Theresa Smith's Blog, page 15
June 1, 2024
Quick Shots Book Review: Heartsease by Kate Kruimink
I saw my mother for a long time after she died. I would see her out windows, or in the corner of my eye. Always in the periphery, always a dim blur, but unmistakably my mother, the herness skating through every line and flicker.
Charlotte (‘Lot’) and Ellen (‘Nelly’) are sisters who were once so close a Venn diagram of the two would have formed a circle. But a great deal has changed since their mother’s death, years before. Clever, beautiful, gentle Lot has been unfailingly dutiful – basically a disaster of an older sister for much younger Nelly, still haunted by their mother in her early thirties.
When the pair meet at a silent retreat in a strange old house in the Tasmanian countryside, the spectres of memory are unleashed.
Heartsease is a sad, sly and darkly comic story about the weight of grief and the ways in which family cleave to us, for better and for worse. It’s an account of love and ghosts so sharp it will leave you with paper cuts.
Published by Pan Macmillan Australia
Released 28 May 2024
My Thoughts:Rating: 4 stars
Why I chose it: The cover initially caught my eye – it’s absolutely stunning and flowers on a cover will always get me.
Themes: Grief, family, sisters, love, organ donation, the mother load (ie. mothers who do more harm than good to their offspring).
For fans of: Literary fiction with a touch of the paranormal to it.
The good: The writing is beautiful, passages of deeply felt, well written emotion and introspection. Josh and Lot were a highlight in terms of characters, particularly as they bonded through their grief. And the ghosts. I thought that aspect of the story was really well done.
The not so good: It took about a quarter of the book to really be able to follow the narrative structure.
In brief: There is a dark humour to this novel that gently balances the raw emotion. There was a possibility that this novel would have become weighted down by its own sadness and multiple layers of grief, but the author infused enough rays of hope, humour, and love into the narrative to lighten it all up. It’s an emotional read, for sure, but not a depressing one.
Thanks for the review copy goes to: Pan Macmillan Australia.
May 31, 2024
May: Read, Listen, Watch, Repeat…
Laid out like this, it certainly looks like a quiet reading month. All three of these were exceptionally good reads though, so once again, quality wins out over quantity.
Like Fire-Hearted Suns was quite a long read, over 400 pages, so it did take me the better part of a week and a half to finish. I gave it five stars because it was such an expansive novel in all ways: character, story, and setting. It spanned decades and gave so much in terms of political history, yet never once was it heavy going. This one is exceptional historical fiction and one that I recommend highly. Thanks to Ultimo Press for this one.
Ordinary Human Love was a deep dive into grief and love. I enjoyed this one immensely, it had so much heart and so much raw emotion poured into it. I gave it four stars instead of five only by a margin. I’m keen to read more by Melissa Goode, she writes so beautifully. I loved the setting as well as the characters in this one. Highly recommended, particularly for book clubs. Thanks to Ultimo Press for this one.
Backwaters is my latest #AYearofNZLit read. Set in contemporary New Zealand, it’s an exploration of identity. The main character is born in New Zealand with Chinese heritage and has always resisted being labelled as Chinese. Over the course of the novel she faces her own internalised racism about her Chinese heritage and deep dives into her own family history via a diary from her Great-great-grandfather, who migrated to New Zealand with the first Chinese men, who came over alone to work and send money back to their families. This is a quiet, gentle exploration of heritage, the bonds of family, and identity. I gave it four stars and believe it would make for a great book club selection. Thanks to Text Publishing for this one.
Listen:
Two five-star audio books this month!
Jessica Dettman never fails to deliver on a terrific story, but This Has Been Absolutely Lovely was the first one of hers I have listened to instead of reading. It was narrated with perfection and was a truly enjoyable and entertaining listen.
The Bee Sting is the longest audio book I have ever committed to, 25 hours long. My usual audio books range from 8 to 12 hours, as is my preference. However, this was an incredible novel. The story itself is amazing, but the audio book had multiple narrators, which made for an excellent listening experience, particularly towards the end when the perspectives began to rapidly switch back and forth. I loved The Bee Sting so much, that before reaching the end of it, I had purchased a paperback copy. I very rarely buy a book in more than one format, but I have an urge to read this one now that I’ve listened to it. Needless to say, I recommend The Bee Sting highly.
Watch:
General tiredness and a head cold throughout May led to an increase in watching TV. It happens, sometimes you’re in the mood for reading, other times you’re in the mood for watching.
