Mary-Rose MacCollCríticas

Fabulous book, moving and tender. A wonderful story, one I won't soon forget.

Some great themes here: girl power, women's rights regarding their bodies, imperialism vs. cultural identity, all handled with a light touch and an engaging story. It is 1925 -- the scandalous beginning of true modernization of short hair and short skirts, jazz music and loosened strictures about men and women mixing. Dr. Louisa Quick is a competent surgeon, but a much less competent guardian of her niece Catherine who has newly moved to London from Australia after the death of her father, Harry, Louisa's brother. At 15, Catherine is naive, but accomplished in school subjects, which Louisa values, and in swimming, which she does not. Raised on Thursday Island, Catherine had grown up without a mother, but had Florence a native housekeeper and Michael her son, who has been like a brother to here. After Harry's sudden death and her subsequent move to London, Catherine is adrift without the anchors of her home life. Staying on the island was never an option to Louisa, who viewed the school there and the life through the lens of British superiority. With the help of her own housekeeper Nellie, Louisa begins to see the depths of Catherine's unhappiness and how she patently does not fit in at her London all girls' school where the cattiness of fellow students and sternness of instructors is counter-intuitive to everything Catherine knows. When she swims across the Thames in a desperate bid for friendship and approval, she is expelled but is also propelled into the limelight and the attention of Manfred Lear Black (an historically accurate character). He believes she can be the first woman to swim the English Channel and the remainder of the story becomes about her quest to do it. Because she is so guileless, Catherine wants to do it for the thrill of swimming and testing herself and pleasing Black rather than the fame and fortune it would bring her. Louisa is uncertain, but sees the positive impact swimming has on her charge, even as she is withholding letters from Florence and Michael in the hope it will make Catherine forget them and move on with her life. She has her own interest in Black who has promised to fund her medical clinic and has also pursued her as a love interest. Though Louisa has been forward-thinking and revolutionary in her own time, place and field, she has trouble extending this attitude toward the Island inhabitants and Catherine herself. She understood that "Poverty did not discriminate between good and bad, clean and dirty, caring and uncaring, or intelligent and stupid. It only changed things like having a roof over your head or not, having enough to eat each day or not." (179) Watching Louisa's growth and Catherine's accomplishment is very satisfying reading and heartening ending.

This novel was intriguing, with interconnected stories from the 1920s to the more recent 1990s. In 1920s, Maddie Bright is hired as a part of the staff for Edward, Prince of Wales, during his tour of Australia. While serving, her colleagues include Helen and Rupert Waters, a couple who share a passionate unrequited love for each other, who might be torn apart forever by the events of the trip. In the 1990s, journalist Victoria Byrd is struggling to write about the death of Princess Diana and with her own personal relationship when she's offered the opportunity to meet the legendary and reclusive author M.A. Bright. The stories are, of course, connected, and, while perhaps following a formula familiar to readers of this genre, done well enough to deliver sanctification and a kind of happy ending.

t looks like the title of this book has changed from "The True Story of Maddie Bright
by Mary-Rose MacColl" so you might have read this already - don't be fooled.

This book has some trigger issues that may bother some readers: rape, assault, cancer.

I must agree with another reader that said that this book would have made a perfect trilogy. And I think it would have made a BETTER trilogy. I invested a lot of myself into reading this and felt a tad cheated at the end-fuller length stories, books or even novella might have given me that little something that my heart missed.

Both women deserved to have a fuller story told; a less rushed and somewhat confusing conclusion.

This book did hold my interest after the first few chapters -and the first chapter does resonate and really stay with you throughout the entire novel.

I had wished that the characters grew a little more, but I see that there really wasn't enough time for them to do so.

I do think that it was a very emotional novel and an interesting look into the early 20th-century royalty.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

I found this book in the Peddlers Mall. The cover compared this book to another I liked very much, so for q buck I bought it.

Absolutely wonderful. After years of WWII books, a WWI was a change of pace that dovetailed with seeing the recently released movie 1917.

Great story that resonates today as much as 100 years ago in regards to a woman's strength and abilities.

In 1920 seventeen-year-old Maddie is learning how to be Prince Edward’s correspondence secretary on his train tour of Australia, feeling overwhelmed by her proximity to royalty.

