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Jean Harley Was Here
"Heather Taylor Johnson has a poet’s understanding of the world: her exploration of the way in which our lives intertwine – for better or for worse – is nuanced and poignant." Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Burial Rights and The Good People
Jean Harley – wife, mother, lover, dancer – is a shining light in the lives of those who know and love her. But when tragedy strikes, what becomes of the people she leaves behind? Her devoted husband, Stan, is now a single father to their young son, Orion. Her best friends, Neddy and Viv, find their relationship unravelling at the seams. And Charley, the ex-con who caused it all, struggles to reconcile his past crimes with his present mistakes. Life without Jean will take some getting used to, yet her indelible imprint remains.
Jean Harley Was Here is a touching and original exploration of love, relationships, and the ways in which we need each other.
Jean Harley – wife, mother, lover, dancer – is a shining light in the lives of those who know and love her. But when tragedy strikes, what becomes of the people she leaves behind? Her devoted husband, Stan, is now a single father to their young son, Orion. Her best friends, Neddy and Viv, find their relationship unravelling at the seams. And Charley, the ex-con who caused it all, struggles to reconcile his past crimes with his present mistakes. Life without Jean will take some getting used to, yet her indelible imprint remains.
Jean Harley Was Here is a touching and original exploration of love, relationships, and the ways in which we need each other.
256 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2017
86 people are currently reading
645 people want to read
About the author
Heather Taylor-Johnson
18 books19 followersHeather Taylor-Johnson is an American-born, multi-form writer, living and working on Kaurna land near Port Adelaide. She's the author of five poetry collections and a verse novel. The anthology she edited, Shaping the Fractured Self: Poetry of chronic illness and pain, is read in disability circles around the world. Her essays have won Island's Nonfiction Prize and been shortlisted for the Australian Book Review's Calibre Prize, while her second novel, Jean Harley was Here, was shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Fiction. Her book Little Bit is an autofictive novel. She's an arts critic, mentor and assessor, and runs a modest writers' retreat in the Fleurieu Peninsula. She's an Adjunct Researcher at the J.M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice at the University of Adelaide, where she received her PhD in Creative Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 16, 2018
When I first started reading this, I thought about how unrealistic it was that Jean Harley could be so perfect, but then I thought about how it real it is for those who grieve the loss of someone they love to think that way. Sometimes in death, people become perfect. Maybe they are genuinely wonderful people, but maybe it’s because when we lose someone we want to remember all of the good things because it doesn’t feel right to remember their imperfections. The remembrances of Jean’s family and friends focus on all of the things they loved about her, all of them trying to figure out what their lives will mean without her, each dealing with their grief in their own way.
I was drawn in by the lovely writing in the first few pages. We get to know Jean from the people she has left behind, but it becomes more their story as we move through the alternating third person narratives. To Stan, she was the love of his life and now the only thing that matters is that his son is first in his life, but he struggles. To Orion, their five year old son, she was the mom, who loved him, read to him, made things fun and he doesn’t understand sometimes why she won’t be back. To Neddy and Viv, her best friends from college, she was the glue that held their friendship together all these years and now it’s unraveling. We see the grief and learn about her childhood from her mother back in Missouri and her brother John who does make the trip to Australia for her funeral. There are others - her niece, her mother-in-law, the college professor she once slept with. Surprising to me was how much the narrative of Charley, the ex-con, a murderer, who drove the car that accidentally killed her, becomes so central to the story, to the healing in the years ahead.
Of course, this is a sad story, heartbreaking at times especially when I read about Orion, but there’s more here than just the sadness. It’s certainly a portrait of grief, but it’s also a reflection of love, of friendship, and that help moving forward can come from where you’d least suspect it.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Arcade Publishing through Edelweiss.
