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Sunset Ridge
Nicole Alexander's new bestseller is an epic historical novel that takes three brothers from the drought-stricken outback of Queensland to the horror of the trenches in World War One.
They went to war and fought for love ...
Although Madeleine has grown up in the shadow of her grandfather, the renowned artist David Harrow, she knows little about him. For David died long before she was born, and his paintings sold off to save the family property, Sunset Ridge.
Now, decades on, with the possibility of a retrospective of David's work, Madeleine races to unravel the remarkable life of her grandfather, a veteran of the Great War, unaware that his legacy extends far beyond the boundaries of the family property…
It's 1916, and as Europe descends further into bloodshed, three Queensland brothers -Thaddeus, Luther and David Harrow - choose freedom over their restricted lives at Sunset Ridge. A ‘freedom' that sees them bound for the hell of the trenches.
With the world on fire around them, the brothers bear witness to both remarkable courage and shocking carnage. But they also come to understand the healing power of love – love for their comrades, love for each other, and love for the young, highly spirited girl they left back home…
This is a story of bravery and misadventure, of intolerance and friendship, most of all it is the story of three young men who went to war and fought for love.
They went to war and fought for love ...
Although Madeleine has grown up in the shadow of her grandfather, the renowned artist David Harrow, she knows little about him. For David died long before she was born, and his paintings sold off to save the family property, Sunset Ridge.
Now, decades on, with the possibility of a retrospective of David's work, Madeleine races to unravel the remarkable life of her grandfather, a veteran of the Great War, unaware that his legacy extends far beyond the boundaries of the family property…
It's 1916, and as Europe descends further into bloodshed, three Queensland brothers -Thaddeus, Luther and David Harrow - choose freedom over their restricted lives at Sunset Ridge. A ‘freedom' that sees them bound for the hell of the trenches.
With the world on fire around them, the brothers bear witness to both remarkable courage and shocking carnage. But they also come to understand the healing power of love – love for their comrades, love for each other, and love for the young, highly spirited girl they left back home…
This is a story of bravery and misadventure, of intolerance and friendship, most of all it is the story of three young men who went to war and fought for love.
448 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2013
About the author
Nicole Alexander
35 books172 followersNicole Alexander is the author of eleven novels: The Bark Cutters, A Changing Land, Absolution Creek, Sunset Ridge, The Great Plains, Wild Lands, River Run, An Uncommon Woman, Stone Country, The Cedar Tree and The Last Station (pub. March 2022).
Awards: The Bark Cutters - short-listed for an Australian Book Industry Award.
Non-fiction includes;
Poetry: Divertissements: Love. War. Society. - a Anthologies: Dear Mum / Great Australian Writers
Nicole lives in north-west NSW, Australia
Awards: The Bark Cutters - short-listed for an Australian Book Industry Award.
Non-fiction includes;
Poetry: Divertissements: Love. War. Society. - a Anthologies: Dear Mum / Great Australian Writers
Nicole lives in north-west NSW, Australia
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 2, 2018
I'm sure I posted a review for this when I read it back in 2014! However there appears to be none here which is regrettable because I remember I loved this book and was very moved by it. I did give it the full five stars and still have it alongside others by this author!
It wouldn't feel right to write a fresh review now as my memory wouldn't do full justice to it, but suffice to say that I absolutely agree with all the other five star ratings here and would highly recommend this author.
I have become a big fan of Nicole Alexander and would happily read any of her books, such is the quality and credibility of her writing.
This was a 5* read from me and highly recommended for lovers of this genre.
September 14, 2013
Moving between South East Queensland and the First World War battlefields of France, Sunset Ridge is an epic tale of family, love and war. Nominated as one of '50 Book's You Can't Put Down' by Australia's nationwide Get Reading program for 2013, it is a compelling novel, well deserving of the recognition.
At the urging of her mother, Jude, art historian Madeleine Harrow-Boyne has agreed to consider the feasibility of a retrospective art exhibition to feature her grandfather's landscapes, but to tempt a gallery to sponsor the project Madeleine needs to learn more about David Harrow, who died before she was born. Hoping to discover something of interest, Madeleine returns to the family property, Sunset Ridge, in South East Queensland, currently managed by her brother, where her grandfather was born and raised. It is there that Madeleine stumbles upon the remarkable legacy David Harrow left behind, one that extends beyond his art, and the boundary of Sunset Ridge.
