision or choice, or there is an emotional shift in the dynamics between characters that leads to the whole story following a different path.
Once in Australia, with war erupting around the world, circumstances are not as easy as anyone had hoped, and both families struggle to find their place, gain some security and build new lives. The shadow of war hangs heavy – the repercussions of the conflict itself in terms of physical and mental trauma, the treatment of foreigners, the attitudes towards those unable or unwilling to go to the front. Shell-shock, or PTSD as it would be called now, is explored particularly well in the second half of the novel, with one of the characters suffering terrible nightmares and physical disabilities, and mistreatment by both the Repatriation Board (which cannot seem to decide if he is well enough to work or malingering, and cuts his pension accordingly) and the family and community to which he has returned. His temperament and personality have changed and the author does a fine job of presenting a broken man who doesn’t even understand his own condition and has no idea how to explain it to others. The ripple effect of trauma on wives, children, parents, friends, neighbours and employers is depicted in chilling detail.
But it is Mary herself who is the hero of this story, through her determination and grit, her commitment to a better life despite the card of hands she is dealt, and her loyalty and sense of duty towards those close to her, even when they let her down and disappoint her. As a young woman, she is constrained by the dictates of the church and her strict family, and as she matures and has to face impossible situations, she never loses sight of how she wants to succeed where others have failed her, and to do right where she has been wronged. Throughout the story, she faces one disappointment after another, and just when you suspect things might be looking up for her, they again take a turn for the worse, and she is once again scrabbling to survive and to protect those in her care. This novel is a well-researched examination of the roles and rights of women at that time, the struggles and discrimination they faced, the hardships they were expected to endure and the small victories they celebrated, often silently. Without giving any plot spoilers, it is fair to say that Mary must endure a lot, but that she never gives up, and it is this grim determination to make a life for herself that drives the novel forward.
Passion and desire, unwavering friendship, unrequited love, unwanted pregnancy, escape, defiance, an overbearing and critical mother, marriage that is not what anyone hoped for, conflict of religion between Catholics and Protestants – this novel has it all. Mary’s compelling journey and her indomitable spirit are heartbreaking, moving and inspirational. Although she lived 100 years ago, her motivations and actions are comprehensible and compelling. Above all, this is a love story with many moving parts; one that shows the many sides of love: self-sacrificing, fickle, unconditional, passionate, companionable, trustworthy, hurtful, deceptive, kind and forgiving.

[Vilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Loved the character of Mary and I couldn’t put it down wanting to know how her story ends. A page turner and a must read for any fans of historical fiction.

[Wendy Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I believe that, as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil.” ― Robert F. Kennedy.

‘No Small Shame’ is an important reminder of how far we have come in Australia since the beginning of last century – and how much we need to protect. Mary, a girl with dreams and immense character, is the daughter of a poor, working class family who migrates from Scotland to Australia in hope for a better life. Tragedy already darkens Mary’s young life when she leaves the country of her birth. It more than darkens the life of ‘Maw’, Mary’s mother. Years of despair and loss have damaged her in ways that has left her angry, and without hope. Poverty has twisted her ability to love to a fear that she expresses almost like hate.

‘No Small Shame’ tells a big story, opening the door to the reality of the lives of poor women at the beginning of last century. Poverty is still an unhealed wound on human society – but at the beginning of last century, the shackles were almost impossible to remove, choking the human psyche until the very choice of humanity came under threat.
Told through the point of view of Mary, we follow her from her childhood in Scotland, to migrating to Australia with her family. Mary is close to Liam, her childhood friend. A few years older than Mary, Liam is miserable about the direction of his life. Mary's efforts to help him leads to the 'no small shame' moment of her life. The beginning of last century was a bleak time to become pregnant out of wedlock. With no other choice but to marry, Mary finds marriage to Liam a time of misery. Then Liam deserts Mary before the birth of their child. Believing Liam dead, Mary goes to Melbourne with her baby to start a new life. The closing days World War I brings Mary fresh heartbreak - and no easy solutions. The final pages of 'No Small Shame' is shattering, and haunting.
In all, ‘No Small Shame’ is the story of Mary’s survival overlayered with the promise of triumph. It is a story crafted with great empathy – and immense believability. For me, it not only brilliantly opened the door to past, but made me prouder of my ‘poor’ ancestors. What George Eliot once wrote in Middlemarsh also describes a life such as Mary’s:

“But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”

