What do you think?
Rate this book
I Came to Say Goodbye
* 7 hours and 52 minutes *
Caroline Overington's best-seller is a heart-breaking, utterly compelling novel of a family ripped apart.
It was four o'clock in the morning. A young woman pushed through the hospital doors. Staff would later say they thought the woman was a new mother, returning to her child - and in a way, she was.
She walked into the nursery, where a baby girl lay sleeping. The infant didn't wake when the woman placed her gently in the shopping bag she had brought with her. There is CCTV footage of what happened next, and most Australians would have seen it, either on the internet or the news.
The woman walked out to the car park, towards an old Carolla. For a moment, she held the child gently against her breast and, with her eyes closed, she smelled her. She then clipped the infant into the car, got in and drove off.
That is where the footage ends. It isn't where the story ends, however. It's not even where the story starts.
©2022 Caroline Overington (P)2022 Audible, Ltd
Caroline Overington's best-seller is a heart-breaking, utterly compelling novel of a family ripped apart.
It was four o'clock in the morning. A young woman pushed through the hospital doors. Staff would later say they thought the woman was a new mother, returning to her child - and in a way, she was.
She walked into the nursery, where a baby girl lay sleeping. The infant didn't wake when the woman placed her gently in the shopping bag she had brought with her. There is CCTV footage of what happened next, and most Australians would have seen it, either on the internet or the news.
The woman walked out to the car park, towards an old Carolla. For a moment, she held the child gently against her breast and, with her eyes closed, she smelled her. She then clipped the infant into the car, got in and drove off.
That is where the footage ends. It isn't where the story ends, however. It's not even where the story starts.
©2022 Caroline Overington (P)2022 Audible, Ltd
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2010
93 people are currently reading
2291 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Overington
30 books571 followersCaroline Overington is an Australian author and journalist.
She has worked for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and is is currently a staff writer for The Weekend Australian Magazine.
Caroline is a two-time winner of the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism. She won her first Walkley for a series of articles about a literary fraud, and her second for a series about the AWB oil for food scandal.
She is also a winner of the Sir Keith Murdoch prize for excellence in Journalism; and of the Blake Dawson Prize.
Caroline has published five books. Her first, Only in New York, was about working as a foreign correspondent in Manhattan.
Her second, Kickback, was about the UN oil for food scandal. It won the Blake Dawson Prize for Business Literature.
Her first novel, Ghost Child, is about a child murdered by his parents.
Her second, I Came To Say Goodbye, takes the form of a letter from a grandfather to a Supreme Court judge. It was shortlisted for both the Fiction Book of the Year, and overall Book of the Year, in the 2011 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Her latest novel, published in October 2011, is called Matilda is Missing. It is set in the Family Court, and it is about a couple's war over custody of their two year old daughter, Matilda.
Caroline's books are proudly published by Random House Australia.
Caroline is a mother of delightful, 11-year-old twins. She lives with her kids, her husband, a blue dog, and a lizard, in Bondi.
She has worked for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and is is currently a staff writer for The Weekend Australian Magazine.
Caroline is a two-time winner of the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism. She won her first Walkley for a series of articles about a literary fraud, and her second for a series about the AWB oil for food scandal.
She is also a winner of the Sir Keith Murdoch prize for excellence in Journalism; and of the Blake Dawson Prize.
Caroline has published five books. Her first, Only in New York, was about working as a foreign correspondent in Manhattan.
Her second, Kickback, was about the UN oil for food scandal. It won the Blake Dawson Prize for Business Literature.
Her first novel, Ghost Child, is about a child murdered by his parents.
Her second, I Came To Say Goodbye, takes the form of a letter from a grandfather to a Supreme Court judge. It was shortlisted for both the Fiction Book of the Year, and overall Book of the Year, in the 2011 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Her latest novel, published in October 2011, is called Matilda is Missing. It is set in the Family Court, and it is about a couple's war over custody of their two year old daughter, Matilda.
Caroline's books are proudly published by Random House Australia.
Caroline is a mother of delightful, 11-year-old twins. She lives with her kids, her husband, a blue dog, and a lizard, in Bondi.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 561 reviews
April 22, 2022
Review of Audible audiobook
This book was very unique, particularly in it’s format. I almost stopped listening to this as the first few chapters are slow going and I really had no idea where this was leading, having not read any reviews.
The novel is written in the form of a letter to a judge, explaining some action we don’t yet understand.
We’re transported to Forrster on the New South Wales Central coast. Med is a good man, he works hard and is happy with life in general. Most of all he loves his family, his wife Pat and their 3 children. Pat has been unhappy since she gave birth to their youngest, Donna Faye, only 20 months old. One day Pat just packs her things and tells Med she is done with this life, him, the kids, everything and she leaves – yep just like that.
Med can barely believe that Pat has left, how any mother could leave her children? He goes on with his life with help from his mom and dad who live fairly closely. He doesn’t want charity but he sure could use some help.