I was fortunate to meet Nicole Alexander at an author event recently and learnt that Sunset Creek was inspired by her own grandfather's life. Alexander is a fourth generation grazier in north west NSW where her family farm cattle, sheep and crops. Sunset Creek is, at least in part, modeled on her family property and the author has drawn on her family's stories to lend authenticity to her setting and characters.
David Harrow is the youngest of three brothers, heirs to Sunset Ridge. It is 1916 and Thaddeus and Luther are growing restless under the thumb of their tyrannical father. When G.W. pushes his sons too far they escape, enlist in the army and are sent to France to fight in the Great War.
For details of life at the Front, Alexander had access to wartime correspondence and news clippings kept by her family, supplemented by meticulous research. Alexander's descriptions of life in the trenches in Verdun and Somme are harrowing and vivid. She beautifully captures the experiences of David and his comrades, the poignant mix of heroic spirit and abject terror found on the battlefields, tales of bravery, sacrifice and tragedy.
In France, Alexander forges the link between David and the Chessy family. Madame Marie has reluctantly seen her twin sons, Antoine and Francois, accompanied by their pet dog, Roland, off to fight, having already lost her husband to the war. Her small farm is often used by allied forces to provide respite to its soldiers and it is here, Madeleine will eventually learn, part of David's legacy rests.
A stunning Australian saga told by a consummate storyteller, Sunset Ridge is an absorbing read and one I won't hesitate to recommended.
March 27, 2016
I’ve had this on my list for quite a well and thought I would really enjoy it, but it started slowly (VERY slowly) and by about halfway through, I was kind of interested in the characters, but felt like it was dragging. I don’t know why I felt like this - it had a story told from different points of view in different times and places, which I normally like, it was about a World War, which I also normally like (strange as that may sound), but the elements just didn’t gel for me as they normally do. In the end, I’d say I enjoyed it, but it could have been so much more. There were also some instances where I didn’t feel events were fully explained - characters appeared out of nowhere, or doing things that appeared to have been previously mentioned (but which I couldn’t find any reference to).
This was my first Nicole Alexander, and I would be interested to read more of her works at some point.
This was my first Nicole Alexander, and I would be interested to read more of her works at some point.
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February 10, 2014I know a lot of people have loved this book but I have given up on it. Not sure if it is the wrong book at the wrong time or I am in the wrong frame of mind but I never connected with this book. I felt I was always being dragged from place to place and time to time from 2000 back to 1916 and never settled with the characters. I persevered through almost half before deciding it wasn't for me and taking it back to the library. Others may well have a different opinion.
August 30, 2013
Great Australian storytelling does not get much better than this!
I'm glad to see this one made the Australian '50 Books You Can't Put Down' 2013 initiative. Sunset Ridge truly deserves to be there. I read it in two very enjoyable sittings enjoying the seamless blending of fact and fiction. (The level of research the author must have done is staggering.)
As well as a modern day story thread of a young woman preparing a retrospective art exhibition for her deceased grandfather, the author takes you back as far as 1917 — a story of three troubled brothers heading off to war.
The author takes you right onto the battlefields in France with such amazing detail. She not only opens your eyes to the horrors, but also the heroes. One such hero is completely unexpected and absolutely wonderful.
There is only one thing that makes a great story even better and in this case it is a character called Roland.
Prepare to cry and also cheer. There are not enough adjectives really. Just read it!
I'm glad to see this one made the Australian '50 Books You Can't Put Down' 2013 initiative. Sunset Ridge truly deserves to be there. I read it in two very enjoyable sittings enjoying the seamless blending of fact and fiction. (The level of research the author must have done is staggering.)
As well as a modern day story thread of a young woman preparing a retrospective art exhibition for her deceased grandfather, the author takes you back as far as 1917 — a story of three troubled brothers heading off to war.
The author takes you right onto the battlefields in France with such amazing detail. She not only opens your eyes to the horrors, but also the heroes. One such hero is completely unexpected and absolutely wonderful.
There is only one thing that makes a great story even better and in this case it is a character called Roland.
Prepare to cry and also cheer. There are not enough adjectives really. Just read it!
