Library Journal
This novel of England in the aftermath of World War I examines the immense social changes that occurred as a result of war. With the loss of their parents and brother, Gertie and Rose Bossom are left in reduced financial and social circumstances. Their different reactions to this plight highlight the conflicts besetting English society. Refusing to face reality, Gertie clings to worn-out standards of gentility and waits for "Mr. Right" to save her. Meanwhile, her practical sister takes a job to earn money for typing lessons. Rose's marriage to working-class Ned, whose dreams of bettering himself lead them to Australia, enriches her life immensely but widens the gulf between the sisters so much that it takes another war and great personal loss to reunite them. This is a richly detailed work that nonetheless might have been better had the author subtly revealed-rather than stated-the psychology of her characters. For large fiction collections.-Cynthia Johnson, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.