Well-Written Epic by Brisbane Author: Tree of Angels by Penny Sumnor

This is a well-written epic which sweeps from Russia to England and even Brisbane, Australia. It's a charming story and very good.

Nina is the main character for most of the book. When the novel begins, she is living an idyllic life on her family's large estate in Russia before the First World War. Her life quickly changes, however, when her mother dies and her father, who cannot overcome his grief, decides to run a hospital on the estate. He insists that Nina become a nurse and his personality begins to change. Nina has to find a way to escape...

I liked Nina, a very sympathetic character, so I was disappointed that the book wasn't entirely about her.

The only other faults that I can find with the book are that the Russian part didn't seem authentic enough to me - it was well-researched but I didn't feel that it was real for some reason. The Queensland part of the book certainly did, by contrast.

I also found the story somewhat sordid in parts but probably most people wouldn't mind that.