Description
Two women – one a fiery teenager, the other a cantankerous octogenarian – find their mutual antipathy blossoms into an unlikely friendship in this heart-felt multigenerational story about finding a kindred spirit where you least expect it. It’s a friendship for the ages,
Zoe Lambros meets Mabel Andrews, a mercurial, cantankerous World War I Australian nurse. Zoe’s introduction to the fiery octogenarian is an explosive mix of sound and fury. Neither woman wants to give ground and they are determined to be proven right. For Zoe, actions speak louder than words and she sets out to uncover the enigma that is Mabel Andrews. Mabel discovers a kindred spirit that leads to an unlikely friendship. Together the two women forge a close bond that will change their lives forever.
Marion L McGrath –
Totally enthralling….
Just finished reading the book and once again it made me cry again. Thoroughly loving the story of Eva & Zoe. If it were a TV series, I would be totally enthralled. The hardships they overcome together and still find joy in the smallest things is a testament to their love and courage. I could actually picture the entire book in my mind as I read it. Thank you for such a moving & inspirational series of books.
Dqk –
Strong women butt heads
A worthy slot-in in the Intertwined Souls Series. A microscope into the lives of Eva and Zoe as they are getting on their feet in the very strange Australian culture in Sydney. Zoe getting into a psychological brawl and battle of wills with a very stroppy co-tenant in the apartment block they share while she and Eva are working out how to negotiate their forbidden relationship in a society that sees it as unnatural, makes for a dramatic story. The development of the feud and subsequent friendship between Zoe and Mabel is marvellous. Two similar characters butting heads until the breakthrough.
This was an era of worldwide upheaval and the move from Europe to Australia of Eva and Zoe along with large numbers of migrants with war experiences and battle scars provides a fascinating backdrop. I did think some of the connections pushed my “too much of a coincidence” button.
Though it can be read seperately i advise reading the series first. it will be easier to grasp the myriad relationships.
HG –
Wow: another must read from Mary D
If you have read the rest of the Zoe and Eva saga, this is a must read. If you like lesfic, or even if you like great novels, this is a must read – but preferably after reading the previous novels in the series. Although I was given a free copy to review, I still purchased this ebook.
Annie M –
I loved this book!!! I have read all of the Intertwined Souls series and each book has been enjoyable; great story-telling packed with complex characters set in a very challenging time of history.
I love it that Mary D. Brooks can take a little side trip in the series’ timeline and introduce a new, fabulous character and place it seamlessly into the series. The characters are true to their personalities yet there is such character development at the same time which keeps the story interesting. The author’s love of history is so apparent as she looks at war (multiple wars!) from the point of view of the women involved in the conflict – a very different perspective on history! Yes, the history is respected but, to me, this book (and all of the books in this series) are really about the relationships of the characters. This book has such a beautiful message about the mother/daughter relationship, not only blood relationships but those relationships that we choose to make a priority.
L. Dalzell –
I really liked this book. I really like this series of books. When Zoe meets Mabel she does not like her…and then she hears her story. Good history as well as very good story.
Angie –
Just like the main series, this storyline flows smoothly. Mary D brings the story of the nurses well fought in the war to life and deserve to be recognized.
DMill246 –
Rich, rewarding and beautifully written.
I was as horrified as I was delighted by the range of emotion this story evoked in me. I’d read book 2 first, having discovered it via a freebie on Bookbub I believe. I was hooked. Having gone back to In the Blood of the Greeks, I would not have been surprised by hour much I enjoyed this.
I want to know more about every character so I’ll be reading on. I enjoyed the journey as I fell down a rabbit hole in Google, researching one piece of history after another that was mentioned in the book.
I’ll avoid any spoilers but…. I truly enjoyed this story, end to end.
Gisela Dixon for Readers’ Favorite –
Mabel of the Anzacs: A Multi-generational Friendship For The Ages by Mary D. Brooks is a fiction story of the relationship and friendship between two women from different generations. Mabel of the Anzacs takes us through many decades and many different time periods through the perspectives of two women. The story kicks off when we meet Zoe, a bubbly young girl enthusiastically riding her bike around town. As we learn a bit more about Zoe and her background, soon we are also introduced to an older, short, somewhat cranky woman named Mabel who has had firsthand experience during World War I of death and destruction while working as a nurse. Although these two women, separated by an age gap spanning several decades, are initially at loggerheads with each other, slowly but surely a bond forms between them that strengthens into a solid friendship based on shared perspectives and experiences.
Mabel of the Anzacs is a very interesting story and quite unique in the way it is developed. This is a story mostly about women without any primary male character and I loved that. Indeed, the supporting cast is also mostly women and they complement the story well. Both of these women have been portrayed as independent, strong, and with a will of their own, but those are precisely the qualities that ultimately form the bond in their friendship as they develop a mutual respect and love for each other. There are lot of war experiences and history narrated in this book through the perspectives of these women and so the overall content is rich, historical, while also being entertaining at the same time. This is a great book that I would recommend.