Theresa Smith's Blog, page 160
August 2, 2017
New Release Book Review: The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green
Book Description:
Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters.
As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother’s overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother’s fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.
But now the Sunshine Girls are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are all going through crises of their own, their mother s illness draws them together to confront old jealousies and secret fears and they discover that blood might be thicker than water after all.
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My Thoughts:
It’s been a very long time since I read a novel by Jane Green, but the cover of The Sunshine Sisters looked so fresh and inviting, I just couldn’t help myself from picking it up. I absolutely adored Jane’s earlier novels, Jemima J and Babyville, but for some reason never got around to reading anymore of them. I have at least three on my shelf bought but unread, which is a real shame because after this one, I can’t see myself ever reading a Jane Green novel again.
From the outset, I found this story hard going, and it was all down to the style of writing. Overly formal in casual situations, Jane seems adverse to using contractions but it all comes off very stilted and to be frank, odd. Then there is this awfully mixed tense thing going on, where in one sentence she’s using past tense and then in the next we’re propelled into present tense. Sometimes Jane even used both tenses in the same sentence. There was also a lot of going back before going forwards in terms of the character’s lives, which when combined with the mixed tenses, got confusing quite often. I also would have expected less repetition from an author with her backlist, but words and scenes were repeated over and over, in a very obvious way.
The characters were all rather shallow. I thought I might have developed a liking for Nell; she was the only character who showed promise. I stopped reading this novel at chapter 22, about half way, and skipped ahead to the epilogue. I rarely do this, but I just couldn’t bear to plough on any longer. I feel there’s a good chance that in doing this I’ve completely missed the point of the story, but to be honest, if you haven’t grabbed me by page 225, then you’ve missed your chance.
I feel very let down by this novel. Sadly, I’m discovering a tendency with ‘super famous’ American authors who release a lot of novels: their novels are deteriorating in quality. In the last year, I’ve picked up a James Patterson and a Danielle Steel and not been able to finish either of them. Now I’m adding Jane Green to this list of authors whose work I no longer trust. She’s come a very long way from her British chick-lit days, but not in a good way as far as I’m concerned.
August 1, 2017
Behind the Pen: Amanda Barrett – Mrs B’s Book Reviews
Welcome back to Behind the Pen. Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to one of my favourite book reviewers, Amanda Barrett from Mrs B’s Book Reviews. Given the focus of her writing, this edition of Behind the Pen promises to be very bookish indeed!
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When and why did you start your blog? Had you been reviewing on a different platform (such as Goodreads) before that?
In June of 2016 I decided to establish my blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews. It was a natural progression, as I was reviewing actively on Goodreads and the now defunct site Bookstr. I had been reviewing on these sites since 2012, while I was a stay at home mum as a way to keep my mind busy! Last year, after the encouragement of a number of supportive Australian authors, I decided to centralise my reviews in the one prime location and my blog was born!
What do you do when you finish reading a book? Do you write up your review before settling into a new book?
Before my book reviewing days I would immediately pick up my next book to read, leaving no time for a breather! In fact, when I was nearing the end of a book, I would be planning what my next read would be from my sagging bookshelves. Now I’m a busy reviewer things have changed. Once I have finished reading a book, I reflect on my response to the book via a journal. These notes help to inform my review. I try not to start a new book until I have completed the review process.
Approximately how many books do you read each week?
This varies, during school holidays I can be known to easily get through a book a day, as I have more time on my hands. I am a fast and voracious reader! Generally, if I am balancing my work as a teacher and school for my boys, it’s three books a week.
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Do you review every single book you read?
No, as it is a lengthy process to read, review and post all the books I read, especially if I am getting through one a day! I also have a personal policy, whereby if I don’t enjoy a book by an author, I consider it poor form to publicise a bad review. At the end of the day, a writer has put their blood, sweat and tears into writing their book and my response may be a reflection on myself, rather than the author. Occasionally, books that I haven’t enjoyed may only get catalogued on my Goodreads account, rather than receive a full blown review on my blog.
Do you have a particular reviewing process? For example, do you take notes while reading or use sticky notes to mark places you want to remember within a book? Or do you just think about it all at the end?
During my reviewing process I do not make notes or use sticky notes, as I find this interrupts the flow of my reading session. I like to simply enjoy the book I am reading and give it a chance to speak to me at the end. As soon as I am finished reading a review book, I take my reading journal out and make notes on my gut response to the book. I also make notes on the key aspects of the review, for example, the setting, characters, narrative structure, what I loved about the book and what areas needed further improvement. From time to time, I also compare my review with other reviewer’s responses, by checking out reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and blogs I follow.
What authors and types of books do you love the most?
I am very passionate about Australian women’s fiction and as a result, there are many Australian female authors that I love. Participating in the Australian Women Writers Challenge this year for the first time has been a great experience for me. It has opened a world to reading books from a whole host of genres, from contemporary fiction, historical fiction, rural romance, crime/thrillers, to young adult and children’s books. I have a specific love for Australian gothic fiction with dual timelines. Anna Romer is my favourite author in this genre. I also love the work of Kate Morton, Josephine Pennicott and Kimberley Freeman.
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Are there any genres you really don’t enjoy at all?
Fantasy and science fiction. I find these genres hard going, as the books from these genres often require you to suspend a level of disbelief in their storylines. I personally struggle to do this. I will freely admit to not having read Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit!
Do you have an all-time favourite book? Why is this book so significant to you?
