Set in an Australian field hospital in the tropics at the end of World War II, Colleen McCullough's book revolves around a nurse's conflict between duty and love. Honour Langtry, a proud and devoted nurse, is revered by the emotionally damaged soldiers in her ward. The delicate balance changes with Michael's arrival in the ward. A brief romance between Honour and the new patient has tragic results. This novel is worth reading but does not have the magic of McCullouch's fabulous best seller The Thorn Birds.