This is the first book I have read by Katharine McMahon, and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was convincing and engaging. At no point was I bored or struggling to continue. McMahon writes in a wonderful way, with humour, description and character. I easily slipped into the story and felt I was there.

The story does jump between different locations and years, but I did not find this troubling, in fact I feel it enhanced the story. It was fascinating to read about how people at home viewed the war, how to them it was only a small part of their lives and how they thought it should go, compared to what was actually happening out there.

I didn't have a favourite character, all of them touched me. I did find Mariella a touch selfish though. She managed to make the whole war centre around her, amazing! I was happy with the way most characters developed and how the story ended. I did guess what the ending was going to be, but it was still sad and a satisfying finish.

I was left asking a few questions, but overall I really enjoyed this book.

9/10

The Rose of Sebastopol is a novel set against the backdrop of the Crimean War. The three main characters are Mariella, our over-sheltered narrator; Henry, her fianc??, who goes off to the Crimean War as a doctor; and Rosa, Mariella's idealistic cousin and best friend, whose progressive ideas lead her to become a nurse in the Crimea with Florence Nightingale. When Rosa goes missing, Mariella goes off in search of her cousin, encountering a very sick Henry along the way.

The historical detail is top-notch, but I had a slight problem with the characters: Rosa is a little too modern, and Mariella is a little boring, though I realize that McMahon may have made her so on purpose for historical accuracy. The constant references to skirts, petticoats, and corsets were a little too intrusive, and I believe that if a real 19th century woman had been narrating, she wouldn't have even mentioned her clothes, much less her underclothes. It's almost as though McMahon wanted to say, "look, look, I did my research!"

In addition, the non-linear narrative is jumpy, and the novel doesn't truly get interesting until Mariella goes to the Crimea. But even then, I thought the entire journey in the first place was a little out of character for Mariella, who seems to be the kind of person who would normally put a lot of thought into something before doing it. Also, the ending is a little rushed and inconclusive, and the book could have used a better editor (for some reason the author, or her proofreader, is afraid of commas). But other than that, I enjoyed the story and the historical details.

The novel was well researched from the historical point of view but the style of writing was plodding. The repeated use of period words such as skirts, petticoats, robe drove me mad. So unsubtle. It didn't create an atmosphere and was merely a distraction. And I couldn't see Rosa as the luminous unforgettable creature remembered by the other characters. In fact she didn't come over at all. I stuck with it but read it with gritted teeth.

The book follows Mariella a typically demure and naive girl from England in the mid 19th century as she leaves her ordered world and enters the chaotic Crimea.

The novel touches on lots of different subjects including unrequited love, forbidden love, the futility of war and medicine in the 19th century.

Unlike a lot of others I really liked the characer of Mariella who matures throughout the novel.I also loved the passionate Rosa who wanted to right the wrongs of the world single handedly but who realises the futility of her presence on the battlefield amidst such destruction.

'your death here, like everyone elses, will be utterly meaningless. They fling us about like handfulls of sand'

The ending doenst tie everything up nicely but i liked it better for this. As i put the novel back on my bookshelf i found myself thinking more on it and wondering what the future held for the characters.

I read this book on holiday last week, and absolutely loved it! I was so sorry when I got to the last page. Everything about it was brilliant, but particularly the journey of the characters.