War Flower
by Mary-Anne O'Connor
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Pub Date Sep 18 2017 | Archive Date Oct 31 2017
Harlequin (Australia), TEEN / MIRA | HQ Fiction
Description
From the political upheaval of sixties Sydney to the killing fields of Vietnam, an epic story of love, war and forgiveness.
The 1960’s are beating a fresh pulse of political and cultural upheaval through Sydney but for sheltered convent schoolgirl Poppy Flannery such changes seem redundant. But that doesn’t stop her from longing to join in, especially if it means spending time with the popular boy she secretly loves, Ben Williamson. So when the opportunity for a dream escape to Surfers Paradise arrives, Poppy and her twin sister Rosemary seize it, and find themselves in the midst of the swinging sixties at last.
Rosemary embraces their secret new life with a vengeance, discovering drugs, boys and radical politics in a haze of parties, music festivals and protest marches. But such freedom is stolen when Rosemary’s great love Angus is sent to Vietnam, along with Ben.
Soon a war fought thousands of kilometres away will arrive on the twins’ door in the form of orphaned refugee Thuy. As many more victims begin to appear, including shattered versions of Australian soldiers, they must decide how far they will go for the men they adore, and ask themselves whether love really is all that you need.
"Through her sensitivity, beautiful writing and gift as a storyteller, O'Connor's readers come to know and love her characters." — Weekly Times
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781489241146 |
| PRICE | A$32.99 (AUD) |
Links
Featured Reviews
Renee G, Reviewer
This book was advertised as being appropriate for teenagers. Yes it is, but is also a poignant story for adults. Being Australian it gave me special insight into the Vietnam war. I was a teenager in the 60s and could relate so much to the time set in the book. It certainly invoked great memories of my youth, of the issues we faced and also the social issues that existed.
Brenda T, Reviewer
Poppy Flannery and her twin sister Rosemary were kept under a tight rein by their strict Catholic parents – so much so that when they finally went to a school dance, their naivety and old-fashioned ways made them immediate wallflowers. The bullies from school didn’t leave them alone, continuing the taunts wherever they were. When the school excursion for their choir went to Surfers Paradise, both girls were there. The swinging sixties with the pot, the dance moves, the hippies – Poppy and Rosemary had a ball. Ben Williamson was also there and Poppy fell for him in a big way. And when Rosemary met Angus and Spike – brothers from Western Australia – Angus and she became staunch friends.
But when Ben and Angus were both sent to Vietnam to fight, the girls' lives changed. Rosemary loved the feeling that drugs gave her; Poppy continued her studies and waited for Ben. The hardships of war; the loss of friends; the terror of never knowing what was ahead – the soldiers who returned were not the same carefree men who left.
What was life to be like for these men, and the women who’d waited for them? The shattered men who felt guilt and loss deep inside – could their loved ones understand what they had been through?
War Flower by Aussie author Mary-Anne O’Connor was utterly, heartbreakingly brilliant! Written with compassion, understanding, love and caring, the author has blended the facts of a horrific war with a heart-warming fiction to make War Flower a “real” story. I don’t recall reading a novel about the Vietnam War before now and I thoroughly enjoyed it – and most highly recommend it.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.
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