In 1997 Victoria, a reporter, is asked to cover the death of Princess Diana, but finds herself at a loss for words.

In 1981 Maddie finds herself coming to terms with the loss of everyone she’d ever loved, wondering what she can to do right old wrongs.

In 1918 Helen, an ambulance driver in France, and Rupert, batman to the Prince of Wales, meet on the battlefield when she transports him to the hospital against the rules. They fall in love, but fate steps in to tear them apart.

The author bounces back and forth between these years as she tells stories of love, betrayal, broken relationships, strength and survival. Grief and loss, tinged with hope, survival and strength are woven throughout these stories.

I thought each storyline was interesting, and would have preferred to have each in its own standalone book. A particular favorite of mine was the World War I love story between Helen and Rupert, which inspired Maddie to write “Autumn leaves.” However, having so many storylines in one book was very confusing. In the many switches between timeframes, I had to constantly reread to figure out what had happened to that character earlier in the book.

Therefore I was a half fan of “Lost Autumn,” and will leave it up to you to decide if you want to read it or not.

Recommended for Adults.

I received an advance copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Book review link: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/lost-autumn-by-mary-rose-mac...

I read this book by mistake - don't usually read historical fiction. (I thought it was the book, of the same title, by Deborah Levy, that I had already read and didn't really care for!). When I realized it was set in the 1920s I was disappointed, but despite all that it was pretty good. Interesting dynamics between the much freer Australian and the up-tight English doctor. And the swimming parts were very good.

The early days of women's competitive swimming is the setting for this novel. Catherine Quick has grown up swimming in the water that surrounds her island home off the coast of Queensland, Australia. When she is orphaned she is taken by her new guardian, her Aunt Lousia, to live in England. Women's swimming is not nearly as accepted in England, and Catherine struggles to fit in. Louisa struggles to raise Catherine. Louisa is devoted to her work as a physician, and throws herself into her work to avoid her troubled past. When a wealthy investor offers Louisa funding for her clinic, and Catherine the chance to train with a women's swimming club, they head to the United States. Through this journey we find out what exactly happened in Louisa's past, whether Louisa will accept Catherine's swimming, and whether Catherine will become the first woman to swim the English Channel. There's a bit of a twist at the end, though it will likely come as no surprise. In general, this was a pleasant and easy book to read. It's an uplifting story with an interesting setting.

An interesting piece of history about swimming and women's independence and a not-uncommon premise about family secrets make Swimming Home by Mary-Rose MacColl an interesting read. The globe-hopping story creates a seemingly quick pace, but the plot itself moves slowly. Although the focus is on fifteen year old Catherine's swimming, this book is very much her aunt Louisa's story. For this reason, this belongs in adult fiction even though Catherine's story has a young adult flair. Either way, the book is a quick, light summer read.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/06/swimming-home.html

Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.

I really enjoyed Mary-Rose MacColl’s previous book, In Falling Snow, so asking for this book for Christmas was a no-brainer. Once again, it’s historical fiction, taking lesser known aspects of history and forming an intriguing novel. Swimming Home is about a female surgeon in the 1920s, Louisa and her ward, Catherine, a powerful long distance swimmer in the day where ladies didn’t do that kind of thing. It’s eye-opening as to the lack of options for women less than 100 years ago in career and sport choices.

The story opens as Louisa is called out from her clinic. She’s a busy career woman who has no time for love – her heart is in medicine after an unfortunate affair with one of her teachers as a student. Louisa feels marked and shamed by that affair, perhaps that is why she is wholly devoted to raising funds for her clinic and caring for the people of London’s East End. What Louisa doesn’t realise is that she’s been called to see her ward Catherine (her brother’s daughter) swim across the Thames. She’s shocked at Catherine’s behaviour – Louisa knew she was a devoted swimmer from her youth in the Torres Strait Islands, but really? A woman swimming in London? It’s just another thing for her to deal with. Louisa wants to do things right for the people she loves, but her motivations can be misguided. She made a decision on behalf of a young girl she later took on as a maid and she wants to keep Catherine out of trouble and accept her new home, so she withholds letters from Catherine’s best friend.

