Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Bittersweet
    Unavailable
    Bittersweet
    Unavailable
    Bittersweet
    Audiobook16 hours

    Bittersweet

    Written by Colleen McCullough

    Narrated by Deidre Rubenstein

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    The four Latimer sisters were famous throughout New South Wales for their beauty, wit and sisterly love. But then they left home to train as nurses, swapping their feather beds for the bunks of nursing accommodation. And now, as the Depression casts its shadow across Australia, they must confront their own secret desires. Will the sisters find the independence they crave? Or is life - like love - always bittersweet?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateJun 5, 2014
    ISBN9781471264290
    Unavailable
    Bittersweet
    Author

    Colleen McCullough

    Born in 1937, Colleen McCullough was a neuroscientist by training and worked in various Sydney and English hospitals before settling in the Department of Neurology at Yale Medical School in the USA. Her hugely successful novel, The Thorn Birds, was published in 1977 followed by a string of bestselling books. Colleen lived for many years on Norfolk Island and died there in 2015 aged 77.

    Related to Bittersweet

    Related audiobooks

    Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Sad Farewell

      Jul 2, 2021

      FOR readers there’s a real poignancy to seeing The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley at the top of the SA fiction bestseller list because it’s the last book that will be released by the much-loved Northern Irish author. Riley’s family recently announce

      1 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Nov 10, 2021

      Book Club
      4 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Aug 9, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      May 19, 2021

      Dot works at the Lost Property Office in Baker Street, where she is custodian of lost items. In her dedicated quest to reconnect people with their lost property, she becomes deeply moved by the emotional significance of memories attached to some of t

      2 min read

    • Article

      This One So Loved

      May 9, 2019

      This One So Loved
      9 min read

    • Article

      Brain Teaser

      Jul 3, 2022

      Brain Teaser
      2 min read

    • Article

      Frost FAIR

      Jan 18, 2023

      Frost FAIR
      11 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Feb 1, 2024

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Feb 29, 2024

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Long Goodbye

      Sep 9, 2020

      The Long Goodbye
      9 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Mar 29, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Long Goodbye

      Sep 9, 2020

      The Long Goodbye
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Bloody Grand Finale

      Apr 13, 2023

      A Bloody Grand Finale
      4 min read

    • Article

      Four Of A Kind

      May 3, 2023

      Four Of A Kind
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Poet in Purgatory

      Sep 4, 2018

      A Poet in Purgatory
      6 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      May 13, 2020

      Book Club
      2 min read

    • Article

      Last Love

      Dec 8, 2023

      Last Love
      13 min read

    • Article

      Marked with SILVER

      Jan 17, 2024

      Marked with SILVER
      12 min read

    • Article

      THE Reading room

      Mar 25, 2020

      THE Reading room
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Apr 28, 2021

      Book Club
      1 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Mar 1, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jul 19, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Bittersweet

    3.5/5

    95 ratings14 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I liked the stories about the 4 sisters whose lives developed in such different ways. I also liked reading/hearing about women's rights, medicine, politics and society in 1920s/'30s Australia. But I missed a real plot and the ending left me rather unsatisfied. Also the narrator of the audiobook annoyed me a bit: she had some of the characters shouting or crying all the time.
    • 4/5
      I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalleyRating=3.5This is the story of four sisters, two sets of identical twins, living in Australia in the 1920’s and 1930’s. They are the daughter of a rector and a selfish and nasty mother who they cannot wait to get away from. The rector arranges for his daughters to attend nursing school at the local hospital in order to escape their shrewish mother. Thus, they begin their lives as independent, hard-working women. One of the recurrent themes of the book is the subservience of women to men. Two of the four sisters decide they doesn’t want to marry because, as married women, they would have to give up their nursing jobs and would not own any money or property independent of their husbands. The other two sisters, however, do marry and they results are not happy unions.The characters of the sisters are well-developed by Colleen McCullough and represent strong female heroines. The character of Kitty was particularly interesting because, although she is drop dead gorgeous, she has a "salty" wit and does not mince words. I also liked the author’s writing style which made the prose book of the book easy to read. My biggest complain about the novel is that there is no real central plot to it. The story just randomly meanders from one chapter to another describing the different lives of the sisters with no real structure. Also, the detailed accounts of Australian politics and the Depression economy in the early 20th century were superfluous to the plot. Overall, BITTERSWEET tells the story of 4 very interesting and different sisters. But the lack of cohesive plot does not make it work more than 3.5 stars.
    • 5/5
      If you are looking for a mystery and secrets, you have come to the right place for you get a lots of that and history about the place. Though this book It start out in college and it really get more and to where you want to find out more. The family clan Winslows. There a all kind to find out.

