Theresa Smith's Blog, page 136

New Release Book Review: The Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning

The Jade Lily…
About the Book:

In 2016, fleeing London with a broken heart, Alexandra returns to Australia to be with her grandparents, Romy and Wilhelm, when her grandfather is dying. With only weeks left together, her grandparents begin to reveal the family mysteries they have kept secret for more than half a century. In 1939, two young girls meet in Shanghai, the ‘Paris of the East’: beautiful local Li and Viennese refugee Romy form a fierce friendship. But the deepening shadows of World War Two fall over the women as Li and Romy slip between the city’s glamorous French Concession and the desperate Shanghai Ghetto. Eventually, they are forced separate ways as Romy doubts Li’s loyalties. After Wilhelm dies, Alexandra flies to Shanghai, determined to trace her grandparents’ past. As she peels back the layers of their hidden lives, she begins to question everything she knows about her family – and herself. A gorgeously told tale of female friendship, the price of love, and the power of hardship and courage to shape us all.

 

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My Thoughts:

The Jade Lily is Australian author Kirsty Manning’s second novel, but it is my first experience of her talent. I’ve read a lot of WWII fiction but my choices have been predominately set in Europe. Even though I have studied WWII history, my knowledge of the war in the Pacific is still more limited than what I know of Europe, so reading this novel set in Shanghai over the war years was an enlightening experience. I had no idea, for example, that Shanghai had opened its borders to Jewish refugees prior to 1940. They didn’t even need a visa. The cultural history documented within this novel is incredible, providing an eye opening atmospheric journey that is second to none. Shanghai must have been one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world at that point in time.

 

Kirsty has taken a period of time in history and carved her story into a setting that is quite significant in Jewish history. One thing that was so apparent to me while reading The Jade Lily was the absolute extent of human suffering throughout WWII on a global scale. Stories like this are grounding, they reinforce the importance of humanity uniting and persevering in the pledge for peace. There is a scene towards the end of The Jade Lily where the US are bombing the Jewish ghetto and everyone bands together to dig people out and provide assistance: Jewish, Chinese, the Japanese soldiers; everyone is united with a single purpose and that shining example of humanity in action brought me to tears. Within such devastation, hope exists.

“Everywhere she looked, Chinese, Jewish and Japanese people were working frantically together to free or resuscitate victims.”

I really feel Kirsty provided a balanced account of the occupation of Shanghai demonstrating on many occasions how the Japanese soldiers were not all brutal; some were, but some were understanding and sympathetic, a cross section that is not dissimilar to the rest of the population. The authenticity of this representation was something I appreciated immensely. Sometimes, good people are forced to do bad things to survive. Shades of grey permeate so many areas for so many people and in times of war the rules are constantly shifting. Kirsty demonstrated this with precision for all of her characters and this human fallibility assures this novel has a presence in my list of top WWII fiction titles.

 

Both storylines in each era were equally as engaging, but their close link ensured that you never felt as though you were reading two separate stories, a juggle that is ever present for writers of dual timelines. Shanghai in the WWII era was just as vibrant on the page as present day Shanghai and I loved how Alexandra visited places and noted the changes for her grandmother. There is a lot about Chinese medicine in this story and I personally found all of it fascinating. It’s a type of medicine I have dabbled with in terms of treatment and I was keenly interested in the scope and integrity of it from a Chinese perspective. Themes of love and honour were woven through the narrative, the endurance of family bonds and strong friendships, of protecting your loved ones even if it compromises your integrity. I loved so much about this novel, I read late into the night past midnight even though I had to go to work the next day because I couldn’t bear to put it down. It’s definitely a top read for me, a highlight of my reading year so far.

“To live, when those you love are dead, is a cruel, bitter luck.”

 

Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Jade Lily for review.

About the Author:

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Kirsty Manning grew up in northern New South Wales. A country girl with wanderlust, her travels and studies have taken her through most of Europe, the east and west coasts of the United States and pockets of Asia. Kirsty’s first novel was the enchanting The Midsummer Garden published in 2017. The Jade Lily, compelling and pacey, is her second book. Kirsty is a partner in the award-winning Melbourne wine bar Bellota, and the Prince Wine Store in Sydney and Melbourne. She lives with her husband and three children amid an old chestnut grove in the Macedon Ranges, Victoria.

 

Behind the Pen with Christine Wells

Today it gives me great pleasure to welcome Christine Wells to Behind the Pen with a few of her favourites and a chance to win a signed copy of her latest release, The Juliet Code. Over to you Christine…

 

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What is your favourite…and why…

 

Character from one of your books?

That is such a tough question! I think when it comes to The Juliet Code, my favourite character would have to be my WWII British code-breaker, Felix. He is such an intelligent, witty man and he has to stand by and watch the woman he loves go on a mission into occupied France that she probably won’t survive. It’s a real role reversal, particularly in the World War II era. While he respects and supports Juliet, he also wants to be able to protect her and he struggles with what it means to be a man in time of war.

 

Scene from one of your books?

[image error]There is a scene that sticks in my mind from The Traitor’s Girl (although I don’t know if it’s my favourite of all time). My protagonist, Carrie, is getting ready for a party at the British embassy in Paris before the war and she has just discovered the man she has been falling in love with is a traitor and possibly responsible for her mother’s death. There is a very tense scene where she is trying to come to grips with the knowledge, and he… well, you can read the scene on my website! http://christine-wells.com/bookshelf/the-traitors-girl/

 

 

Movie of all time?