I was drawn in by the lovely writing in the first few pages. We get to know Jean from the people she has left behind, but it becomes more their story as we move through the alternating third person narratives. To Stan, she was the love of his life and now the only thing that matters is that his son is first in his life, but he struggles. To Orion, their five year old son, she was the mom, who loved him, read to him, made things fun and he doesn’t understand sometimes why she won’t be back. To Neddy and Viv, her best friends from college, she was the glue that held their friendship together all these years and now it’s unraveling. We see the grief and learn about her childhood from her mother back in Missouri and her brother John who does make the trip to Australia for her funeral. There are others - her niece, her mother-in-law, the college professor she once slept with. Surprising to me was how much the narrative of Charley, the ex-con, a murderer, who drove the car that accidentally killed her, becomes so central to the story, to the healing in the years ahead.
Of course, this is a sad story, heartbreaking at times especially when I read about Orion, but there’s more here than just the sadness. It’s certainly a portrait of grief, but it’s also a reflection of love, of friendship, and that help moving forward can come from where you’d least suspect it.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Arcade Publishing through Edelweiss.
April 13, 2021
No sooner have we met kind, bubbly, nurturing wife and mother Jean Harley, than we have lost her to a traffic accident on an unseasonably rainy day in December. So instead of following Jean's life, we follow the impact of her death in the months and years ahead. She touched the lives of everyone around her in different ways. There's her husband Stan, stoic in public but crying in private for his diminished family. And their son Orion - only 4yo when Jean died - trying not to ever complete the thought about which parent he'd prefer to have, if he could only have one. Jean's best friends since university days, Neddy & Viv, so different from each other, finding their relationship faltering without the anchor of Jean in the third corner of their triangle. Even Stan's mum, Marion, who didn't think Jean was the right one for her son at first, has lost a friend and daughter. One of my favourite passages was a memory that Stan had of Jean caring for his mum during her battle with breast cancer not too long before:
Jean had been brushing his mum’s hair. ‘I used to love brushing my friends’ hair when I was a little girl. Guess I still do,’ she’d said, and Marion had said, ‘I love you,’ just like that. Stan knew that if Jean had been with him earlier this evening and had seen the hairbrush on the kitchen table, she would’ve remembered it too.
But probably the most moving story of grief over Jean Harley's death was that of Charley Cromwell, forever wracked with guilt over the part he played in the accident. A former bikie and convicted murderer, Charley had completed his sentence and a major part of his prison reform had been to learn to read and write. Now he was living a quiet life, working hard, keeping to himself, and writing beautiful letters about his observations on life to his former teacher, Lisa. It's how he unburdens himself and where he finds the ability to articulate what he cannot say verbally. Charley really needed to attend Jean's funeral and Lisa's presence gave him the strength to do it. At the end, guests were invited to take an envelope to write to Orion, to help him remember and know his mother. So for years Charley has been trying to write to Orion, but he can't seem to get his letter quite right.
I really enjoyed this story and flew through it. Sometimes novels of grief can be really overwhelming, but not this one. I think because Jean was gone so early on, I felt I could like her but still be a little detached from her death so that I wasn't grieving for her myself. It's a fine line, and one the author has drawn very skilfully. By the end, with the benefit of everyone's remembrances and points of view, I loved her as much as they did. Jean Harley was quite a woman and was most definitely 'here'.
Jean had been brushing his mum’s hair. ‘I used to love brushing my friends’ hair when I was a little girl. Guess I still do,’ she’d said, and Marion had said, ‘I love you,’ just like that. Stan knew that if Jean had been with him earlier this evening and had seen the hairbrush on the kitchen table, she would’ve remembered it too.
But probably the most moving story of grief over Jean Harley's death was that of Charley Cromwell, forever wracked with guilt over the part he played in the accident. A former bikie and convicted murderer, Charley had completed his sentence and a major part of his prison reform had been to learn to read and write. Now he was living a quiet life, working hard, keeping to himself, and writing beautiful letters about his observations on life to his former teacher, Lisa. It's how he unburdens himself and where he finds the ability to articulate what he cannot say verbally. Charley really needed to attend Jean's funeral and Lisa's presence gave him the strength to do it. At the end, guests were invited to take an envelope to write to Orion, to help him remember and know his mother. So for years Charley has been trying to write to Orion, but he can't seem to get his letter quite right.
