Unforgivable in Aussie Readers

Aug 23, 2014 Vicki Tyley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: indie, australian-author

“Nuns walked across the wooden floor, not speaking, accustomed to the screams as much as to the smell of ammonia. Business as usual. Except for the girl crying out and the swish-swish of black or white habits, the scene resembled a silent movie—quiet and without colour.” –Unforgivable

Powerful and poignant, Unforgivable has an authenticity about it that goes way beyond mere historical fact. The people are real, the emotions complex and deep. The standout character for me was Sister Gregory, a nun ...more

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Nov 18, 2013 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, own-read, aussie-authors, reviewing-by-request, contemporary-fiction, 2014-release, autographed-book

As seventeen-year-old Sylvia travelled with her mother to the St Joseph’s Hospital in Sydney, she implored her to let her return home. She was frightened and didn’t want to be left alone at a strange place, with strange people who would ultimately be in charge of her immediate future. But the shame her mother felt wouldn’t allow her to grant Sylvia’s wishes; the next few months would change Sylvia’s life forever.

With Sister Bernard demanding she sign the adoption papers immediately she entered h As seventeen-year-old Sylvia travelled with her mother to the St Joseph’s Hospital in Sydney, she implored her to let her return home. She was frightened and didn’t want to be left alone at a strange place, with strange people who would ultimately be in charge of her immediate future. But the shame her mother felt wouldn’t allow her to grant Sylvia’s wishes; the next few months would change Sylvia’s life forever.

With Sister Bernard demanding she sign the adoption papers immediately she entered her office, Sylvia was equally determined she wouldn’t – she wanted to keep her baby, why should she have it taken from her? She loved Tommy, and he said he would stand by her, and always be there for her. But 1966 Australia was a bad time and place to be unmarried and pregnant. The shame was great, the need for secrecy even greater.

Sister Gregory was given the job of instructing Sylvia – she also had other young women in her care, including a lovely girl who befriended Sylvia named Kim. Sister Gregory felt some sympathy for the girls; her inner turmoil was confusing her. In the months that followed Sylvia’s incarceration she and Kim became close, but the Sisters of St Anthony ruled with iron fists; Sylvia was controlled but her courage and defiance shone through. The nuns had never seen a young woman such as Sylvia!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The anguish of the young women in the 60s and 70s is well documented; for those who wanted to keep their babies it was traumatic, for those who wanted to adopt them out, not so much. But the absolute shame and secrecy surrounding those “unwanted” pregnancies was heartwrenching – it doesn’t matter what side of the fence you are on. I’m sure there was a St Joseph’s in every city!

I would have enjoyed reading a little more about what happened to Sylvia at the end of the story, also Sister Gregory – maybe that will be in a future story? But my enjoyment of this story was complete, and I highly recommend it.

With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
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Nov 29, 2013 Mish rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian-authors

I’ve read two Australian novels back to back, and at this present moment I couldn’t be more proud of Australian writers. Both of these novels were in-depth, significant stories that provoked a reaction in me, for different reasons.

Unforgivable unleashed a fury that I didn’t see coming. Throughout the course of the book I could feel it was progressively getting stronger - by the end of it, I really could have smacked a few of these people around.

It’s 1966, around the time when society, more impo I’ve read two Australian novels back to back, and at this present moment I couldn’t be more proud of Australian writers. Both of these novels were in-depth, significant stories that provoked a reaction in me, for different reasons.

Unforgivable unleashed a fury that I didn’t see coming. Throughout the course of the book I could feel it was progressively getting stronger - by the end of it, I really could have smacked a few of these people around.

It’s 1966, around the time when society, more importantly Catholics, considered being unwed and pregnant a disgraceful and sinful act. So what is their solution?
In this book the solution it’s St Joseph; a hospital run by Catholic Nuns whom house unwed, expected young women for the term of their pregnancy. They are expected to surrender their child at birth to be adopted out, and then released into the society to go on living a normal life like nothing occurred.

But as we know it’s not as simple as switching your feelings, off and on as you please. In Unforgivable we follow the life of two pregnant young women, and a Sister who is questioning her faith.