[Karen Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical fiction by Christine Bell is a bleak and often harrowing read that nonetheless, tugs the heart strings and tells an unputdownable and beautiful story of familial bonds, religion, war, love, sacrifice, courage, and heartache, all against the backdrop of Scotland and Australia during and in pre and post-war times.
Young Catholic, Mary O’Donnell, follows her family to Australia in the hope of a better life, one that offers more than their little mining village in Scotland ever could. Landing in Australia and moving to the small Victorian township of Wonthaggi, Mary’s dreams for herself and those she loves are soon shattered.
Following a series of terrible decisions and exiled from her family, Mary flees to Melbourne to start what she hopes will be a better life. There, she finally finds what’s she’s been looking for – purpose, friendship, and burgeoning love.
But when her past comes back to not just haunt her, but alter everything she thought to be true, Mary is faced with a terrible choice: ignore duty and what her faith and family tell her she must do, or follow her heart?
This is an utterly gripping book that I found so hard to put down. Swept up in Mary’s story, I read until 4.30 in the morning because I simply had to know what happened. The story told isn’t a “nice” one, after all, it’s about the impact of poverty, war, and racial and religious discrimination on individuals, families, and culture. The way Scottish and Australian history is represented in the novel is so well done – it doesn’t dominate, but serves the story as it always should in this type of fiction, allowing it to colour and, to a degree, drive the narrative forward, but never, ever overshadow it. The characters are so very rounded and real, even the minor ones. But it’s Mary that we root for and love, whose compassion and desire to break free of the shackles that she sees and feels holding herself and others back, that make you ache for her. Her – and even the less sympathetic characters who are also bound by social and other ties and cannot see their way free.
Be prepared to be transported into the past, to be caught up in a slice of Aussie history but, mostly, swept away in a completely relatable and beautifully told tale that will move and, in the end, fill you. Outstanding.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rushed ending makes up for the overly long middle.
I found this novel dragged for most of the story line, almost repetitive, in its misery.

[J. Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I consume a book in a few days I always feel obliged to spend a moment or two pondering the years the author has spent writing the publication. It’s the same as polishing off a delicious meal in thirty minutes and thanking the cook who might have spent many hours preparing it.
Thank you, Christine Bell, for delving deeply into the structure of life and living one hundred years ago, first in Scotland and later in Wonthaggi. The story of Mary’s early life in a pit village in Scotland sets up two pivotal relationships: her harsh judgemental mother and Liam, a close childhood friend. Mary and Liam share their dreams of finding lives very different from their parents. It’s a dream that still propels many of us even in 2020.
Understanding why the lives of people drawn from the same background can develop so differently is a fascinating topic. Liam’s mother is the antithesis of Mary’s. Liam’s expectations of life in exciting Australia are high but he is without the determination and self-esteem to stay his course. He tries, but doesn’t have the conviction to drive it through, and the war robs him of what little strength he has.
Mary, constantly battered emotionally by her mother’s obsession with religion, has a will that shines through, despite her mistakes, misjudgements, and the fears she holds for her own dreams.
Bell is brief with the general details of WW1, which highlights the geographical distance of Australia from the action, but the details she does include are firmly rooted in the development of the story and are harrowing. The war might have been taking place a long way from Australia, but the sudden appearance of that critical telegram delivers it right into living rooms with shattering emotion.
My favourite scene is a small moment in Mary’s life, a tiny cameo that promises something huge, especially for her children: a tea and scone café, a bowl of cream, and a metaphorical door opening.

[Matt Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I don’t tend to read much historical fiction, but No Small Shame gripped me from start to finish. The voice is so authentic, the setting so real and the story so compelling.

You’re with the main character, Mary, all the way, wanting her to rise above her circumstances while the obstacles pile up around her—religion, unrequited love and familial and societal pressure to be someone she doesn’t want to be.

It’s a love story at heart, but the wartime backdrop also propels the narrative forward without ever being intrusive. The research that went into this book is clear, but it never overshadows the core story.

No Small Shame is moving without being sentimental. At times, too, it’s confronting. But I loved every page and can highly recommend it.

[Danielle Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gem of a novel, No Small Shame by Christine Bell not only tells the story of Catholic Scottish immigrant, Mary O'Donnell and the challenges of her new life in Australia but also shines a rare spotlight on the domestic situation, especially that of women during the era of the Great War.

In the Scottish pit village of Bothwellaugh, teenager Mary and her best friend Liam make a pact for a better life for themselves. When the menfolk of both families take jobs in the brand new coal town of Wonthaggi on the other side of the world, it seems their plans may be realised sooner than even they’d hoped.

Of course, immigrants bring all the constraints of class, religion and gender from home. Mary is soon trapped into marriage and motherhood.

But the war provides new opportunities for women. In Melbourne Mary begins an apprenticeship as a dressmaker. She also makes new friends. One of these is young Protestant writer, Tom Robbins. Tom, Mary and little Conor spend a lot of time together until the war presents another devastating blow.

Mary eventually returns to Wonthaggi where she struggles on with a life that was sadly all too common for the hard working undervalued women of the era. But she never gives up on her dreams and is eventually rewarded for her determination.