September 29, 2013
Nicole Alexander just keeps getting better and better – and thoroughly deserves one of the Get Readings Top 50 Books You Cannot Put Down for 2013 title…….Sunset Ridge is a fantastic, compelling read that takes you effortlessly from rural South East Queensland to the First World War battlefields of France. This is an epic tale that has wonderful, varied characters and although I read quite a few books set in both rural Australia as well as based on war, there is just something about Nicole’s writing that draws you in and just physically takes you there – this book is a page turner that is well researched and extremely well written…..what an incredible talent we have in Nicole Alexander……highly recommend. FANtastic Australian storytelling does not get any better than this – I thoroughly enjoyed every single page!!!!
September 28, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed Sunset Ridge. Set on a sprawling Queensland sheep station and in World War One France it has a wide and varied cast of characters, all vivid and strong in their own right. The war scenes were vivid and compelling, calling to mind Bryce Courtenay or even Sebastian Faulks. Roland the war dog was a wonderful thread to tie disparate characters together, and more than anything else, underlined the futility of this war.
The modern thread didn't grip me as much as the historical one, but then it didn't have characters like Luther, Corally and Roland. It did, however, give the necessary perspective, and help to illustrate just how war devastates the lives not only of those who fight, but those who stay behind, and how that devastation echoes down the generations.
The modern thread didn't grip me as much as the historical one, but then it didn't have characters like Luther, Corally and Roland. It did, however, give the necessary perspective, and help to illustrate just how war devastates the lives not only of those who fight, but those who stay behind, and how that devastation echoes down the generations.
November 7, 2018
Topical for Remembrance Day; three Australian brothers leave their drought-stricken outback property for the horrors of trenches in France. An unusual hero is the war dog Roland, who followed his French twin masters to the front at Saint Omer, Ypres and Verdun, and who rescued many injured soldiers from battlefields.
August 30, 2020
Set in World War 11 this is the story of three Australian brothers and two French brothers who sign up to fight the war. All are country boys, some under-age, the Australians joining up to escape a domineering father, the French boys to defend their country. The women in their lives keep them going through the hardships and gruesome realities, but the hero of the story is Roland, the dog who takes it on himself to rescue wounded soldiers from no-man's land.
November 24, 2014
*4.5 stars
Nicole Alexander was inspired to write the novel Sunset Ridge after discovering that her paternal Grandfather fought bravely in World War I, receiving a military medal in France 1918. In a testament to her Grandfather’s story, a man she never got the opportunity to meet, Alexander has woven a powerful tale of war, love, mateship, courage and family secrets complete with a cast of strong unforgettable characters. Initially set in 2000, the story begins with Madeleine who has returned to her family’s property in South West Queensland, called Sunset Ridge. Madeleine is attempting to collect paintings by her deceased Grandfather for a proposed exhibition. This leads her on a journey to try and discover her Grandfather’s history and why after returning home from the Great War, he did not paint for many years. Through Madeleine’s search of her Grandfather’s work, gradually it is revealed that her Grandfather David, along with his two brothers Thaddeus ad Luther, all traded their predetermined lives on the family property to fight in the Great War. Interwoven with the three Australian Harrow brother’s story, is that of a French family who have sent their two twin son’s to war along with a war dog named Roland. Alexander also looks at the effects of war on the home front in Australia, through the experiences of the various families in the Sunset Ridge area along with the specific experiences of the Harrow family. Accompanied by this is the story of a unique young woman who inspires all three of the Harrow boys and their mate Harold to survive the horrors of war. An Australian story rich historical detail, family legacies, love and unafraid of exposing the battle our forefathers underwent in the Great War, I wholly recommend reading Sunset Ridge.
