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Blackwattle Lake

by Pamela Cook (Goodreads Author)

4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 · rating details · 33 ratings · 10 reviews

A story of courage and forgiveness for those who long to uncover who they used to be, and who they might still become.

For smart talking, newly claimed city girl Eve Nicholls, walking up the driveway of her childhood home a property she recently inherited from her mother is an eerie feeling. The horses that she loved still freckle the paddocks but the house is empty, and sh...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published December 2012 by Hachette Australia

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The Girl in Steel Capped Boots by Loretta Hill

The Cattleman's Daughter by Rachael Treasure

Australian Rural Fiction

52nd out of 56 books — 40 voters

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Dec 11, 2012 Jennie Orchard rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic debut novel for Pamela Cook! I was drawn in to the story from the very beginning as Evie returns in her battered combi to rural Yarrabee, twenty years after abandoning her family, her home, her childhood and adolescence. So much has changed and yet so little has changed. It's painful to confront the excruciating pain and the guilt of her past, but unless she does, she'll never be able to move on with her life.

Slowly Evie is drawn back into the web of community, persuaded by a s...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 13, 2013 Jenn J. McLeod rated it 5 of 5 stars

The back cover of Pamela Cook’s Blackwattle Lake reads: “for those who long to uncover who they used to be, and who they might still become.”

Perfect! I love those self-discovery stories about as much as I love a coming home to the country story, especially one that is authentic in both setting and character – characters so well developed and depicted I could see every one of them.

The story of Blackwattle Lake is Eve’s to tell (for the most part). She’s a woman forced to return to the country tow...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Paula Clark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-women-writers

A lovely debut novel by Pamela Cook set around Eve returning home to her small country town following the death of her estranged mother. The reasons behind their estrangement are slowly unearthed throughout the story as Eve battles to come to terms with, and finally move on with her life.

I had thought that the story line was heading towards romance, however it was soon apparent that this was more about Eve's personal and emotional journey. Although I felt the story line was similar to others I'd...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, aussie-authors, autographed-book, won-from-author, rural, own-read

When Eve Nicholls arrived at the gateway of her former home, along with Banjo, her beloved kelpie, she wasn’t sure what to feel. The emotions were raging within her, though she was trying to tamp them down. When she found she didn’t have the key to the padlocked gate, she grabbed her bag from her kombi and together she and Banjo scrambled through the fence and walked toward the house. The look of abandonment surrounding the house caught the back of her throat...but she saw there were still some...more When Eve Nicholls arrived at the gateway of her former home, along with Banjo, her beloved kelpie, she wasn’t sure what to feel. The emotions were raging within her, though she was trying to tamp them down. When she found she didn’t have the key to the padlocked gate, she grabbed her bag from her kombi and together she and Banjo scrambled through the fence and walked toward the house. The look of abandonment surrounding the house caught the back of her throat...but she saw there were still some horses on the property. She had missed the horses, missed riding when she’d been in the city. Twenty years was a long time to be away, and now that her mother had passed away, and the property was hers, she wasn’t sure what to think.

Wandering through the house, she was amazed at how it all seemed the same. Her mother, Nell, obviously hadn’t changed much in the time she’d been away, parts of the house seemed to be in danger of falling down around her. The memories came flooding back, and when Harry pulled up and they had words, once again, she realized that nothing had changed in people’s perceptions of her as well. The low profile that she had been determined to keep, while she readied the farm for sale was a pipe dream….

That first night she wrote herself off, the bourbon deadening the memories, both of her past, when she was sixteen years old, and a rebel at heart, when the horror of that time had been tucked away in a private spot in her mind, not to be released…and her current situation, her loser of an ex, one she had needed to get away from. The next morning, sporting a vicious hangover, she realized she needed to look after the horses, the drought meant there was little feed for them, so hand feeding was the answer. With Banjo at her side, she set about checking the sheds, delighted to discover “Fred”, the farm vehicle, still ran.

As Eve, or Angie as she was formerly known, began setting the house to rights for auction, she bumped into old friends, friends who had cut her off years before. When injury, accidents and then tragedy occurred, Eve found herself questioning everything about herself…Auntie Margo seemed to be only person on her side. But was the past catching up with her? Suddenly the thought that nothing, not her name change, nor running away, had altered the tragic events of the past, hit her.

I absolutely loved this debut novel by Australian author Pamela Cook. I devoured it in a matter of hours, absolutely intent on reading until the end. The emotion was such that it had me in tears several times. Beautifully written, I have found another Australian author who has moved into my favourites. Highly recommended.

I was lucky enough to win my copy of this book, which is signed by the author as well:)
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Feb 18, 2013 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-author, aww2013, blog-reviews

In Pamela Cook's debut novel, Blackwattle Lake, Eve Nicholls has returned to her hometown after an absence of twenty years, having inherited the family farm upon her mother's death. She plans to sell up and move on as quickly as possible, unwilling to remain in the community that drove her away twenty years ago. But as Eve sorts through a lifetime of clutter and memories, she is forced to confront the consequences of the choices she made as a teenager, and find a way to live with them if she is...more
In Pamela Cook's debut novel, Blackwattle Lake, Eve Nicholls has returned to her hometown after an absence of twenty years, having inherited the family farm upon her mother's death. She plans to sell up and move on as quickly as possible, unwilling to remain in the community that drove her away twenty years ago. But as Eve sorts through a lifetime of clutter and memories, she is forced to confront the consequences of the choices she made as a teenager, and find a way to live with them if she is to have the future she hopes for.