Ask me on a different day and I would have a different answer, but the Emma Thompson/Ang Lee version of Sense and Sensibility is the one that comes to mind as a favourite. I think Emma Thompson has a perfect understanding of Austen’s world.

 

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Book that you always keep a copy of and recommend to others?

Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel. Maass is a literary agent who has analysed what makes a bestseller and translated his findings into a very valuable text on good writing and engaging reader emotion. Fiction: I often recommend Philippa Gregory’s Wideacre. The main character is Scarlett O’Hara on crack. She is irredeemably bad, so if you need a sympathetic main character to enjoy a story, Wideacre is not for you.

 

Fashion accessory that despite having plenty of, you still keep collecting?

Handbags! Specifically, beautiful Spencer & Rutherford ones that I keep buying online.

 

Drink that you enjoy everyday?

Coffee. There is nothing like that first morning cup!

 

Treat you indulge in?

Scorched almonds are my favourite indulgence.

 

Place to be?

London. I could never get tired of London. There is so much history to explore.

 

Person you admire?

There are so many, but I’ll choose Kate Forsyth. Aside from being a brilliant writer, academic and speaker, she is so very generous and kind.

 

Season of the year?

Summer. I love the beach in the summer and the chance to spend relaxed, fun time with my family and friends.

 

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About The Juliet Code:

[image error]It is 1947 and Juliet Barnard was a British wireless operator in occupied France during the war. When SAS Captain Steve McIntyre asks her help finding his sister, Juliet’s comrade, Denise, Juliet must face terrible guilt about her part in Denise’s disappearance and hunt down the Nazi commandant who held them both captive.

 

Win a signed copy of The Juliet Code!

Christine is offering readers an opportunity to win a signed copy of The Juliet Code. Just answer the following question here in the comments to be entered into the competition:

In World War II many secret agents had code names like “Witch” “Dancer” “the White Mouse” or even “Tricycle”. What code name would you choose and why?

*Competition open to Australian addresses only – closes 20/05/2018*

 

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Page by Page Bookclub Titles for May

The Page by Page Bookclub with Theresa Smith Writes is an online bookclub with an emphasis on books written by Australian Women, chatting in a setting that is above all else, friendly and inclusive. Flexible reading timelines and multiple titles to pick from each month. And lots of chatter…

Each month’s books will be posted here on the blog, and if you’re not on Facebook but would still like to read along, please feel free to let me know in the comments on the monthly book post. The chatter will be in the group but I’d still love to hear your thoughts on the titles read.

For the month of May, we have three great new releases to choose from. Read one, two or all! Head over to Page by Page Bookclub with Theresa Smith Writes on Facebook to join in with the discussion.

Book 1 for May: Historical Fiction

The Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning

[image error]In 2016, fleeing London with a broken heart, Alexandra returns to Australia to be with her grandparents, Romy and Wilhelm, when her grandfather is dying. With only weeks left together, her grandparents begin to reveal the family mysteries they have kept secret for more than half a century.

In 1939, two young girls meet in Shanghai, the ‘Paris of the East’: beautiful local Li and Viennese refugee Romy form a fierce friendship. But the deepening shadows of World War Two fall over the women as Li and Romy slip between the city’s glamorous French Concession and the desperate Shanghai Ghetto. Eventually, they are forced separate ways as Romy doubts Li’s loyalties.

After Wilhelm dies, Alexandra flies to Shanghai, determined to trace her grandparents’ past. As she peels back the layers of their hidden lives, she begins to question everything she knows about her family – and herself.

A gorgeously told tale of female friendship, the price of love, and the power of hardship and courage to shape us all.

Book 2 for May: Contemporary Fiction

The Art of Friendship by Lisa Ireland

[image error]We all expect our friendships from childhood to last forever…

Libby and Kit have been best friends ever since the day 11-year-old Kit bounded up to Libby’s bedroom window. They’ve seen each other through first kisses, bad break-ups and everything in-between. It’s almost 20 years since Libby moved to Sydney, but they’ve remained close, despite the distance and the different paths their lives have taken.

So when Libby announces she’s moving back to Melbourne, Kit is overjoyed. They’re best friends – practically family – so it doesn’t matter that she and Libby now have different…well, different everything, actually, or so it seems when they’re finally living in the same city again.

Or does it?

Book 3 for May: Fantasy Fiction

The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross

[image error]I am neither monster nor man – yet I am both.

I am the Beast.

I know why I was cursed; I know the legacy of evil I carry in my tainted blood. So how could she ever love me?

My Isabeau. She opened my eyes, my mind and my heart when I was struggling just to be human.

And now I might lose her forever.

Lose yourself in this gorgeously rich and magical retelling of The Beauty and the Beast that finally lays bare the beast’s heart.

To join the Page by Page Bookclub with Theresa Smith Writes, head over to the Facebook group and request to join. Look forward to seeing you over there!

 

New Release Book Review: Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin

Paper Ghosts…
About the Book:

Carl Louis Feldman is an old man who once took photographs. That was before he was tried for murder and acquitted. Before dementia and his admission to a Texas care facility. Now his daughter has come to see him, to take him on a trip.