There are struggles, so many struggles. As the children get older, they spread their wings. Cat ,the oldest, is the first to go. She’s off to a scholarship at a boarding school and then on to university and the US. Blue leaves to try his luck panning for gold and it’s just Donna Faye (called Fat for a reason I still don’t understand) and Med.
We watch as Med tries to deal with Donna Faye, willful and probably on the autism spectrum, she makes one bad decision after another.
I won’t go into the details of the plot but there are many heavy issues discussed. The state of the health system, the inefficiency of the Dept of Social Services and especially the lack of accessible mental health care for those with a low income.
This is a sad and very troubling story and yet I couldn’t stop listening. The narrator was great and the Australian accent was easy for me to understand. My heart bled for him, this is a good man who just needed some help, but got none.The ending left me crying.
I have to recommend this book, it’s well written, absorbing and with believable, though perhaps a bit stereotypical, characters. I enjoyed it and learned a lot from this Aussie story. This is my second audiobook by Ms. Overington and I will definitely be searching the library for more from this talented author.
This book was very unique, particularly in it’s format. I almost stopped listening to this as the first few chapters are slow going and I really had no idea where this was leading, having not read any reviews.
The novel is written in the form of a letter to a judge, explaining some action we don’t yet understand.
We’re transported to Forrster on the New South Wales Central coast. Med is a good man, he works hard and is happy with life in general. Most of all he loves his family, his wife Pat and their 3 children. Pat has been unhappy since she gave birth to their youngest, Donna Faye, only 20 months old. One day Pat just packs her things and tells Med she is done with this life, him, the kids, everything and she leaves – yep just like that.
Med can barely believe that Pat has left, how any mother could leave her children? He goes on with his life with help from his mom and dad who live fairly closely. He doesn’t want charity but he sure could use some help.
There are struggles, so many struggles. As the children get older, they spread their wings. Cat ,the oldest, is the first to go. She’s off to a scholarship at a boarding school and then on to university and the US. Blue leaves to try his luck panning for gold and it’s just Donna Faye (called Fat for a reason I still don’t understand) and Med.
We watch as Med tries to deal with Donna Faye, willful and probably on the autism spectrum, she makes one bad decision after another.
I won’t go into the details of the plot but there are many heavy issues discussed. The state of the health system, the inefficiency of the Dept of Social Services and especially the lack of accessible mental health care for those with a low income.
This is a sad and very troubling story and yet I couldn’t stop listening. The narrator was great and the Australian accent was easy for me to understand. My heart bled for him, this is a good man who just needed some help, but got none.The ending left me crying.
I have to recommend this book, it’s well written, absorbing and with believable, though perhaps a bit stereotypical, characters. I enjoyed it and learned a lot from this Aussie story. This is my second audiobook by Ms. Overington and I will definitely be searching the library for more from this talented author.
January 6, 2015
This story is primarily told through the voice of fifty nine year old, Med who grew up in a little town of Forster on the New South Wales Central Coast.
Med's life changes the day his wife Pat walked out on him and their three young children. He could never understand how a mother could walk away from her own children, but that's exactly what his wife did. Faced with bringing up three young children alone, Med does the best he can, but he finds it a struggle especially as the children get older. Dealing with teenagers can be a challenge at the best of times, which Med is finding out. His daughter Fat (Donna-Faye) is turning out to be more than a challenge, but Med knows if he pushes her too far he will lose his daughter, but how will Med deal with his daughter and her wayward ways without losing his daughter in the process?
I must admit I was unsure about this book to begin with, but once I got through the first few chapters I became intrigued as to what was going to happen. A truly compelling read which covers a variety of tough and sensitive issues such as mental illness, adoption, the welfare system, and so much more. To say I enjoyed this book would be the wrong word because of the topics that are covered throughout this book, but what I can say is it is definitely well worth reading. Recommended.
Med's life changes the day his wife Pat walked out on him and their three young children. He could never understand how a mother could walk away from her own children, but that's exactly what his wife did. Faced with bringing up three young children alone, Med does the best he can, but he finds it a struggle especially as the children get older. Dealing with teenagers can be a challenge at the best of times, which Med is finding out. His daughter Fat (Donna-Faye) is turning out to be more than a challenge, but Med knows if he pushes her too far he will lose his daughter, but how will Med deal with his daughter and her wayward ways without losing his daughter in the process?
I must admit I was unsure about this book to begin with, but once I got through the first few chapters I became intrigued as to what was going to happen. A truly compelling read which covers a variety of tough and sensitive issues such as mental illness, adoption, the welfare system, and so much more. To say I enjoyed this book would be the wrong word because of the topics that are covered throughout this book, but what I can say is it is definitely well worth reading. Recommended.
