The blurb:
Sadie’s Wars: An Australian Saga (Currency Girls Book 3)
An astonishing tale, spanning continents, where truth is stranger than fiction. This historical saga of an extraordinary Australian pioneer family continues into a new generation.
Sadie is brought up amongst the vineyards of the Yarra Valley whilst her work-obsessed father reaps riches from the boom years before the Great War.
With post-war depression looming, Sadie’s only option is to flee from her disastrous marriage, seeking refuge in Cleethorpes, a small seaside town in northern England.
Years later, when her sons are in RAF Bomber Command, she receives a letter from her long-lost brother which forces her to confront the past and her part in her family’s downfall.
Can old wounds be healed?
Will she find new love?
Will this second war destroy everyone she saved?
Genre: Historical Fiction / Saga
My review:
I read Sadie’s War as a stand-alone novel and had no problem following the story or discovering who the characters were. Spanning decades and continents, I found it a fascinating insight into the lives of those who were dramatically affected by the first and second world wars. The author has clearly done her research and the fact the characters are based on real people from her family made it all the more vivid in its depiction. I sometimes despaired for Sadie, willed her to be strong and urged her to accept the moments of happiness allowed to her. It was a fascinating read, that started at a steady pace but soon drew me – I cared for Sadie and the plight of her family as the story of their lives unfolded.
Other books in the Currency Girl Series:
Search for the Light: An Australian Saga (Currency Girls Book 1)
A moment’s foolish mistake costs sixteen-year old Nora her freedom and her family. Sentenced to transportation she has to grow up fast to survive prison, the long journey and then life as an assigned servant in Van Diemen’s Land of the 1820s. She is sustained by real friendships with other prisoners, Sarah and Helen. Can anyone of them overcome the pitfalls of convict life to become pioneering settlers of modern day Tasmania? This is a story of love and friendship amidst the trials of 19th century Australian colonial life.
The Digger’s Daughter: An Australian Saga (Currency Girls Book 2)
Jane is a tough, pioneering woman, who’s lived a long life. She remembers Melbourne from the 1830s and lived throughout the gold-rush era and into the twentieth century. She has a story to tell, but is determined to keep her background secret from her family. Her nurse, Mary, has a secret from the Great War. Will they help each other come to terms with what they have each hidden in the past? Based on a true story, this novel is a broad sweep over the early years in Victoria, Australia.
About Rosemary Noble:
Rosemary Noble lives in West Sussex and worked as an education librarian. Books have been her life, ever since she walked into a library at five-years-old and found a treasure trove. Her other love is social history. She got hooked on family history before retirement and discovered so many stories that deserved to be told.
Her first book, Search for the Light, tells the story of three young girls transported to Australia in 1824. Friendship sustains them through the horrors of the journey and their enforced service in Tasmania. The Digger’s Daughter tells of the next generation of gold-diggers and a pioneering woman who lives almost through the first hundred years in Victoria. The third in the trilogy, Sadie’s Wars takes the reader to the fourth generation and into the twentieth century. The trilogy is based on the author’s family. It tells of secrecy and lies, of determination and grit and how all can be done or undone by luck.
Rosemary is a member of CHINDI independent authors and is involved in literary events in and around Chichester. She also loves to travel, especially to Australia and Europe and not least, she loves spending time with her grandchildren, one of whom is a budding author herself.
You can discover more about Rosemary here: Facebook | Twitter | blog
Thank you for the fascinating read, Rosemary, my reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads. x
I loved this latest book by Rosemary. Her best yet. I agree with you about caring for Sadie. She’s such a strong – yet vulnerable – woman.
Thank you for your comment, Angela. Thanks to you, Angela Barton and Rosemary I have read some great historical fiction over the previous year. xx
Thank you for the lovely review, Carol, and for your support.
You’re most welcome Rosemary. I was reading Sadie’s War as you recently visited Australia and found it fascinating to see some of the sights from the book in your photographs.