Only she’s not his daughter, and, if she has her way, he’s not coming back . . .

Because Carl’s past has finally caught with him. The woman driving the car is convinced he’s guilty, and that he’s killed other young women. Including her sister Rachel.

Now they’re driving across Texas, following his photographs, his clues, his crimes. To see if he remembers any of it. To discover what happened to Rachel.

Has Carl truly forgotten what he did or is he just pretending? Perhaps he’s guilty of nothing and she’s the liar. Either way, in driving him into the Texan badlands she’s taking a terrible risk.

For if Carl really is a serial killer, she’s alone in the most dangerous place of all . . .

 

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My Thoughts:

Julia Heaberlin is my queen of psychological thrillers. Her stories drip with dread while also beating with a strong heart. Paper Ghosts has a such a chilling premise, revenge in extremis. The minute I had this book in my hands, all others were left on the pile, and I hardly ever do that, being the methodical reader that I am.

 

When Grace was twelve, her nineteen year old sister vanished, never to be seen or heard from again. As the investigation ran cold, Grace’s quest for uncovering the truth just burned hotter. Through Grace, Julia picks apart the devastating effects an unsolved crime can have on a family and the lengths a person might go to in order to achieve a sense of closure. I really loved Grace, despite her recklessness and her low regard for her own life. She was incredibly focused, highly intelligent, and far braver than she gave herself credit for. But her personal investment in the case she was determined to solve was the one thing blocking her from actually solving it. Her pain was raw and I don’t think she went into this road trip with a plan for what was going to happen after, which really weighed on me and broke my heart for her.

 

Carl is suffering from early onset dementia. In his early sixties, he has been acquitted for murder and is living out the rest of his days in a state nursing home. He remains a person of interest in relation to several missing women, but a lack of evidence determines his ongoing freedom. Formerly a successful photographer, he is no longer trusted with a camera, since it is widely believed since his trial that his photography is linked to his victims. Through Carl, Julia speculates on just how circumstantial court cases can be, and how easy it is to see what we want to see, rather than the truth that is waiting in the wings. She also shows, once again, just how sticky mud is. Once thrown, it’s almost impossible to shake off, and you’re left contemplating just how many people live out their lives bearing weight of another person’s crime.

 

I’m going to have to ramble in a vague and hopefully enticing fashion for the rest of this review because no one likes a thriller spoiled. Paper Ghosts has a very human side to it and the journey is equally as important as the ending. As Grace and Carl set out on their road trip, you have to wonder where her head is. Deliberately provoking a serial killer in a confined space seems like a death wish. Yet Grace is fearless. And she’s prepared for everything…except for Carl himself. Because he has way about him, a natural wit and devil-may-care attitude that is hard to resist. And it becomes apparent, as the days pass, that the two have formed a bond, as hard as that is to believe. I really enjoyed seeing the relationship unfold – even considering Carl’s status as a supposed serial killer.

“I wish I’d thought to ask Carl for his more industrial flashlight. How weird and dysfunctional is our relationship that I’m certain my sister’s killer would obligingly agree to give me the better flashlight. That, minutes earlier, without a thought, I’d let him drink the last drop out of my water bottle.”

 

The trip is of course mutually beneficial. Grace feels as though she will get retribution for her sister. Carl gets to escape the nursing home and indulge in a few culinary delights. But somewhere along the way, Carl changes the game, and instead of Grace dictating the rules and laying the trap, he begins to the use the road trip to his own advantage. Carl is a fascinating character. He clearly has dementia, but he’s not so befuddled that he loses his edge. There are many times where I was consumed with dread, unsure on what he was going to do next. He excelled at the cat and mouse routine and was clearly enjoying himself for much of the trip. He’s an excellent example of impeccable characterisation.

“Lying is a delightful thing, for it leads to truth. That’s Dostoyevsky. Lots of shit happens in a barn. That’s pure Carl Feldman.”

 

There was a heady atmosphere infused throughout the story. Texas appears larger than life, almost like a character itself. And who knew that Texas had such a bloody history? Julia wove these historical incidents of crime into the narrative with style, ramping up the dread, case by case. It was also quite fascinating! Texas is of course an enormous state and this vastness was conveyed along with a sense of lawlessness. Guns were common, and even expected. A tension simmered as intensely as the relentless heat. And when you drive around poking sleeping bears, some of them wake up. In terms of resolution, this novel wraps up especially well. More than one case is solved, but sometimes even resolution fails to bring complete peace and happiness. There’s that reality check that is threaded all the way through each of Julia Heaberlin’s novels. And I love her all the more for it.

 

Paper Ghosts is an incredible read. It kept me guessing all the way through and reading long into the night. I highly recommend it as one of 2018’s top thrillers.

 

Paper Ghosts is published by Penguin Random House in the UK, USA, and Australia.

About the Author:

Julia Heaberlin grew up in Decatur, Texas, a small town that sits under a big sky. It provided a dreamy girl with a great library, a character behind every door, and as many secrets as she’d find anyplace else. An award-winning journalist, she has worked as an editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Morning News and the Detroit News. Paper Ghosts is her fourth psychological thriller set in Texas. She lives near Dallas/Fort Worth with her husband and has a son who attends the University of Texas at Austin.

 

New Release Book Review: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart…
About the Book:

An enchanting and captivating novel, about how our untold stories haunt us – and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.