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons is my all-time favourite book and I also own a precious signed copy. I read The Bronze Horseman in 2008 and it has never left my side since! It is a book that I believe provides the most devastating picture of war, sacrifice, pure survival, bravery and the strength of family bonds. It features an enduring love story that exists between the main characters, Tatiana and Alexander. The Bronze Horseman ignited my love for historical fiction novels centered around World War II and my specific interest in novels set in Russia.
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What is your favourite childhood book?
I loved Enid Blyton as a child. The first book I read all by myself was the Folk of the Faraway Tree. I adored my mother’s collection of Malory Towers and Famous Five books, also by Enid Blyton.
What is your favourite character of all time from a novel and why?
Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. As an impressionable fifteen year old girl, who was developing a burgeoning love for classic literature, Elizabeth seemed to speak to me. Many years and re-reads of Pride and Prejudice later, I still love the Darcy/Elizabeth love story, but it is the admiration I have for Elizabeth that has stood the test of time. I greatly admire all of Elizabeth’s qualities, her loyalty, love for her family, her stoicism, sharp wit and her fearless nature as a woman living in the Regency period.
What is your favourite scene from a novel and why?
Again, this would have to come from my precious copy of The Bronze Horseman, by Paullina Simons. It is a scene early on in the piece, when our leads first meet or rather Tatiana sees a soldier, Alexander, staring at her from across the street. It is summer in Russia and Tatiana is dressed in a beautiful floral dress, while eating an icecream. Tatiana is waiting for a bus and doesn’t seem to have a care in the world, despite war having just been declared in Russia, a war that has seen her say goodbye to her beloved brother. This chance meeting between Tatiana and Alexander will change their lives forever. It is the most beautiful and tender scene, depicting love at first sight. Here is a taster:
“Tatiana stared back at him for just a moment, and in the moment of looking into his face, something moved inside her; moved she would liked to say imperceptibly, but that wasn’t quite the case. It was as if her heart starting pumping blood through all four chambers at once, pouring it into her lungs and flooding it through her body. She blinked and felt her breath become shorter. The soldier was melting into the pavement under the pale yellow sun”.
And there we have it, the first stirrings of an unforgettable love story, in the face of war.
What book is currently on your bedside table?
Bridget Crack by Rachel Leary. Bridget Crack is an historical fiction novel, set in Van Diemen’s Land, in the 1800’s. Since I visited Tasmania in 2010, I devour anything that is set in this beautiful part of Australia. An historical novel written by an Australian female writer holds even greater appeal. It has also been recommended to me, so I’m really looking forward to delving into the pages of this book.
What is the best book you have read this year?
Wow, that’s a hard question! I am going to award the best book of the year (so far) to a novel that recently gave me the biggest book hangover. I absolutely loved The Midsummer Garden, by debut Australian novelist Kirsty Manning. The Midsummer Garden is a book that perfectly links two timeframes (2014 and 1400’s) with two stunning locations (Tasmania and France). It is a passionate story, full of botanical references, culinary pursuits, a stunning French chateau, love, personal fulfilment and so much more. The Midsummer Garden is a rich and immersive novel that I recommend highly.
Let’s talk about book to movie/TV series adaptations. Best one in your opinion? And what has been the worst?
The best, Jane Eyre. I loved the 2011 movie version, starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. This adaptation seemed to capture the true essence of the book and the casting was perfect. I felt the love and tension deeply between the leads. Mia Wasikowska encapsulated the image I had in my mind of Jane. This film adaptation was also very faithful to the classic novel that I have loved since my introduction to this book in high school.
The worst, for casting reasons is One Shot, the movie version of the popular Lee Child book of the same title. Tom Cruise was a terrible choice to play the lead, the enigmatic Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise’s build and physical appearance is nothing like the well built, over 6ft description of Jack Reacher from the bestselling novels. This ill fitting casting choice of a popular lead character served to ruin my enjoyment of the film adaptation.
Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people would know?
Most Sunday mornings, I get up 3am to set up my own market stall, where I sell over 1000 second hand books. My market stall is the closest I could get to owning my own bookstore! It is a great way to earn some extra cash for all the books I buy and share my love of reading with my customers. Despite the early start in all weathers, I look forward to each market.
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 have a keen and longstanding interest in Tudor history, after visiting a number of castles and the Tower of London while touring Europe in 2009. Ever since my trip, I have been fascinated by the Tudor queens, in particular Anne Boleyn. If I was brave enough, I would like to trade places with Anne, but well before she was beheaded by her husband, King Henry VIII! It has always puzzled me why Anne was accused witchcraft, adultery and incest. To trade places with her would hopefully shed some truth to the rumours that have circulated about this famous figure for centuries.
I know you read your fair share of crime and psychological thrillers. What crime would you like to get away with and how would you go about it?
I love French art, so the perfect crime for me would be a way to break into the Louvre and steal my favourite painting, Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix. Posing as a museum worker, I would infiltrate the museum undetected. Then I would get the painting moved to the restoration room and find a way to smuggle it out of the museum, after hours. This crime is inspired partially by the theft of the Mona Lisa. I’m not sure after that how I would get it transported back to Australia. I might just have to live undercover in a French château instead!
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Thank you so much Amanda for sharing your book love with us here at Behind the Pen today. If you love books, enjoy reading book reviews, or just want to find a good book to read, you should head over to Mrs B’s Book Reviews. I’m a subscriber so every new review from Amanda hits my inbox. Amanda and I share similar book tastes, so if you enjoy reading and following my blog, you should enjoy Mrs B’s Book Reviews too!