The Three Body Problem was very interesting, often confusing, but still weirdly easy to remain invested in. I watched this with M, who has actually been reading the books – it’s a trilogy. This made for a nice change whereby I was watching an adaptation of something he had read instead of the other way around. (Netflix)
High Country is one of the latest in Aussie Crime Noir. Absolutely brilliant TV. A cast of excellent Australian actors, a gripping storyline with an unexpected twist, and the most magnificent setting, in the Victorian high country. Quality viewing. (Binge)
Barbie just so much fun and really very clever. I couldn’t stop laughing. Well done to the creators and the actors for this one. (Netflix and Binge)
After the Flood is a new British crime drama from the makers of Happy Valley. Only six episodes make up this gripping series, but the creators have made the most of every minute with this one. I really enjoyed the storyline, both the main crime story and the environmental disaster sub story. Set in Northern England with terrifically well cast. (BritBox)
Bridgerton the first four episodes of the latest season were released this month, with the remaining four to come mid-June. This was an enjoyable instalment in the ongoing series, it was fast paced this time, reaching the romance climax (pun intended – those who have watched will know) at the end of the fourth episode. (Netflix)
Rosehaven is a very funny Australian series from a few years ago. There are five seasons, each season around 8 episodes and each episode runs for about 22 minutes. It’s set in a small town in Tasmania and is just good watching, very funny at times, silly at others, but overall, highly enjoyable. M and I started watching separately but have caught up with each other and now watch it together. (Prime and ABC iView)
The Great British Sewing Bee I am still watching and thoroughly loving this show. I’m up to season 6 now. I find it incredibly relaxing to watch during the working week before bed. It’s wholesome, interesting, entertaining, and inspiring. I’m definitely hooked!
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That’s May all done and dusted. Stay warm as the weather cools and good reading to you all as we head into winter.
May 25, 2024
Book Review: The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Irresistibly funny, wise and thought-provoking, The Bee Sting is a tour de force about family, fortune, and the struggle to be a good person when the world is falling apart.
The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie’s once-lucrative car dealership is going under, and while his wife is frantically selling off her jewellery on eBay, he’s busy building an apocalypse-proof bunker in the woods. Meanwhile their teenage daughter is veering off the rails, in thrall to a toxic friendship, and her little brother is falling into the black hole of the internet.
Where did it all go wrong? The present is in crisis, but the causes lie deep in the past. How long can this unhappy family wait before they have to face the truth? And if the story has already been written, is there still time to find a happy ending?
Published by Penguin
Released June 2023
My Thoughts:The Bee Sting is a massive, incredible, absorbing family drama, an absolute door stopper that is worth the effort. I listened to it, and it’s the longest audio book I’ve ever committed to, more than 25 hours long, and while I approached it with trepidation, I ended up devouring it at every opportunity. This novel is so brilliant, I have ordered a paperback copy because I feel like I need to read it again, that’s how much I loved it. And given that I recently broke up with big books, this says volumes.
As you all know, I am partial to *obsessed with* Irish fiction. The Bee Sting is incredibly Irish, and listening to it was a real treat as there wasn’t just one narrator, no, there was a cast of them, a different narrator for each character perspective. As far as audio books go, this one was exceptional. I expect that the Irishness would come across just as strongly reading it as well. It’s all in the language and fluidity of the narrative.
The story itself is complex and many layered. The way Paul Murray crafted this story though was incredible. Each perspective gives us more details to the overall picture of the characters, the present situation, the family history, and as is expected, each perspective offers an alternative view on what’s been going on, past and present. What I really picked out though, was the many ways in which Paul Murray created these instances of six degrees of separation between so many of the characters, the bit players along with the majors and the minors. There were so many times when I went, “oh, that must be so and so and that’s why this is happening, or, oh, is that so and so? Oh my goodness, it is! Etc, etc.” I want to give examples, but I abhor spoilers, so I can only leave it at that. Those who have read this know what I mean.
Two things I want to say in wrapping this up. The moment of realisation about the ‘bee sting’ on the wedding day – that was levelling. I can honestly say that Imelda was my favourite character, and this just cemented it. The other thing, I’m not happy with the ending, in that, it was not conclusive enough for me. I wanted more, if only just to tell me that I was wrong in what I think was about to happen, because left the way it was, with my mind processing the ending the way it has, is too much for me. I want to be proven wrong. And on the ending, there is this full circle aspect, that links it with the very beginning. Where Cass and Elaine were discussing the news about a tragedy with a family a few towns over and how could something like that happen…indeed, how does something like that happen?! Such a clever, clever novel.
