Book Review: Sarah Evans by Bernice Barry

 Sarah Evans is the powerful debut novel by Australian author Bernice Barry and I was totally immersed from the first to the very last page. After I'd read the last page and closed the book I actually said Wow! It was that impactful.

Set in early 1800's London, the story follows the life of Sarah Evans. Wrongly accused of theft she is sentenced to transportation to Australia (a fate considered worse than death). However when she catches the eye of the imperious Governor Aris he spirits her away to be his housemaid. What follows is a life of physical and sexual abuse in a time when women had no rights, none more so than those in poverty.

 

Sarah Evans is a totally captivating and heart-wrenching story. Closely based on the real life circumstances of Sarah Evans with events and dialogue drawn from original documents and prison records.

 

Bernice Barry brings her readers into a world filled with violence, corruption and ingrained poverty. It was a time of political upheaval and men championing social justice and equality were imprisoned. 

 

Through Sarah Evans we are given a protagonist who is down trodden, beaten and raped but still finds her voice for women's rights and never gives up the hope of freedom.

Sarah Evans is a powerful story where women don't judge each other's actions but do whatever they can to help each other whether it be a morsel of food or a bed for the night.

If you read historical fiction, Sarah Evans is one book not to be missed.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd September 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$32.99 ( trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Book Review: Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson

Before I Go to Sleep is the tension-filled debut novel from S. J. Watson.

 

Christine wakes each morning in a strange house in bed with a stranger. She has no memory of her life. Each day she has fragments of memory from her past and flashbacks of the accident but as soon as she goes to sleep it is all erased.

 

Every morning her husband Ben patiently explains about the accident and who he is and leaves her a list of chores to keep busy until he gets home from work. But why does she feel so frightened and why does she feel she can't trust Ben?

Before I Go to Sleep was an instant hit when it was released in 2011 and was nominated for a whole host of awards. I was expecting a real page-turner and I wasn't disappointed!

 

Watson slowly builds an atmosphere of unease and I found myself, along with Christine, not knowing who she could trust.

 

Before I Go to Sleep is a dark psychological thriller with a slow-burn mystery and plenty of twists and turns I didn't see coming.

 

Before I Go to Sleep is a deeply disturbing story about repressed memory, obsession, manipulation and trust. It's a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Text Publishing

Publication date: 1st October 2011

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Pages: 368

Source: Own copy

 

 

Book Review: A Cold Season by Matthew Hooper

A Cold Season is the searing debut novel from Australian author Matthew Hooper. It is a heart-rending story of loss and grief set during a freezing post WWI winter in a small house in the foothills of Mt Kosciusko.

 

The narrator is 14 year-old Beth as she retells what happened the year her 17 year-old brother Sam went missing. Sam was trekking the hills above their property when a storm came through and trapped him on the mountain. Their father, Owens, leaves to find him and also becomes trapped in the winter storm.

 

As they wait for Sam and Owens to return Beth's mother Grace, convinced they will never return, finds solace in the local outlaw, Wallace.

Her burden of grief turns to anger and she blocks out Beth's brother Sasha and lashes out at Beth. 

 

Matthew Hooper never lets the reader forget how bitterly cold and harsh the climate is.

 

"I felt colder, like my clothes was not working and the mountain's cold was right inside me, making me shiver and shake and rub my knees."

The use of prose that are both lyrical and illiterate portray an uneducated narrator as Beth tells the story in her own words.

"But mostly we was thinking about Owens and Sam, ........ and we was both filled to the brim with upset and worry what sat in our stomachs like heavy stones submerged in dark sorrow-water what filled us up."

A Cold Season is a deeply felt story about how grief is managed in different ways. It is a story filled with sorrow and love and hate, and a sadness that is all consuming.

 I'd love to see it on the big screen one day.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If I could give it more stars I would!

 

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st October 2024

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 224

RRP: AU$32.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

 

 

Book Review: The Medusa Situation by Gabiann Marin

 Lovers of Greek Mythology will probably get a lot more from this humorously witty story than I did. However, even though I'm not totally clued up on Greek Mythology I still know enough to see how funny The Medusa Situation by Gabiann Marin was. Google helped me out with some of the gods' back stories.

 

In The Medusa Situation Gabiann Marin places the gods of old in today's world, living out their immortality in Western Sydney whilst watching reality TV. They still have their differences and petty battles but life isn't as luxurious as when they were revered by mortals.

Medusa's head has been stolen and her sisters ask Hera for help to find who stole it. What follows is a hilarious romp through different realms uncovering the regrets, animosity and squabbles of the top echelons of Greek gods.

 

Gabiann Marin uses an omniscient narrative style which is so well executed the story flows effortlessly.

The Medusa Situation is Greek Mythology with a feminist twist. This very witty, humorous and ungodlike satirical take on Greek Mythology will appeal not only to mythology enthusiasts but anyone with a sense of humour.