July 31, 2017
New Release Book Review: Bridget Crack by Rachel Leary
Book Description:
Van Diemen’s Land, 1826.
When Bridget Crack arrives in the colony, she is just grateful to be on dry land. But finding the life of an indentured domestic servant intolerable, she pushes back and is punished for her insubordination-sent from one place to another, each significantly worse than the last. Too late, she realises the place she has ended up is the worst of all: the ‘Interior,’ where the hard cases are sent-a brutally hard life with a cruel master, miles from civilisation.
She runs from there and finds herself imprisoned by the impenetrable Tasmanian wilderness. What she finds there-what finds her-is Matt Sheedy, a man on the run, who saves her from certain death. Her precarious existence among volatile and murderous bushrangers is a different kind of hell and, surrounded by roaring rivers and towering columns of rock, hunted by soldiers and at the mercy of killers, Bridget finds herself in an impossible situation. In the face of terrible darkness, what will she have to do to survive?
A gripping and moving story of a woman’s struggle for survival in a beautiful and brutal landscape, Bridget Crack is a unique and deeply accomplished novel by a rare talent.
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My Thoughts:
I’m still finding it quite hard to believe that Bridget Crack is Rachel Leary’s first novel. She’s no stranger to writing, having had a number of short stories and essays published, but even so, I was not prepared for such a stunning read from the hands of a debut author.
Bridget Crack is historical fiction written in literary prose, which makes it my favourite type of novel to read. There’s something about historical fiction combining with literary fiction that just seems so right to me, especially in novels dealing with harsh themes set in the natural environment.
‘The tea-coloured river roared through the forest. A waterfall ran down over rocks like stairs, a wash of white. Sunlight leaked through the canopy and down into the water, where it dazzled the rocks at the bottom of a pool.’
The vivid imagery; just gorgeous. To my delight, this novel was filled with such glorious prose, bringing this era and setting to life in a manner I have only rarely come by. It was reminiscent to me of Charles Frazier, particularly his Cold Mountain, a stand out novel that remains a favourite of mine even ten years after first reading it. There were shades of Alex Miller’s Coal Creek as well. The simplistic beauty of the writing giving way to a deep truth on the subject matter, a common thread throughout each of these novels.
This is a harsh novel. Harsh characters, living in a harsh manner, in a harsh environment. It’s like a testimony of truth; colonial life in Van Diemen’s Land, the way it really was. Forget any romanticised notions you might have of this era. Bush Rangers were not handsome heroes fighting some Robin Hood war; they were dangerous, filthy, rogue, and desperate, out for themselves and only in a gang out of necessity. Convicts were not bound for a new life; they were whipped, sold, jailed for the merest infringement, regularly raped if you were a woman, hung if you were a man. And if you were Aboriginal? You were in the way, trouble to eradicate. Life was not even all that great for the free settlers. Only the most hardy survived, the corrupt and the lucky. At the time in which this novel was set, 1826, tensions were crackling throughout this colony. It lacked the infrastructure to accomodate its expanding population and lacked the accessibility into the formidable interior terrain for it to be ultimately conquered.
Bridget Crack is an escaped convict who gets lost in the wilderness within hours of running away. She is rescued by a bush ranger named Matt Sheedy, who runs with three other bush rangers, all of them dangerous with bounties on their heads. Matt protects Bridget from the outset, but it quickly becomes apparent that he’s protecting her so he can have her for himself. He’s a complex character, Matt Sheedy. On the one hand, quite honourable. He won’t allow violence against Aboriginals, animals, children, or women. But as time progresses and their situation becomes more dire, Matt’s grip on his rage starts to slip, he becomes more desperate and less able to see an escape from the colony for them, so his treatment of Bridget deteriorates. There’s not a lot of dialogue within this novel, Bridget hardly ever talks, but it’s all of the ‘unsaid’ that makes the greatest impact. Likewise with the inferred actions; the lack of explicit descriptions had enormous impact. When on occasion there was explicit action, you were all the more shocked for it because it hadn’t been overdone.
The Tasmanian wilderness proved to be as much of a character within this novel as the actual people. It both protected and harmed Bridget and her bush rangers; it was unforgiving, yet allowed a person to disappear into its embrace right when they needed to. This was a time when Thylacines still roamed the forest; when Devils screeched through the night and would attempt to eat you if you laid still long enough for them to try. Rivers and endless rain and mud; leeches filling your boots; hollowed out trees so large the inside of their trunks were big enough to fit four people and their stolen booty. It was a place where people could disappear for years or die within days. And on account of Rachel’s vivid prose, you could imagine it all so perfectly.
I felt quite absorbed by Bridget Crack. I could barely put the novel down. She was a tough young woman; a survivor and a warrior. I feel this novel is possibly an account of all the women who arrived on the shores of Van Diemen’s Land and decided they were not going to bow down and take it anymore. Even if it did mean the end of them sooner rather than later. Better to have lived a short life of freedom than a long existence within captivity.
‘Above her a white cloud broke apart, bits of it drifting away from each other. Killing itself into pieces. Killing itself into pieces to be free.’
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of Bridget Crack for review.
Bridget Crack is book 47 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.