After her family suffers a tragedy, nine-year-old Alice Hart is forced to leave her idyllic seaside home. She is taken in by her grandmother, June, a flower farmer who raises Alice on the language of Australian native flowers, a way to say the things that are too hard to speak.

 

Under the watchful eye of June and the women who run the farm, Alice settles, but grows up increasingly frustrated by how little she knows of her family’s story. In her early twenties, Alice’s life is thrown into upheaval again when she suffers devastating betrayal and loss. Desperate to outrun grief, Alice flees to the dramatically beautiful central Australian desert. In this otherworldly landscape Alice thinks she has found solace, until she meets a charismatic and ultimately dangerous man.

 

Spanning two decades, set between sugar cane fields by the sea, a native Australian flower farm, and a celestial crater in the central desert, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart follows Alice’s unforgettable journey, as she learns that the most powerful story she will ever possess is her own.

 

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My Thoughts:

Guilt, grief, and the toxic effect of harbouring family secrets play out in this enchanting and heartfelt novel by debut Australian author, Holly Ringland. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a story that orbits around wildflowers. The book itself is utterly gorgeous, from the cover through to the artwork detailed throughout. The chapters are each named for a specific wildflower/bush/grass that directly relates to the themes contained within. The meaning is given for each, along with a short description of the characteristics. This was a delightfully unique touch that culminated in greater importance by the end of the novel.

 

This is not a light story though and should be approached with caution if you’ve ever experienced family violence. The first 70 odd pages contain themes that may have a trigger effect for some readers. In saying this though, I will point out that Holly Ringland handled this with great sensitivity. There’s something about her writing though that really gets under your skin. It’s more in what she leaves unsaid than in any explicit renderings. The narrative sweeps along, visually appealing as well as deeply heartfelt. There were many moments throughout where I breaked from reading for reflection.

 

Character development is strong within this novel and we get a full range of personalities and interactions. Holly Ringland brought her characters to life with such vivid realism, and consequently, I found myself developing strong feelings for many. I felt protective of Alice, right the way through. I adored Candy and Twig, the two women who brought Alice up alongside her grandmother June, but as to June herself, I pretty much loathed her and thought she was incredibly selfish. She made some questionable choices – on more than one occasion – that had a detrimental effect on Alice’s well being. I really felt that much of what Alice went through in the latter part of the novel could be attributed to June’s dishonesty. Sally was a truly beautiful woman and I’m so glad she got the opportunity to play a greater part in Alice’s life. Sally did for Alice in adulthood what June should have done for her in childhood. Lulu was a fantastic friend and it gave me a lot of joy to see Alice make such a solid female friendship, a type of relationship that had been lacking in her life up until that point.

 

Alice is raised on an Australian wildflower farm, and her grandmother June teaches her the family tradition of speaking through flowers, something I found both beautiful and terrible all at once. Beautiful, because how lovely to be able to communicate a gesture or heartfelt moment with the right flower. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say, we just feel too much. But on the other hand, this family had communicated every important thing through flowers for so long that they no longer knew how to simply talk about the tough stuff, leading to terrible consequences and heartache for Alice. June hid her words behind flowers and let her own selfish desires determine her actions. It affected her son, Clem, and then reached into the next generation with Alice, who had difficulty as well with communicating when she really needed to. I liked how Alice overcame this at the end and made the language of flowers bend to her own will, using them to tell her story rather than using them to avoid confronting it.

 

I was disappointed to discover from the author notes that the setting that forms the backdrop of Alice working in the Outback was entirely made up. I understand why this is so, but the cultural history outlined and the description of the place held such a ring of truth that I was completely captivated by these parts. To find out after the fact that the place doesn’t exist was a bit of a let down. I read so much fiction inspired by fact that I’ve come to expect it with every novel now. On the flip side of this, the author details in her notes the lengths she went to in order to achieve this authenticity of setting and cultural presence, an impressive effort that certainly paid off. It may be made up, but it’s essence is grounded in truth.

 

All in all, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a deeply moving novel that will enchant, captivate, repel, and consume you all at once. I feel as though I haven’t even come close to covering all this novel contains but it is such an incredible story with so many themes and I’m loathe to delve too deep for fear of spoiling key plotlines. I’ll leave you now with my favourite scene of all, when a traumatised little girl first discovers the beauty of her new home.

 

“At the last window, Alice’s heart started racing. Behind the house and the shed, row upon row of different bushes and blooms stretched into fields for as far as she could see. She was surrounded by a sea of flowers.”

 

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia.

About the Author:

Holly Ringland grew up wild and barefoot in her mother’s tropical garden in Northern Australia. When she was nine years old, her family lived in a camper van for two years in North America, travelling from one national park to another, an experience that sparked Holly’s lifelong interest in cultures and stories. In her twenties, Holly worked for four years in a remote Indigenous community in the central Australian desert. She moved to England in 2009 and obtained her MA in Creative Writing from the University of Manchester in 2011. She now lives between the UK and Australia. Holly’s essays and short fiction have been published in various anthologies and literary journals. In 2015, the first chapter of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart won Griffith Review’s annual writer award, which included a week-long fellowship at Varuna House, Australia’s top national writing residency.

www.hollyringland.com

 

Thoughts on a Bookish TV mini-series: The White Queen

I’ve spent the last couple of days immersed in the last twenty years of The War of the Roses, a volatile time in English history, whereupon the death of King Richard III resulted in the end of The Middle Ages and the beginning of the reign of The House Of Tudor. The White Queen is based upon the three novels by Phillipa Gregory, collectively titled The Cousins’ War and individually are: The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmakers Daughter.