I really enjoyed this story and flew through it. Sometimes novels of grief can be really overwhelming, but not this one. I think because Jean was gone so early on, I felt I could like her but still be a little detached from her death so that I wasn't grieving for her myself. It's a fine line, and one the author has drawn very skilfully. By the end, with the benefit of everyone's remembrances and points of view, I loved her as much as they did. Jean Harley was quite a woman and was most definitely 'here'.
January 24, 2019
good but a downer.
September 5, 2017
Started strong, got progressively depressing, then the dog started talking and I wanted to throw it against a wall.
August 24, 2017
“I am not scary. Just sorry”
We get to know Jean Harley without ever seeing things from her own perspective. This was a relatively emotional story about how grief can change the way we think about everything. Heather Taylor Johnson is a gifted writer and I thought this book was absolutely poetic. After learning more about the author, it’s awesome to see how a person can write a fictional story while drawing from their own familiarities.
The story was told through memories of Jean and thoughts inspired by her. The feelings conjured by Jean's life were not at all bitter, but laced with all sorts of negative emotions and I appreciated that she wasn’t remembered as an impossibly flawless woman. I think it’s important to realise that you can love and/or miss imperfect people that may not have been a significant part of your life.
I particularly enjoyed reading from the perspective of Charlie. He'd had a pretty heavy past and was in a uniquely awful situation. I’ve always been interested in how a childhood can shape an adult life and whether that can be rehabilitated. I adore that he could look at his own life, his values and choices, and change so many things about himself. So many un-convicted people would benefit from doing the same.
We get to know Jean Harley without ever seeing things from her own perspective. This was a relatively emotional story about how grief can change the way we think about everything. Heather Taylor Johnson is a gifted writer and I thought this book was absolutely poetic. After learning more about the author, it’s awesome to see how a person can write a fictional story while drawing from their own familiarities.
The story was told through memories of Jean and thoughts inspired by her. The feelings conjured by Jean's life were not at all bitter, but laced with all sorts of negative emotions and I appreciated that she wasn’t remembered as an impossibly flawless woman. I think it’s important to realise that you can love and/or miss imperfect people that may not have been a significant part of your life.
I particularly enjoyed reading from the perspective of Charlie. He'd had a pretty heavy past and was in a uniquely awful situation. I’ve always been interested in how a childhood can shape an adult life and whether that can be rehabilitated. I adore that he could look at his own life, his values and choices, and change so many things about himself. So many un-convicted people would benefit from doing the same.
April 2, 2017
I purchased Jean Harley Was Here, because I loved Heather Taylor Johnson's debut novel, Pursuing Love and Death, so much. This book lived up to my expectations, and more. Her style is such that one forgets there's a writer behind the scenes. She slips from character to character seamlessly, becomes that person so much so you'd swear they were writing about themselves.
Sense of place and time and happenings all brilliant. This is top literary fiction. Deserves to be a best seller.
Sense of place and time and happenings all brilliant. This is top literary fiction. Deserves to be a best seller.
November 23, 2017
Sad and believable story of the death of one young woman and the ways it reverberates through a community.
December 10, 2018
I was really put off by the author’s clippy, mannered, rather twee style. The pages turned. It wasn’t getting better. I felt annoyance building and called it quits.
September 10, 2017
Jean Harley Was Here is a book that should be sad, but isn’t. It’s a strong and uplifting story that leaves the reader with hope. It’s also the kind of novel that gets under your skin that you don’t want to end.
When I mention the plot, you will probably wonder why I’m making the above statements. The book is a reflection of grief after Jean Harley dies after falling off her bicycle and being hit by a car. There isn’t much of Jean herself in this book, but her memory and loss is felt very strongly by those close and not-so-close to her. Her husband, Stan. Son, Orion. Mother in law, Marion. Best friends, Neddy and Viv. The family dog, Digger. And the man who was driving the car, Charley. While the common focus is Jean and carrying on after her death, these characters are all interesting in their own right. Marion is a later life playwright. Charley was taught to read in prison. Neddy’s life revolves around her children and Viv lives for work and flings.