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July 30, 2017
New Release Book Review: The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith
Book Description:
Nathan Nelson is the average son of a genius. His father, a physicist of small renown, has prodded him toward greatness from an early age—enrolling him in whiz kid summer camps, taking him to the icy tundra of Canada to track a solar eclipse, and teaching him college algebra. But despite Samuel Nelson’s efforts, Nathan remains ordinary.
Then, in the summer of 1987, everything changes. While visiting his small-town grandfather in Michigan, Nathan is involved in a terrible accident. After a brief clinical death—which he later recalls as a lacklustre affair lasting less than the length of a Top 40 pop song—he falls into a coma. When he awakens, Nathan finds that everyday life is radically different. His perceptions of sight, sound, and memory have been irrevocably changed. The doctors and his parents fear permanent brain damage. But the truth of his condition is more unexpected and leads to a renewed chance for Nathan to find his place in the world.
Thinking that his son’s altered brain is worthy of serious inquiry, Samuel arranges for Nathan to attend the Brook-Mills Institute, a Midwestern research centre where savants, prodigies, and neurological misfits are studied and their specialties applied. Immersed in this strange atmosphere—where an autistic boy can tell you what day Christmas falls on in 3026 but can’t tie his shoelaces, where a medical intuitive can diagnose cancer during a long-distance phone call with a patient—Nathan begins to unravel the mysteries of his new mind. He also tries to make peace with the crushing weight of his father’s expectations.
The Beautiful Miscellaneous is an extraordinary follow-up to Dominic Smith’s critically acclaimed debut, The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre. This dazzling new novel explores the fault lines that can cause a family to drift apart and the unexpected events that can pull them back together.
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My Thoughts:
There is so much to say about The Beautiful Miscellaneous yet I find myself struggling for words. I am no stranger to the work of Dominic Smith. Last year I read The Last Painting of Sara De Vos and absolutely loved it. The Beautiful Miscellaneous is not a new novel; it’s new to Australia, but it was actually published in the US in 2007. It’s interesting to note this, because you would think that being an earlier novel – I think this was his second – it wouldn’t be as good as his more recent work, but this is not the case.
I adored The Beautiful Miscellaneous. Really loved it in a want to see it turned into a movie and give every one of my friends a copy kind of way. It’s profound and touching and exquisitely written. Dominic Smith paints with words. He strings them together and creates a masterpiece that you can see and feel, the imagery is so vivid. I felt that with The Last Painting of Sara De Vos, and I felt that with The Beautiful Miscellaneous as well. It’s not something you can learn; you’re either a literary artist or you aren’t.
Very early on in this novel I had occasion to ponder over the prose.
“I wonder if we all carry our deaths packaged inside us – the time, the date, the manner – bundled and inert. Maybe what I carried all those years until the accident was not shrewd intelligence or the strange light of genius but the glimmer of my own death. Maybe that was what my parents were really looking at when they stared into my eyes and sensed something extraordinary.”
Nathan Nelson’s parents want him to be a genius. But he’s not. When he is seventeen, he is seriously injured in a car crash and he wakes up from a coma different. His brain is no longer the same. He’s developed what doctors suspect is a condition that attaches sensory experiences to his thoughts and consequently he has enhanced memory skills. His father now believes this is Nathan’s chance to be the genius he was always destined to be. Of course, without even reading the novel, you know this is not going to be the case, but that’s not the point. The point is the journey: the relationship between father and son, and the transition of Nathan from boyhood into adulthood. Both of these are defining factors of the novel, separate but also intertwined because Nathan’s relationship with his father, and his mother to a lesser extent, are serious inhibitors to his ability to grow up and get on with his life. We see this build throughout the novel and as Nathan’s life enters a stagnant phase, much to his mother’s distress, as an observer looking in from the outside, we see all the reasons why he reaches this point with perfect clarity and the deepest of sympathy.
There are shades of John Green that come through in this novel. Given this is the story of a seventeen-year-old boy, there are scenes that remind me a lot of Paper Towns, particularly those that include Nathan’s close friends. Dominic is spot on with the teenage wit and sarcasm, the emotional incompetence and the struggle of being loyal to your parents even when they are crushingly embarrassing. There is a scene towards the end of the novel when Toby, Nathan’s blind musical prodigy best friend, jumps up (carefully, because he’s blind) onto the roof of Nathan’s car. They are stuck in a traffic jam, caused by Nathan’s car stalling due to old age, and are being assaulted by a barrage of horns and insults. Toby stands on the roof of the offending vehicle and with his cane (remember that he’s blind) he begins to conduct the bleating horns. This is one of those scenes within a novel that you never forget. It’s brilliant, funny, poignant, all the things a memorable scene should be and it’s entirely representative of what this novel is all about.
I was a bit nervous about reading this novel, despite also being excited to have received it. I was concerned that it might be overly scientific, given that Nathan’s father is a physicist and the subject matter is all about kids who are gifted and geniuses. It does lean heavily into physics, but in an entirely accessible way, and I have to say that I simply do not understand physics at all, but I still wasn’t overwhelmed by the content of this novel and the inclusion of so much physics did nothing to detract from my enjoyment of the story. I can’t say I learnt anything physics related, my brain just seems to refuse the subject as if it’s a completely different language, but I sailed along happily just absorbing the details within the context they were intended.
After Nathan had his accident and his new memory skills emerged, Dominic Smith began to include throughout the text at key moments somewhat random facts that Nathan had memorised. Yet their randomness was very much by design; each ‘fact’ was directly linked to an emotion Nathan was feeling within that moment, ready for you to decode. I thoroughly enjoyed how Dominic did this. It was clever and complimentary and really stood out to me as a unique little ‘extra touch’.