May 22, 2024
Book Review: Ordinary Human Love by Melissa Goode
Mardi McKee, prodigal daughter, arrives at her father’s home in Lithgow, Australia, after drifting overseas for eighteen months. Her previous life is a memory. Her mother has died, she is divorced and is estranged from her former lover, Ian. Mardi had left Ian, at dawn before he awoke, with no explanation, only months after ending her marriage.
Ian’s teenage sister, Claudia, has also arrived, escaping her childhood home for Ian’s. Spiky, lovable, lost, Claudia forges an intense friendship with Mardi. But Mardi finds that repairing her relationship with Ian is not so easily done. Mardi is hiding something, and Ian is having none of her quest for forgiveness, not until she explains why she vanished without a trace.
Set between country New South Wales, inner city Sydney, and Europe, Ordinary Human Love follows Mardi as she discovers that the greatest love she will ever feel is for the man she left. In this powerful and complex debut, Melissa Goode interrogates what makes a life worthwhile, and has created a vivid, intricate portrait of the relationships that shape and connect us, and the all-consuming nature of desire.
Released May 2024
My Thoughts:Ordinary Human Love is the debut novel of Australian writer, Melissa Goode, but while this may be her first novel, she deftly demonstrates that she is no novice when it comes to writing with a depth of feeling. Ordinary Human Love was to me, a story that was rich with vulnerability. I felt my way through this story, hand in hand with characters that were perfectly imperfect.
While the novel is told from the perspective of Mardi, the story is so well crafted that we are able to gather a keen sense of the emotional state of the other major players. Ian, in particular, was both transparent and closed off: transparent in his hurt and love for Mardi but closed off to her as a means of self-preservation. Claudia was similar in her feelings to both Mardi and Ian. She craved their attention, their approval, yet acted out repeatedly, as though to give them reason to withdraw from her.
Mardi is a lost soul, grieving deeply for her mother and as the one-year anniversary of her mother’s death looms, she has returned to her family home to find all memories of her mother removed, her father living there as a bachelor, disapproving of Mardi’s divorce, exit from her career, her affair with Ian, her lack of motivation to re-enter the rat race of practising law and living in Sydney, and most of all, her still present grief for her mother. He is obnoxious, opinionated, an alcoholic, a disgraced Magistrate that was shipped to the country with a demotion to his career but not, unfortunately, to his ego. I disliked him intensely. Mardi was a mess, but I really liked her. I had a lot of empathy for her situation.
The story is crafted in a way where we meet Mardi and Ian at the end of their affair, or rather, eighteen months later. Ian is angry, rightly so, she abandoned him and disappeared without a trace. Mardi is pining for him, knows she did wrong by him, but desperately wants his forgiveness. She is still in love with him. Her leaving him, had nothing to do with her feelings for him, yet he can’t understand that. Melissa Goode gently peels back the layers of their intense relationship in bursts between the present day, reflections back and forth, until we have the whole picture.
I enjoyed this novel so much. It’s themes of grief and loss, love and relationships, self-destruction and self-care all blended into a beautiful story that had me pining for more after I turned the last page. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 18, 2024
Book Review: Like Fire-Hearted Suns by Melanie Joosten
The cost of freedom is sacrifice.
London, 1908. It’s the dawn of a new century and change is in the air.
When 17-year-old Beatrice Taylor stumbles across the offices of the infamous Pankhursts and the Women’s Social and Political Union she begins to realise her future may not be the one she wants.
Her friend Catherine Dawson is too pragmatic to get caught up in the women’s suffrage movement. Despite Oxford refusing to award women degrees she is determined to keep apace with her twin brother and pursue a career in science.
Meanwhile, Ida Bennett, recently promoted to head wardress of DX wing at Holloway Prison, has her work cut out for her. The suffragette inmates are refusing to be treated like criminals—and Ida’s not having any of it.
This is the story of three women whose lives become entwined—with the burgeoning women’s movement and with each other. Like Fire-Hearted Suns shows how much things have changed for women—and how much they stay the same.
Published by Ultimo Press
Released March 2024
My Thoughts:This was a fabulous read. Beginning in 1908, when the women’s suffrage movement was just starting to increase in terms of political agitation, the span of this novel took me by surprise, not just in the years it covered, but the complexity of the character connections, and the embedment of the suffrage movement with the Great War.