The story of life after the event is told in chapters from different points of view. I never knew who we were going to hear from next, nor how much time had passed. That was a good thing. It kept me eager to find out more about what was happening with Charley or Neddy and it revealed the healing process. Jean is never forgotten even as time moves on. Each character is finely crafted, flawed and realistic. They are just interesting people, who would generally fit in the category of ‘ordinary’ but when you follow their lives, are extraordinary. Charley led a hard life which ended up in prison. He only wanted to learn to read so he could read his mum’s letters and eventually write back to her. Lisa was the patient teacher and they struck up a friendship through letters. Charley is sorry for what happened with Jean, but explains his previous life as being what he deserved.
Neddy and Viv are like chalk and cheese. Neddy was a promising writer, now she’s a full time mum. Does she love her new life? No. Would she swap it? Absolutely not. Even though Neddy is mum, cook, cleaner, driver and tethered to her house and/or a child, she celebrates what she has and knows to take small steps to manage her life (even if it is just cleaning Weet-Bix off the table and her). Viv is a mysterious high flyer of the design world, always ready for a challenge and another house to make over. She’s glamourous and tells herself she’s not one for children. Now it might be too late to change her mind – but is motherhood what she wants?
Jean Harley Was Here is a beautiful, strong story exploring grief with memorable characters. It’s a book you will remember long after you’ve finished it. Heather Taylor Johnson’s writing is just right – not too sad, not too trite but sensitively handled.
Thank you to Readings for the copy of this novel, shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
When I mention the plot, you will probably wonder why I’m making the above statements. The book is a reflection of grief after Jean Harley dies after falling off her bicycle and being hit by a car. There isn’t much of Jean herself in this book, but her memory and loss is felt very strongly by those close and not-so-close to her. Her husband, Stan. Son, Orion. Mother in law, Marion. Best friends, Neddy and Viv. The family dog, Digger. And the man who was driving the car, Charley. While the common focus is Jean and carrying on after her death, these characters are all interesting in their own right. Marion is a later life playwright. Charley was taught to read in prison. Neddy’s life revolves around her children and Viv lives for work and flings.
The story of life after the event is told in chapters from different points of view. I never knew who we were going to hear from next, nor how much time had passed. That was a good thing. It kept me eager to find out more about what was happening with Charley or Neddy and it revealed the healing process. Jean is never forgotten even as time moves on. Each character is finely crafted, flawed and realistic. They are just interesting people, who would generally fit in the category of ‘ordinary’ but when you follow their lives, are extraordinary. Charley led a hard life which ended up in prison. He only wanted to learn to read so he could read his mum’s letters and eventually write back to her. Lisa was the patient teacher and they struck up a friendship through letters. Charley is sorry for what happened with Jean, but explains his previous life as being what he deserved.
Neddy and Viv are like chalk and cheese. Neddy was a promising writer, now she’s a full time mum. Does she love her new life? No. Would she swap it? Absolutely not. Even though Neddy is mum, cook, cleaner, driver and tethered to her house and/or a child, she celebrates what she has and knows to take small steps to manage her life (even if it is just cleaning Weet-Bix off the table and her). Viv is a mysterious high flyer of the design world, always ready for a challenge and another house to make over. She’s glamourous and tells herself she’s not one for children. Now it might be too late to change her mind – but is motherhood what she wants?
Jean Harley Was Here is a beautiful, strong story exploring grief with memorable characters. It’s a book you will remember long after you’ve finished it. Heather Taylor Johnson’s writing is just right – not too sad, not too trite but sensitively handled.
Thank you to Readings for the copy of this novel, shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
August 11, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
This book is difficult to put into words. It's a struggle to describe exactly everything I was feeling throughout this book because I haven't read something this dark and mature in a while, actually I'm not sure if I've ever read anything exactly like this before. Jean Harley Was Here is a story not really told from Jean's perspective, but about everyone she was connected to before her accident and death. Her loving husband, her young son, her two very different best-friends, an old lover, acquaintances and the ex-con who accidentally caused her death. The chapters throughout the book follow through these characters in the years after Jean's accident and watch them grow and change.