Sylvia, who became pregnant to her boyfriend Tommy, believed Tommy did love her and will come back for her. She could see a future with her baby and Tommy in it but her parents tricked and betrayed by whisked her of St Joseph. A headstrong and determined girl, Sylvia fought the biggest battle of her life to keep her child, only to be severely bullied and threatened by the nuns into signing adoptions papers.

Kim, who’s fiancée who left her when he found out she was pregnant could truly not see an alternative solution to her predicament, left the fate of her unborn child into the hands of the nuns, only to suffer great emotional scaring, torment and guilt that consumed her long after she left the gate of St Joseph.

For Sister Gregory being at St Joseph and witnessing the most insensitive, malicious behaviour, inflicted upon these vulnerable women by her fellow nuns, caused her revaluate her vows, and the Catholic teachings and principles.

Unforgivable is a short and easy to read little book but powerful in it’s own right; tight and well construction novel that leave no stones unturned. As Sharon shifts her point of view from nuns to waiting girl, her use of language, voices and mannerisms are very distinctive and convincingly strong. Not only are you instantly drawn into the plot but Sharon makes you become aware and feel the atmosphere at St Josephs, both as a nun and waiting girl; the suffocating heat and weight of Sister Gregory’s habit, to the lack of air in Sylvia’s room due to the nailed down windows; to make you feel as though you are trapped. For some unknown reason, I specifically felt an immediate connection to Sylvia, like she was my own daughter, and had this strange yet profound need to protect her. I was utterly disgusted, not only by the nun’s mistreatment of her, but also by her parents for placing her there, and not listening to her when she pleaded them to get her out. It was also around the time when the Vatican II where they were undergoing changes, so it was fascinating to hear how the nuns felt and were adapting to these changes.

This story is engaging, heartfelt and moving, and would really like to thank Sharon for providing me with a copy and the opportunity to read and review her little gem.
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Dec 06, 2013 Kathryn rated it liked it

Shelves: australian-authors, fiction, reading-list-2014

I would give this 3.5 stars, if I could. I just finished this book, having won a copy given away by the author at the end of last year (thank you, Sharon!), and it is certainly thought-provoking.

My experience of this issue is from the other side of the fence - as an adopted child (more than 10 years after this time, so I'd like to think things had changed by then), and I haven't sought my biological mother/father, nor have I had children myself. As such, I suspect that there's still a lot to th I would give this 3.5 stars, if I could. I just finished this book, having won a copy given away by the author at the end of last year (thank you, Sharon!), and it is certainly thought-provoking.

My experience of this issue is from the other side of the fence - as an adopted child (more than 10 years after this time, so I'd like to think things had changed by then), and I haven't sought my biological mother/father, nor have I had children myself. As such, I suspect that there's still a lot to this issue that I don't really get and that can be explained by the proverb quoted several times in the book - "To understand a mother's love, bear your own children". And of course this was precisely what the nuns running the home couldn't do. What started out as a public service (or so I would hope) in taking pregnant women in to aid them before, during and after the births and, for those who did not wish to keep their babies, finding adoptive parents to take the babies, turned into something ugly and fiscally-oriented where they failed to take into account the wishes of the mother, or convinced themselves (and the mothers) that how they felt was their punishment (and therefore well-deserved) for having a child out of marriage. In addition, they were so rigid in their rules and regulations that they failed to see that their approach was not a matter of "one size fits all" - what works for one woman (no eye contact or bonding with the baby enabling her to move on more quickly) is not necessarily going to work for the next woman.

It was also interesting to get some insight into the Catholic church from Sister Gregory's perspective and to see her struggles with her vocation and faith. Sister Anthony was my favourite nun - so wise and understanding and gracious.

I read this immediately following The Rosie Project, which I thought was fantastic, so I had to make an effort not to compare the two. I did find the style of writing in this book a bit choppy and disjointed at times. I felt some of the chapters ended rather abruptly and ambiguously. I also felt the ending was rather unfinished - I liked the way Kim's story was threaded through the book but I'd have liked more information about Sylvia's later life and what happened to Sister Gregory afterwards.

I enjoyed that the story was told from the different perspectives of Kim, Sylvia and Sister Gregory and that some of Kim's present day story was revealed throughout the book to keep me trying to reconcile the 1966 story with what I knew of the story in the later years. All in all, an interesting and compelling read (although I couldn't read it without stopping as it's quite intense). ...more

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