I enjoyed the story that is woven through The Rose of Sebastopol. We get a sense of what people at home heard and thought of the war, but also what it was like living and working in the war zone. It is told in dual narrative, with the primary narrative told during the Crimean War, and the secondary narrative consists of Mariella's memories of past events. If you have trouble following multiple timelines, this book may give you difficulty. Part of Mariella's tale of past events can be of her life just before she heads to Italy, from when she meets Henry, and later when she meets Rosa. Eventually the "present" timeline, and the rememberances of life just before she leaves for Italy catch up together, so there is one less time frame to keep track of. Since I had an audiobook, I missed having a printed copy that I could flip back and check at times.

One biggest problem with this audiobook how the chapters end. I would be sitting, listening happily along, and expect the chapter to continue, except it goes launching into a new one. I am not sure if the author wrote it that way, or if the narrator read it in a way where the phrasing sounded like the chapter should continue instead of stopping. This might not have bothered me much, except that I would say at least half of the chapters in the novel ended that way. The other major problem I had with the book is Mariella's voice. When she would get to thinking about how Henry is, or where Rosa was or some decision she has to make, she starts to sound whiny, weak and spoiled. I simply can't stand whiny, weak female lead characters, and this began to get to me. It may have been exaggerated, since I was listening to the book, but not seeing it in print, its hard to say how much. It may also be done to exaggerate the difference between Rosa and Mariella, since Rosa is decisive and fearless, but if this is the case, it could have been done so Mariella didn't sound so weak.

Some of the events covered in the last disk or two seemed hurried, and thrown in almost like an afterthought when compared to the long period in getting to the Crimea and looking for Rosa there. Some of these events would have made the story more interesting, in terms of the characters and their relationships with each other, but being hurried in near the end, they felt more contrived. ( )

What an embarrassing read for the most part. How any of the characters could be in love with each other is a mystery, and spending so much time with Mariella, the narrator, is hard-going, she's such a sop, until the Irish nurse Nora giver her the verbal 'fecking' slap she needed and she bucks up. I picked it up because of the embroidery element, but this was no fabulous Penelope or Arachne story which I was hoping for, and the speed at which Mariella sews and embroiders is frustratingly not remotely credible. Still, once she's had her 'fecking' slap,the narrative improves and it's a fair old romp to the end - albeit a soppy one. Crimea wasn't badly depicted throughout, both at the scene and at home through the Times, which was a relief! But all in all, time spent with some hopefully forgettable characters. ( )

This book sounded interesting from its description - historical fiction set in 1854 during the Crimean War.  Due to a family crisis, my listening to this audiobook was interrupted, and the library loan for it expired.  However, I found the characters so unlikeable and their predicaments so unrealistic that there was no motivation to borrow the book again to finish it.  A too-speedy reading by the narrator didn't help - it was hard to keep track of the shifts in time. ( )

This is going to be another breathless, sputtering review as I literally finished this book minutes ago. I'm teary, all caught up in the emotion of the story and my love for the characters, which is the sign of a fantastic book.

I knew absolutely nothing about this book when I got it which meant I had no idea even of the plot, so it was a real delight to try to guess where the story was going. McMahon is a talented writer: she conveys the sense of the Crimean War without bogging the reader down in too much exposition or narrative about the war, and I found all the characters gripping. Her technique of flashing between the present to Mariella and Rosa's childhood years was lovely -- I found myself as in love with Mariella and Rosa as they were with each other.

The ending of the book was pitch perfect, even though I would have loved an Epilogue that neatly wrapped up the story for the characters (especially Mariella and Max). This is the kind of historical novel I adore and I can't rave about it enough. ( )

I've had to back-burner this book so many times that I'm not sure I can see it clearly anymore. At least I'm left feeling confused, because a lot of what I liked is also what I found problematic.

The first half of the book reads relatively slowly. Mariella is a pampered, sheltered girl who is a perfectly proper example of a lady in her time. She's a bit naive, she lacks a sense of adventure, and she's consumed with maintaining propriety. Although she's not a girl I'd like to hang with, she fits in her world and is sharply contrasted with her cousin, Rosa, who is strong-willed and impetuous and strains at the bonds of a proper life. The first half of the book, Mariella fits and it's Rosa who's jarring. Despite my belief, as a modern woman, that her impulses to career and education and travel were her absolute right, and despite the fact that I know that I would appreciate Rosa much more were we actually to meet, she comes across as grating and heedless. She doesn't fit this London life, while Mariella does.

Then the second half begins, and the tables are sharply turned. Rosa, who has gone to the Crimea as a nurse, disappears and Mariella goes to find her while also visiting her wounded fiancé. All of the sudden we are on the front in the Crimean War, where Rosa's independence and spirit are not only valuable, but downright necessary. And it's Mariella's focus on propriety and social position, her weakness in every respect, that's jarring. The second half of the book is not only much faster-paced, but is also the point where we get some serious character development from everyone concerned. It's sometimes uncomfortable and can be embarrassing or frustrating to read, but I also found it really satisfying.

This book, even though it exclusively follows Mariella's thoughts and movements, is about Rosa. Rosa is the lens through which we understand everything. Her family, the role of women, the horror of war. And so when she re-enters the story after her disappearance, the story ends. This is kind of a quest novel, and once we learn where Rosa went, the quest is finished. It feels abrupt, and I know a lot of people here didn't like it, but I found it strangely appropriate, and even satisfying. It fulfilled, for me, the Rosa of the first half, who always drew the attention of everyone around her, whether for good or bad. It also fulfills the Mariella of the second half, who for better or worse finally has a complete picture of her cousin. Once that's done, the rest is just details.

So, the slow first half made this book rough going for me, but I also think it's essential to the telling of the story. And the ending feels abrupt, but again... same thing. The very things that feel so unfulfilling also seem perfectly right. ( )