Enter wealthy entrepreneur Manfred Lear Black. He’s seen Catherine swim, now he wants to take her to New York to practise for swimming the English Channel. Louisa is reluctant, but decides to give it a go, especially as her clinic will also benefit. For Catherine, the trip is both joyous and heartbreaking. She makes a friend, yet she’s told that her swimming style is all wrong. Plus she has to swim in a ‘tank’ (aka pool) rather than in the open water. But is racing what she wants or what other people want from her?

I found the story interesting from the point of view of Catherine’s journey. I knew very little about the history of female swimming and the difficulties of it being recognised as a serious sport (other than publishing pictures of women in swimming costumes). Louisa was more difficult for me, as she’s not particularly likeable initially. While I could understand her reasons for withholding information for Catherine, I didn’t agree with it and could foresee it was going to end poorly. The mystery aspects were also a little strange for me – Mr Black’s revelation was strange to me. It fit in with his motivations but it had too many holes compared to what really happened (which was also a bit weird). Plus it made his character seem kind of creepy (maybe he was in it for the swimming costumes)! It was revealed, then we found out what was meant to be the real story and he was never mentioned again. I was a bit confused as to what happened to Louisa’s brother and his wife – what was the real story?

The parts of the book that shone for me were the scenes on Thursday Island. The writing was powerfully evocative, bringing scenes of the ocean and the heat and humidity to mind. It also had a feeling that life was simple, direct and true in direct comparison to London which was grey, cold and cloying. While Swimming Home did not capture my heart in quite the same way that In Falling Snow did, I’ll be on the lookout for Mary-Rose MacColl’s next book. She takes forgotten pieces of history and brings them to the forefront of readers’ minds.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com½

Book received from GoodReads FirstReads program. Thanks for the book!

In Falling Snow was an easier read than I first imagined. And I don't mean that it was light material easy to read. But everything flowed so well. Even when we had sudden scene, POV, or timeline switches, I was able to follow along with absolutely no bumps and continue to enjoy this wonderful story. I don't think I can remember right now a book with such a free-flowing narrative and seamless story-telling.

I also enjoyed the characters immensely. Everyone felt very real, with all the quirks, faults, and love that everyday people have. Everyone was very distinct as well. From Iris' strength and deterioration to Grace's practical logic to Violet's larger than life approach to everything, every individual shone with life, vivacity, and yet intimacy as well. I really felt like I knew everyone on a very personal level.

Both WWI historical and '70's obstetrical worlds intrigued me. Learning the hard road many women doctors and professionals have had to take in both eras entertained and taught me at the same time. The author captures the triumphs and the hardships very well and makes the reader engaged in every step these women took towards their goals. I really enjoyed seeing how the individual women reacted to the struggles of their calling, from Grace's very logical approach to her friends cynicism to Frances' almost blind optimism to Violet's very hard go-getter attitude. Each individually shone in her brilliance and brought both eras to vivid life through their individual struggles.

The author kept me engaged throughout the entire book with jaw-dropping twists, realistically messy lives, and characters made for the big screen yet that also feel like I could have a coffee with them and feel at home. I learned about and got into the book because of the historical aspect but found myself enjoying so much more of it. I highly enjoyed every word and recommend this very highly.

Swimming Home is the sixth novel by Mary-Rose MacColl, her previous book In Falling Snow was a favourite read of mine in 2012.

Exploring the themes of family, belonging, regret, and redemption, Swimming Home is a gracious and engaging novel.

When fifteen year old Catherine is orphaned, her aunt, Dr Louisa Quick, insists she abandons her idyllic island home in the Torres Strait and move with her to London. An independent and busy surgeon, Louisa is determined to provide her niece with the opportunity to become a well educated and successful young lady, but Catherine is miserable in her exclusive day school, missing the warmth of her Islander family, and the ocean. It's not until Catherine swims the width of the Thames on a dare and Louisa is approached by the enigmatic banker Manfred Lear Black, that she reconsiders her plans for her niece.