I definitely found some parts of the book more interesting than others like Charley, Neddy and Viv's chapters because they had the more drama and tangled pasts especially with the women, but overall it was an even flowing story with a brilliant emotional give and take throughout. I really felt the pain and struggle of these characters while they tried to pick themselves up and create new lives after Jean but I think Charley was absolutely the star of this book. He had an incredible journey that was often hard to read because it was very dark, but he also came through so wonderfully and ended up at such a beautiful place.
This book is difficult to put into words. It's a struggle to describe exactly everything I was feeling throughout this book because I haven't read something this dark and mature in a while, actually I'm not sure if I've ever read anything exactly like this before. Jean Harley Was Here is a story not really told from Jean's perspective, but about everyone she was connected to before her accident and death. Her loving husband, her young son, her two very different best-friends, an old lover, acquaintances and the ex-con who accidentally caused her death. The chapters throughout the book follow through these characters in the years after Jean's accident and watch them grow and change.
I definitely found some parts of the book more interesting than others like Charley, Neddy and Viv's chapters because they had the more drama and tangled pasts especially with the women, but overall it was an even flowing story with a brilliant emotional give and take throughout. I really felt the pain and struggle of these characters while they tried to pick themselves up and create new lives after Jean but I think Charley was absolutely the star of this book. He had an incredible journey that was often hard to read because it was very dark, but he also came through so wonderfully and ended up at such a beautiful place.
September 14, 2017
very well written. enjoyed this novel. a lot is inferred or nuanced in this book
August 24, 2019
I zoomed through this book. Loved the chapter from the dog’s perspective.
January 21, 2018
Heartbreaking and stunning, the writing is lyrical. It washes over you like a river and refreshes your outlook on life. A must read for anyone but especially those who have experienced any sort of loss. Pure magic.
November 27, 2018
Fine but...read it because of good review and Australian author and it goes quickly enough but really not that memorable.
May 17, 2018
A story about the diverging lives of the family and friends of a woman killed in a tragic bike accident: it started out okay, but by the last hundred pages I was pretty over it.
The writing is okay; there are glimpses of nice poetic prose but more often than not the imagery didn't really work and/or felt stilted. I got annoyed at the number of times I had to re-read passages to get the timeline right, as it often jumped from a scene into a memory and back again without much to direct the reader. The book is divided into sections which I thought corresponded to how much time had passed relative to the accident, but by the end several years were passing by in a single sentence. The last few chapters feel rushed, and I lost connection with the characters (especially Jean's son and husband, whose stories I really wanted to hear).
That being said, it was actually quite hard to make connections with the characters because there were so many of them! Perspective switches from the husband to the son to best friend 1 to best friend 2 to mother-in-law to mother to murderer to DOG (seriously, do we need the dog's take on his owner's death???) and it just meant I got a shallow understanding of a large group's view of this woman's life. I really liked the chapters that focused on the young son and the husband, which were quite poignant and looked at grief in an original way, but unfortunately so much time was spent looking closely at other characters that those good chapters didn't get an opportunity to stand out.
I might be being unfair - I'm sure some readers will really enjoy the mosaic of stories which come together in love for one woman, but unfortunately not my thing. A solid 2.5 stars.
The writing is okay; there are glimpses of nice poetic prose but more often than not the imagery didn't really work and/or felt stilted. I got annoyed at the number of times I had to re-read passages to get the timeline right, as it often jumped from a scene into a memory and back again without much to direct the reader. The book is divided into sections which I thought corresponded to how much time had passed relative to the accident, but by the end several years were passing by in a single sentence. The last few chapters feel rushed, and I lost connection with the characters (especially Jean's son and husband, whose stories I really wanted to hear).
