The Widow and her Hero

AUTHOR : Thomas Keneally

PUBLICATION DATE : 2007

No. PAGES : 297p

PLOT SUMMARY (from Random House Australia):

'I knew in general terms I was marrying a hero. The burden lay lightly on Leo, and to be a hero's wife in times supposedly suited to the heroic caused a woman to swallow doubt . The Japanese had barely been turned away. It was heresy and unlucky to undermine young men at such a supreme hour.' When Grace married the genial and handsome Captain Leo Waterhouse in Australia in 1943, they were young, in love - and at war. Like many other young men and women, they were ready, willing and able to put the war effort first. They never seriously doubted that they would come through unscathed.But Leo never returned from a commando mission masterminded by his own hero figure, an eccentric and charismatic man who inspired total loyalty from those under his command. The world moved on to new alliances, leaving Grace, like so many widows, to bear the pain of losing the love of her life and wonder what it had all been for. Sixty years on, Grace is still haunted by the tragedy of her doomed hero when the real story of his ill-fated secret mission is at last unearthed. As new fragments of her hero's story emerge, Grace is forced to keep revising her picture of what happened to Leo and his fellow commandoes - until she learns about the final piece in the jigsaw, and the ultimate betrayal.

BOOK CHAIN COMMENTS :

• Whoops! I’ve chosen a book I could not finish. Grace, now an old woman, gradually uncovers the true story surrounding the capture and beheading of her ‘hero’ husband Leo, during undercover sabotage operations against the Japanese in World War II. The characterization is thin; I dislike all the men and the women are pathetic; and there is no magic in Keneally’s language. (but hey, apart from that it’s fine!)


• I agree that this is not a great book to read. Thin characterization and an obsession with biography not story. I did finish it, just to see exactly what happened. I enjoyed Keneally’s Schindler’s Ark, but this is of a much lower quality.


• I also could not finish this book, got half-way through. Very boring. The characters did not come alive for me. The story was too detailed especially when the men were at war. I have enjoyed other books by Thomas Keneally.


• This is a blokey war book thinly disguised behind Grace’s search for the truth about her husband and his death at war. The historical details are well-researched, Canberra and Braidwood descriptions of the time do appear to be accurate. The exceptional details of the exploits, adventures etc of the men at war are of no interest to a female reader. I agree the characterizations are thin – what a shame. I should be weeping at the end when Grace finally learns the truth about the final moments of Leo’s life. All I could think was “Thank goodness that’s over!”