September 13, 2016
I'm so glad my dad recommended this book. Now I'm looking forward to reading more of hers. I loved reading this Aussie story, written in letter form by the patriarch of the family. He's a simple yet hard working man, struggling to prevent bad things happening to his family, at the same time trying to raise them on his own. Men like this are so common in my parents era ie. not accepting charity, strong work ethic, respect, making the best of what they've got, avoiding relying on welfare 'I can do it on my own thank you very much'.
Lots of issues prevalent to today's society are here, mental health of those in low socio economic society and its cycle of despair. Children's court, family court, and of course 'DOCS' makes an appearance too. The Dept of Community Services. Taking away parents rights etc etc. I really do like local settings, but have only just stumbled across some Aussie authors so I'm happy about that.
I do recommend this book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you chose to read it. I nearly finished off without mentioning the blurb, loved that too, perfect fit.
Lots of issues prevalent to today's society are here, mental health of those in low socio economic society and its cycle of despair. Children's court, family court, and of course 'DOCS' makes an appearance too. The Dept of Community Services. Taking away parents rights etc etc. I really do like local settings, but have only just stumbled across some Aussie authors so I'm happy about that.
I do recommend this book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you chose to read it. I nearly finished off without mentioning the blurb, loved that too, perfect fit.
March 1, 2024
This is a most outstanding book. I offered to read this and review this from Net Galley publishers. So they gifted this to me.
I've never read a book like this before, the way it was written is in a way so different than I have come across, in a good way.
You get the Father telling a story, telling it to the Court, except, its told in such a way you feel you are the judge. Its so unusual it works. I loved it.
The later part of the book is where his other daughter takes up her story from her side. Its a very compelling read. I've been laid up with a bad back and not able to do much, so when the painkillers actually do decide to kick in I stay still!!! so what better way but to use my time reading and catching up on the books I want to read.
Its a very moving read. I loved it. I would highly recommend it.
I've never read a book like this before, the way it was written is in a way so different than I have come across, in a good way.
You get the Father telling a story, telling it to the Court, except, its told in such a way you feel you are the judge. Its so unusual it works. I loved it.
The later part of the book is where his other daughter takes up her story from her side. Its a very compelling read. I've been laid up with a bad back and not able to do much, so when the painkillers actually do decide to kick in I stay still!!! so what better way but to use my time reading and catching up on the books I want to read.
Its a very moving read. I loved it. I would highly recommend it.
December 8, 2022
First off I'd like to say that this book is a tear jearker (you've probably guessed that from the title). Secondly, the writing is amazing. I listened to the audiobook version as much as I could during my day.
The whole novel is a long letter sent to a judge on behalf of a child in state custody.
The story is told mostly by an older gentleman by the name of "Med", short for Meredith. Tai Hara narrates. His deep, Australian accent had me from the get-go.
The other voice, Jennifer Rani, is Med's daughter (Kat). She also contributes a smaller portion of the letter in the final chapters of the book.
I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that there are a lot of heavy topics covered in this story:
Mental Illness
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
Child Abuse
It's such an engaging ride, but I will encourage readers to get out your tissues. You will need them!
The whole novel is a long letter sent to a judge on behalf of a child in state custody.
The story is told mostly by an older gentleman by the name of "Med", short for Meredith. Tai Hara narrates. His deep, Australian accent had me from the get-go.
The other voice, Jennifer Rani, is Med's daughter (Kat). She also contributes a smaller portion of the letter in the final chapters of the book.
I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that there are a lot of heavy topics covered in this story:
Mental Illness
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
Child Abuse
It's such an engaging ride, but I will encourage readers to get out your tissues. You will need them!
October 20, 2023
I'm not crying, you're crying...
For some reason I had an expectation that this was going to be some sort of who done it thriller novel and I am SO glad I was wrong. Though I will say that the end was a twist in its own right.
What an incredible, heartbreaking,and emotional novel with really rich and complex characters. It takes a lot to make me cry, but cry I did right at the very end.
For some reason I had an expectation that this was going to be some sort of who done it thriller novel and I am SO glad I was wrong. Though I will say that the end was a twist in its own right.
What an incredible, heartbreaking,and emotional novel with really rich and complex characters. It takes a lot to make me cry, but cry I did right at the very end.
January 30, 2025
No words!
I’m shattered 💔
This was rough but so worth the ride.
Currently included with audible, and the narration is superb 🎧
I’m shattered 💔
This was rough but so worth the ride.
Currently included with audible, and the narration is superb 🎧
May 10, 2022
This book was a gigantic lie. The summary you see connected to it? That had literally nothing to do with the novel until the very, VERY end. You're 90% done with it by the time the summary even comes into play. I felt lied to. Get ready, because there are going to be some light to medium spoilers in this review.
I had so many issues with this novel that, like one of my past reviews for a one-star rated book, I'm going to put it in number format so I don't hurt your eyes.
1. The writing style is absolutely terrible. Not only that, but it's flat-out boring. It's written in the form of letters to a judge. Sounds interesting, right? Wrong. Literally EVERY SENTENCE involving conversations ends with "I said", "he said", or "she said". I'm not joking.