There were many things I thought I knew about the women’s suffrage movement, but after reading this, I think that much of what I knew previously was a blend of the movements across Australia, the US, and the UK, rather than specific details of each. There were names in this I recognised, but then other aspects and actions of the movement that I did not. One thing I had no idea about was the large numbers of women who were imprisoned for their political agitations, many of them in and out, for months at a time, and as the political agitation began to spill over into property crimes as a form of protest, the sentences got longer. The suffragettes would all hunger strike, which led to mass forced feeding, which in turn resulted in long term physical and mental health issues for the women.
An interesting perspective within this novel was offered via having a character who was one of the female prison wardens in the female prison. I really enjoyed this perspective, the resentment that the wardens had towards the women who were creating so much more work for them with the forced feedings and extra caretaking, balanced with their growing resentment at being underpaid and overworked in comparison to their male counterparts, which in turn, created a growing understanding and begrudging admiration for the suffragettes, their movement, and what they were endeavouring to achieve for all women. This perspective offered some complex and deeply thought-out threads to pull at and consider.
The way the movement ceded way for the Great War was interesting. With all men who were able off to war and dying in the dozens, women of course had to enter the workforce to fill the gaps. Not only were they paid less and expected to keep a family on this reduced wage, but they also had no say in society, that is, they themselves couldn’t vote, but with the male of their household dead, their family was without a voice, without a vote. These were significant aspects that helped turn the tide in the suffragette’s favour, post war.
That the vote was in the end given, but initially just to property owning women over 30, seemed a victory that was celebrated by the suffragettes, but scoffed at by the many other women who were working class, not property owners, or too young. The prison wardens, for example, could see that this was of no benefit to them, as none of them owned property or would ever hope to. It was interesting to witness the way women felt about the vote once it was given to only a few, as opposed to how they’d felt about it when it was still a notion with no hope of being granted. Those who scoffed at it initially and were against the suffragettes had changed their view after the war and all that had changed within their lives. Once they didn’t care, but then, when they were excluded, they cared very much indeed.
It was such a complex novel but so beautifully written and easy to follow, for all the history and intertwined themes. I haven’t even touched on the aspects that explored women in science, the restrictions on their degrees and their general exclusion from the workplace. The war improved their prospects too, but only in the area of scientific development of chemical warfare to counter what the Germans were using against the British troops. I really valued this aspect of the story, that deep exploration of morals within the context of groundbreaking work that you might have otherwise objected to if your options were wider or your financial means less affecting. This aspect of the story was entwined with conscientious objection and the movement for peace. Catherine, who was at the start of the war one person, and at the end a very different one, was probably my most favourite character in terms of growth and depth. Her twin brother’s story was deeply sad and juxtaposed against hers, it was considered and thought provoking.
Like Fire-Hearted Suns is one of those magnificent novels that sweep you up into another era with its intelligence, emotion, meticulous research, authentically rendered characters, and brilliantly crafted storyline. I loved it.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 9, 2024
Book Review: This Has Been Absolutely Lovely by Jessica Dettmann
Molly’s a millennial home organiser about to have her first baby. Obviously her mum, Annie, will help with the childcare. Everyone else’s parents are doing it.
But Annie’s dreams of music stardom have been on hold for thirty-five years, paused by childbirth then buried under her responsibilities as a mother, wage earner, wife, and only child of ailing parents. Finally, she can taste freedom.
As Molly and her siblings gather in the close quarters of the family home over one fraught summer, shocking revelations come to light. Everyone is forced to confront the question of what it means to be a family.
This Has Been Absolutely Lovely is a story about growing up and giving in, of parents and children, of hope and failure, of bravery and defied expectation, and whether it is ever too late to try again.
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Released February 2023
My Thoughts:I enjoy Jessica Dettmann’s novels so much. She is genuinely funny, which is no mean feat to come across in a novel. I’m a bit picky when it comes to reading novels that are supposed to be funny – so many just come off as silly and overboard. But I have not yet encountered that with any of Jessica Dettmann’s novels and now that I’ve read This Has Been Absolutely Lovely, I’ve read them all.
This Has Been Absolutely Lovely is the story of a family that could be any family in Australia, children grown up and now having their own children, coming together for a big family Christmas celebration. Annie, the matriarch of this family, has not long completed the cycle of nursing her parents into their deaths. She is tired, her parents are now gone, her children are grown and have their own lives. Surely, she can now take some time for herself and no longer be required to constantly ‘care’ for others?