As a doctor, Louisa is intelligent and confident, but she struggles to relate to her niece and, uncomfortable with emotion, she makes some poor decisions when it comes to seeing to Catherine's well being. Though there is no malice intended, Louisa's actions have far reaching consequences and she suffers a crisis of conscience as the novel progresses. Louisa is not a particularly likeable character at times but I think MacColl portrays her well, and I was sympathetic to her flaws.

Catherine is resigned to her new life in London and wants to please her aunt, but she is lonely and homesick. Having spent almost everyday of her life swimming in the ocean, she jumps at the chance to swim to under Manfred Lear Black's patronage in New York. I felt for Catherine, whose loving and idyllic childhood came to such an abrupt end. She is remarkably stoic, but her longing is palpable and she obviously feels out of place, London contrasts sharply with her island home, as does the New York 'tanks' to her beloved ocean.

There are two subtle threads of mystery that run through the story, and a few surprises in the plot though Swimming Home progresses at a measured pace. What action there is stems largely from the Black's determination that Catherine will be the first woman to swim the breadth of the English Channel. MacColl weaves fiction with fact as she writes of Catherine's competitors, including Gertrude Ederle who was the first woman to swim the channel in 1926 and I enjoyed learning something about the birth of competitive swimming for women.

Set in an interesting period, with complex characters and a thoughtful story, Swimming Home is a finely written, poignant and pensive, but ultimately uplifting novel.

A beautiful, lyrical, emotional novel set during the First World War. Australian nurse Iris Crane travels to France to find her young brother, who has joined up to fight for the British. A chance meeting in Paris with Frances Ivens of the Scottish Women's Hospitals leads Iris to help with establishing Royaumont Abbey, a military hospital for French soldiers close to the front. At Royaumont, Iris becomes good friends with ambulance driver Violet Heron, falls for an enigmatic French doctor, and manages to locate her errant baby brother - but the war changes all her plans for the future. Offset against Iris' life in France is the story of Grace, Iris' granddaughter, another medical woman struggling with decisions made in the past and the implications for her family in the years to come.

Apart from the twist at the end, which I felt was unnecessary, I was absolutely bowled over by Mary-Rose MacColl's novel. Iris, Grace, Violet, and even the fictional representation of the real-life Miss Frances Ivens, are such strong yet sympathetic characters, living their lives and doing what they believe to be for the best. The author pulls no punches with depictions of the war and the devastation wreaked in the trenches and at home, and her prose is poetic without turning purple. Female doctors like Miss Ivens really risked life and reputation to set up a womens' hospital in the thirteenth century abbey, and Mary Rose MacColl's poignant embroidery around the truth of their bravery and compassion brings the past to life in a way that non-fiction accounts cannot.

Readers who enjoyed Jojo Moyes' novel The Girl You Left Behind will love this First World War counterpart.

It's strange how things go in waves; for the last few years I've spent quite a bit of time reading WWII books from all sorts of different perspectives and covering nearly every country affected by that war. Then, just for the last few months I seem to have amassed a bunch of WWI titles that are waiting for me to read. In Falling Snow is not the first of those titles that I've read this year, but it is the one I've enjoyed the most for a few different reasons.

Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Nov. 13, 2013.½

In an absolutely wonderful book, Mary-Rose MacColl introduces us to the cast of characters who inhabit the Scottish Women Doctors hospital in Rayoumont Abbey, France. They care for the injured soldiers, loved and hated each other and learned more about humanity than may have been wise.

Iris Crane of Australia goes to London in search of her 15-year old brother, Tom. He went to enlist and, while she didn’t tell him he could go, she also didn’t tell him he couldn’t so his leaving was deemed Iris’ fault by their father. She let him go, she could damn well bring him back. She meets Dr. Frances Ivens, in charge of the hospital and is literally taken in with Frances’ ideals. The staff cannot speak French, but Iris can. What better idea could there be but for her to be the interpreter?

Iris soon meets one of the drivers, Violet Heron, a hard-bitten girl who recklessly drives the wounded back and forth through the forest to the trains, etc. She is also a bit “free with herself” among the men. They become known as the Flower Bird girls and are joined at the hip.

Through storms, Spring flowers, Winter cold and in between, Violet and Iris go in search of Tom in their free time, Violet meets many men, Iris refuses. Tom is always on her mind and her task has yet to be fulfilled. They do find him, but to what end?

