Nightingale (Fiona McIntosh, Michael Joseph)

This novel shares many features with the recent ABC TV series ‘Anzac Girls’; both narratives feature tales of nurses working in Egypt and on the hospital ships off Gallipoli during World War I. In Nightingale, two soul-mates encounter each other for the first time on the crowded Gallipoli beachfront. Thereafter, the reader is immersed in the romance of Claire and Jamie and its wartime upheavals, which sometimes defy rationality. There is a haunting scene in which an Australian soldier and a Turkish soldier harmonise with their mouth organs across the trenches. While the wealth of detail and evident historical research are strong points, at times the dialogue and behaviour of the characters seem out of kilter with the era. There is not as much breadth in this plot as in some of Fiona McIntosh’s other books. Aside from a detour into the lives of a Turkish family, the story remains primarily focused on the two protagonists, and does not unfold into a multi-layered saga. This is a book for readers who enjoy a fairytale romance and don’t mind if the protagonists appear saintly or infallible. It’s recommended for popular fiction fans who enjoy historical or wartime tales.

Joanne Shiells is an editor and former retail book buyer

Category: Reviews