Bittersweet (McCullough)

Book Reviews
Filled with humor, insight and captivating historical detail, McCullough's latest is a wise and warm tribute to family, female empowerment and her native land.
People


Just as epic as her ultra-romantic classic, The Thorn Birds.
Marie Claire


Vintage McCullough...underlines several of McCullough's enormous strengths as a writer—superbly deft characterization; multiple plots that move apace; a warmth and generosity in the telling; and dialogue sharp and, in moments, uproariously funny...a meditation on love and the decisions we make that riffle into our future.
Courier-Mail

 
Lovers of McCullough’s bestseller The Thorn Birds will be happy to hear that Bittersweet takes us back to historic country Australia...as clever, compelling, and as down-to-earth as its four heroines.
Australian Women's Weekly


It’s the heartwarming family bonds that will have you passing this gem on to friends.
Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)


A master class in succinct, precise prose, captivating yet flawed characters and an engrossing historical setting…meticulously researched and cleverly composed.
Good Reading (Australia)


Fabulous...engrossing.
Manly Daily (Sydney)


[A] sweeping historical saga..... McCullough’s richly drawn characters grab hold of the heartstrings from the beginning of their journey...and prove that, even when choices are not in wide supply, happiness is attainable—even if, at times, it is bittersweet.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) Readers of historical family dramas will be excited to find a new, satisfying book to enjoy while longtime fans of The Thorn Birds will be over the moon, welcoming back a dear old friend. Take it to the beach, on the plane, or the couch, this book will be the best traveling companion of the summer.
Library Journal


Four sisters are McCullough's avatars of women's progress in Depression-era Australia.... The chief attractions here [is]the...detailed exposure of sex discrimination and feminist struggles.... [But McCullough] doesn't manage to endow her story with much conflict or narrative drive. An uneven but enlightening novel.
Kirkus Reviews