That being said, it was actually quite hard to make connections with the characters because there were so many of them! Perspective switches from the husband to the son to best friend 1 to best friend 2 to mother-in-law to mother to murderer to DOG (seriously, do we need the dog's take on his owner's death???) and it just meant I got a shallow understanding of a large group's view of this woman's life. I really liked the chapters that focused on the young son and the husband, which were quite poignant and looked at grief in an original way, but unfortunately so much time was spent looking closely at other characters that those good chapters didn't get an opportunity to stand out.
I might be being unfair - I'm sure some readers will really enjoy the mosaic of stories which come together in love for one woman, but unfortunately not my thing. A solid 2.5 stars.
December 31, 2017
It's the last day of 2017 and what a book to finish off my year's reading. It has many of my favourite things: stories told from different perspectives; the impact of a person's life on others; and a strong sense of place and people.
It's basically the story of a woman called Jean Harley, told after her untimely death. It's really beautifully done, especially the chapters about Charley, the man who accidentally killed Jean.
If you love reading about diverse people, dogs, memory and the power of a life, then hopefully you'll love this book as much as I did.
It's basically the story of a woman called Jean Harley, told after her untimely death. It's really beautifully done, especially the chapters about Charley, the man who accidentally killed Jean.
If you love reading about diverse people, dogs, memory and the power of a life, then hopefully you'll love this book as much as I did.
July 8, 2018
How wonderful to be remembered with love by so many people! Like Jean Harley, and the author I do believe, I am an American married to an Australian and adding my own flavour to the area around me. Identification can be important in reading.
October 6, 2018
Not a bad idea to tell about someone who died via the reactions of those connected to her. But too many characters, too much extraneous detail, no real insight into Jean herself ...
August 25, 2017
This was an incredibly powerful novel on grief. BUT: there was a flaw in the central premise which has bothered me ever since.
We follow many, many characters (including the family dog??) in the wake of Jean's death (she has been 'doored' on her bicycle, AKA hit by a car door when the driver opened their door into traffic, and then run over accidentally by the character named Charley). Her death haunts Charley for the rest of the novel. However, we never hear from the driver who doored Jean, even though she caused the accident and therefore her death. (In Victoria, Australia, dooring is a traffic offence with fines and penalties). For an otherwise very detailed novel with a great many perspectives and narrators, this seems a fundamental oversight.
Otherwise: a deep, haunting read. Grief is the central theme, but in exploring a multitude of reactions to grief, the novel also examines family and parenthood, friendship, identity and living a meaningful life. It was a much deeper book than I was expecting and it was quite confronting and emotive to read - not quite a relaxed beach holiday read (as I was expecting!), but a really worthwhile book, and fantastic fiction with a regional feel (particular to regions of Australia and the USA, as per the author's background). Although the South Australian wine references were a bit contrived.
We follow many, many characters (including the family dog??) in the wake of Jean's death (she has been 'doored' on her bicycle, AKA hit by a car door when the driver opened their door into traffic, and then run over accidentally by the character named Charley). Her death haunts Charley for the rest of the novel. However, we never hear from the driver who doored Jean, even though she caused the accident and therefore her death. (In Victoria, Australia, dooring is a traffic offence with fines and penalties). For an otherwise very detailed novel with a great many perspectives and narrators, this seems a fundamental oversight.
Otherwise: a deep, haunting read. Grief is the central theme, but in exploring a multitude of reactions to grief, the novel also examines family and parenthood, friendship, identity and living a meaningful life. It was a much deeper book than I was expecting and it was quite confronting and emotive to read - not quite a relaxed beach holiday read (as I was expecting!), but a really worthwhile book, and fantastic fiction with a regional feel (particular to regions of Australia and the USA, as per the author's background). Although the South Australian wine references were a bit contrived.
December 4, 2017
Loved this book. I think I've been extremely lucky this year m, I've made some pretty great reading choices & jean harley was one of them. The title character of this book is hit by a car during a rain storm as she was biking. The book is told from the point of view of the various people in her life. The author has captured grief and the struggle to live on and move forwards after death. As a mother I truly struggled reading Orion's point of view chapters. I always overthink things and dealing with a mum dying and leaving her 5 year old son behind is hard when you have a 6 year old daughter and a 5 year old son. I also had such a connection to this story because it was written by an American who moved to Australia, she made the title character American in oz as well. I'm a Canadian ex pat living in Australia with my half Aussie half Canuck family. This book does cover the difficulty in the distance. I could feel that upset and despair. I thought this was a wonderful read. Very happy to have picked up this book.