Enter her grown children with their own messy lives they are quietly expecting their mother to assist in the cleaning up with. Molly, expectant of free childcare once her baby is born. Simon, expectant of a home for his family now that he’s lost his own. And likely free childcare too. Only Naomi, the middle child, has her ducks in a row. She was a lovely character. A free spirit who also offered a calming and supportive presence to any situation. I really liked her.
It Has Been Absolutely Lovely is not only lively and funny, but deep and meaningful in its exploration of the roles of women as carers for their families, motherhood at all of its stages, grief, and family relations. It’s an explosive Christmas for the Jones family and none of them will be the same at the end of it. This was a most enjoyable read with much to relate to within it. I found it funny, engrossing, and thought provoking.
At one point towards the end of the novel, Annie exclaims in frustration, ‘When will it stop? All this caring?’ To which, her daughter-in-law replies, ‘Never. You’re a mother forever.’ Indeed. So true. But even so, are we expected to be carers until our own decline cedes way for someone else to finally take over the role? There’s a lot to dwell on there. A cracking good read. I highly recommend the audio version which was narrated with perfection.
May 8, 2024
Book Review: A Woman in Sardinia by Valeria Usala
A story of three generations of women, their courage and search for independence in the face of superstition and prejudice, in the spirit of Natalia Ginzburg and Elena Ferrante. In this striking debut, based on a true story, Valeria Usala bears witness to an age-old story of violence against women and takes us into the heart of rural Sardinia, where superstitions and cruelty coexist with the joys and companionship of a tight-knit community.
Teresa runs a shop and a tavern. But not even the family she has created with the man she loves can protect her from the malicious gossip of jealous locals, who are threatened by her independence. Her own mother, Maria, was made an outcast, and now Teresa is in turn forsaken by the villagers. Will she pay for her success with her life? Is she like a character in Greek tragedy, whose destiny is inevitable? Valeria Usala gives voice to the forgotten women of Sardinia—and to the courage of women everywhere.
Released 30 April 2024
My Thoughts:This was such a powerful debut. Set in rural Sardinia in the early twentieth century, where old world superstitions coexist with judgement, the enabling of male violence, and the encouragement of female suppression. The author hints that the story is based on a real woman from that area who has since been martyred through death.
‘We resist, Teresa, because that’s how we’re made. Better alone and whole than in pieces with men.’
Within this story, Teresa dies at the hands of man who is filled with rage at her for not accepting his marriage proposal. Yet, while she is murdered by one man, there are many within the village where she lives that bear the blame as well. They encouraged the man to teach her a lesson, to put her in her place, because she had gotten too bold with her independence, risen too much above them and was not behaving in line with what they deemed as appropriate for a woman. It’s a tragic story that has an impacting and timeless message. A novel set long ago, yet a story that is as modern and relevant as they come.
The end fast forwards decades to Teresa’s daughter, now a mother herself. As a child, she witnessed her mother’s brutal murder. In the final pages of this story, we see her acting with a grace and compassion that not many would be capable of. It was an unexpected ending to the novel, but it worked well.
A powerful and impactful novel that I highly recommend. Beautifully translated from Italian.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 7, 2024
Book Review: All the Beautiful Things You Love by Jonathan Seidler
Elly and Enzo love each other.
Elly and Enzo are breaking up.
Now, everything must go.
When Enzo suddenly walks out on Elly after ten years together, she finds herself marooned in an expensive East London flat, surrounded by all their belongings. She is shell-shocked. Inconsolable. She can’t bear to look at the objects that she and Enzo collected together, those innocuous items that define the key moments of every relationship.
Now she’s listing it all on Marketplace: the table they found in Italy. The bike he bought for her birthday. Records, luggage, a vintage velvet couch. Anything that tells a story she’d rather forget. Elly thinks that selling these items to total strangers will help her move on from Enzo and heal her devastated heart. But she’s about to get a lot more than she bargained for.
All the Beautiful Things You Love is a vivid and vibrant exploration of the things that bring us together and tear us apart, and those keepsakes that populate the wide-open spaces between where love ends and starts again.
Published by Pan Macmillan Australia
Released 30 April 2024
My Thoughts:This was one of those unexpected novels that seem like one thing on the surface but turn out to be so much more within the depths. All the Beautiful Things You Love is a love story, in reverse. We begin at the end, and as Elly sells all the things that made up her life with Enzo, we become privy to all the moments of their life together, what bound them tightly, and what eventually drove them apart.
