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The Winds of Heaven

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 129 ratings · 30 reviews

When Fan was little she dreamed of magical countries in the far away blue hills. As she grew up she dreamed of love, and the boys came after her one by one by one.

Clementine thought her cousin Fan's house in the country had a special smell: of sun and dust and kerosene and the wild honey they ate for breakfast on their toast. But then there were the feelings: the anger th...more

Paperback, 268 pages

Published by Allen & Unwin (first published September 28th 2010)

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Aug 06, 2009 Liz rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, tearjerker

I confess, I skipped to the end of this book because I was sure something bad was going to happen, and I was right. It's a bit depressing. Well-written, but not well-written at the same time.

The story was the story of a young woman's (Fan's) life, but fundamentally pointless as a story to be told. Yes, it follows the life of a woman who is on the edge of society, but the ending is unsatisfactory and I couldn't leave my room for half an hour because my face hadn't yet returned to normal after cr...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Jennifer Conner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: engl-492

As young girls, two cousisns, Clementine and Fan (Francesca) made a pact with each other that they would be friends forever. . They were going to always keep in contact with each other and be each other’s bridesmaids for their weddings. However, distance and age changed those things.
Clementine was on track for valedictorian of her high school class and destined to go on to the university. While at home in Sydney, she was focused on school and being a good daughter to her parents. Clementine w...more As young girls, two cousisns, Clementine and Fan (Francesca) made a pact with each other that they would be friends forever. . They were going to always keep in contact with each other and be each other’s bridesmaids for their weddings. However, distance and age changed those things.
Clementine was on track for valedictorian of her high school class and destined to go on to the university. While at home in Sydney, she was focused on school and being a good daughter to her parents. Clementine was successful at these things, however, she always wished that she was more like her cousin Fan. “Grown up” in a sense.
Fan lived her young life in a magical world filled with fantasies of far away places. She got pregnant and married at the age of 15 when her fantasies came to a crashing halt. We are taken inside Fan’s life as she becomes a single mother taking care of one boy and has another one on the way. Fan deals with her life as it comes, but she is not happy. She wishes she could be more like her cousin, Clementine, who is smart and has the world at her fingertips.
Clarke provides us with an intricatly woven story about the lives of these two cousisns. Through this story we witness the heart felt account of the bonds of familial love.
I really enjoyed reading this story. It was different than any other story I have ever read. I thought it was nice change of pace. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between the two girls. The relationship reminded me of so many of my own. Ones that are not continuously active, however, I am able to just pick right back up where I left off. I liked how Clarke was able to show a contrast between the two girls, yet still demonstrate their bond together. I would reccomend this book a friend searching for a good book to read.
As a future English teacher, I could not see myself teaching this book to my students. The book taught a great lesson about the bonds between a family and staying true to the person you've become. However, there was no educational value demonstrated in the book. I don't young adults could easily understand this book. The narrator jumps around between three points of view throughout the story. First, we see the story from the first person of Clementine, then the first person of Fan, and finally we hear the story from the third person point of view. The structure of the novel seems as thorugh it would be confusing for younger adults to grasp. I would keep this book on my library shelf for the more advanced readers in my classroom.
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Nov 08, 2010 Susan Mann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very moving novel that left me in tears. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be beautiful.

I am in awe of the author who made me feel, smell ,hear and experience every emotion along with the two main characters Clementine and Fran.

The great ability of the author was not only to make you feel the experiences that were on the page but those that were hidden in the writing.

This is the story of two very different cousins, Clem who is shy and is brought up in a very supportive and st...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Sarai rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, general-fiction

This is a good book, but I didn't love it. It's pretty well written, but I just wasn't that interested in the people or the plot. Why did I give it a four star rating? Maybe I was influenced by the notation on the cover that the author was a Printz Honor Winner. I didn't dislike the book; I just can't get excited about it.

Product Description

Clementine thinks her cousin Fan is everything that she could never be: beautiful, imaginative, wild. The girls promise to be best friends and sisters after...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about this book.

In The Winds of Heaven, Judith Clarke introduces us to two girls/women who are both beautiful and strong in their own way. I truly loved both of them, and my heart ached when sad things happened to them. The writing is lovely and the voices were so very real. I could feel the heat and cold, the dusty earth and the gritty wind of the Australian desert--and I've never been there.