      Things you will find out about Mabel Dagmar. Mabel want to be friends with her roommate and be a part of her. She find so family secrets that snows about and some Murders to go along with. You will not want to put this book down for you will find that their two boys that are part of the clan and when they do. you either be surprise or shocked or even just wanted to know more,

      There is just so many things and if you like to head summers or history in cottages and for you may want to read it. I though the author had me guessing wanting to read more and I was stuck with this book in hand for a whole day reading it and I really did not want to put it down.
    • 2/5
      Read from August 19 to September 08, 2014I had high hopes for this one (I love The Thorn Birds). I started it as soon as I checked it out from the library, but it was quickly forgotten. I read just over 100 pages and, like with Flavia, there just isn't enough to keep me interested (and now someone else wants to borrow it from the library so I must set it free).
    • 4/5
      I loved the relationships between the sisters; so loving and loyal. Nothing could break their bond, not even a jealous husband. There was some Australian history written into the story that was interesting. This wasn't a masterpiece, (like The Thorn Birds) but I did enjoy it and could easily recommend to friends. (I believe this was the last novel she published before her death) “I have no sisters and I do not dunk, but that’s a syllogism"
    • 3/5
      Book on CD performed by Cat Gould.A mini-series soap opera of a novel, following four sisters (two sets of twins) in early 20th century Australia. The Latimer girls have the same father, but different mothers. Edda and Grace’s mother died in childbirth, and their father later married the housekeeper originally hired to help the young widowed father. Early on their goals and dreams for themselves diverge: Edda wants to be a doctor, Grace to marry and raise a family, Tufts expects to stay single, and Kitty wants more than anything to known for something other than her extraordinary beauty. McCullough does a great job of crafting this sweeping novel. I was engaged and interested in the story and in exploring life in Australia at this time frame. I really enjoyed learning about the nursing training the sisters underwent, as well as the early limitations and advances in medicine during this time period. Ultimately, however, I did get frustrated by Grace’s manipulative “woe-is-me, I’m so helpless” attitude. Even Kitty – the extraordinary beauty – showed more gumption and grit. However, Grace did eventually grow up and showed some of the strength of her twin, Edda. I really liked Edda and the way that her story played out. She was the consistently strong one and seemed to naturally take on the mantel of oldest child and leader. There were a few story lines that McCullough seemed to abandon for a time, and then reintroduce simply to resolve them. Cat Gould does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has clear diction and enough skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters. I was listening during a long road trip and it made the miles fly by! 4**** for her performance.
    • 3/5
      Set in an Australian regional town in the 1930s and tells the story of 4 sisters - 2 sets of twins as they find their place in the world.
    • 3/5
      Historical fiction set in 1920s and 1930s in Corunda, New South Wales, Australia. Two sets of supposedly-identical twins born to the same minister father but different mothers. Edda and Grace, Heather (called "Tufts") and Kitty. All initially become nurses (under the "new style" training, where they actually learn some true nursing skills) to get out of the house and away from their overbearing stepmother/mother. Interesting and unusual relationships with the men in their lives. Tufts was the only one of the four I actually found likeable, and her story is covered less in the book. Cat Gould was a good reader of the audiobook.
    • 4/5
      Bittersweet is an Australian family saga incorporating history, drama and romance in a story about four sisters. The setting of the novel incorporates the Great Depression and includes a lot of discussion of Depression-era Australian politics within the story. The beautiful, intelligent Latimer girls, Edda, Grace, Tufts, and Kitty, are two sets of identical twins born of the same father but different mothers. To achieve their separate personal ambitions they sign up to train as registered nurses at the hospital in Corunda, their small city in rural New South Wales.

      Their story is full of personality and the background details on medical techniques are fascinating. The main focus of the book remains the loves and lives of each of the girls. Each woman’s true character manifests itself as the years pass, their ties to one another frequently affecting their relationships with the men who interact with them and love them. Each of the Latimer sisters brings something to the table that is unique and multifaceted.

      I enjoyed learning about the political and economic background of Australia during this time. Much of it takes place right before and during the Great Depression and I was unaware just how much they were affected. Although Bittersweet delves into some heavy issues such as female emancipation, homosexuality, unhappy marriages and suicide, the story never threatens to become too dark. Don't expect the Thornbirds but if you're in the mood for a romantic historical fiction set in Australia during the depression it might appeal to you. (3.5 Stars)
    • 4/5
      Incredible story of four sisters from mid-1920s to mid-1930s Australia!

      While I have not read Ms McCullough's Thorn Birds or any of her other books, after having read the summary, I readily volunteered to listen to this audio book in exchange for a review through Audiobook Jukebox! The best spent 16 hours in a long time! This is a testament to both the story itself and the narration.