 

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I haven’t actually read these novels (yet), but there are two that bracket these three that I am keen to read asap. The White Princess, which effectively continues this story on and The Lady of the Rivers, which comes before The White Queen. Due to time constraints, I may rely on the series for the middle three novels. Depends how swept up in The Lady of the Rivers I get. I do like Phillipa Gregory so I may just re-prioritise my book commitments. You never know.

 

 

 

 

Onto the mini-series. There are 10 episodes and it tells the whole story comprehensively. It was released in 2013, so it’s definitely not new and it’s pretty typical of me to discover things after they’ve had their heyday. I really enjoyed this series, particularly how it was all condensed down into one production. My time is so limited, and while I love a good historical drama, I just can’t commit to multiple seasons. The Tudors, for example, took me ages to get through, it just kept going, and while I loved it, I really needed to get to the end. It was taking up too much of my reading time. These ten hours for The White Queen were much more do-able.

 

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The costumes were gorgeous, but one thing I did note, was that the female characters wore their dresses more than once. How refreshing, and probably more authentic to the times than only ever wearing a dress once! I found the complicated storyline really well laid out and easy to follow. The characters all seemed well cast with a few familiar faces popping up. Most notable of these is James Frain, cast as the Kingmaker, Warrick. He was of course Cromwell in The Tudors. He really does do ‘king making’ and treason well. There was also Eleanor Tomlinson, who is of course Demelza in Poldark, and David Oakes, who plays Ernst in Victoria. I like seeing these good actors popping up in other period dramas. A special mention needs to made for the mothers: the dowager Queen who was played by Caroline Goodall, and Queen Elizabeth’s mother Jacquetta who was played by Janet McTeer. Both of these women played their characters superbly, individualising them and giving them a solid presence to every scene they graced.

 

The three women at the centre of all of this turmoil, Elizabeth (the White Queen), Margaret (Henry Tudor’s mother), and Anne (the Kingmaker’s daughter married to Richard III), were all equally as engaging. I neither loved nor disliked one over the other. They each had a presence, they each roused my sympathies, and they each had their rise and fall. Richard was my favourite in the end. He was so honourable, yet constantly misjudged and rarely given the benefit of the doubt. A reluctant King, he was too far removed from the crown to have ever lusted after it, yet there it was, placed onto his head. He loved Anne, yet her guilty conscience over the disappearance of the two princes in the tower caused her to push him away, disintegrating what had been depicted as a solid marriage. I felt for Richard, so many times, as he lost both of his brothers, his son, and then his wife, not to mention the betrayals he suffered, over and over. I shed a tear for him when he died in battle – nobody else was! More’s the pity. I think he might be my favourite king from history now. Welsh actor, Aneurin Barnard, brought Richard to life well, with his broody good looks. As the episodes progressed, he seemed to become even more handsome – what is THAT about?!

 

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If you haven’t seen The White Queen and you enjoy historical drama, this will not disappoint. If you have seen it, did you enjoy it? I’d love to hear what you thought, either about the series or the books.

My Reading Life: #aww2018 Challenge Checkpoint 2

[image error]Well, it’s lucky I decided to number these checkpoint posts rather than title them monthly because I’m definitely not keeping up with them! My last one was in early February, marking of 12 reviews towards my 2018 Australian Women Writers Challenge. We’re now on the verge of May, so I thought it high time I checked my progess. In total, I’ve read 35 books for #aww2018. Here are the latest 23, with titles linked to my original reviews.

Lady Bird and The Fox by Kim Kelly

The Lucky Galah by Tracy Sorensen

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

The Passengers by Eleanor Limprecht

The Red Door by Rosa Fedele

The Cowgirl by Anthea Hodgson

Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer

P is for Pearl by Eliza Henry Jones

The Memories That Make Us by Vanessa Carnevale

In the Garden Of The Fugitives by Ceridwen Dovey

Three Gold Coins by Josephine Moon

You Wish by Lia Weston

The Secrets We Keep by Shirley Patton

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester

The Lace Weaver by Lauren Chater

Making Peace by Fiona McCallum

Mine by Susi Fox

The Afghan Wife by Cindy Davies

Mother’s Day by Fiona McArthur

Little Gods by Jenny Ackland

The Three of Us by Kim Lock

The Art of Friendship by Lisa Ireland

Fool’s Gold by Fleur McDonald

 

New Release Book Review: Fool’s Gold by Fleur McDonald plus Behind the Pen with Fleur

Fool’s Gold…
About the Book:

Written with Fleur’s trademark warmth and outstanding storytelling, newly badged Detective Dave Burrows and his reluctant wife arrive in the West Australian goldfields town of Barrabine where gold stealing is rife and the prospectors live by their own tough rules.

‘To Dave, the posting to Barrabine was exactly what he’d wanted – it was a town on the edge, the wild west. There would be excitement, mystery and intrigue here. Everything a detective looked for.’