I was expecting what has become a reasonably formulaic storyline for the rural fiction genre (misled in part by the cover) only to be pleasantly surprised by Blackwattle Lake. This is largely a character driven novel focusing on the protagonist's need to confront the tragic circumstances that precipitated her abandoning her home, family and friends, though she is also forced to cope with external challenges including a raging bushfire that menaces the community.

The moment Eve swore, lit a cigarette and poured herself a drink while her kelpie, Banjo, lay panting at her feet, I knew we were going to get along. She felt familiar in an indefinable way and is probably one of the most authentic characters I have encountered in a while. She is complicated in ordinary ways and though defensive and abrupt at times, Eve invokes sympathy without pity.

For me, the absence of a traditional romantic subplot was refreshing. There are a few interesting moments with the childhood sweetheart she left behind, the cheating ex who follows her to beg for forgiveness and the vet who saves Banjo's life but they contribute to developing Eve's character rather than providing a convenient distraction from her journey.

I found the realism of character, crisis and landscape in Blackwattle Lake very engaging. Cook proves to be a skilled writer, deftly capturing natural dialogue and behaviour. From the first page I was able to create a mental picture of Eve's surroundings with small details, such as the "crushed Coke can littering the path", and the "humming of cicadas working their way up to a crescendo somewhere above her head" providing sensory realism to the scene.

Well written, with appealing characterisation and an engaging storyline, Blackwattle Lake is an appealing contemporary novel set in rural Australia which I truly enjoyed. I look forward to reading more from Pamela Cook in the future.(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-author, aww2012, rural-lit

Blackwattle Lake is the debut novel by Australian author, Pamela Cook. This story was not the happy rural romance novel I was expecting, rather it was far grittier than I expected and would fit more comfortably in the rural fiction genre.

The protagonist, Eve Nicholls returns to her hometown, the place she was known as the wild child and formerly known as Angie Flanagan. Haunted by the fatal night that took her sister's life, Eve isn't keen to stick around town for long. After more than a decade...more Blackwattle Lake is the debut novel by Australian author, Pamela Cook. This story was not the happy rural romance novel I was expecting, rather it was far grittier than I expected and would fit more comfortably in the rural fiction genre.

The protagonist, Eve Nicholls returns to her hometown, the place she was known as the wild child and formerly known as Angie Flanagan. Haunted by the fatal night that took her sister's life, Eve isn't keen to stick around town for long. After more than a decade estrangement, Eve returns to her mother's home following her death. She's accompanied by her best friend Banjo, her faithful dog and best friend. He becomes just as real a character in the story as Eve.

The mood is instantly set with Eve's voice, it's clear she's not happy with her life and probably depressed. She carries a heavy weight- guilt- that has prevented her from moving forward with her life. She drinks a lot and doesn't care much for her appearance and she's self-depracating and lonely.

Cook’s narrative descriptions of the land are subtly interwoven into the story and even though it didn’t feel like much was happening in terms of the plot, I was certainly drawn into Eve's world. She intends to get the house on the market, take the money and move up north, but as she settles into the home characterised by both positive and negative memories of her childhood, she is drawn back into the rural lifestyle. In the second half of the book, or in fact probably the final third is when the suspense begins to ramp up and Eve is forced out of her melancholy and is to face big decisions in her life. Her dog is bitten by a snake and she also stands by the town when a nasty bushfire looms on them.

The appearance of Eve's ex-boyfriend from her teenage years takes her by surprise and to be honest I wasn't quite sure where the author intended to take this storyline given he was married to her childhood best friend and they had a young daughter together. There were also a few interactions with the local vet which hinted at possibilities of relationship development, however this wasn’t really explored in the story. Although I really wanted a romantic plot to ensue, I soon realised this wasn’t the purpose of the story, rather it was to explore Eve's identity and and the way in which she learns to make amends with her mistakes. I quite liked the emotional journey Eve went on, albeit it felt a little rushed at the end when a whole heap of stuff happened at once. But I did like seeing her kick into action and take charge of her life.

I really enjoyed Blackwattle Lake and was immediately drawn into the protagonist's world. I think Cook has made her mark on the rural fiction genre and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

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Jan 20, 2013 Jaye rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed eve's story of struggling to let go, Self forgiveness and acceptance. Is it possible the story is not yet finished with two possible story line available to be told??

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Jan 07, 2013 Trish Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved the setting and the fact this novel was about a personal emotion journey other than romance. Great read

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Dec 29, 2012 Melanie1999 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very good book!!!! I recommend this to anyone!!!!!

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Mar 17, 2013 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. Its 1:47am and I've just finished this book, and am desperately hoping that the rumours that Pamela Cook is writing a sequel are true. This book is nothing short of amazing and I very much look forward to reading more of Pamela Cook's writing in the future.

Full review to follow shortly.

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Shelves: owned, womens-fiction

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About Pamela Cook

Pamela is a writer and teacher whose love of words began as a child and developed into a career as a high school English teacher. Her love affair with words deepened and after completing a Masters Degree in Creative Writing she swapped the chalkboard for a keyboard and became a full time writer.Pamela teaches creative writing workshops and online courses through her business Justwrite Publishing (...more

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