This is lifelit at its finest. A story about people, places and feelings – so many feelings. It’s my favourite sort of novel nowadays. Character driven rather than plot driven. I spent a glorious Sunday afternoon on my back deck reading this novel from start to finish inside a few hours. I couldn’t put it down, or rather, I didn’t want to.
Not only does Elly get rid of everything she no longer wants to own, but she also meets some interesting people along the way. Some that become friends, others you wouldn’t want to run into again. But the entire exercise of selling everything on Marketplace changes Elly’s life for the better. A sort of declutter for the soul as well as the flat.
A beautiful life affirming story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 2, 2024
Book Review: Long Island by Colm Tóibín
A novel of enormous wit and profound emotional resonance from one of the world’s finest writers.
Eilis Lacey is Irish, married to Tony Fiorello, a plumber and one of four Italian American brothers, all of whom live in neighbouring houses on a cul-de-sac in Lindenhurst, Long Island, with their wives and children and Tony’s parents. It is the spring of 1976 and Eilis, now in her forties with two teenage children, has no-one to rely on in this still-new country.
One day, an Irishman comes to the door asking for Eilis by name. He tells her that his wife is pregnant with Tony’s child and that when the baby is born, he will not raise it but will leave it with her. Eilis has choices to make, and what she does in the wake of this shattering news is at the heart of one of Tóibín’s most riveting and emotional novels to date.
Published by Pan Macmillan Australia
Released 30 April 2024
My Thoughts:It’s not often that a sequel lives up to its predecessor and can stand alone as a fine novel rather than a passable follow up. Long Island though, it’s in a class of its own. I loved this one every bit as much as I loved Brooklyn.
In this story, we meet back up with Eilis twenty years on, living like a foreigner amongst her Italian family, a mother of older teenagers, a working wife. In the wake of the shocking news that her husband has not only had an affair but fathered a child, and the implicit expectation that this illegitimate child will be brought up by the family, Eilis returns to Ireland, for her mother’s eightieth birthday, and to escape, to think, and decide what to do about the situation she has left at home.
I had so much empathy for Eilis throughout this novel and completely understood her refusal to have anything to do with her husband’s illegitimate baby. The fact that she was even expected to entertain the idea of raising it incensed me. Upon her return to Ireland, she is reunited with her family members, friends, in particular her old best friend Nancy, and of course, Jim, the one she left behind.
You may think you know where this is headed but this story is so loaded and layered. It is an absolute minefield of emotion, and it digs deep into grief, loneliness, love, and loss with each of the central characters: Eilis, Nancy, and Jim. The story moves swiftly and is so engrossing. The ending, the inevitability of it, still came as a surprise. Long Island is a stunning novel. Fans of Brooklyn should rejoice. And then you’ll start to weep, because this one contains all the feels.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 1, 2024
Book Review: The Lost Letters of Rose Carey by Julie Bennett
A stirring tale of mystery and romance, inspired by the life of 1920s Australian film icon and ‘million-dollar mermaid’ Annette Kellerman.
BLUE MOUNTAINS, 2024: Working on a documentary at the historic Carrington Hotel, videographer Emma Quinn discovers a box of handwritten letters belonging to Rose Carey, water dancer and golden girl of the silent film era. Intrigued, Emma begins to read through them, slowly uncovering a deadly secret.
SYDNEY, 1923: Rose Carey has faced enough scandal to last a lifetime. After an accident and near-death experience, the threat of bankruptcy, and rumours of her romantic entanglements, Rose decides to take matters into her own hands and propose to her business manager, Walter. A respectable marriage will redeem her reputation and give her the good publicity she needs – problems solved. But she doesn’t account for the unexpected feelings brewing between her and Walter, or for the possibility that the accident wasn’t so accidental after all …
When she suffers another brush with death, Rose realises that someone close to her wants her out of the way. Who in her close-knit circle has the most to gain? Can she trust anyone, other than herself?
Published by Simon & Schuster Australia
Released May 2024
My Thoughts:Fans of historical fiction inspired by real people from history will devour this latest release by Julie Bennett. There is so much within this novel to enjoy – film history, intrigue, suspense, romance, family drama. Told with a dual narrative, we move back and forth between 2024 and 1923. This story is atmospheric in both setting and style. The surprise six degrees of separation twist at the end was a very clever way to bring the two timelines together and knit the story as one. I particularly enjoyed the 2024 storyline, so often in a dual timeline, the contemporary story is a pale shadow of the historical one, but not so in this case. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publisher and Good Reading for the review copy.
