The Rose of Sebastopol - Katharine McMahon

...sheltered life in London until the arrival of her aunt and cousin, Rosa, from Derbyshire. The lively Rosa is the opposite of Mariella: she is ambitious, headstrong and determined to make her mark on the world. When she learns that Mariella's fiance, Henry, is a famous surgeon and respected authority on public health Rosa spots an opportunity to fulfil her dreams. Before long, however, Henry has volunteered to go to the Crimea to oversee the preparation ...
...fears her path into the world of medicine is closed.

However, Rosa learns that the government is looking for women to go to the Crimea to join the nursing corps led by the famous Miss Nightingale and in spite of her lack of experience she applies for the job.

Left at home alone Mariella can only sit and wait. But when news does come it is not good and Rosa decides to follow in the footsteps of her fiancé and cousin.
more

Mariella Lingwood leads a sheltered life in London until the arrival of her aunt and cousin, Rosa, from Derbyshire. The lively Rosa is the opposite of Mariella: she is ambitious, headstrong and determined to make her mark on the world. When she learns that Mariella's fiance, Henry, is a famous surgeon and respected authority on public health Rosa spots an opportunity to fulfil her dreams. Before long, however, Henry has volunteered to go to the Crimea to oversee the preparation of field hospitals for casualties of the war and Rosa fears her path into the world of medicine is closed.

However, Rosa learns that the government is looking for women to go to the Crimea to join the nursing corps led by the famous Miss Nightingale and in spite of her lack of experience she applies for the job.

Left at home alone Mariella can only sit and wait. But when news does come it is not good and Rosa decides to follow in the footsteps of her fiancé and cousin.

From the moment I started reading I was hooked. Not only is Katharine McMahon a talented storyteller but she has chosen a great technique to keep you reading when you might ordinarily have a break. The chapters move alternately between Rosa and Mariella's childhood and the present day - that is the 1850s - and each chapter ends in a tantalising way that really urges you to read on.

I haven't read McMahons other bestseller "The Alchemist's Daughter" so I can't comment on her writing style generally, but certainly in the case of "The Rose of Sebastopol" it's very reminiscent of Jane Austen with its gently satirical humour and commentary on modern manners. It also has a touch of Mrs Gaskell about it with the recurring theme of public health and upper class ladies doing their bit for the less fortunate. Were this book written at the time it would no do doubt have been considered didactic, urging upper and middle class women to do their bit.

The characters are expertly drawn and reflect the attitudes of people generally at the time. I found both Mariella and Rosa frustrating and irritating in different ways but compelling and engaging at the same time. Mariella wants nothing more from life than to be a wife and spends her days trailing after her mother as she oversees the opening of a retirement home for former governesses. Rosa, on the other hand, is desperate to find her own way in life. She yearns to be independent and takes up with a group of much scorned intellectual ladies who promote the education of women. Henry is quite a weak character and I found some of the more minor characters were more successful. Rosa's stepbrother Max was rather stereotypical but offered something a little meatier among the men in the novel.

"The Rose of Sebastopol" may be a set against the backdrop of war but it's the social history that stands out rather than the military (although this too is fascinating). First we have the issue of the changing role of women in society; Rosa is not content to stay at home waiting to get married but Mariella wants nothing more. When Mariella meets Rosa's friends she is shocked by their frank views and the fact that they wear less formal - and less constrictive - clothes.

What is even more enlightening is to learn that although Florence Nightingale came from an upper middle class family, other women like her were not welcomed as nurses; only women with no ties from the lower classes were considered to go to the Crimea.

Another interesting issue is that of public health. It was a time when cholera was rife and research was being done into the effects of hygiene and living conditions, especially in the large cities. It's an issue that links the London and Crimean threads of the story and again highlights the way in which the upper classes were starting to consider how life could be improved for everyone.

The military aspect to the book is another fascinating thread. The descriptions of the soldiers' camps and the terrible conditions are touching and evocative. I knew only a little about this war but I knew considerably more after reading this book. I didn't just learn about the various battles but about the way in which war was fought in that particular conflict and I was surprised how fascinating I found this. As well as the descriptions of the scenes of the battlefield and the military actions I really liked the focus on how the events affected the men themselves: this gave a really human touch to the story.

The only negative I found was that the ending felt rushed and was ultimately disappointing. In fact the ending seemed so abrupt that the author hadn't really considered how she would tidy up the loose threads.

Historical romance, social commentary, military novel, "The Rose of Sebastopol" is all of these. I would hesitate to recommend is across the board. My instinct is that women would enjoy it more than men. I don't usually read historic fiction but I have read many of the classic works of eighteenth and nineteenth century fiction and I was struck by how easily I could have believed that this book was written many years ago. If you do enjoy historical fiction then you'll probably enjoy this. Katharine McMahon has created a book that enlightens, educates and most definitely entertains.

416 Pages
Published by Phoenix 

...less