Detective Dave Burrows’ first posting to the far west goldfields town of Barrabine in 1997 holds everything he’s looking for, but Melinda, his wife of two weeks, is devastated at leaving behind her family, friends and career. More comfortable in heels than RM Williams, Melinda walked away from her much-loved job in the city as a paediatric nurse to follow Dave into the bush.

 

Dave settles in easily to the plain-speaking toughness of his new town, determined to do well, knowing that Barrabine could be his stepping stone into the elite stock squad. But will his marriage last the distance? As Dave investigates reports of mysterious late-night trespassing, a missing person, and guns being drawn on strangers, a local prospector phones in with horrific news that could hold the key to everything.

 

Fleur McDonald’s bestselling rural storytelling takes her popular detective, Dave Burrows, back to his compelling and exciting beginnings.

 

 

My Thoughts:

Fool’s Gold heralds the beginning of a series revolving around an old favourite for fans of Fleur McDonald: Detective Dave Burrows. We meet Dave as he begins his first posting as a Detective, way back in 1997, in a far flung Western mining town called Barrabine. Married only for two weeks, Dave and his wife Melinda must navigate their new marriage in a new town with new jobs and new friends. Dave jumps right in, eager to be there and keen to earn his stripes, but Melinda struggles, ill at ease with her surroundings, mourning the loss of her job and no longer being close to her family. Within days of beginning his new job, Dave scores a murder case, pulling him further into his new life and leaving Melinda to her own devices. Fortunately, a wake up call is on the horizon for Melinda, and she soon has a focus of her own that in no small way solidifies the pair back onto the same united path.

 

Fool’s Gold has all the ingredients necessary for a cracking good book. I’ve always been keen on police procedural stories. In combining this focus with a rural setting, Fleur has established a firm grounding for a series that promises much and delivers even more. Detective Dave Burrows is an interesting character. Some past baggage, but not too angsty, I was pleased that he begins this journey married. The lone detective who just can’t commit because of the job is all too common and a tad overdone. Melinda, likewise, appealed to me greatly. I’ve been in a similar position to her when I moved out west so my husband could take a job. Leaving your own job, your friends, your regular outings and swapping it all for a dusty mining town in the middle of no where is a tough gig. Like Melinda, things didn’t fall into place for me until I had a job I enjoyed. My ability to relate to Melinda and the setting on such a personal level no doubt greatly enhanced my enjoyment of this novel.

 

Fool’s Gold also contains a short story at the end which tells of Dave’s expulsion from his family farm. This was a nice little addition and provided some valuable context on Dave’s farm to police force sea change. Fleur has tapped into some serious issues in Fool’s Gold as well as harnessed many themes common to living in remote communities, both good and bad. There’s a natural flow to the narrative that speaks of life experience, insider knowledge, and solid research. I think both Dave and Melinda offer much in terms of solidity as characters at the core of a new series. As much as I liked Dave’s police work, Melinda’s work as a community health nurse was equally as engaging.

 

I highly recommend Fool’s Gold to readers who are new to Fleur McDonald – established fans would no doubt have already read it or at least have it on their list! It’s the sort of novel that suits readers of all tastes, making it an ideal gift choice.

 

Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of Fool’s Gold for review.

Behind the Pen with Fleur McDonald:

I was lucky enough to have Fleur drop by for a Behind the Pen chat, so I took the opportunity to find out about a few of her favourites…

Over to you Fleur! What is your favourite…and why…

 

Character from one of your books?

Detective Dave Burrows and his wife Melinda are my favourite characters to write; they’re fun and down to earth, and they have the fabulous relationship with each other. I’ve always loved reading mystery and crime novels, so it seemed obvious to me I should have a detective in the books I write. When I created Dave, I certainly didn’t expect how much my readers would love him too!

 

Scene from one of your books?

Oh now that’s a tricky one! I think I love all the scenes which involve farming. I’m a details girl and every time I write something to do with the land, I can see it playing out in my mind like a mini-movie. It’s the small details which makes my writing authentic and having lived and farmed on the land for twenty years, I know it like the back of my hand. Writing about it reminds me how wonderful that kind of life is.

 

Movie of all time?

Pretty Woman… I’m still waiting for my very own Richard Gere!

 

Book that you always keep a copy of and recommend to others?

The Poet by Michael Connelly. I’ve loved Michael’s writing since 2004. I was heading to hospital for surgery and knew I’d want something to read, so I headed into a bookshop and found the biggest book I could – a three-in-one collection of his novels. I inhaled the whole book but re-read the Poet about four times. That’s the perfect setup of keeping the reader in suspense until the very final pages!

 

Fashion accessory that despite having plenty of, you still keep collecting?

Earrings. When you’re working on a farm, it’s really unsafe to wear much jewelry, so it wasn’t something I wore at all. Of course, then, when I’d put on a bracelet or ring, it would feel foreign and uncomfortable, so I never bothered. But earrings – I wear most of the time. In fact, if you see me without earrings, you’ll know I’m not feeling well!

 

Drink that you enjoy everyday?

I could say wine, but I’m doing my best to give that up! So, let’s stick with coffee. There’s nothing more lovely than a morning cup of steaming hot coffee, while I sit on my verandah and plan my day. I’ve usually got three dogs sitting at my feet when I do that, so really, what more could you ask for?

 

Treat you indulge in?

I’m not a sweet tooth at all; my vice is chips – hot or packet. Doesn’t bother me. But again, I’m trying to give these up…

 

Place to be?