Example (not directly from the novel, but just an idea of what it looked like): "What?" I said. "You heard me," she said. "I don't understand," I said. "What don't you understand?" she said. "None of it," I said.
The ENTIRE FREAKING NOVEL is written like this. No description. No interesting sentence structures. No adjectives peppered into the sentences to give you an interesting mental picture. Just literal "he said, she said" sentences right in your face the entire time. I was ready to give up by chapter three.
2. All of the characters were terribly written. The "protagonists" were complete and total idiots. The "antagonists" were over-the-top cliched evil. I wanted to slap every single character at least once throughout this crap fest. Med, the main character, was the only one I could feel any slight pity for, but the sentence structure train crash I mentioned earlier made it hard for me to even like him. His kids were all dramatically different in cliched ways. His youngest, nicknamed "Fat" (that alone had me raising my eyebrows), frustrated me to no end. I understand that some people are drawn to the "bad boys" at a young age, but the progression of her life just didn't flow properly. "I love you daddy! LOL, j/k! I'm dating this loser now and you can suck it!" Just...why? Where did that come from? Was it just because she was a teenager who wanted to get back at her dad for not liking her past love interests? If so, it wasn't written clear enough to show us that.
3. So many things in this novel just didn't make sense. I get the idea the author was going for when Fat started to become unstable. Her mother obviously showed signs of being unstable, so I get that the author was trying to point out that mental instability can be genetic. Her mother literally ran their car into a fence when she found out she was pregnant with Fat. I get it. But Fat's signs of instability literally started out of nowhere. She was 15 and dated a guy who was ten years older than her. Shouldn't her father do something about that? He hated the dude, but he didn't actually do anything to stop the situation. Not only that, but shouldn't that be considered illegal?? She wasn't over 18 and she was having sex with an adult man. Nobody was going to say anything about that? On a similar note, how did Med's wife run off and not have to pay child support? She just disappeared randomly, still kept in contact with the kids (but not Med), and left Med to do everything by himself? How?! She would have had to pay child support to help raise Fat!
4. I really hated how social workers were represented here. One of my best friends is a social worker, and I felt disgusted reading about them in this novel. The author described them as heartless, conniving morons. They were doing their jobs to keep children safe. One child suffered from Shaken Baby Syndrome and the other was conceived by an adult mother who wasn't mentally right and a father who was under 18 (once again, ISN'T THIS ILLEGAL?!?!). The social workers stepped in to make sure both of these children would be kept safe. It felt like we were supposed to be on the side of the "protagonists", saying "you go, Fat! I know your dirtbag husband almost killed your first child and you're too mentally unstable to take care of your second child, but screw those social workers!" No. I refuse to look at it that way. It made me sick.
5. There was an insane amount of racist moments throughout the novel. Med having an issue with Fat dating anyone who wasn't white bothered me; and Savannah (Fat's second child) having dark skin seemed to be the only thing worth mentioning about her. It could have been written in a much better way, but it fell flat and was more insulting than interesting.
I would give this book zero stars if possible. I'm not usually the type of person to insult a novel this much, but I can't help it with this one. It was horribly written with terrible characters and an insulting representation of different cultures and social workers. Don't give this book the time of day. You would have more fun slamming your face against a door for an hour straight than you would reading this trash.
I had so many issues with this novel that, like one of my past reviews for a one-star rated book, I'm going to put it in number format so I don't hurt your eyes.
1. The writing style is absolutely terrible. Not only that, but it's flat-out boring. It's written in the form of letters to a judge. Sounds interesting, right? Wrong. Literally EVERY SENTENCE involving conversations ends with "I said", "he said", or "she said". I'm not joking.
Example (not directly from the novel, but just an idea of what it looked like): "What?" I said. "You heard me," she said. "I don't understand," I said. "What don't you understand?" she said. "None of it," I said.
The ENTIRE FREAKING NOVEL is written like this. No description. No interesting sentence structures. No adjectives peppered into the sentences to give you an interesting mental picture. Just literal "he said, she said" sentences right in your face the entire time. I was ready to give up by chapter three.
2. All of the characters were terribly written. The "protagonists" were complete and total idiots. The "antagonists" were over-the-top cliched evil. I wanted to slap every single character at least once throughout this crap fest. Med, the main character, was the only one I could feel any slight pity for, but the sentence structure train crash I mentioned earlier made it hard for me to even like him. His kids were all dramatically different in cliched ways. His youngest, nicknamed "Fat" (that alone had me raising my eyebrows), frustrated me to no end. I understand that some people are drawn to the "bad boys" at a young age, but the progression of her life just didn't flow properly. "I love you daddy! LOL, j/k! I'm dating this loser now and you can suck it!" Just...why? Where did that come from? Was it just because she was a teenager who wanted to get back at her dad for not liking her past love interests? If so, it wasn't written clear enough to show us that.
