The Blue Mile in Aussie Readers

Feb 24, 2014 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, own-read, historical-fiction, favourites, 2014-release

In the few days before Christmas in 1929, Eoghan O’Keenan (pronounced Owen he told strangers - but Yo to family and friends) found himself without work – the downturn was affecting them all, and his mates were in the same boat. So spending their last pay on the grog seemed like a good idea at the time. As he staggered home to face an abusive father, he knew his life wouldn’t be worth living – an alcoholic mother, a mean drunk for a father, a brother who had disappeared years before, another one In the few days before Christmas in 1929, Eoghan O’Keenan (pronounced Owen he told strangers - but Yo to family and friends) found himself without work – the downturn was affecting them all, and his mates were in the same boat. So spending their last pay on the grog seemed like a good idea at the time. As he staggered home to face an abusive father, he knew his life wouldn’t be worth living – an alcoholic mother, a mean drunk for a father, a brother who had disappeared years before, another one always in trouble; then there was his little sister, seven-year-old Agnes. He always did his best to protect her, taking the beatings in her and their mother’s stead – it was his wages that put food on the table, and paid their rent…

Suddenly he could stand it no more. Taking Agnes with him on the pretext of something for their father, Eoghan fled their home in Chippendale. Through the hours of the evening and into the night they wound their way through the backstreets of Sydney until finally sheltering for the night in the Botanic Gardens. This would be their home for the next two nights – but Eoghan’s fortune looked up when he was put on to work on the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He had a wage, he was able to rent a place in Balmain for himself and Ag (he was clever, her Yo-yo) – life was looking up for them both.

On the northern side of Sydney lived the stunning and debonair Olivia Greene – she worked with her mother in fashion; an artist, she was able to create beautiful and greatly desired millinery items – her dreams of fame and fortune were high, her creations well sought after by the high society ladies of the city. Coco Chanel was her idol – one day she would be her! Toot toot!

An unexpected encounter between Eoghan and Olivia near the Botanic Gardens had both of them hoping to see each other again. No mention was made, but their thoughts cascaded around inside their heads – Eoghan knew the vast chasm between them - a boy from the slums and a girl from high society – meant it would never work. He just wasn’t good enough for this girl, this beautiful Miss Greene. She’s not interested in someone wearing a naval surplus coat of wool so mean the sheep wanted its money back… P222.

Meanwhile, with Eoghan working twelve hour shifts on the bridge, Agnes at a new school and making friends, their lives continued unimpeded until the Great Depression began to rear its ugly head. Suddenly the bridge was nearing completion – would Eoghan still have a job? The violence which was beginning to occur between the unemployed was becoming harder to contain – the police were on the beat continually. And when their fortunes changed Eoghan, Agnes and Olivia were thrust into a frightening series of events – with Agnes’ wonderful brother missing, whatever would happen to her?

I absolutely loved The Blue Mile. The descriptions of Sydney, the harbour, the construction of the Harbour Bridge and the tragic deaths during construction, the politics of the time – everything was so authentic. Also the mention of the blue mile – the water separating the two sides of the harbour – was beautiful and felt right. The book was full of delightful characters, and some not so delightful; I loved Agnes and big brother Yoyo with Olivia so true to the time the book was set.

I apologise for my lengthy review! And I highly recommend this novel by Aussie author Kim Kelly – an absolute masterpiece! Toodles!
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Apr 07, 2014 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-author, provided-by-publisher, arc-are

The expanse of the glittering Sydney Harbour, known as The Blue Mile, is not all that separates Eoghan (Yo) O’Keenan and Olivia Greene. An unskilled Irish labourer escaping a poverty stricken, abusive home with his young sister in tow and the daughter of a Viscount and talented costumière making her name in Sydney society, seem an unlikely couple but a chance encounter in the Royal Botanical Gardens forges an unconventional and turbulent romance. Set against a period of great celebration and Dep
The expanse of the glittering Sydney Harbour, known as The Blue Mile, is not all that separates Eoghan (Yo) O’Keenan and Olivia Greene. An unskilled Irish labourer escaping a poverty stricken, abusive home with his young sister in tow and the daughter of a Viscount and talented costumière making her name in Sydney society, seem an unlikely couple but a chance encounter in the Royal Botanical Gardens forges an unconventional and turbulent romance. Set against a period of great celebration and Depression, Kim Kelly's The Blue Mile is an engaging story of life and love.

Beginning in late 1929, the story of The Blue Mile unfolds through the alternate first person perspectives of Eoghan and Olivia.