I hesitate to classify this as a YA book, even though that's whe...more I'm still trying to decide how I feel about this book.

In The Winds of Heaven, Judith Clarke introduces us to two girls/women who are both beautiful and strong in their own way. I truly loved both of them, and my heart ached when sad things happened to them. The writing is lovely and the voices were so very real. I could feel the heat and cold, the dusty earth and the gritty wind of the Australian desert--and I've never been there.

I hesitate to classify this as a YA book, even though that's where it was shelved at my library and the author is a Printz award winner. The way the book was written made it feel more "adult-ish" to me. It starts and ends with the perspective of an old woman, and the pivotal moment of the book occurs to girls who are, despite their literal age, adults. I don't know that I would have finished this had I picked it up as a teenager. I'm not saying that teenagers can't appreciate this novel--as those who enjoy literary reads certainly would--I just think it would be better classified as the type of adult fiction that mature teens often read.

And the treatment of suicide shocked me. I felt almost as if the author justified the suicide and made it a valid option for a young woman who had lived a hard life and made poor decisions (or had those decisions made for her) along the way. It was portrayed as a beautiful thing, and while the story did touch briefly on the grief it caused to the woman's adult, female friends, there was no mention of how such an act affected her children. The only indication that suicide is NOT the answer was at the very end of the acknowledgment section, where the author listed contact information for a suicide prevention hotline. It was almost like an afterthought, and I wonder how many people actually see it--I know I rarely read the acknowledgments...

So while I loved the colorful, lyrical way this story was written, I would have liked it better had she tried to make a better life for herself and her children, thereby offering hope to those who feel the way she did. The last thing teen readers need is a book that implies that suicide is acceptable.

I promise you, life is a better choice. It may be hard and there may be times you don't think that you can handle it, but the world will always be better with you in it. (less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Stefanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction, 2011, ya

In 1952, Clementine and her mother take a train trip across Australia to visit her cousin Fan, whom she barely remembers. The lovely girl she meets now is whimsical, almost magical- Fan’s always telling beautiful stories and making big dreams for the future. But the reality of Fan’s life isn’t magical, and although the two girls adore each other and make a pact to be sisters, they lose touch after their visit is over and reality sets in once again. Along with distance, Fan and Clementine become...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, teenage, cbc-book-of-the-year-2010

The best of the Book of the Year 2010 for older readers I think. Clementine stays with her cousin Fan, who lives in a small town in the Central West of NSW. Fan doesn't like school, but has a rich imagination which connects her to the land and in particular the hills far out of town which appear blue. Clementine, however, lives in the city and is a gifted student, who wins a scholarship to an expensive school and then the University. While Clemmie is at Uni, Fan has to get married at 15 when she...more

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Nov 21, 2010 elissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ad-for-ya, youngadult, my_10s_reads, australianauthors, historicalfiction

3 1/2 stars. Doesn't really read like a YA novel, but it's by a YA author, so it was published YA. I had an ARC of this from very early in the year, but when I saw the suicide hotline # in the back of the book, I realized that I wasn't at all in the mood to read something about suicide. I finally got around to reading it (unfortunately not before it was published, as I would have loved to email the editor my thoughts), and it was a fairly quick read for me by then time I was ready for it, but it...more

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Feb 10, 2011 Phoebe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Deborah, Cheryl, Nanci, Valerie

Not a cheery read, but oh, so beautifully written. I LOVED Australian Clarke's first book, which had some dark aspects but was wonderfully humorous. This second, unconnected effort is about two cousins growing up in the late 50s and early 60s and their life journeys--about how choices can sometimes feel like destiny. Clementine, safe and loved with a stable home life in the city, adores her older cousin Fan, who lives with a miserable, abusive mother in rural Lake Conapaira, but who seems to glo...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Chillihaute rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read One Whole and Perfect Day by the same author, thought it was mehh. In fact, not even mehh, but bleaugh. Why-did-this-book-get-so-mind-numbingly-boring-bleaugh. But I was surprised to find out that this was written by the same author (yes, I didn't find out till I did some *cough* BOOK STALKING *cough* on GR) because it wasn't too bad. Not mind-blowing awesome, but not bad. Good and interesting plot (doncha love aussie YA and their beautiful backgrounds. sigh.) and intriguing characters but...more