3. So many things in this novel just didn't make sense. I get the idea the author was going for when Fat started to become unstable. Her mother obviously showed signs of being unstable, so I get that the author was trying to point out that mental instability can be genetic. Her mother literally ran their car into a fence when she found out she was pregnant with Fat. I get it. But Fat's signs of instability literally started out of nowhere. She was 15 and dated a guy who was ten years older than her. Shouldn't her father do something about that? He hated the dude, but he didn't actually do anything to stop the situation. Not only that, but shouldn't that be considered illegal?? She wasn't over 18 and she was having sex with an adult man. Nobody was going to say anything about that? On a similar note, how did Med's wife run off and not have to pay child support? She just disappeared randomly, still kept in contact with the kids (but not Med), and left Med to do everything by himself? How?! She would have had to pay child support to help raise Fat!
4. I really hated how social workers were represented here. One of my best friends is a social worker, and I felt disgusted reading about them in this novel. The author described them as heartless, conniving morons. They were doing their jobs to keep children safe. One child suffered from Shaken Baby Syndrome and the other was conceived by an adult mother who wasn't mentally right and a father who was under 18 (once again, ISN'T THIS ILLEGAL?!?!). The social workers stepped in to make sure both of these children would be kept safe. It felt like we were supposed to be on the side of the "protagonists", saying "you go, Fat! I know your dirtbag husband almost killed your first child and you're too mentally unstable to take care of your second child, but screw those social workers!" No. I refuse to look at it that way. It made me sick.
5. There was an insane amount of racist moments throughout the novel. Med having an issue with Fat dating anyone who wasn't white bothered me; and Savannah (Fat's second child) having dark skin seemed to be the only thing worth mentioning about her. It could have been written in a much better way, but it fell flat and was more insulting than interesting.
I would give this book zero stars if possible. I'm not usually the type of person to insult a novel this much, but I can't help it with this one. It was horribly written with terrible characters and an insulting representation of different cultures and social workers. Don't give this book the time of day. You would have more fun slamming your face against a door for an hour straight than you would reading this trash.
February 27, 2013
This is perhaps the book that has most divided myself and my boyfriend. I absolutely loved it, I thought the topic was thoughtful and the style with which it was written was great. My boyfriend however disliked it and thought it would have been better had it been written differently.
The reason that I thought it was such an effective book was because of the way you were never quite sure what has happened. I'd read the blurb and the first chapter so I had an idea in my mind of where the book was going but Overington turned it right on its head and it turns out that the first chapter is actually somewhat towards the later part of the story. It feels like she's telling a completely different narrative as you were never quite sure when or if it was going to link back up to the first part. For that reason I thought it was brilliant as I was never quite sure where it was going, but because of that my boyfriend hated it.
The style in which it is written is also effective, having been written in a letter format. This for me helped to develop the character of Med and Kat Atley as we could read their thoughts and see their honesty more clearly than if Overington had just described them. All of the characters were brilliant and you can real feel their emotions, from their joy, their frustration and their heartache.
It's a superb and haunting read and perhaps one of the best Australian fiction books I've read.
The reason that I thought it was such an effective book was because of the way you were never quite sure what has happened. I'd read the blurb and the first chapter so I had an idea in my mind of where the book was going but Overington turned it right on its head and it turns out that the first chapter is actually somewhat towards the later part of the story. It feels like she's telling a completely different narrative as you were never quite sure when or if it was going to link back up to the first part. For that reason I thought it was brilliant as I was never quite sure where it was going, but because of that my boyfriend hated it.
The style in which it is written is also effective, having been written in a letter format. This for me helped to develop the character of Med and Kat Atley as we could read their thoughts and see their honesty more clearly than if Overington had just described them. All of the characters were brilliant and you can real feel their emotions, from their joy, their frustration and their heartache.
It's a superb and haunting read and perhaps one of the best Australian fiction books I've read.
August 15, 2014
I devoured this book quickly due to its simplistic language and compelling subject matter. Whilst this book is certainly a page turner, I can't say that I actually liked it.
I borrowed this book from the library, and someone who had read it before me had circled the many typos - this book is littered with them.
Each character is an oversimplified cliche. The narrative is somewhat awkward and trite. There was so much potential to explore the human psyche, yet this book does not delve deep enough.
This book makes for a great airport novel, but this is not high literature, nor is Caroline Overington anything close to the calibre of Jodi Picoult, whom she is often compared to.
I will probably read more of Overington's novels as a guilty pleasure to fill time, but I now know what to expect.
I borrowed this book from the library, and someone who had read it before me had circled the many typos - this book is littered with them.
Each character is an oversimplified cliche. The narrative is somewhat awkward and trite. There was so much potential to explore the human psyche, yet this book does not delve deep enough.
This book makes for a great airport novel, but this is not high literature, nor is Caroline Overington anything close to the calibre of Jodi Picoult, whom she is often compared to.