This book caught me up and had me joyful, sobbing and most other emotions you can name. Mary-Rose MacColl has a talent, and you should be taking advantage of it this month when the book comes out. It reminds me a bit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in the way it got hold of me. The topic is war and you must remember there are many kinds.

In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl

This book was a housework neglect-inducing, easy-reading, compelling story of strong women in the Man's World of Medicine during World War I and in the 1970s. It was rated very highly by the majority of the Warriapendi Book Club, an average of 8.8 out of 10. The primary criticisms by some members were with the many switches of time-frame and the unbearably confronting issues of the horrors of World War I.

If a book drives you to go do some research it is a terrific read! The building complexity and interweaving of historical fact with the stories of two generations of women was told with tenderness and a descriptive language that touched the heart. The two main women's struggles are very different, yet tied together by an unseen undercurrent of history. There is authenticity in the moving stories of ageing as told through the voice of an elderly woman and the terrifying spiralling of pressures faced by a high-achieving professional woman ground down to basics when she finds her history not to be as it seemed.

Royamount Abbey north of Paris became a field hospital in World War 1 and was run by woman nurses and doctors from Scotland. In this fictional story Iris Crane goes there ostensibly to bring back her brother Tom who at fifteen is too young to have enlisted. She finds her brother ( not at the front line) who does not want to return home and also finds a vocation, working at Royaumount Abbey, that suits her strengths and capabilities. She develops dreams for her future after the war ends. But the book tells what happens when tragedy strikes and shatters those dreams.The story is told by Iris, now an older woman not in good health, who on receiving an invitation to attend a Royaumount reunion is remembering her time there and her grand daughter Grace who is a doctor stuggling to do it all. She is trying to cope with sexism at work while at the same time dealing with concerns about her son Henry's health. I thought the two stories worked very well together as the connections between them were revealed. It was very interesting to read about a part of workd war 1 I knew nothing about - the development of this hospital in the abbey that was run completely by women. It was great to read a book with strong woman characters and to see the part they played in the war. This was a very enjoyable read.

The cover of In Falling Snow is deceptive. Yes, there is a little snow in this book and it may be easy to categorise this book as a Christmas special. Please don’t do that. Beneath its cover, this book holds a very interesting story of family, history, war, medicine, suspense and a touch of romance.

In Falling Snow is told from two different time periods using two different main characters. The first person we meet is Iris Crane, a young Australian nurse, off to Europe to bring home her underage brother who is a soldier in World War I. Later, in approximately 1970s Brisbane, we meet Iris again as an elderly lady but the focus is on Grace, her grand-daughter. Grace is fighting sexism at work as a doctor and worrying about her son Henry at night. What is the common thread that ties these two stories together? It’s more than family and it will be a shocking revelation to the reader and characters alike.

This book is fascinating as it tells a piece of World War I I wasn’t familiar with, nor had I read about elsewhere. Iris, on arrival in France, is swept away to assist the leader of Royaumont, a hospital set up by the Scottish Women’s Hospitals and run entirely by women. Royaumont Hospital was situated in Royaumont Abbey, a magnificent piece of architecture. MacColl describes Royaumont beautifully, a real place, that can be visited today.

Inside the magnificent structure, Miss Frances Ivens, director and doctor is trying to be taking seriously by the French to have Royaumont registered as a hospital. Here, Iris comes in useful as she speaks fluent French. Iris becomes a fixture at Royaumont and good friends with one of the ambulance drivers, fellow ‘flower bird’, Violet. Iris locates her brother, but is unsuccessful in convincing him to return home.
In the modern time period, Iris receives an invitation to Royaumont’s anniversary, which piques Grace’s curiosity. Iris wants to go, but she is becoming frail. Grace has her own issues to deal with and becomes preoccupied, as Iris retreats into memories…

Sometimes with dual narrative novels, it’s difficult to remember what is happening in each time period. There’s no such problem with this book – Iris’s youthful memories keep the threads firmly entwined. The mystery surrounding Grace’s son seems a bit extraneous at first, but it becomes clear that it is an integral part of the plot. My only concern is I found it far too easy to guess what was happening to Henry and I started to look for clues (and there are a few of them) that not all is what it seems. I may just know too much about random things though!