To finish up with, I want to share this line, one of my favourite from the entire novel:
‘The night felt cracked open, alive with possibility.’
How divine. So much said with so little words, but like I said above, a literary artist. Dominic Smith is firmly cemented in as one of my favourite authors. After two exquisite reads, I have full certainty now that any novel of his that I pick up I am sure to enjoy. I highly recommend this novel to readers who appreciated stories about life, family relationships, friendship, love and the universe. It has all of this and more. It’s also set in 1987 and has some pretty cool 80s moments that fellow children from that era will appreciate.
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Beautiful Miscellaneous for review.
July 29, 2017
New Release Book Review: The Way Back by Kylie Ladd
Book Description:
All she wanted was to escape. But why does she still feel trapped. A gripping psychological drama by the author of Mothers and Daughters and Into My Arms.
Charlie Johnson is 13 and in her first year of high school. She loves her family, netball and Liam, the cute guy who sits next to her in Science – but most of all she loves horses and horse-riding. Charlie’s parents have leased her a horse, Tic Tac, from the local pony club, but one day they go out for a ride in the national park and only Tic Tac returns…
Four months later, long after the police and the SES have called off the search, Charlie is found wandering injured and filthy, miles from where she was last seen. Her family rejoice in her return, but can anyone truly recover from what Charlie’s been through? When a life has been shattered, how do you put the pieces back together?
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My Thoughts:
In her latest novel, The Way Back, Kylie Ladd has put into words to every parent’s worst nightmare. An abducted child. Missing for months. Yet, The Way Back is more than a novel about a teenage girl being abducted and found. It goes beyond this and explores the ripple effects of trauma, the way it can fracture a family as well as the individuals affected by an incident. The Way Back is a brilliant read, achingly real and entirely relatable. Kylie has a way of picking the flesh from the bones, stripping a story back to its essentials and then laying it all out, holding no parts back. Her work is always rendered with the utmost honesty, and in The Way Back, this honest narrative showcases Kylie Ladd at her very best. Your heart will break while reading this novel, you’ll be overcome by the gravity of what is happening to these characters, but even so, you won’t be able to put this novel down and you will continue to think about it for some time once you are finished.
I liked the way this novel was broken up into its three parts: Before, During and After. Within these sections, we experience the story through the eyes of Charlie, both her parents, her brother, the lead police sergeant investigating her case, and her abductor. This gives such a rounded and complete picture of the story, especially the addition of the abductor, Col. We could get a real feel for the Johnsons in Before, appreciate their normalcy, which of course makes what happens so much more relatable. They’re normal, it happened to them therefore it could happen to any family. The section During was rather traumatic, only because you could put yourself right into the situation, and well and truly imagine what this must be like, dealing with your child missing. Knowing that they’re out there somewhere, unknowing though if they’re alive or dead. Such a terrible state to live in and Kylie did so well at articulating the mental anguish a parent would be going through at such a time. In addition to this, we are exposed to what Charlie is experiencing, and it is with mounting dread that we encounter these passages. They were harrowing, but they needed to be. I frequently had to remind myself that this poor girl was only thirteen, magnifying the horror all over again. So young, to have such a terrible thing happen, yet so brave at the same time. The final section, After, is where we see the full effects of being a victim of crime and how far reaching this is. For Charlie, and her family, nothing was over once it was over. Life couldn’t just go back to normal.
Novels that focus on the long-lasting effects of crime are always so interesting to me. For the general public, when we see a missing person found, it’s celebrated, we hear about it for a little bit and then it fades away. But for the victim, and their family, a new trauma is just beginning. How do you assimilate back into your life? How do you answer questions you don’t want to answer? How do you ever feel safe again? Who are you now that you have been damaged by another? These questions, and more, are all addressed with skill and sensitivity in The Way Back. Reading a novel such as this provokes all manner of thoughts to begin swirling within your head, but foremost is this: Do we need to teach our children to be less friendly? We talk about stranger-danger and not engaging with unknown people online, never getting into a car with someone, the list really does go on and as parents we know it off by heart. But what of the kindness extended to the random, seemingly harmless looking person, who then takes that kindness and warps it to their own motivations, reading too much into it? This struck a chord with me, as I have encountered such people, those with diminished mental faculties, who really don’t understand why their overtures are not appreciated. All we can do is encourage our children to be cautious, without discouraging kindness, yet it’s a delicate balance. There is much to churn over after reading The Way Back, and your mind will take some time to settle.
I highly recommend The Way Back, my new favourite from Kylie Ladd (which previously was Into My Arms). It’s a must read for book clubs, the range of material will keep you all discussing the novel for hours and that of course is the very best type of book club read.
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Way Back for review.
The Way Back is book 42 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge. I had the pleasure of interviewing Kylie Ladd for Sunday Spotlight over on the AWW blog. If you’d like to find out more about Kylie and the story behind The Way Back, the interview was published today and it’s delightfully insightful, well worth the read.
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July 28, 2017
New Release Book Review: Third Witch by Jackie French
Book Description:
A searing story of passion, betrayal, battles and love, this is Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ stripped of superstition, and its power and beauty refined into fewer words where good balances the evil and there is a happy ending – for some.