I will probably read more of Overington's novels as a guilty pleasure to fill time, but I now know what to expect.
November 2, 2012
Long winded rambling story, which seemed more of a vendetta against the government, welfare departments and the family court.
A real disappointment, from the terrible style of apparently someone writing a judge a 300 page letter, to a court judgement saying that someone was 'working a shift at 'woolies' - really?
Characters seemed to just vanish and were never heard of again, whilst others vanished and then suddenly popped up again.
The whole idea that anyone would, in Australia, give their child the nick name Fat and then be puzzled when people were shocked by it.
The book was frustrating and ultimately lead nowhere - I had hopes for it and was sadly let down.
A real disappointment, from the terrible style of apparently someone writing a judge a 300 page letter, to a court judgement saying that someone was 'working a shift at 'woolies' - really?
Characters seemed to just vanish and were never heard of again, whilst others vanished and then suddenly popped up again.
The whole idea that anyone would, in Australia, give their child the nick name Fat and then be puzzled when people were shocked by it.
The book was frustrating and ultimately lead nowhere - I had hopes for it and was sadly let down.
December 20, 2015
Sorry i just did not enjoy this book. Might be just me but I found it very hard to get into , quite drawn out.
April 25, 2018
The book starts off with the description of an abduction that takes place in a hospital,of a baby girl,without the nurses even realizing it because they were playing solitaire and security paying no attention.the story then goes on to examine the life of med atley,her father who is asked to write a letter to the judge regarding the decision to be taken.it turns out his daughter Donna had a child and lost him to protective services because if her boyfriends attitude before having a child with a minor while mentally unstable and her child is given up to her sister and brother in law for adoption.she kidnaps her own child and later on murders her by throwing her off a bridge.its a slow read,with way too much boring details with a horrifying ending
February 5, 2016
Having read other titles by Caroline Overington, I knew that it would take some time to get to the storyline described on the blurb of this book. That is not a criticism, just an acknowledgement that she writes in a distinctive style that is quite unique in Australian fiction. Whatever her reasons for choosing to portray her stories through the eyes of a third party (involved in the story but not the main protagonist), it is a literary device that works fantastically for her.
In I Came To Say Goodbye, Overington has used the voice of a 60 year old male Meredith (Med). As the father of Donna-Faye (who goes by the unfortunate nickname Fat), he meticulously plots the back story that leads to the abduction of a female child from a hospital in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta.
Overington displays great skill in the creation of the character of Med. His thoughts, words and actions ARE a 60 year old working class Australian man - there is no doubt of that. As a reader you witness the unfolding of the story through his eyes, knowing it is beyond accurate. The creation of the other characters in the story are similarly spot on (although only described through Med) - from his long absent wife Pat, to the no-hoper son-in-law Paul and ambitious elder daughter Kat.
While it is told with great skill, I Came To Say Goodbye is a depressing story. It is a sad litany of the realities and failings of the family court and the other associated Government departments that exist to supposedly protect the interests of vulnerable children. I don't know enough about the system to comment on the accuracy of the facts portrayed - however it certainly comes across as very believable.
Sad, yet compelling and very readable, I Came To Say Goodbye will has left a lasting impression on me and opened my eyes to just what is happening everyday in the family court system.
In I Came To Say Goodbye, Overington has used the voice of a 60 year old male Meredith (Med). As the father of Donna-Faye (who goes by the unfortunate nickname Fat), he meticulously plots the back story that leads to the abduction of a female child from a hospital in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta.
Overington displays great skill in the creation of the character of Med. His thoughts, words and actions ARE a 60 year old working class Australian man - there is no doubt of that. As a reader you witness the unfolding of the story through his eyes, knowing it is beyond accurate. The creation of the other characters in the story are similarly spot on (although only described through Med) - from his long absent wife Pat, to the no-hoper son-in-law Paul and ambitious elder daughter Kat.
While it is told with great skill, I Came To Say Goodbye is a depressing story. It is a sad litany of the realities and failings of the family court and the other associated Government departments that exist to supposedly protect the interests of vulnerable children. I don't know enough about the system to comment on the accuracy of the facts portrayed - however it certainly comes across as very believable.
Sad, yet compelling and very readable, I Came To Say Goodbye will has left a lasting impression on me and opened my eyes to just what is happening everyday in the family court system.
September 30, 2013
This book starts with a woman taking a baby from a hospital but the reader should take note of the ‘From the Author’ before this where Caroline Overington explains that she has been a journalist reporting on child neglect and child murder.
I’ll be honest the beginning of this story confused me slightly. Med Atley has been asked to provide a witness statement about his grandchild but how does this link to the stolen baby? All soon becomes clear with the majority of this book taking the form of a letter to the judge thereby telling the story in reverse. This letter written in a realistic style of a man born in the 1950’s, not a sophisticated telling, but one man’s view of the truth of what has happened to lead up to this court case. It all starts with Med’s family as a boy, follows him through to how he marries and onto his own children. Slowly the reader is able to put parts of the jigsaw into place.