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Aug 21, 2010 Dodie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Clementine worships her cousin Fan, beautiful dreamy and abused Fan. Fan's mother goes on regular tirades, bitter about the husband that has left her, wishing for the bigger world outside of Lake Conapaira, Australia. Clem has more opportunity in her life, two supportive parents, and no wish to abandon her dreams of going to university. As they grow apart, the lives take completely divergent paths - and Fan's goes badly. This more than a simple coming of age story-Clarke delivers an atmospheric...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Tasha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen

An amazing book that takes a deep look at love, depression, sisterhood, and life. Clementine and Fan were opposites in many ways, but that just drew them closer. They were more sisters than cousins, pulled together over the summer they spent at Fan’s house in Lake Conapaira. Clementine was dull and regular next to the wild and amazing Fan. But Fan’s life was not good, living alone with her abusive mother now that both her father and older sister had left. Fan longed to head to the blue hills tha...more An amazing book that takes a deep look at love, depression, sisterhood, and life. Clementine and Fan were opposites in many ways, but that just drew them closer. They were more sisters than cousins, pulled together over the summer they spent at Fan’s house in Lake Conapaira. Clementine was dull and regular next to the wild and amazing Fan. But Fan’s life was not good, living alone with her abusive mother now that both her father and older sister had left. Fan longed to head to the blue hills that she could see from her room, knew that there was something special out there waiting for her. As time went on, both young women faced decisions that would change their lives, fears that would overwhelm them, and responsibilities that weighed upon them. This is a book about the two very different friends, who both relied on each other despite their distance from one another and the small choices that forced them even further apart.

Clarke’s writing is incandescent in this novel. My book bristles with bookmarks, marking passages where the writing is astounding and staggeringly lovely. Here is one of my favorites from early in the book where Clementine is describing how different Lake Conapaira is from her home:

"You could even smell the difference: a mixture of sun and dust, wild honey and the smoky tang from the old kerosene fridge on the back veranda. And you could smell feelings, too – Clementine was sure of it: you could smell anger and hatred and disappointment and jagged little fears. The anger smelled like iron and the disappointment smelled like mud."

Clarke moves from dense writing like this that truly brings a reader into the scene and makes it real to lighter moments, dwelling on certain thoughts for awhile. And beautifully, those are the moments that the reader carries with them, importantly through the book, the moments that must be remembered at the end.

This is an Australian novel that is steeped in Australia. Readers will feel the red dirt in the pages, thanks to the vivid descriptions that Clarke offers us. The sense of place is not only strong, it is inherent to the story. Clarke set this book in modern time but the bulk of the story takes place in the 1950s and 1960s as Clementine and Fan grow up. The time is important here too, reflected in the story.

The two characters, Fan and Clementine, are drawn with great care. Readers learn about how they think, how they approach the world, and the way the world has shaped them in turn. Though both girls are very different, they struggle with similar things. They both have moments of weakness and shame, paired with moments of strength and empowerment. They both see the other person as the strong one, the intelligent one, the beauty. It is what brings them together and also what drives them apart.

This is a book about our journey through life and the choices we make. It is a powerful book, one where even though the ending does not surprise is shockingly brutal at times. Yet with the brutality comes a beauty as well. Highly recommended, this is a book appropriate for good readers who will enjoy the prose. Appropriate for ages 15-17. Make sure you have some tissues around when reading the end.(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Sheila rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fan and Clementine are cousins. Different as night and day. Fan grows up in the country. She is abused by her mother. Her father left. Clementine grows up in the city. She is loved by her parents. Their lives take different paths. I wasn't sure what to expect. At first I wasn't really crazy about it but the ending packs quite a punch. Not what I hoped but this is definitely not a book you can walk away from and not remember it, not be changed by it. Wow!

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Jun 27, 2012 Elida rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can honestly say I liked the story line. Unfortunately, some stuff went of for pages and didn't really seem all that necessary. I did skip around alot, but somehow I knew something bad or interesting was going to happen so I stuck with it. Sad, very sad, but a good story. I just felt like the author was too much into describing scenes that were more important to her than the story.