Following on from OPHELIA, QUEEN OF DENMARK and I AM JULIET, this is the third title in the series for young people that focuses on the reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s classic and enduring plays.
Annie is not a witch, but when her mistress Lady Macbeth calls for a potion to ‘stiffen Macbeth’s sinews’, Annie is caught up in plots that lead to murder, kingship, and betrayal. Annie must also not only choose between Rab the Blacksmith and Murdoch, Thane of Greymouth, but discover where her loyalty lies.
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My Thoughts:
I’ve been thinking a lot about Macbeth of late, for a combination of reasons I suppose. There’s the new movie I’ve seen advertised, Lady Macbeth, while at the high school I work at the Year 12 students have begun studying Macbeth for their senior English Shakespeare unit, leading to some interesting discussions with a few of them. I still remember studying Macbeth for my own senior English Shakespeare unit, performing a dramatic monologue of Lady Macbeth ending her own life, having elected to go solo instead of performing in small groups like my classmates. Macbeth was the third Shakespeare play I had read, Romeo and Juliet the first, followed by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Macbeth of course is very different from these other two plays, but I instantly preferred it and Lady Macbeth fast became my favourite Shakespeare character. I can’t really account for why, I just felt her, a connection that reached out and kept me reading what many label as Shakespeare’s most complex work.
I first became aware of Third Witch from my Twitter feed. Jackie French had posted the cover image – which is stunning, I might add, and instantly grabbed my attention – with a tag line along the lines of no one ever referring to Lady Macbeth by her real name. It’s funny how one comment can generate so many thoughts. Needless to say, I was intrigued enough to search for the novel, newly released, and purchase it immediately.
Third Witch is an excellent retelling of Macbeth. I find when reading novels that are either based on real people from history or famous stories retold, they work better when examined from the eyes of someone other than the famous person or previous main character. And so it was in Third Witch, where we hear a version of Macbeth from Lady Macbeth’s most trusted lady’s maid, Annie Grasseyes, or Lady Anne, as we come to know her by, later in the story. Retelling Macbeth from this different, removed yet still close, perspective propels Macbeth into an accessible and easy to understand format. Still containing Shakespearean dialogue, Jackie French explains it all throughout the narrative, allowing the reader to fully appreciate the story without becoming overwhelmed by the old world language.
I enjoyed the way Jackie French depicted the growing madness of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as time progressed. The ripple effect of a single action was well showcased, so too, the debilitating effects of guilt on a person’s conscience. I also enjoyed Annie’s observations on happiness and it’s connections to wealth; particularly those instances where she noted the gross wastage of food and the endlessly idle hours. These were important observations and served to set Annie’s character on a path to redemption in the long run.
As promised in Jackie French’s Twitter teaser, we do get to learn Lady Macbeth’s real name. And while I hate to be a spoiler, I still couldn’t resist sharing a hint, because I love this part, particularly the last line:
‘…my daughter still toddling at my skirts. I’d called her…, after my lady. No one but me, it seemed, remembered her true name. She had lost it when she married, as women do.’
I’ll leave you to discover Lady Macbeth’s name for yourself within the novel, but I wanted to include this small part for two reasons: like I already mentioned, I love the last line, the noting of how women lose their identities when they marry. But also for it’s testimony to the enduring friendship between these two women, from such different beginnings, the love still lingering even long after Lady Macbeth was gone. If Jackie French’s aim was to demonstrate good triumphing over evil and superstition, then she’s done a marvellous job of it. I thoroughly enjoyed Third Witch and recommend it to both long-term Macbeth fans and students studying Macbeth for the first time, as well as everyone in between!
Third Witch is book 48 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.
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July 27, 2017
Book Review: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Book Description:
Northern Iceland, 1829. A woman condemned to death for murdering her lover. A family forced to take her in. A priest tasked with absolving her.
But all is not as it seems, and time is running out: winter is coming, and with it the execution date. Only she can know the truth. This is Agnes’s story.
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My Thoughts:
I found myself deeply moved by this novel, but also distinctly depressed. It’s a grim story, no two ways about it, but it’s written beautifully.
I was completely swept up in the moment each time I returned to the pages of Burial Rites. The depiction of Northern Iceland in the 1820s was particularly fascinating, the harshness of life quite stunning. It’s not a location I’ve read about before, and I felt that Hannah did this setting justice, her first hand experience of having lived there for a time shining through in her vivid, yet realistic descriptions.
I was empathetic to Agnes right from the start, quietly hopeful, despite already knowing the ending. The supporting characters were engaging and not over represented.
I am quite impressed by this novel, considering it was a debut for Hannah Kent, who is also relatively young, particularly at the time of writing Burial Rites. This is certainly not a novel you would want to read if you were looking for something light and happy. But if you appreciate quality historical literary fiction, that is impeccably researched, with characters containing depth and layers, then Burial Rites might just be the book for you.
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Burial Rites was read in October of last year as part of my 2016 Australian Women Writers Challenge. This review has been re-written for this article.
July 26, 2017
Book Review: Girl in the Woods A Memoir by Aspen Matis
Book Description:
Girl in the Woods is Aspen Matis’s exhilarating true-life adventure of hiking from Mexico to Canada—a coming of age story, a survival story, and a triumphant story of overcoming emotional devastation. On her second night of college, Aspen was raped by a fellow student. Overprotected by her parents who discouraged her from telling of the attack, Aspen was confused and ashamed. Dealing with a problem that has sadly become all too common on college campuses around the country, she stumbled through her first semester—a challenging time made even harder by the coldness of her college’s “conflict mediation” process. Her desperation growing, she made a bold decision: She would seek healing in the freedom of the wild, on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail leading from Mexico to Canada.