Nicole Alexander was inspired to write the novel Sunset Ridge after discovering that her paternal Grandfather fought bravely in World War I, receiving a military medal in France 1918. In a testament to her Grandfather’s story, a man she never got the opportunity to meet, Alexander has woven a powerful tale of war, love, mateship, courage and family secrets complete with a cast of strong unforgettable characters. Initially set in 2000, the story begins with Madeleine who has returned to her family’s property in South West Queensland, called Sunset Ridge. Madeleine is attempting to collect paintings by her deceased Grandfather for a proposed exhibition. This leads her on a journey to try and discover her Grandfather’s history and why after returning home from the Great War, he did not paint for many years. Through Madeleine’s search of her Grandfather’s work, gradually it is revealed that her Grandfather David, along with his two brothers Thaddeus ad Luther, all traded their predetermined lives on the family property to fight in the Great War. Interwoven with the three Australian Harrow brother’s story, is that of a French family who have sent their two twin son’s to war along with a war dog named Roland. Alexander also looks at the effects of war on the home front in Australia, through the experiences of the various families in the Sunset Ridge area along with the specific experiences of the Harrow family. Accompanied by this is the story of a unique young woman who inspires all three of the Harrow boys and their mate Harold to survive the horrors of war. An Australian story rich historical detail, family legacies, love and unafraid of exposing the battle our forefathers underwent in the Great War, I wholly recommend reading Sunset Ridge.
September 1, 2013
Sunset Ridge is huge in scope both chronological and geographical. Set in the years between 1916 and 2000, the journey takes us from South East Queensland to Saint-Omer in Northern France, to Ypres, Verdun and the Somme.
Madeleine grows up in the shadow of her grandfather David Harrow’s artistic talent and no-one can understand why she doesn’t know more about her illustrious ancestor. The Harrow family are an old SE Queensland grazing family and Madeleine’s brother is the current custodian of the family property and heritage, Sunset Ridge. Not for the first time, Sunset Ridge is experiencing drought and the accompanying cash flow problems. When David’s daughter Jude was custodian of Sunset Ridge, the property was saved through the sale of David’s paintings; can an exhibition of his works in 2000 keep the property in the Harrow family?
The Harrow world is populated by other families, the Evans, the Lawrence, the Jackson, the Cummins, the Shaw and the French Chessy families all have stories which add to the whole; the young men go to war, the mothers, fathers, young women write and wait. The descriptions of World War I locations and battles have a gritty reality which left me in admiration of the many hours Nicole must have spent researching the factual themes of the novel.
So is Sunset Ridge a war story? Is it a family saga? Is it a journey through the Art world? Well it is all these and more – it is also a love story, or more particularly love stories, woven together into a seamless whole by a wonderful story teller.
Madeleine grows up in the shadow of her grandfather David Harrow’s artistic talent and no-one can understand why she doesn’t know more about her illustrious ancestor. The Harrow family are an old SE Queensland grazing family and Madeleine’s brother is the current custodian of the family property and heritage, Sunset Ridge. Not for the first time, Sunset Ridge is experiencing drought and the accompanying cash flow problems. When David’s daughter Jude was custodian of Sunset Ridge, the property was saved through the sale of David’s paintings; can an exhibition of his works in 2000 keep the property in the Harrow family?
The Harrow world is populated by other families, the Evans, the Lawrence, the Jackson, the Cummins, the Shaw and the French Chessy families all have stories which add to the whole; the young men go to war, the mothers, fathers, young women write and wait. The descriptions of World War I locations and battles have a gritty reality which left me in admiration of the many hours Nicole must have spent researching the factual themes of the novel.
So is Sunset Ridge a war story? Is it a family saga? Is it a journey through the Art world? Well it is all these and more – it is also a love story, or more particularly love stories, woven together into a seamless whole by a wonderful story teller.
August 14, 2013
Great Australian storytelling does not get much better than this!
I'm glad to see this one made the Australian '50 Books You Can't Put Down' 2013 initiative. Sunset Ridge truly deserves to be there. I read it in two very enjoyable sittings enjoying the seamless blending of fact and fiction. (The level of research the author must have done is staggering.)
As well as a modern day story thread of a young woman preparing a retrospective art exhibition for her deceased grandfather, the author takes you back as far as 1917 — a story of three troubled brothers heading off to war.
The author takes you right onto the battlefields in France with such amazing detail. She not only opens your eyes to the horrors, but also the heroes. One such hero is completely unexpected and absolutely wonderful.
There is only one thing that makes a great story even better and in this case it is a character called Roland.
Prepare to cry and also cheer. There are not enough adjectives really. Just read it!
I'm glad to see this one made the Australian '50 Books You Can't Put Down' 2013 initiative. Sunset Ridge truly deserves to be there. I read it in two very enjoyable sittings enjoying the seamless blending of fact and fiction. (The level of research the author must have done is staggering.)