I thoroughly enjoyed this well crafted character driven tale, especially as I recognised so much of the setting in both Wonthaggi and Melbourne and would recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction.

[Jo-Ann Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been finding it hard to pick up a book and be able to switch off and delve in. After a few pages, the words would become blurry, my attention would drift and I just hadn’t been feeling the urge to get stuck into a good book.

Those feelings thankfully have changed as my mood has lifted and I’ve crawled partially out of the funk most of us are experiencing in these strange times. Some extremely good books which have arrived at my doorstep have been a huge help in getting me back on track. No Small Shame is one of those reads.

We follow young Mary from the rough and poverty-stricken pits in Scotland as she grows from a teenager into a young woman with hopes, dreams and determination to break the cycle and not follow the life of her mother. A chance to relocate to Australia brings a slither of sunshine and hope that things may be different. Until a foolish decision threatens to pull Mary back to a world she wanted to so desperately escape.

No Small Shame is a pretty gritty reflection of life for the hard-working classes and it can be quite confronting to be reminded of the harsh, thankless lives many hardworking people faced. Yet, there are still shadows of discrimination, sexism, class, opportunity and poverty which have followed us to today. No Small Shame reminds us that some things, unfortunately, have not remained in history.

Christine Bell writes with such clarity and depth of character that it takes no time at all to be absorbed into the cramped O’Donnell household and wish a better life for her.

[Dana Light (dlight_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Australia, 1914, War has just broken out and everyone’s world has turned upside down. Young Mary O’Connell’s life isn’t what she imagines it to be, especially after one late beer filled evening with her childhood best friend. Poor Mary, her innocent childhood forever changed as she faces a world full of sin as an unwed mother. Mary flees to Melbourne to escape her overbearing mother and to give her child a fighting chance at a different life than her own growing up. What lies in Melbourne is definitely not what Mary expected, but it grants her wish of finding a completely different life. 🌟

This novel came highly recommend by my mother (as you all know is a book crazed lady), so I knew this book was going to be great. I definitely was not disappointed by the painstakingly beautiful book, as it dove into the lives of not only those affected by the war, but their families. This novel was a real eye opener about the beauty and pain in war and how it can change everything. I would seriously recommend this book to anyone who like book around war and romance

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read! A beautiful story of a young woman who endures migration and the harsh Australian terrain just before WW1. I found myself constantly wanting more for the main character and wishing for her life to go in a retain direction. Her spirit is strong

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book took me awhile to get into, but once I did I loved the story of Mary. This book is mainly set in Australia in WWI, while I love historical fiction I haven't actually read a lot set in Australia and I really appreciated the way Christine Bell described the setting. Both Melbourne and the small mining town had a certain grittiness to them and you could sense Australia was changing.
Mary was a great character, she was strong and courageous and a protagonist you could get behind.
I appreciated the research that has gone into this novel and look forward to seeing what Christie Bell does next!

[Denise Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Christine Bell’s debut novel for adults, though she has published many works of short fiction for both adults and children, and has also written a Young Adult manuscript. I hope she continues to write stories like this one, which brings history to life and also tells us important things about our own times.

https://denisenewtonwrites.com/?p=1471

No Small ShameChristine Bell

[Read Me Another Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts in 1910 with Mary growing up in Ireland and she is childhood friends with Liam. Both Liam and Mary’s families migrate to Australia and life begins to get complicated. After one mistake, it will change the trajectory of both of their lives forever.

I really enjoyed this book and understanding how the world was in the midst of the First World War. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys historical stories.

[Karen Hollands · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of historical fiction will love No Small Shame by Christine Bell. Distinctively Australian, I got swept up in the story of Mary O'Donnell and her family. The setting is authentic and the author brilliantly captures the voice of the characters. The story is well-researched and intelligently and passionately told. I cared for all the characters, even the deeply flawed ones. Loved reading an historical novel with a strong, female protagonist.

[Karyn Sepulveda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was captivated by Mary's story. This book is a wonderful example of telescoping in on a seemingly ordinary life and examining all of the intricacies that make up that life; the pain and hardship along with the love and joy. This book made me reflect on how grateful I am to the women who went before us; especially for their bravery and endurance.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superbly researched, beautifully written story set in the early 1900s, mostly in Australia. Parts broke my heart, but I was thankful for an uplifting ending. Recommended reading for lovers of historical drama.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story with a great protagonist. Loved her voice which to me rang true with the era and her origins. Well done to Christine Bell for creating a wonderful book.

[Ann Koenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary’s story was heartbreaking as she negotiated life in Australia as a poor, uneducated woman living in a sad marriage and restricted by the Catholic mores of the time. Women had such a tough time