Though The Blue Mile is definitely a love story, it is very low key. Olivia and Eoghan's attraction to each other is immediate and mutual, but the couple spend hardly any time alone together over the course of the novel. With the lack of emotional intimacy between the pair I found didn't really feel their connection even though I believed in the issues that divided them, including their differences in class, wealth and faith.

What I really loved about this story was the historical background to the novel, which is well integrated into the story. Set during the latter construction period of the Sydney Harbour Bridge I was fascinated by Yo's experience as a rivet catcher. The building of the 'Coathanger' was an extraordinary feat, taking 1,400 men, six million hand driven rivets and 53,000 tonnes of steel to build the the world's largest steel arch bridge over a period of eight years (1924-1932).
The period was also a time of social unrest in New South Wales due to high levels of unemployment as a result of Britain calling in war loans, and political scandal, when the Premier, Jack Lang, was dismissed from government by the governor-general for his 'socialist' leanings. The economic and political fluctuations of the state have an impact on both Olivia and Yo, though in different ways.

Just days before I read this novel I actually had dinner at The Rag and and Famish, a North Sydney pub mentioned several times in the story, with some fellow book bloggers, and that connection gave me a little thrill each time. Though I liked the protagonists of The Blue Mile, it was the period detail and the physical setting that appealed to me the most. ...more

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Dec 22, 2016 Kathryn rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, australian-authors, reading-list-2016, released-2014

Set in 1930s Sydney, I really liked some of the aspects of this story. I felt that the author did a great job of depicting life in Sydney at that time - the threat of being laid off and the problems that ensued from that including evictions, the terror of the possibility of being taken by “the Welfare”, and the worry of the possibility of civil war as a result of politics. The Author’s Note at the end is worth reading for this, as well. I liked the chapters where the main male character, Eoghan Set in 1930s Sydney, I really liked some of the aspects of this story. I felt that the author did a great job of depicting life in Sydney at that time - the threat of being laid off and the problems that ensued from that including evictions, the terror of the possibility of being taken by “the Welfare”, and the worry of the possibility of civil war as a result of politics. The Author’s Note at the end is worth reading for this, as well. I liked the chapters where the main male character, Eoghan (pronounced “Yo-un”), was working on the Sydney Harbour Bridge - they made me go looking online for more details about its construction. I liked the chapters where the main female character, Olivia, was working to build up her couturière business - some of the descriptions - of colours and designs - were fantastic (see below for some examples). However many of the chapters where they were together, or thinking about each other, were eye-rollingly pathetic. It did improve.

So, for the most part, it was very readable, with likeable characters. I really liked Eoghan’s faith and that he was determined to save intimacy until marriage, since this is rarely the case except in Christian fiction. I’m afraid that Kim Kelly lost me a little toward the end, partly with the political side of things and partly with the character development. My knowledge of 1930s politics is not as good as it could be, although I did do some googling and found that Governor Game was a real person and that there was political upset around that time as described, but I largely just let all that kind of wash over me. But more importantly for me, I didn’t feel that Eoghan’s actions were believable once his job on the bridge finished, or perhaps I just needed some more work in the story to convince me of the plausibility of his actions, so that left some gaps in the story as far as I was concerned.

This is my first read by Kim Kelly, but I look forward to reading more of her works. 3.5★

Some of the beautifully descriptive quotes

“He says some other disparaging thing but I don’t hear it as the whistle blows. Blowing me and my embarrassment round to a lonely seat up near the bow. Where the water looks strung with fairy lights, there are so many vessels dotted about - it’s a dream. I close my eyes for a second and see a beaded evening cloche: teal, gold, pearl.”

“I look out at the North Claw, in the very last of the light, black talons on indigo velvet. Striking, and I’m almost compelled to dart back inside to sketch it: a slouched toque with a random spray of girder-ish appliqué high on the upturned sided. Crisp. Smart. A little theatrical."

“At least I’ll have no trouble deciding what I’ll wear today. Red. Box pleats. Severe. Angry. Black cloche with the red feather. Black stomping-cross double-strap mary-janes. There: this’ll tell her what I think.”

“I almost forget I’m cross. In fact I’m conjuring another hat for my Bridge series: an afternoon casual in sunburst yellow, a vagabond of plaited straw with froth of a deeper shade below a crown criss-crossed with slate satin.”

“This gown Mother has made for herself, from my fabric, undoubtedly to wear to the Merrick this evening, is her most fabulous creation yet. Bias-cut to the hips so that the blues will swirl around her before she even steps onto the dance floor and, when she does, the skirt, with the stripes set on the opposing diagonal, will flute out from three rows of clear crystal drop beads over panels of palest aqua chiffon. Ingenious." ...more

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