As well as a modern day story thread of a young woman preparing a retrospective art exhibition for her deceased grandfather, the author takes you back as far as 1917 — a story of three troubled brothers heading off to war.
The author takes you right onto the battlefields in France with such amazing detail. She not only opens your eyes to the horrors, but also the heroes. One such hero is completely unexpected and absolutely wonderful.
There is only one thing that makes a great story even better and in this case it is a character called Roland.
Prepare to cry and also cheer. There are not enough adjectives really. Just read it!
June 5, 2017
I love when you discover a book that you never expected to grasp you in it's clutches and pull you into it's pages, because that is exactly what happened when I opened the first page of Sunset Ridge.
Sunset Ridge is one of the most profound and emotionally moving books I have read.
When I began reading it I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I quickly became engulfed into the writing and was there alongside the characters the whole time I was reading.
I highly recommend this book to people who love a story with interesting wholesome characters and a rich story about ww1.
Nicole Alexander finished the story off perfectly and left me feeling bitter sweet that it was over.
Sunset Ridge is one of the most profound and emotionally moving books I have read.
When I began reading it I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I quickly became engulfed into the writing and was there alongside the characters the whole time I was reading.
I highly recommend this book to people who love a story with interesting wholesome characters and a rich story about ww1.
Nicole Alexander finished the story off perfectly and left me feeling bitter sweet that it was over.
October 9, 2013
I gave Sunset Ridge to my mother (after Nicole so thoughtfully signed it for me) and she found it to be wonderful. She delighted in how accurate everything is in the book - both the present and the past. She thought the descriptions of the property were so perfectly spot-on and delighted in the level of detail throughout the book. (She's off to her local library now to read Nicole's earlier books.)
So thank you Nicole, you not only scored a new fan in my mother but I scored some epic brownie points for selecting a book for my mother to read which she enjoyed immensely!
So thank you Nicole, you not only scored a new fan in my mother but I scored some epic brownie points for selecting a book for my mother to read which she enjoyed immensely!
July 13, 2015
I really enjoyed this. I'm not a huge war story fan, but this was perfect for me - enough information to inform me, and to help me imagine the horrors of war, but not so much that I couldn't read the book (yes, I'm overly sensitive!) One of the other reviews mentions how well researched the book is, and I must absolutely agree. It was a lovely story - one that although fiction, was based on so much of what happened during the war. I have read a few of Nicole's books, and enjoyed them all, however this was my favourite so far.
May 5, 2017
Nicole ALexander pulled it off again..another great Australian story.
October 29, 2014
This is an epic tale set during the first world war period in Australia and France. Good story for those who enjoy a family saga, especially as it also moves forward to 2000.
March 31, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. The story moves between modern times and world war 1 and it kept me enthralled the whole time. I loved the way the story evolved. Nicole Alexander is one of my favourite authors and I am enjoying discovering her books.
June 14, 2023
This book had elements of a good story but I found the changes in times and characters and situations confusing. I didn't find any of the characters really developed personalities and many situations were too brief or lacked depth.
January 7, 2018
Thought this was going to be a love story but so much more.
September 4, 2019
It was a bit slow at the start, but I enjoyed it. Interested in reading more from this author.
February 17, 2022
A true blue Aussie war time story. I cried both with sadness and joy. Love Ronald
June 20, 2023
I thought I would really like this but in the end I thought it was just ok. I thought the ending was a bit strange.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2016
Klappentext
Eine epische Australien-Saga
Obwohl Madeleine im Schatten ihres Großvaters, des berühmten Künstlers David Harrow aufgewachsen ist, weiß sie kaum etwas über ihn. Als eine seiner verschollenen Zeichnungen wieder auftaucht, reist die junge Galeristin nach Queensland, um auf dem Familienanwesen mehr über sein geheimnisvolles Erbe zu erfahren.
1916. In Europa wütet der Erste Weltkrieg, und die Brüder Thaddeus, Luther und David Harrow beschließen, für die Freiheit zu kämpfen. Doch die blutigen Kämpfe in Frankreich rauben ihnen schnell ihren Idealismus. Nur die Liebe gibt ihnen Kraft – für das temperamentvolle Mädchen, das sie alle drei lieben …
Die Autorin
Nicole Alexander wuchs auf der Farm ihrer Familie 700 Kilometer nordwestlich von Sydney auf. Ganz klassisch wurde sie zunächst per Fernschule unterrichtet. Einmal in der Woche kam ein Paket mit Schulunterlagen, und ihre Mutter übernahm am heimischen Küchentisch den Part des Lehrers. Später besuchte sie ein Internat in Sydney, studierte Literaturwissenschaft und arbeitete einige Jahre im Marketing, u. a. in Singapur, bevor sie sich dem Schreiben zuwandte.