I couldn’t stop reading this book which although sad is never mawkish. Few judgements are made by the author, despite it concerning a court case. What you take from letter and how you believe things should have happened is down to the reader to decide. Unfortunately it appears to be only too real and although set in Australia could actually be anywhere in the Western world. We have all, only too often, read or seen on the news aspects of the events in this novel.
Despite the difficult subject matter I really did like this book with its gentle characterisation and Med’s successfully understated responses to the actions of himself and others.
I received a free copy of this book in return for this honest review.
I’ll be honest the beginning of this story confused me slightly. Med Atley has been asked to provide a witness statement about his grandchild but how does this link to the stolen baby? All soon becomes clear with the majority of this book taking the form of a letter to the judge thereby telling the story in reverse. This letter written in a realistic style of a man born in the 1950’s, not a sophisticated telling, but one man’s view of the truth of what has happened to lead up to this court case. It all starts with Med’s family as a boy, follows him through to how he marries and onto his own children. Slowly the reader is able to put parts of the jigsaw into place.
I couldn’t stop reading this book which although sad is never mawkish. Few judgements are made by the author, despite it concerning a court case. What you take from letter and how you believe things should have happened is down to the reader to decide. Unfortunately it appears to be only too real and although set in Australia could actually be anywhere in the Western world. We have all, only too often, read or seen on the news aspects of the events in this novel.
Despite the difficult subject matter I really did like this book with its gentle characterisation and Med’s successfully understated responses to the actions of himself and others.
I received a free copy of this book in return for this honest review.
May 9, 2023
Another brilliant novel by Caroline Overington! I love her characters, each one made so vivid to the reader. This book is a searing criticism of Government social services in Australia, although, some might recognise these failings in some other countries, unfortunately. It is not a happy story, but I very much enjoyed the writing, characterisation, and the narration.
I really enjoyed listening to this again, one of my favourites.
I really enjoyed listening to this again, one of my favourites.
April 24, 2022
This was just a terrible book. Only listened to because it was free on audible plus. Badly written and plotted. The characters were stereotypes and the whole thing was racist and classist.
November 6, 2022
Told as a letter from the father of a troubled young woman, the story captures the bewilderment and sorrow and sometimes despair of loving someone with mental health problems, bent on self-destruction and lost in the morass of governmental agencies and their conflicting policies meant to protect and support the most vulnerable.
It faltered a bit in the last third, but overall very much worth reading.
Audiobook via the Audible Plus catalog, I'll look for others by this author.
It faltered a bit in the last third, but overall very much worth reading.
Audiobook via the Audible Plus catalog, I'll look for others by this author.
August 5, 2013
Wow, all i can say is Wow. If you only read one book this year, I highly recommend this one, but be warned have the tissues ready, she is a fantastic author/storyteller with a massive potential to go far :) I can't wait to read more of her books :)
October 16, 2014
Brilliant. Could not put down. Will be reading all the books by this wonderful author.
March 18, 2022
Emotional and relatable. Loved it. A story that will stay with me for a long time
July 27, 2022
This story was not at all what I expected based on the description. It was written in a different style from the viewpoint of Med (the father) and Kat (one of the daughters) as a letter which was written to a judge. I had a tough time at first paying attention to the story because I had no idea what was going on and almost gave up listening. Then as the "story" went on, things started making sense. Med tells most of the story from when he first met his wife to the birth of his 3 kids and life after that. It is a story full of family tragedy and yet there are families out there just like this one. I really felt for the dad and all he had to go through. He was a good guy that just couldn't seem to catch a break. This story also delves into the mental health system, social services and more heavy topics. It was worth listening to the end to get the complete story of this families tragic lives. Although it's not the type of story I would normally read, I am very glad I did. Well written.
May 6, 2024
Minor spoilers, but it's not worth reading anyway.
I just wanted a boring book to fall asleep to (which this definitely did), but the racism was a real jumpscare. The abelism wasn't great either, and using FGM for shock factor is just icky. It reads like a right-wing persecution fanfic.
(It's free on audible, but it's not worth what you pay for it)
I just wanted a boring book to fall asleep to (which this definitely did), but the racism was a real jumpscare. The abelism wasn't great either, and using FGM for shock factor is just icky. It reads like a right-wing persecution fanfic.
(It's free on audible, but it's not worth what you pay for it)
June 26, 2024
It took me awhile to get into the book because the formate is the characters narrating a letter. It was a lot of I said, I said, he said, she said. And that was pretty annoying. But the story was really good. I listened to on audible. And Meds narrator was all wrong. He sounded like a sext Chris Hemsworth but described himself as a short bald old guy. So that too threw me off.
October 13, 2023
Tragic, but heartwarming story.
