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4.5★
“When Pop spoke to me, it was the same as when Dad did. The words were there, but it was as if they were speaking to themselves. I was just an excuse.
. . .
It was because I was born back to front. My words were breech, like me.”
Justine tells her own story. It’s 1971, near the fictional rural town of Nullabri in Victoria, Australia. I’m aware of Narrabri and Boggabri in NSW, both seeming to mean “place of” something. We know what “null” means, and that’s pretty apt. Except for being near the ...more
“When Pop spoke to me, it was the same as when Dad did. The words were there, but it was as if they were speaking to themselves. I was just an excuse.
. . .
It was because I was born back to front. My words were breech, like me.”
Justine tells her own story. It’s 1971, near the fictional rural town of Nullabri in Victoria, Australia. I’m aware of Narrabri and Boggabri in NSW, both seeming to mean “place of” something. We know what “null” means, and that’s pretty apt. Except for being near the ...more
Justine lived with her Pop as her father, Ray, was rarely around. Her mother had left when she was three years old having never recovered, both physically and mentally, from Justine’s birth. Pop’s shack near the banks of the Murray River where he and Justine spent their days was barely liveable – Pop had survived the war, but his memories of the Burma Railway and his part in the building of it, were forever in his mind.
Justine had two half-brothers – Steve and Kirk – and while they were young, ...more
Justine had two half-brothers – Steve and Kirk – and while they were young, ...more
A bleak and difficult book about a young girl growing up surrounded by male violence - it's hard going at times, but Justine is a wonderful character and Laguna leaves just enough hope amongst all the brutality.
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Justine is a young girl of 10 who is growing up in a man's world of booze and violence. Living in a small Victorian country town with her Pop who is mentally scared from the war, Justine lives her life perpetually just being there and never being explained anything at all. Any relationships she creates of value are fleeting, often thwarted by the realities of poverty and family. The complexity of the family relationships that swirl around Justine drags you in. From the nomadic Dad who has a air
...more
Holding off on rating.
Right now. I’m putting it at 2* BUT it might be 4*
Hmmmmm.
Right now. I’m putting it at 2* BUT it might be 4*
Hmmmmm.
Oh, Justine!
Jun 02, 2017
Donna
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Jul 07, 2017
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Feb 08, 2018
Kim
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May 08, 2018
Gaynor
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Jun 24, 2018
Victoria Clyne
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Jul 02, 2018
Annie
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Robyn
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Oct 14, 2018
Anne_MB
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review of another edition
Shelves:
australian-fiction,
2018
Dec 28, 2019
Shelleyrae at Book'd Out
marked it as to-read
Mar 03, 2022
Angela
marked it as to-read
