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A Rose for the ANZAC Boys by Jackie French

By RachelUndefined on February 24, 2010 • ( 0 )

Opening Sentence:At 10 a.m. the street was empty.
Synopsis:It is 1915. War is being fought on a horrific scale in the trenches of France, but it might as well be a world away from sixteen-year-old Midge Macpherson, at school in England learning to be a young lady. But the war is coming closer: Midge’s brothers are in the army, and her twin, Tim, is listed as ‘missing’ in the devastating defeat of the Anzac forces at Gallipoli.

Desperate to do their bit – and avoid the boredom of school and the restrictions of Society – Midge and her friends Ethel and Anne start a canteen in France, caring for the endless flow of wounded soldiers returning from the front. Midge, recruited by the over-stretched ambulance service, is thrust into carnage and scenes of courage she could never have imagined. And when the war is over, all three girls – and their Anzac boys as well – discover that even going ‘home’ can be both strange and wonderful.
Genre:Young Adult
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:289
BCID:xxx-6137359
ISBN:978-0-7322-8540
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:This book is aimed at a young adult audience, but I think it will find many fans amongst the adult population as well. Jackie French has extended her, not inconsiderable, talent in order to truly bring the first world war to life. The horror and bewilderment of people experiencing trench warfare for the first time are expressed well and we find ourselves immersed in the lives and minds of her characters. This is one of those books that makes a real emotional impact and will live on in your memory long after you have read it. I can’t think of a better book to introduce the topic of World War One to the younger generation.

Gallipoli – Anzac day – Gallipoli, Turkey (travelpod.com)
The Battle Fields of France and ANZAC Day in Australia (warhistoryonline.com)
Gallipoli from Above reveals the real story about the Gallipoli landing dispelling the myths (warhistoryonline.com)
ANZAC DAY: THE NEW ZEALAND STORY by Philippa Werry (booktrailers4kidsandya.wordpress.com)
Nanberry by Jackie French (cribbinimelda.wordpress.com)

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Categories: Impressions

Tags: Anzac, australia, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, books, england, France, Gallipoli, Jackie French, World War I

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