My favourite place in the entire world is sitting on the bank of the creek at my mum and dad’s station in the Flinders Ranges. I love lots of places; Denmark and Margaret River in WA, Tamworth, anywhere in the Snowy Mountains, but the creek is the best. It seems to pack some kind of healing and peaceful qualities about it, so by the time I leave, I feel refreshed and ready to face the world.

 

Person you admire?

Far too many to mention! Catherine Marriott is one of my besties and I’m always in awe of what she’s achieving and the difference she’s making in the agricultural world.

 

Season of the year?

Winter; hot chocolates, beef stews, fresh bread and red wine. Do I need to say more?

More About Fleur:

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Fleur McDonald is one of Australia’s leading rural literature authors, with her books becoming best sellers almost as quickly as they hit the shelves. She has solidified her position as one of the country’s favourite storytellers.

Fleur draws inspiration from having lived and worked for much of her life on a farm – including early life on her parent’s property in regional SA, and more recently on her 8000acre property in regional WA.

Fleur likes to write about strong women overcoming adversity, drawing inspiration from her own experiences in rural Australia. She is the best-selling author of Red Dust, Blue Skies, Purple Roads, Silver Clouds and Crimson Dawn, Emerald Springs, Indigo Storm, Sapphire Falls, The Missing Pieces of Us and Suddenly One Summer, as well as the eBook exclusive If You Were Here. Fool’s Gold begins the story of the popular Detective Dave Burrows.

She lives in Esperance, WA with her two children, Rochelle and Hayden, a Jack Russell terrier, Rocket.

https://fleurmcdonald.com

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FOOL’S GOLD by Fleur McDonald is published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $29.99, out now!

 

 

New Release Book Review: The Pharmacist’s Wife by Vanessa Tait

The Pharmacist’s Wife…
About the Book:

A dark and thrilling tale of Victorian addiction, vengeance and self-discovery.

Love. Desire. Vengeance. A deadly alchemy.

 

When Rebecca Palmer’s new husband opens a pharmacy in Victorian Edinburgh, she expects to live the life of a well-heeled gentlewoman. But her ideal is turns to ashes when she discovers her husband is not what he seems. As Rebecca struggles to maintain her dignity in the face of his infidelity and strange sexual desires, Alexander tries to pacify her so-called hysteria with a magical new chemical creation. A wonder-drug he calls heroin.

 

Rebecca’s journey into addiction takes her further into her past, and her first, lost love, while Alexander looks on, curiously observing his wife’s descent. Meanwhile, Alexander’s desire to profit from his invention leads him down a dangerous path that blurs science, passion, and death. He soon discovers that even the most promising experiments can have unforeseen and deadly consequences…

 

Reminiscent of the works of Sarah Waters, this is a brilliantly observed piece of Victoriana which deals with the disempowerment of women, addiction, desire, sexual obsession and vengeance.

 

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My Thoughts:

The Pharmacist’s Wife is exactly my type of novel. Historical fiction set in the Victorian era with a creepy gothic undertone orbiting around an horrific abuse of power. All it was missing was the mental asylum, but the threat of it was there, so ticks all round! This story put me in mind of one of my all time favourite television series, Penny Dreadful, and it was thrilling to read a novel that harnessed that vibe so thoroughly.

 

Imagine a man, a scientific man, who is clever and focused. This man has invented a drug that promises so much, but he needs to conduct a study. So he actively seeks out a wife, deliberately selecting a woman who is alone, and therefore unprotected. And unbeknownst to her, he begins to give her his new drug and is able to embark upon his terrible research. And there is no one to stop him, because he is a respected pharmacist, a man of science, and she is just a woman. Hysterical and in need of care. Are you creeped out yet? You should be, and this is only the half of it.

 

Alexander and his business partner, Mr Badcock, are truly despicable men. While Alexander seeks scientific glory, Badcock seeks riches, so the two work together in a bid to achieve this with Alexander’s invented wonder drug: heroin. In addition to experimenting on his wife, two other women fall victim to their trap, and Alexander sets about observing these three women as they each spiral deeper into their heroin addiction. Alexander and Badcock both have rather depraved sexual desires and this of course undermines their work and it amused me to no end to see each of them spurn the other when they find out each other’s predilection. Each thought they could keep their habits a secret, but each also acknowledge how exposure would destroy their study and their chances for glory. But as so often is the case, desire over-rules sensibility and the two were unable to surface from their debasement without consequence. These were two very evil men who had zero respect for women. They chilled me to the core and I spent much of my time reading this novel in a state of tension feeling an incredible amount of dread.

 

This is a novel that doesn’t hold back. It shows the grime of poverty in Victorian Edinburgh, the depravity and evil that lurked in the shadows, the contempt some men had for women — it’s like stepping through a black hole into a time long past. Women had it tough back then, dependent in every way and regarded as lesser on every level. Rebecca showed such strength in the face of her adversity. She literally had to fight for her life, as well as her freedom and safety. Her revenge on Alexander and Badcock was a sweet victory that paved the way for her to set herself up with a new future, but it was also evidence to them that she was a force to be reckoned with, not a meek compliant wife who could be experimented on. Sadly, her realisation that her addiction was deadly came only after a terrible tragedy. The realism of addiction was depicted so well throughout this novel, and I particularly enjoyed how Vanessa Tait showed the descent from within her addicts as well as in an observational manner. The irony, of heroin being invented as an antidote to the addictive properties of morphine.