August 21, 2017
The focus of the story is Jean Harley, who died unexpectedly. It is the central characters in book that Jean has impacted on the most, who reveal the vibrant Jean. She was a wife to Stan, mother to Orion, a past lover to Philip, a good girlfriend to Neddy and Viv, and connected with family members on both sides of the families. The other person who suffers is Charley, who accidently killed her. (Charley also has to deal with his criminal and troubled past.). This story chronicles the emotional turmoil these characters endure after Jean's death. Though their grief is everlasting and shared, memories and time help them to come to terms with their loss. Heather Taylor Johnson has written about ordinary people and their sorrow. It is not a trite or melodramatic story. A worthwhile read. 3.5 Stars.
September 24, 2018
Jean Harley Was Here by Heather Taylor-Johnson is a unique novel about grief and moving forward after losing a loved one.
Jean Harley is happily married to Stan and they have a four year old son, Orion. Jean is coming home from work one day on her bike when she is tragically struck by a car. Although she is in a coma, doctors are hopeful she will recover. Unfortunately, as the days pass, Jean never regains consciousness and Stan allows her to slip peacefully away. Stan and Orion attempt to find new footing as a family of two while Jean's friends Neddy and Viv drift apart. The driver of the vehicle who struck Jean, Charley Cromwell, struggles to overcome his guilt after her death.
The chapters alternate between the various characters’ points of view. Orion and Stan’s chapters are heartwrenching as they grieve their loss while attempting to find a new “normal”. Neddy is not heard from much as she continues parenting her two young children. Viv is unmarried and dedicated to her job but when she unexpectedly falls in love, her life changes in many delightful ways. Charley tugs on the heartstrings as he struggles to find the words to express his sorrow over Jean’s death.
Jean Harley Was Here has an interesting premise but the pacing is very slow. The characters have unique voices with each chapter clearly stating who is narrating. The cast of characters is large and it is difficult to connect with them due to the many narration shifts. Heather Taylor-Johnson does a wonderful job bringing Jean Harley to life although readers only meet her after the accident. A quick read with a lot of heart and a clever storyline.
Jean Harley is happily married to Stan and they have a four year old son, Orion. Jean is coming home from work one day on her bike when she is tragically struck by a car. Although she is in a coma, doctors are hopeful she will recover. Unfortunately, as the days pass, Jean never regains consciousness and Stan allows her to slip peacefully away. Stan and Orion attempt to find new footing as a family of two while Jean's friends Neddy and Viv drift apart. The driver of the vehicle who struck Jean, Charley Cromwell, struggles to overcome his guilt after her death.
The chapters alternate between the various characters’ points of view. Orion and Stan’s chapters are heartwrenching as they grieve their loss while attempting to find a new “normal”. Neddy is not heard from much as she continues parenting her two young children. Viv is unmarried and dedicated to her job but when she unexpectedly falls in love, her life changes in many delightful ways. Charley tugs on the heartstrings as he struggles to find the words to express his sorrow over Jean’s death.
Jean Harley Was Here has an interesting premise but the pacing is very slow. The characters have unique voices with each chapter clearly stating who is narrating. The cast of characters is large and it is difficult to connect with them due to the many narration shifts. Heather Taylor-Johnson does a wonderful job bringing Jean Harley to life although readers only meet her after the accident. A quick read with a lot of heart and a clever storyline.
August 12, 2019
This book was a bookclub read! Not one I would have chosen but I really enjoyed it. I believe it will resonate more for an older person, who has lived a life with all the ups and downs that a full life presents. As an older Australian woman myself, having experienced a full life, I found it sad and poignant, relating to many of the characters, situations, experiences and places. My only negative comment would be, by about two thirds through I felt the story was dragging out and I was looking for a conclusion. Couldn’t see the point of the little American cousins loss of virginity as relevant either. Having said that I would recommend this book as a well written exploration of grief, love and relationships...tragedy can alter your perspective on life in so many ways.