The narrative set in Royaumont gives a completely different aspect to WWI from a female point of view. It is not congested with wounds and medicine, but is more of a social history. There is little description of the fighting itself, which suits the story well. This is a novel focusing on characters, their actions and their effects. The rippling effects of choices made long ago are evident in the conclusion, where everything turns on its head rather quickly.

This book also is a very strong portrayal of women – women running the hospital, women making decisions. Grace is a doctor herself, but is sometimes ridiculed for her actions by her male colleagues (despite them being quite correct). Grace also represents the modern woman – mother, wife, career woman and homemaker, juggling it all sometimes more successfully than others.

Easy to read with a unique, interesting topic, I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you to Allen and Unwin and The Reading Room for providing me with this copy.½

In this captivating novel, Australian author Mary-Rose MacColl moves between the past and the present, from Australia to war torn France to create a compelling story of love, loss, friendship, family and dreams.

When Iris Crane receives an invitation to a ceremony honouring les dames ecossais de Royaumont she is forced to confront the events of sixty years ago. At twenty one, Iris followed her younger brother to war in Europe, determined to bring him home, but instead remained in France to serve at Royaumont, a field hospital established in an Abbey on the outskirts of Paris, staffed exclusively by women. Despite the horrors of war, Royaumont became home for Iris. She befriended a remarkable group of women including the spirited Violet Heron, discovered a talent for medicine and fell in love. Yet just three years later, Iris left Royaumont and never looked back.

I was immediately drawn to Iris, an old woman in failing health, who is remembering both the best and worst moments of her long life. As she drifts between the present and past she relates a full life of adventure, love, heartbreak and tragedy. From a motherless child on her father's farm, to a young nurse in the midst of World War 1 combat in France and then to her role as a wife, widow, mother, grandmother and great grandmother in Brisbane's suburbs, Iris reveals long held secrets and lingering regrets.

A mother of three and a obstetrician at a major hospital, Grace is struggling with her grandmother's decline as she tries to juggle the demands of work and family. Caught up in her own personal drama including being the target of a complaint and her growing concern about the health of her youngest son, Rose is dismissive of Iris's desire to attend the reunion at Royaumont. Despite being raised from birth by Iris, Grace is unaware of most of her grandmother's incredible past and is stunned by what she discovers when she honours Iris's last wish. There were times when I felt Grace's complications distracted from Iris's story somewhat but I also appreciated that MacColl ensured Grace was a well developed character.

MacColl develops interesting comparisons between the lives of Iris and Grace as she switches between narrative voices, exploring society's shifting perspectives of issues such as gender roles, motherhood, age expectations and health care. The author draws attention to the extraordinary changes in social attitudes that have affected women in particular during the past century, as well as the shameful instances where little has changed at all. MacColl also highlights the way in which the devastating toll of the first world war impacted on the generations that followed.

I was engrossed in both women's stories but I must admit I was especially fascinated by Iris's experiences at Royaumont. The Author's Notes reveal that In Falling Snow is inspired by the real life role of the Royaumont during World War 1 and though MacColl admits the story contains some historical inaccuracies for the purposes of fiction, she has tried to honour the incredible spirit of the women who served as surgeons, doctors, orderlies, nurses and drivers in the all woman military hospital that treated the casualties of war. I was absolutely fascinated by this aspect of the novel, enthralled by the courage and determination of the women who challenged society's expectations of them and MacColl's portrayal of life in the Abbey during an extraordinary time.

Royaumont almost becomes a character in its' own right. I was easily able to imagine the staff of Abbey working hard to prepare the space for the wounded as MacColl described but the scale of the challenge, and the incredible achievement of The Scottish Women's Auxiliary really only became obvious when I viewed the photographs online of the astonishing echoing rooms and vaulted ceilings.

I found In Falling Snow a wonderfully engaging tale, so caught up in life at Royaumont I regretted putting it down to attend to the mundane tasks of everyday life. I would recommend this novel particularly to participants of the Australian Women Writers Challenge, but I also feel it would be widely enjoyed by readers who find the synopsis appealing.½