 

The Pharmacist’s Wife is top shelf historical fiction blending seamlessly into the realms of gothic. It was a frightening read, much in the way stories of the past can be, that reflection upon society and the horrors that were commonplace within a given era. I loved this novel and highly recommend it. I did see that it was classified as historical romance on some sites; far from it, more like historical thriller. Read it if you dare!

 

Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Pharmacist’s Wife for review.

About the Author:

Vanessa Tait grew up in Gloucestershire. She went to the University of Manchester and completed a Master’s degree in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths College. The Pharmacist’s Wife is her second novel.

 

Behind the Pen with Susi Fox

It is such a delight to welcome Susi Fox to Behind the Pen today, chatting about her chilling debut novel, Mine.

 

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From the press release – ‘Inspired by a nightmare she had herself, Fox has drawn on her experience as a doctor and mother to tell the story of Sasha; a woman who is adamant her newborn child is not hers.’ Are we talking about a literal nightmare that you had one night, or, and I’m almost reluctant to ask, an actual living nightmare where something similar to this has happened?

I actually had a dream – or more aptly, a nightmare – in which I showed a baby in my arms to a group of faceless people gathered around me and insisted, ‘This is not my baby.’ None of them believed me; they all stepped away. I awoke from the nightmare, terrified. The feeling of horror at not being believed in such a situation, even in a dream, lingered in my consciousness for weeks. When I attended a writing retreat for doctors soon afterwards, I began to write a story based on the dream. This became one of the early chapters of Mine.

 

I was a little shocked to read this in the press release: ‘We also know that women’s pain in Emergency Departments is often not treated as quickly or as aggressively as that of men. Similarly, women’s symptoms are more readily dismissed, their stories unheard and patients’ instincts can be ignored by medical professionals.’ Yet as I read Sasha’s story, examples of the above, within the context of my own experiences, started pressing their way into my consciousness. How instinctive is this inclination? Are we far too programmed as a society for this to ever change?

I think the inherent biases within medical systems are representative of society as a whole, rather than being unique to medicine. Yet despite these widespread community biases, society is most definitely evolving. For example, I had never expected to see women allegations of sexual harassment or abuse being honoured and believed in such a widespread manner during my lifetime. It has been profoundly satisfying to see this beginning to occur. In the same manner in which societal change is occurring, medical systems are changing and modernising and starting to be mindful of societal stereotypes and biases.

 

Novels about motherhood have experienced a subtle shift in recent years. Do you think we are making progress on balancing myth with fact about mother-baby bonds or do we still have a long way to go in practice?

I think the mythology about the instant attraction between mothers and their babies still persists in our collective consciousness. It is taboo for mothers to admit they don’t find their babies attractive, or that they are not bonding with their baby right away; and yet we know that these are not uncommon, and completely normal, feelings. I look forward to the day when women can be completely honest about their mothering experiences without being stigmatised or judged by others. I’m afraid we still have a bit of work to do in this arena!

 

How much of you as a doctor is in this novel compared with how much of you as a mother? Which side weighed in more heavily?

Creating fictional characters in my mind, out of a conglomeration of things I have seen, heard and read over the years has been deeply satisfying. Using my imagination was much more enjoyable than the portrayal of facts or depiction of any real life events.

Writing a protagonist so different to myself in Sasha was challenging, as I found myself not wanting her to make her final decision at the end of the novel. And yet it was very powerful to allow her the possibility of making a profound ‘mistake’.

 

What is your overall message of intent with this novel, in a nutshell?

My overall message is that it is human to make mistakes. Despite the enormous challenges of motherhood, women expect perfection of themselves, particularly in the mothering sphere. Yet guilt, self-blame and shame benefit no one. It is when women can recognise the commonality of their feelings and experiences that they can allow themselves forgiveness for their ‘mistakes’, their innate humanness. Bringing self-compassion to one’s experiences is profoundly powerful and healing for men and women alike.

 

Have you always written? Are you currently balancing your career as GP with your writing? How do go about making time for your writing within limited hours?

I have been writing since I was about eight years old. I had the good fortune of studying a combined medicine/arts degree, and then continued my writing studies at RMIT. I work part-time as a GP and write in the evenings. I also write in any snatches of free time I manage to find. The medicine and writing complement each other beautifully; both involve aspects of storytelling albeit in very different ways.

 

Where do you normally write? Is it in the same place every day or are you an all over the place writer?

I write wherever I am and whenever I can – on a writing retreat, at the kitchen table, in my car, in waiting rooms, even in my lunch break at work. I do have a writing desk but I find I work best when I move around.

 

I hope you can tell me that you have plans to keep on writing?

Absolutely! Writing is one of my greatest joys. I plan to continue writing for the rest of my life.

 

Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people would know?

I love curries so hot, they burn my throat as they go down.

 

If you could trade places for a week with any other person, living or dead, real or fiction, who would it be and why?

I would love to be Sherlock Holmes. His intellect and reasoning capacity are inspirational. I love how he always manages to crack even the hardest of crimes with his skills of deduction.

 

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MINE by Susi Fox is published by Penguin Random House Australia and is available now, RRP $32.99, buy it here.

Read my review of MINE here.