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Jul 30, 2011 Jen added it

It was nice to read a book in which I knew the places. And it was also nice to see these issues dealt with, but it was slightly predictable. Still, it's important to discuss such things in books and all and I suppose considering that the main character was still quite young, then it's more natural that it really only skimmed the surface.

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Dec 23, 2010 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 60s, conduct-of-life, family, friendship, strong-girls

This book actually had me crying and that says alot. There was one particular scene in a library that I copied out for our staff to read. Lately I'm afraid of giving 5 stars immediately because once I gave a book 5 stars and a couple months later I had no memory of it. I expect I'll go back and give this one the additional star later.

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Aug 01, 2011 Michele Casper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This book was chosen as the very first selection in our new mother-daughter "book club", so it will always have a special place in my heart. My daughters and I all read the book then discussed it long distance. I can't say much about the story without giving away the ending, though. It takes place in Australia (where my youngest daughter is currently residing)and is about the friendship of two cousins who, though very unlike each other, find understanding and strength in each other. There were t...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-fiction

Another well-written title by Judith Clarke, author of One Whole and Perfect Day! This one deals with some of the same weighty subjects- family interactions, things left undone or forgotten, unexpected outcomes, and sadness mixed with a bittersweet happy ending.

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May 26, 2012 Hannah Dixon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Such a melancholy and thought-provoking read.
Very different to the usual fantasy books I read, yet regardless I still found it very engaging and sad and left me thinking about it for quite a while afterwards. Definitely recommended!

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Oct 14, 2011 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: older people

Recommended to Wendy by: no one

I disliked the book because it wasn't intresting to me . I don't recommend this book. It was very boring , and don't suggest people from my age group to read this. I think this book should be ready , maybe for older people.

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Jul 18, 2011 Heidi_veronica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a moving book, as Fan's life didn't sound very happy.
Clementines Imagination was pretty interesting, she was a young
girl hitten with adult terms such as: abuse, non-loved.
5/5 !
Judith Clarke is a descriptive author

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Jan 20, 2013 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-that-cover, young-adult, ya-abuse, small-town, makes-me-cry, suicide, crazy-moms, i-lost-my-mind

Oh my goodness. I absolutely love this book. It was so amazing to me, I loved Fan so much and I could tell towards the middle that my heart was going to break but I just couldn't control it. I had to read it, I had to finish it, and it surpassed my every expectation. It was slow in the beginning but it definitely picked up and we meet two girls who love each other but are raised as different as humanly possible. These differences make all the world in how they end up and unfortunately, one canno...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Clementine is 66 and reminiscing about her childhood in Sidney, Australia and her cousin, Fan. Fan lived in Lake Conapaira, a very rural, dry part of central Australia. Clementine and Fan only saw each other a few times because of the distance between them. Clementine lived in a city, went to school and was expected to win a place to university. Fan was just barely making it through school and wanted to get out as soon as possible, something her mother didn’t care about one way or the other.

Thei...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Mary Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book. The writing is beautiful and the story broke my heart. It unfolds slowly and is more of a story of characters than action.

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Mar 17, 2011 Chelsea Northrop rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

it was kind of boring to be honest but there was also lots of sad parts that made me tear up.

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Aug 19, 2011 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: challenge

I wish Fan and Clemmie didn't have to live so far apart

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Feb 21, 2012 Thia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, girl-stuff

family relationships, friendship

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Dec 15, 2010 BCPL Youth Services Librarian added it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, family-drama

Click to see book in BCPL's online catalog

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Feb 16, 2011 Alina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. This book was really inspired me. It's full of happiness and despair.

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Apr 05, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

really a 3.5. I liked the two main characters and it was sad to see that they were cousins but led such different lives.

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About Judith Clarke

Judith Clarke was born in Sydney and educated at the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University in Canberra. She has worked as a teacher and librarian, and in Adult Education in Victoria and New South Wales.

A major force in YA fiction both in Australia and internationally, Judith Clarke's novels include the multi-award-winning Wolf on the Fold, as well as Friend of my Hea...more

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