Blue Sisters: The highly-anticipated new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein

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Margaret published her first article in Christian Socialist magazine in 1889; she would soon join the Fabian Society and made her first speech on May Day 1892 in Hyde Park. After the sisters’ conversion to Christian Socialism, Rachel decided that she would support her sister’s budding political career. In 1893 they both went to work for the new Independent Labour Party (ILP) in Bradford, where Margaret would be elected to the School Board for the ILP. In 1980, the government introduced the need for a licence to run a hospital. Sur­prisingly, a condition was introduced in the Blue Sisters Hospital licence that at least one-half of the hospital beds were to be made available to the National Health Scheme. The sisters opposed it. Apart from the fact that it would have been impossible to resolve financially, this would have negatively affected their original contractual obligation to manage the entire hospital. The need for properly qualified teachers led to the establishment of a training college for nursery nurses and teachers, which Margaret started in 1918. A new Rachel McMillan Training College was opened in Deptford by Queen Mary in 1930. In the South Sudanese Diocese of Tombura Yambio, Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala has tasked them with providing permanent assistance to the many women, including young girls and teenagers, who have been raped, abused or abandoned amid the violent conflicts that have plagued the region for years.

In 2011, South Sudan became an independent country, but in in December 2013, President Salva Kiir Mayardit accused his former deputy Riek Macho of attempting a coup, unleashing a civil war that Pope Francis himself has tried to stop by inviting both leaders to a recent spiritual retreat at the Vatican. The conflict has generated more than 1.5 million displaced people. The Blue Sisters was the popu­lar name of the Little Company of Mary, which was a congregation of Catholic nuns. They ran Malta’s first private hospital, the Zammit-Clapp Hospital in St Julian’s. When the sisters first arrived in Bangladesh to work in the slums, many Muslims thought that the sisters were trying to convert them to Christianity.Margaret had long argued that it was impossible to educate a hungry child and her work contributed to the passing of the Education (Provision of School Meals) Act in 1906. Both sisters led a deputation to Parliament in 1907, leading to the compulsory medical inspection of school children. On the following day, the Blue Sisters were escorted in a police minibus to the airport. They were met there by several people who supported the Blue Sisters’ mission which they had carried out with much love for many years in Malta. They were founded three decades ago in southern Sudan, and named the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But in a region dramatically affected by the South Sudanese civil war, they are usually known by the bright color of their habits. To most who know them, they are the "Blue Sisters."

The McMillan sisters set up the country’s first school clinic in Bow, East London, in 1908. This closed within two years, but paved the way for their clinics at 3 Deptford Road, Greenwich (1910), and at 353 Evelyn Road, Deptford (1911), which treated some 6,000 children a year. The education that I got in our school is not in other schools, the care of the teachers is not in other schools. If we could not do something, the teachers would teach us again and again. My success has been possible because of studying in this school," Ali told GSR. There is a major stigma that falls over these mostly young women who are victims of the violence of war," said Sister Ester, local superior for the small community of the four "Blue Sisters" who help with the recovery of some 100 women in a facility in the town of Yambio, next to the diocesan chancery. They started their mission in 1911 when Emilia Zammit, wife of Henry Clapp, donated to the government of Malta a hospital that she had built at her own expense. Throughout the book, Borg remains faithful to his goal expressed in the foreword: “The aim of this book covers not only the legal aspects of the saga but also the factual and political side of things.”But later when they came to know from the slum dwellers that we are not doing any conversion and they were accepting us. So this was a big challenge for us," Neri said. Mr Justice Joseph Herrera delivered a landmark decision favouring the Blue Sisters. The judgment discussed the concept of reasonableness and the claim by public authorities of unfettered discretion in great depth. They were founded three decades ago in southern Sudan, and named the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But in a region dramatically affected by the South Sudanese civil war, they are usually known by the bright colour of their habits. To most who know them, they are the “Blue Sisters.”

It was a hot, boiling, erupting issue that required stamina by members of the judiciary to remain in line with the law and legal doctrine. The counsel for the government did not agree with such a strong direction from the court and insisted on continuing the case as originally filed. But the government filed a new action the following day along the lines suggested by the president of the court himself.

Nearby Blue Plaques

Ranojeet Baroi, 28, has been teaching in this school for almost two years since graduating. He and his three siblings were all students at St. Mary's Infant School. It was, indeed, a ground-breaking judgement, valiant and audacious in the face of executive arbitrariness, a judgement which was met with even more arrogance by the government authorities.” The author, Tonio Borg, is a lecturer in public law at the University of Malta, a former European commissioner, former deputy prime minister and cabinet minister. He is a born raconteur who can lead a listener or reader through complicated issues while retaining a fresh approach akin to a story. There is a major stigma that falls over these mostly young women who are victims of the violence of war,” said Sister Ester (in the photo), local superior for the small community of the four “Blue Sisters” who help with the recovery of some 100 women in a facility in the town of Yambio, next to the diocesan chancery.

Blue Sisters Hospital was the first private hospital to be opened in Malta in 1911. It was run by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary (known as Blue Sisters – originating from their distinctive habit which was partially blue). The author also had a small finger in the pie when, as a young lawyer, he was asked by Bonello to research a particular aspect of the test of reasonableness in English Common Law. He relates how he rushed to the university library to research the matter and recalls his excitement when he came across valid material that would help in the issue. Rachel McMillan began to lodge at the house, then in Kent, in 1895, while working for the county council. Margaret joined her in 1902, earning her living by lecturing for the Ethical Society and Workers’ Educational Association. She continued to write, and books such as Education through the Imagination (1904) brought her to international attention. The Blue Sisters came to Bangladesh in 1978 and started working with health care in the slums. Bangladesh, which became independent only seven years earlier from Pakistan in 1971, was very poor, and many children did not have access to nutritious food. The Blue Sisters provided care for these children, but felt that the children also needed education. So in 1983, St. Mary's Infant School was started.

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Rachel and Margaret McMillan were born respectively in 1859 and 1860 in New York State to Scottish parents. They moved to Scotland on the death of their father in 1865 and were educated in Inverness. Rachel then taught at a ladies’ college in Coventry but left to nurse her grandmother. Margaret, meanwhile, completed her education in continental Europe and embarked on a career as a governess. Borg glides through the law with ease, cutting through brambles and explaining without unnecessary verbal excursions. The story is a sad one. I remember it well, but reading the book made me recall and understand better what had happened. Cyril Sladden was a patient at Blue Sisters Hospital, Sliema, Malta, from mid August to mid September 1915 after being wounded at Gallipoli. Ali said there are many schools in the vicinity, but he sent his son to this school up to grade three and later admitted him to an outside school. Around 150 children from the slums are now students at the school. Our goal is to gradually integrate these women into society with the adequate spiritual and mental stability, and with a clear plan for their future,” said Sister Ester.