October 27, 2018
Jean Harley was a woman who touched many lives and when she is hit by a car riding her bicycle she ends up in a coma. Her family and friends are devastated and when she eventually dies they try to move forward. I think I read her son Orion's thoughts and actions a little closer than the others. An emotional story of grief and guilt and even though Jean Harley is the center of the story, you never read about her feelings or thoughts. Well written and thought provoking, this story is set in Australia and is a book that grips your heart. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 1, 2019
I like the premise of the book and looked forward to reading the thinking and actions of those who were part of Jean's life before her death...some for a long time and some just for a few short moments.
Even if I gave it 4 stars, if I could, I would have ranked the book as 3-3/4 stars.
I think I would have wanted more from Stan
Or more from Charley
Lisa could also have had a place in the story as she and Charley have very meaningful connections which linked her to Jean.....did she have reflections when she returned home to her family?
Having her two "best" friends from college work thru their issues.......not very satisfying
Having them at the bar with Charley.....strange things do happen, but having drinks together and then leaving Charley out in the end??????
Having the book end with Orion and Charley is a very nice touch.
Even if I gave it 4 stars, if I could, I would have ranked the book as 3-3/4 stars.
I think I would have wanted more from Stan
Or more from Charley
Lisa could also have had a place in the story as she and Charley have very meaningful connections which linked her to Jean.....did she have reflections when she returned home to her family?
Having her two "best" friends from college work thru their issues.......not very satisfying
Having them at the bar with Charley.....strange things do happen, but having drinks together and then leaving Charley out in the end??????
Having the book end with Orion and Charley is a very nice touch.
September 28, 2018
Nicely written novel of the impact of the loss of one woman on her family, friends, and the man who ran her over. This isn't a new plot line but Taylor-Johnson has created good characters in Orion, Stan, Neddy, Viv, and Charley, who tell the story of their respective grief process (without in most cases realizing it). It's not a downer by any means but it is thoughtful about what it means when one person is removed from others. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. I'd like to read more from Taylor-Johnson.
August 22, 2019
Death is a ticket we are all given at birth. The question of legacy becomes more urgent as we age. Jean Harley's life ended before she or those around her had time to ask what hers might be. Taylor-Johnson sensitively explores the impact of her death on those who loved her. Her novel grasps the strands that wove Jean's life and follows them through the unraveling and re-weaving of the relationships that defined her. A lyrical and moving novel about the impacts one women had on all who came in contact with her.
February 4, 2018
Some books you discover and others discover you just when you need them.
Beautiful tribute to a life lost, and appreciating the life that’s left behind. 💞
Heather Johnson has done a wonderful job in exploring the stories of those left behind when there’s an untimely death or any death. She wonderfully captured all the different voices to the story.
Found it a bit slow in the middle but it came home strong and you better have some tissues on hand.
Well worth the read.
Beautiful tribute to a life lost, and appreciating the life that’s left behind. 💞
Heather Johnson has done a wonderful job in exploring the stories of those left behind when there’s an untimely death or any death. She wonderfully captured all the different voices to the story.
Found it a bit slow in the middle but it came home strong and you better have some tissues on hand.
Well worth the read.
March 2, 2018
In the end, perhaps all that really matters is what/who we were to the people we share our mortal time with? This is an easy read about life, love and death - and the threads that bind us to one another. Each character’s narrative builds our vision of Jean Harley, written so beautifully that in the end, I felt that I missed her too. A book that reminds us - none of us can stay (and some of us leave way too soon).
February 17, 2019
Interesting style of writing. I’m really conflicted on how I feel about this book! I enjoyed most of it but didn’t feel any pull to get back to reading once I put it down. I skipped a few pages and reread a few pages. I found it intriguing and annoying. I didn’t think there was enough about any one character to feel a connection with. Towards the end I found I was counting the pages left as I wanted it done!
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