      This novel follows the lives of four sisters, two sets of identical twins born to a father who remarried after his first wife died in childbirth. Set in Australia in a time when the only employment opportunities open to women were teaching or nursing, these women began learning "new" nursing. With the Stock Market Crash of 1929 eventually sending ripples "down under", we follow these women into marriage, widowhood and into unforeseen careers. The sisters are as alike and as different as any sisters may be described, but as their unwavering love for each other and their interwoven lives keeps them bound to one another, their individual selves became quite different and distinct. I certainly had initial ideas of how the story would unfold, but found my predictions didn't pan out.

      The story is narrated by Cat Gould, an Australian well suited to narrate this novel set near Cambria, Australia. She successfully distinguishes the voices of the four sisters as well as the men in their lives. If I came across another book narrated by her, I would not hesitate to give it a listen! Ms Gould reads neither too fast or too slow and appropriately fills her characters' voices with the emotion called for by the scene and the author's characterization of the individual.

      This novel will appeal to many -- those who fancy historical fiction, those who like a bit of politics, those who enjoy women's novels or sagas or romantic novels. There isn't much by way of mystery or suspense, but you will find well-developed characters in a well-developed plot.

      The only drawback to this reader is that to a small degree, this story seems incomplete -- the sisters are not all "settled". Ending the story as she has, the author makes the reader wonder whether one sister actually becomes a doctor, whether another sister is finally able to conceive with another man after the divorce of her and her husband, whether the widowed sister eventually finds lasting love, and whether the 4th sister continues with her spinsterhood as she successfully superintends the Corunda Base Hospital.
    • 2/5
      I received a free finished copy of this book from the publisher through the Goodreads First Reads Program.Four sisters—two sets of twins, Edda and Grace, Tufts and Kitty—enter nursing school together in 1924. Set in New South Wales, the story follows them through their young adulthood to 1933. Each of the four has a distinct personality but they are exceptionally close, united partly by their resistance to their rather shrewish mother. Their closeness is their strength as they mature, but it is also a weakness in their relationships with those outside their close-knit circle. When suitors come along there are conflicting loyalties, confusing emotions, and difficult decisions. All against a background of the Great Depression and the changes in Australian politics that come with the establishment of the Commonwealth government.While the characters are well drawn, the story lines tend to be choppy and there are some serious gaps and unexplained leaps in the stories. One out of the blue, love at first site, proposal of marriage is a stretch, but two? It is a bit much, especially coming from intelligent men with a lot to lose from bad marriages. The solutions to the various problems seem a little too pat and unrealistic.A disappointing read from a good author.
    • 4/5
      This book is marketed as Colleen McCullough's "first romantic saga since THE THORN BIRDS". I read "The Thorn Birds" years ago and loved it.Now I have read "Bittersweet" and the wait was worth it. The Lattimer sisters - two sets of twins - were born in the 1920's in Australia. The first set of twins' mother died. Their father then remarried and had another set of twins. The second wife is materialistic and seems to care only for the youngest daughter who is breathtakingly beautiful. While the twins may look alike they are very different in their personalities. The oldest Edda only wants to be a doctor. However as the times were she had no chance of achieving her dream. The next twin Grace goes to nursing school along with all her sisters; however, she is more interested in being a wife and mother than a nurse. Next is Tufts who has no interest at all in marrying. Then the beautiful Kitty who sees her beauty as a hindrance. She wants to be more than just a pretty face. The paths the girls take are not always easy, but they support each other at all times.I thought this book seemed a bit more "mature" than "The Thorn Birds". While it is a romance, the plots of each girl is of primary importance and the romance a smaller part of it all. The sisters laugh and cry and shout in anger, as do all sisters. It is a story that anyone with siblings can relate to
    • 3/5
      I expected so much more from this book. It had lots going for it. Setting, Australia. Characters, 4 sisters embarking on a career as professional nurses. But, the book dragged on and on. The events that shaped and changed the lives of these 4 girls could gave been dealt with in half of the book. Medical thread is interesting considering the time period 1926-1930.
    • 3/5
      Years ago I read The Thorn Birds and fell in love with the book, the characters, and the setting. So I was excited to get a review copy of what I hoped would be another big bold family saga set in the big bold continent down under. What a disappointment. I come from a family of four girls. I understand sisters and the relationship formed by four related but distinct women. But the story of each sister, while well developed, does not a novel make. Each sister is an individual, well defined, with definite motivation and ambitions. Each individual story works. But, there is no real plot, there is a constant feeling of "where is this going?" and even at the end, the reader is left with a feeling of "what on earth did I just achieve by plowing through this?"The writing is certainly not up to the standards of a great novel. It's poorly edited, the sentence sructure is often fractured and difficult to read.All in all, it's an interesting book that pulls the reader from the beginning to find out what happens to each sister, but which becomes a slower read about halfway through. A good beach read.