Meine Meinung
Story
Nicole Alexander führt den Leser nach Australien ins Outback und dieses sowohl in der heutigen Zeit, als auch ins Jahr 1916, was mir schon vom Klappentext her gut gefallen hat. Leider fand ich die Handlung wirklich etwas verworren. Selbst nach 100 Seiten konnte ich die Charaktere noch nicht so wirklich zuordnen, geschweige denn Sympathien aufbauen. Ich fand die ganze Handlung etwas dürftig und sehnte mich nach Spannung oder sonst etwas was mich mitreißen konnte, doch leider bin ich nicht fündig geworden. Sicherlich wird es Leser geben, den dieses Buch gefallen hat, doch ich höre leider nicht dazu.
Schreibstil
Der Schreibstil an sich ist eigentlich sehr durchschnittlich und relativ gut zu lesen. Leider fehlen mir aber die Emotionen. Eigentlich mag ich es wenn es in einem Buch zwei oder mehr Handlungsstränge gibt, die später zu einem Ganzen zusammenlaufen, aber das hat das Buch dann auch nicht mehr gerettet.
Charaktere
Das Buch hat zwei Hauptcharaktere, einmal Madeleine in der heutigen Zeit und einmal David, Madeleines Großvater in der Vergangenheit. Aber weder bei den beiden Hauptcharakteren, noch bei den anderen/ Nebencharakteren, kamen bei mir Gefühle auf.
Mein Fazit
Eigentlich liebe ich Australienromane, aber bei diesem hier fiel es mir von Anfang an schwer rein zukommen bzw. mit den Charakteren warm zu werden. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich die letzten 200 Seiten oft quer gelesen habe. Ich würde sagen das Potenzial vorhanden war, aber leider nicht umgesetzt wurde. Deshalb kann ich dem Buch nur zwei von fünf Sternen vergeben. Knapp an den Einsternerezi vorbei, die es bei mir nur dann gibt, wenn ich ein Buch abgebrochen habe.
Eine epische Australien-Saga
Obwohl Madeleine im Schatten ihres Großvaters, des berühmten Künstlers David Harrow aufgewachsen ist, weiß sie kaum etwas über ihn. Als eine seiner verschollenen Zeichnungen wieder auftaucht, reist die junge Galeristin nach Queensland, um auf dem Familienanwesen mehr über sein geheimnisvolles Erbe zu erfahren.
1916. In Europa wütet der Erste Weltkrieg, und die Brüder Thaddeus, Luther und David Harrow beschließen, für die Freiheit zu kämpfen. Doch die blutigen Kämpfe in Frankreich rauben ihnen schnell ihren Idealismus. Nur die Liebe gibt ihnen Kraft – für das temperamentvolle Mädchen, das sie alle drei lieben …
Die Autorin
Nicole Alexander wuchs auf der Farm ihrer Familie 700 Kilometer nordwestlich von Sydney auf. Ganz klassisch wurde sie zunächst per Fernschule unterrichtet. Einmal in der Woche kam ein Paket mit Schulunterlagen, und ihre Mutter übernahm am heimischen Küchentisch den Part des Lehrers. Später besuchte sie ein Internat in Sydney, studierte Literaturwissenschaft und arbeitete einige Jahre im Marketing, u. a. in Singapur, bevor sie sich dem Schreiben zuwandte.
Meine Meinung
Story
Nicole Alexander führt den Leser nach Australien ins Outback und dieses sowohl in der heutigen Zeit, als auch ins Jahr 1916, was mir schon vom Klappentext her gut gefallen hat. Leider fand ich die Handlung wirklich etwas verworren. Selbst nach 100 Seiten konnte ich die Charaktere noch nicht so wirklich zuordnen, geschweige denn Sympathien aufbauen. Ich fand die ganze Handlung etwas dürftig und sehnte mich nach Spannung oder sonst etwas was mich mitreißen konnte, doch leider bin ich nicht fündig geworden. Sicherlich wird es Leser geben, den dieses Buch gefallen hat, doch ich höre leider nicht dazu.
