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What Members Thought
Such a treat to hear an authentic Aussie voice tell a universal story.
What teen-aged girl hasn’t imagined attracting the attentions of a handsome older man and escaping? And what older man (only early 30s, so not ‘older’ to many readers), hasn’t fantasized about seducing a ripe-for-the-picking young student?
Cory Taylor stretches out Martha’s boring days in a hot, dusty small town without ever dragging us into a classroom or shopping with Martha’s friends, or any of the things Martha must be doi ...more
What teen-aged girl hasn’t imagined attracting the attentions of a handsome older man and escaping? And what older man (only early 30s, so not ‘older’ to many readers), hasn’t fantasized about seducing a ripe-for-the-picking young student?
Cory Taylor stretches out Martha’s boring days in a hot, dusty small town without ever dragging us into a classroom or shopping with Martha’s friends, or any of the things Martha must be doi ...more
Narrated by a 16 year old girl, Martha tells her story of life in a small country town, living with her dysfunctional family and her affair with an older married English man Mr Booker.
Her father is a twisted individual who often abuses his wife physically and mentally. He is cold hearted, lazy and can’t seem to hold down a job. Her mother had a history of giving in to her interfering ex-husband, and his lame excuses for things he was responsible for. For some reason she still felt obligated and ...more
Her father is a twisted individual who often abuses his wife physically and mentally. He is cold hearted, lazy and can’t seem to hold down a job. Her mother had a history of giving in to her interfering ex-husband, and his lame excuses for things he was responsible for. For some reason she still felt obligated and ...more
Hope springs eternal that my interest in local fiction can be vitalised by starting an Australian-authored book, every 5 books or so. This, described to be "one of the best coming-of-age novels" appeared to tick all the boxes - a protagonist (Martha) illuminated with the longing of youth, plus all the trappings of an older man and the wretched small town, where self-destruction is the only path to glorious middle-age drudgery. However, while Martha's youth and angst is authentic, it is another p
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May 03, 2011
Dot
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2011
Meagan
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Dec 03, 2011
Shelleyrae at Book'd Out
marked it as to-read
Feb 18, 2012
Carly Bowden
marked it as to-read
Dec 08, 2014
Janine
marked it as to-read