February 26, 2022
This was at times gut wrenching and definitely tugged at your heartstrings more than once. It deals with mental illness and manipulation and the failings of “the system” no matter how well intentioned. It also delves into family dynamics and how different opportunities shape who we become. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would like the story from Med’s perspective, but as the story went on, I decided it was the proper perspective from which to hear the story. It was a sad book with a little light at the end.
January 23, 2025
Interesting style in the form of a letter.
June 30, 2011
It was the cover that drew me to the book "I Came to Say Goodbye" by Caroline Overington. After reading the story it is the cover that disappoints me because it broadcasts the designer did not read the book.
Nothing disappoints me about this author's work. Everything she relates, however, is a damming portrayal of society.
The lead voice is a man named Med, short for Meredith. He tells us how frustrating such a name is for him but it doesn't stop him from nick naming his chubby daughter "Fat". His story is told as a letter to a judge. As reader, we begin with a cryptic description of a segment of Australian CCTV footage. A mother arriving at a hospital at 4.00am, being able to walk in to the nursery and walk out with one of the older babies, carrying it in a shopping bag to an old Corolla and driving away. We are ever present in the role of those watching and reacting to the media.
Med is an uncomplicated Australian man. Born in 1950 amongst NSW farmland and fishing boats, his aspirations were to live as his parents had in a weatherboard cottage on a block of land just out of town with local work, marry and raise kids.
The tag line is "Who is left behind when a family falls apart?". As the story unfolds "left behind" blossoms with new meaning. Is ignorance an excuse? What is family? What is culture? What is help? Where is love?
An easy read on the toughest of subjects.
Nothing disappoints me about this author's work. Everything she relates, however, is a damming portrayal of society.
The lead voice is a man named Med, short for Meredith. He tells us how frustrating such a name is for him but it doesn't stop him from nick naming his chubby daughter "Fat". His story is told as a letter to a judge. As reader, we begin with a cryptic description of a segment of Australian CCTV footage. A mother arriving at a hospital at 4.00am, being able to walk in to the nursery and walk out with one of the older babies, carrying it in a shopping bag to an old Corolla and driving away. We are ever present in the role of those watching and reacting to the media.
Med is an uncomplicated Australian man. Born in 1950 amongst NSW farmland and fishing boats, his aspirations were to live as his parents had in a weatherboard cottage on a block of land just out of town with local work, marry and raise kids.
The tag line is "Who is left behind when a family falls apart?". As the story unfolds "left behind" blossoms with new meaning. Is ignorance an excuse? What is family? What is culture? What is help? Where is love?
An easy read on the toughest of subjects.
December 16, 2012
The prologue (and back cover) set up the exciting situation of a woman taking a baby out of a hospital, this seemed to have promise.
The first few chapters, spoken in slow laborious detail in the first person cure you of the delusion that it will be an engrossing read and give you a chance to settle into the very slow pace of telling years and years of back story to the event in question.
I quite liked the first bit, as I thought the portrayal of Australian 60's life was well enough done, though the writing style is a bit clumsy and clunking.
The characters got less believable and less and less interesting as the story progressed, I unabashedly skim read large sections from the middle of the book because it has gotten exceptionally tedious and was not advancing the story in any way.
Toward the end it got a bit interesting for a while, then, inexplicably after bearing with the narrator and main character for so long, we get other people narrating instead. This does lift the story for a while, but it rapidly sinks back into dullness.
The concluding chapters do not redeem the rest of the book rather they manage to attain an impressive melding of maudlin and meaningless.
The first few chapters, spoken in slow laborious detail in the first person cure you of the delusion that it will be an engrossing read and give you a chance to settle into the very slow pace of telling years and years of back story to the event in question.
I quite liked the first bit, as I thought the portrayal of Australian 60's life was well enough done, though the writing style is a bit clumsy and clunking.
The characters got less believable and less and less interesting as the story progressed, I unabashedly skim read large sections from the middle of the book because it has gotten exceptionally tedious and was not advancing the story in any way.
Toward the end it got a bit interesting for a while, then, inexplicably after bearing with the narrator and main character for so long, we get other people narrating instead. This does lift the story for a while, but it rapidly sinks back into dullness.
The concluding chapters do not redeem the rest of the book rather they manage to attain an impressive melding of maudlin and meaningless.
January 30, 2012
I did not like this book at all. I found the style of writing (in the voice predominantly of the 'father' of the key characters) off-putting: lots of "I said", "she said", which was tedious and not at all engaging. I felt that the book presented a largely stereotypical view of most characters (the salt of the earth country patriarch, the smart daughter who went of to the US and UK, to return to save the day etc.) as well as stereotyped views of many the minor players. Here I refer specifically to social workers, who are presented as dogmatic, uncritical, unthinking, uncaring idiots largely. I also do not think the book contributed in any way to an understanding of mental illness or of the impact of abandonment on children, surely two of the key themes of the story. I had high hopes for this book but was sorely disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 561 reviews