Schreibstil
Der Schreibstil an sich ist eigentlich sehr durchschnittlich und relativ gut zu lesen. Leider fehlen mir aber die Emotionen. Eigentlich mag ich es wenn es in einem Buch zwei oder mehr Handlungsstränge gibt, die später zu einem Ganzen zusammenlaufen, aber das hat das Buch dann auch nicht mehr gerettet.
Charaktere
Das Buch hat zwei Hauptcharaktere, einmal Madeleine in der heutigen Zeit und einmal David, Madeleines Großvater in der Vergangenheit. Aber weder bei den beiden Hauptcharakteren, noch bei den anderen/ Nebencharakteren, kamen bei mir Gefühle auf.
Mein Fazit
Eigentlich liebe ich Australienromane, aber bei diesem hier fiel es mir von Anfang an schwer rein zukommen bzw. mit den Charakteren warm zu werden. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich die letzten 200 Seiten oft quer gelesen habe. Ich würde sagen das Potenzial vorhanden war, aber leider nicht umgesetzt wurde. Deshalb kann ich dem Buch nur zwei von fünf Sternen vergeben. Knapp an den Einsternerezi vorbei, die es bei mir nur dann gibt, wenn ich ein Buch abgebrochen habe.
October 11, 2013
Nicole Alexander's, Sunset Ridge, made me think back to family members who were veterans of WW1, and wonder about the stories that they could have told! The atrocities of war were never mentioned, in those days.
Nicole obviously did an immense amount of research to take the Queensland bush families, and the French country family from times of war (1916-1918) to the year 2000. The war scenes are very graphic - as are the beautiful descriptions of the Australian and the French landscapes. The reader comes to know all the characters well - and feel unbridled admiration for Roland the dog.
I found this book impressive, as it presents as a real story, about real people, and makes us think, with sadness, about the futility of war!
Nicole obviously did an immense amount of research to take the Queensland bush families, and the French country family from times of war (1916-1918) to the year 2000. The war scenes are very graphic - as are the beautiful descriptions of the Australian and the French landscapes. The reader comes to know all the characters well - and feel unbridled admiration for Roland the dog.
I found this book impressive, as it presents as a real story, about real people, and makes us think, with sadness, about the futility of war!
September 4, 2018
This story jumps from Queensland in 2000 to the time of the Great War in 1916. Madeleine's grandfather died before she was born. She wants to do a retrospective of his art, but to do that she has to find his paintings. Three brothers have had enough of the restrictive life on the family property in s.w. Queensland so they run away from home and end up in the hell of WWI. Twin brothers in France come home to their property one day with a mangy-looking dog and they name him Roland. The brothers go to war and the dog goes too and is amazing. Obviously Roland is a portrayal of all the dogs who were in WWI. Corally is a girl from their hometown in Queensland that is on the minds of the three brothers during their ordeal in this horrific war. What a wonderful author, Nicole Alexander!!
October 9, 2013
This was such a hard book to keep putting down at night. I just wanted to finish it as it had amazing detail, terrific story lines and I enjoyed the different stories of 2 eras which all came together at the end. The characters were believable and the story lines were honest and very detailed.
A fantastically written Australian drama.
A fantastically written Australian drama.
Want to read
November 1, 2018I thoroughly enjoyed this story, reading the past and present and the way everything fitted together and became the one story. Very interesting and sad to read about the war. I shed a tear on the last page, am looking forward to reading some more of Nicole Alexander's work.
October 23, 2013
Absolutely loved it!!!
The storyline was fantastic - with two running parallel and coming together at the end. Wonderful depiction of life for all the diggers at the front during the war and also the expectations of class and family hierarchy in early Australia.
The storyline was fantastic - with two running parallel and coming together at the end. Wonderful depiction of life for all the diggers at the front during the war and also the expectations of class and family hierarchy in early Australia.
January 8, 2014
This was a great book which switched between outback Queensland, and France and the battlefields of World War 1. Essentially a family saga it is really well written and I learned a lot about the use of war dogs and the emergence of artists during the War. I'd highly recommend this one.
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