Review: Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes

Sins of the Fathers is an epic saga that follows the sons of two men forever at odds with each other.

After reading and loving The Youngest Son I was excited to read John Byrnes' next offering and I wasn't disappointed. 

 

Edwyn Smith is gaoled after a botched robbery. The story starts twelve years later when Edwyn is released from prison and goes home to the slums of Millers Point, to his wife and sons, Tommy now 14 and Billy now 12. But not before he lets it known to all around that he is back on the streets.

Arthur Davies - business owner and underworld figure - lives in the more upmarket Eastern Suburbs. His fourteen year old son Charles attends Scots College. Like his father Charles is a vicious bully.

 

Smith and Davies have history, sworn enemies, and this hatred projects onto their sons. After the death of his father Charles' only aim in life is to wreak bitter revenge on the Smith brothers and a feud fuelled by revenge is born.

 

The story also follows fourteen year old Angeline Dubois who helps her mother run a boarding house across the road from the Smiths. Angeline is determined and hard working. She has a plan to make something of herself. 

 

I simply devoured Sins of the Fathers. It has everything I love about Historical Fiction. Set in my hometown of Sydney all the places, although much changed, were all familiar to me.

 

Sins of the Fathers spans nine tumultuous years from 1910 - 1919 which includes WWI and sees the three boys join up and fight in Gallipoli and Somme. The WWI battlefields come to life on the page. Brynes' battle scenes  are vivid and authentic.

 

Narrated through multiple points of view the characters' lives veer in different directions and reconnect throughout the novel.

 

I cannot stress how much I loved this book! If you like to read stories about the wars, or historical fiction or even family sagas, this book is for you.

 

Sins of the Fathers is a story rich in revenge, bribery, threats, double crossing and blackmail. It is a story about survival from the slums of 1910 Sydney to the battlefields of 1915 Gallipoli. There is never a dull moment in Sins of the Fathers! 

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 

Publication date: 1st July 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Youngest Son:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2024/08/book-review-youngest-son-by-john-byrnes.html