In this inspiring memoir, Aspen chronicles her journey, a five-month trek that was ambitious, dangerous, and transformative. A nineteen-year-old girl alone and lost, she conquered desolate mountain passes and met rattlesnakes, bears, and fellow desert pilgrims. Exhausted after each thirty-mile day, at times on the verge of starvation, Aspen was forced to confront her numbness, coming to terms with the sexual assault and her parents’ disappointing reaction. On the trail and on her own, she found that survival is predicated on persistent self-reliance. She found her strength. After a thousand miles of solitude, she found a man who helped her learn to love and trust again—and heal.
Told with elegance and suspense, Girl in the Woods is a beautifully rendered story of eroding emotional and physical boundaries to reveal the truths that lie beyond the edges of the map.
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My Thoughts:
I’ve taken my time reading this book, not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because it gave me much to think over after each session. It’s not the best written book, nor is Aspen/Debbie immune to the flaw of getting on your nerves, but by the time you reach the end of this memoir, you reach a place of understanding; Aspen is an incredibly honest writer, a necessity in a memoir but not always a given.
Within the pages of Girl in the Woods, Aspen’s honesty opens herself up to the harshest of scrutiny. The enormity of what Aspen has done; this girl walked from Mexico to Canada, often times alone, in a journey of self discovery. The internal place she arrives at when she finishes is different even from what she envisaged, and that’s what makes this book so good. This is not a story told in hindsight. It’s a story that unfolds, changes, changes again, and then again.
I am absolutely stunned by the fact that people walk this type of journey all the time. I can hardly comprehend it. The generosity of those who help these hikers all along the way is humbling; just incredible. Overall, this was an excellent memoir. I would have liked a little more clarity on some of the details of Aspen’s life post walk, but other than that, I highly recommend Girl in the Woods to readers of all ages.
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Aspen Matis
July 25, 2017
Behind the Pen: Robby Dennis
Welcome to Behind the Pen. Today I’m joined by Robby Dennis, who has taken her writing dreams into her own hands by self-publishing her first novel, Love in Speranza, which will be released on August 1st.
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When did you start writing and what was the catalyst?
I have an old box in my shed, filled with hand written and illustrated stories dating back perhaps to when I was five or six years of age. As a migrant, I struggled with the English language. Even now I look at my sentences and wonder should there be a comma there? Going back and forth to Sicily, because my father couldn’t make up his mind where he wanted to build a life, left me struggling with many aspects of schooling. I could neither write well in English nor in Italian. Needless to say, it didn’t stop me. I was an avid reader so that helped.
My stories became more substantial in high school. I wrote every night and illustrated my work and then took the WIP to school for my friends to read. Basically, I incorporated all of them into my story and it became like a serial. I did this for years.
I stopped writing in my early twenties, as motherhood took over. My biggest problem was never finishing a story. I was never a plotter, so I would start writing organically and then come to a grinding halt. I gave up. Even reading became difficult as I developed type 2 Diabetes at thirty-seven years of age. I kept falling asleep each time I tried. I became addicted to TV.
Three years ago, my life changed after having Gastric By-pass surgery. My Diabetes became controlled and I lost a lot of weight.
My joy for life returned.
One day I was bored and there was nothing on TV so I sat down at my computer…
How many novels have you written? How many of these have you published?
In the three years since, I have completed eight 110k word novels, some are heavily edited and ready to publish, while a few others need rewrites. The first five I wrote in the first year. (I had a lot to say!) They were so raw and poorly crafted. I spent the next two years learning, improving and rewriting. Love in Speranza is my seventh and the one I pitched at RWA conference last year. After a favourable rejection and re-evaluating what I wanted, I decided to self-publish. It comes out on the 1st of August, followed closely by the very first novel I penned, The Sicilian List.
What is your favourite scene from one of your novels and why?
That’s a hard one to answer, but I think I always enjoy writing and re-reading any scene where the characters become aware how incomplete their lives are without each other. That poignant moment when they realise the person before them holds the key to their heart and happiness.
How would you describe your most recent novel to a new reader?
Love in Speranza is a steamy love story within a love story. It’s a place where dreams and hope seem to have lost their way. It takes you on a journey of heartbreak and loss, to an everlasting bond that cannot be broken. It’s about love in action, forgiving offences and overcoming obstacles. It’s an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. It’s a story where you can’t help fall in love with the people, the culture, and ultimately with the idea that no matter what, love always prevails.
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Where do you normally write? Is it in the same place every day or are you all over the place writer?
I write at my computer desk every day. Sometimes I listen to music when I need to shut the world out, or get in the mood. I get my best inspiration first thing in the morning, when my brain is sharp and focused, especially after coffee. Some days I don’t achieve much, while other days I’m filled with ideas, but those are the days I usually have to go to work! Ideas pop into my head 24/7.
What other genre would you like to try your hand at writing and why?
I’ve written a rural, and enjoyed it immensely. It comes with a personal back story to be shared another time. I mostly enjoy writing serials. I like linking stories to each other, much like life. We are all intertwined with one another in some way, much like the movie Love Actually. I’m a huge Sci-Fi fan, so I could see myself dabbling in that at some stage. I adore reading historicals, but I’m much too lazy to do the research required. I’m very much a believer of “write what you know.”
What do you like doing when you’re not writing?
Ok, well I can’t write that down! However, I do love reading and watching movies. I adore food, way too much. I dream about travelling, but can’t afford to do much of it, so I write about it. I love to entertain, play board games, and dance. In my head, I sing like Diana Krall (a female Michael Buble`) so I’m constantly listening to music. I love being in the same space as my husband, even if it’s back to back on our computers.
What authors and types of books do you love the most?
I found a second-hand book in a box and decided to try something different. It was a historical by Brenda Joyce with an eye-catching cover. I didn’t think I would like it, as my impression of that genre was “boring, bogged down with details and straight laced.” It was also thick and I didn’t want to read a book that would take forever to get to the good bit at the end. I have no idea how I came to that conclusion. I was so wrong.
Anyway, I read it and couldn’t put it down. Ha, I had no idea books had evolved so much. After that, I became intrigued and read everything else Brenda wrote (I think around 45 novels). I was curious to see how romance novels had evolved. She tackled pirates, dukes, time travelling highlanders, historical sleuths and even contemporaries. I was hooked. Imagine how devastated I was when I discovered she had put her pen down after falling in love and taking time to enjoy her own romance story. I guess she will write again one day, but I had to find some new material. The short answer is that I will read any genre if it’s written well, pacey and hot!
I’ve personally contacted my favs on RWA, some I have yet to discover. There aren’t enough hours in the day!
Do you have an all-time favourite book? Why is this book so significant to you?
While on holidays in Sicily six years ago, I read a novel by Belinda Alexandra called Tuscan Rose. I couldn’t put it down. It had everything in it that I liked and it had me intrigued and guessing right to the end. Strangely it also intimidated me. I felt inadequate as a writer, and decided there was no point aspiring to publish. I would never be able to create something so amazing. I realised years later that I don’t need to duplicate her work, but develop my own unique style.
Where do you draw your inspiration from? How do you fill up the creativity well?
I don’t want to sound like a cliché, but Paul my husband has shown me what true love is all about. We’ve been together for thirty-six years and have seen some hard times where murder and divorce were bandied about. We dug deep and utilised our mutual spiritual beliefs to build a life together. I also draw my inspiration from watching other people, learning from life’s lessons, watching movies, reading jaw dropping books and chocolate. My well never runs dry. When I finish a book I think, what next? I literally have no idea… then a day later the characters come calling and a story unfolds.
Can you tell us something about yourself that you’d like your readers to know?
My life is an open book. I’m not shy about sharing with others some of the lessons I’ve learnt, even if it puts me in a bad light. I tackle the taboo and cringe-worthy stuff that people find hard to talk about. Usually, I bring a bit of humour into it.
Thanks is extended to Robby for joining me here at Behind the Pen and allowing us to get to know her a little better. Wishing her the best of luck with her upcoming release. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Love in Speranza, it’s available from Amazon.
July 24, 2017
Book Review: Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer
Book Description:
A haunting story of yearning, love and betrayal from the bestselling author of Thornwood House.
Lucy Briar has arrived home in turmoil after years overseas. She’s met her fiancé in London and has her life mapped out, but something is holding her back.
Hoping to ground herself and find answers, Lucy settles into once familiar routines. But old tortured feelings flood Lucy’s existence when her beloved father, Ron, is hospitalised and Morgan – the man who drove her away all those years ago – seeks her out.
Worse, Ron implores Lucy to visit Bitterwood Estate, the crumbling historic family guesthouse now left to him. He needs Lucy to find something– an old photograph album, the very thing that drove Ron and his father apart.
Lucy has her own painful memories of Bitterwood, darkness that has plagued her dreams since she was young. But as Lucy searches for the album, the house begins to give up its ghosts and she is driven to put them to rest.
And there, held tightly between the house, the orchard and the soaring cliffs, Lucy uncovers a long-hidden secret that shattered a family’s bond and kept a frightened young girl in its thrall … and Lucy discovers just how fierce the lonely heart can be.
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My Thoughts:
Beyond the Orchard captivated me right from its opening scene. A shroud of mystery hangs heavy throughout this novel, but Anna Romer skillfully parcels out what you need to know at perfect intervals. With a storyline that features multiple characters in several different eras, this novel is a world unto its own. A moody ancient house with secret crevices and hidden truths; stormy nights and angst aplenty. Key ingredients for an absorbing read.
You can’t help but be gripped with a feeling of dread as the story progresses, this being one of the many reasons why I couldn’t put this novel down. Each of the characters are rich and engaging, their individual stories as well as the way they are all woven together a triumph in character development that many novelists fall short on. I particularly loved the way this family’s history was so strongly linked with the present. There was a slight supernatural element to the story that depicted fear and enhanced our imaginings quite brilliantly. The inclusion of the fractured fairytale throughout the novel at key points was storytelling at its best.
As the novel built to its close, I was overcome with a deep sadness for the characters, particularly Edwin, but also Clarice, and of course their son, Ronald. To me, Beyond the Orchard is above all a story that examines love; in all of its varying forms and demonstrations. I am so impressed by Anna Romer’s skill as a novelist; this was the first novel of hers that I have read and I will definitely be reading her other two as soon as possible!
Beyond the Orchard was read in November 2016 as part of my Australian Women Writers Challenge. This review has been re-written from an earlier version that appeared on Goodreads at the time of reading.
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