My rating 4 /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Clan Destine Press

Publication date: 1st July 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 260

RRP:AU$36.95 (paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

 

Book Review: The Leaves by Jacqueline Rule

The Leaves

by

Jacqueline Rule

Publisher: Spinifex Press

Publication date: 1st May 2024

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 176

RRP: AU$26.95 (paperback0

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Leaves

Thank you to Spinifex Press for sending me this unforgettable debut novel; The Leaves by Jacqueline Rule.

 

Faith and Evelyn are close friends, neighbours, and single mothers of Luke and Mitch - and both bear the scars of trauma of the stolen generations. When Faith dies unexpectedly, a chain of events unfolds that will forever alter the lives of those left behind.

 

The Leaves follows the life of Luke and the events that pull this, much loved, little boy away from his heritage and into a spiral of cruelty in the broken social welfare system as he goes from foster care to being homeless then to a youth detention centre. By the age of 15 Luke has been in 18 different foster homes whilst all this time his mother's best friend Evelyn has been denied care. Evelyn never gives up the fight until Luke is completely lost to her in the system.

 

Jacqueline Rule's writing is evocative and poetic. Beautiful in its execution, devastating in its content. Much of the novel is written in poetry.

 

Luke is not just one boy but an embodiment of hundreds of boys and girls being failed by the system. 

Even though The Leaves is small at 176 pages it had a massive impact on me. Luke's story is one that will stay with me forever.

My rating 5 / 5  💔💔💔💔💔

Whilst working at a legal organisation Jacqueline Rule became aware of the frequent interrelation between the foster system, homelessness and imprisonment. She hopes The Leaves might play a small role in advocating for a more empathetic and humane approach to how our society reforms young offenders.

The Leaves can be purchased from Spinifex Press: https://www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781922964021

 

Book Review: All You Took From Me by Lisa Kenway

 All You Took From Me

by

Lisa Kenway

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st August 2024

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 336

RRP: AU$32.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

 

Review: All You Took From Me

All You Took From Me is a compelling debut novel from Lisa Kenway. Cleverly plotted to slowly release vital information which kept me eagerly turning the pages to find out what Clare had blocked from her memory.

 

Clare Carpenter wakes in UCI in a Sydney hospital to be told she had been in a car accident in which her husband died. She has been in a coma for months and can't remember the accident or the months leading up to it.

 

After being released from hospital and returning to her isolated Blue Mountains home Clare finds she is being stalked and someone is leaving threatening notes. Feeling she must solve the mystery behind her memory loss Claire, an anaesthetist herself, believes an anaesthetic drug may help her remember, but she will be putting her life and career in danger.

 

I quite often struggle with a first person narration and I did struggle with this one. Clare is erratic and complicated. I couldn't warm to her. But that aside, I found the story was gripping, tension filled and carried an overarching sense of menace. Clare's memories, revealed through hypnosis and anaesthetic, were vivid and suspense filled. I loved the slow reveal.

 

All You Took From Me is a powerful debut which explores the world of repressed memory. 

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: A Single Lifeline by Heidi Coupland

A Single Lifeline

by

Heidi Coupland

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 2nd July 2024

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 256

RRP: AU$34.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: A Single Lifeline

I'm not a big memoir reader but I really should broaden my reading and seeing as I was sent A Single Lifeline by the publisher I thought I would give it a go. Well, I read A Single Lifeline in one sitting. I very rarely do this, even with crime thrillers.

 

Heidi Coupland's memoir is filled with heart and love. Written whilst her husband was undergoing cancer treatment some years ago and although published now it is narrated in real time.

 

From her husband's diagnosis with Leukaemia through to the treatments, the ups and many downs Heidi shows a strength that comes from the deep love she and her husband have for each other.

Pete's journey through chemo, bone marrow transplant and setback after setback is harrowing and the human will to survive against insurmountable odds is amazing.

Heidi Coupland doesn't try to wring the emotion, preferring to focus on her and Pete's strength through love. It was the generosity of friends and strangers that brought tears to my eyes. Everyone pitching in to help out with their children.

Heidi also covers their early life together, meeting, having children and how their different personalities complement each other.

A Single Lifeline is a raw and honest read as Heidi recounts the emotional as well as the physical journey after a cancer diagnosis.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Book Review: Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me by Andra Putnis

 Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me

by

Andra Putnis

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 2nd July 2024

Genre: Non Fiction / Biography

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me

I often wonder with biographies if we are really getting the full story or just the watered down version of the person's life. The nice bits.

 

I can honestly say that Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me comes across as a 'warts and all' telling. The grandmothers reveal long held secrets and even air, what might be considered to them to be, their dirty washing.

 

I loved Andra Putnis' grandmothers for their honesty. Nothing is held back in this sincere biography.

 

Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me is a heartfelt story on a grand scale. I have read much about the lives of ordinary people displaced by World War II and the measures they went to to escape persecution; however I have never come across anything on the war in Latvia and the people who were forced to flee their homeland.

Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me is a book that champions the courage and resilience of these remarkable women. It opened my eyes and my heart to these women.

 

Andra retells conversations with her grandmothers, Milda and Aline, and also other members of the family and people from the Latvian Community in Australia. The story goes beyond the war and escaping Russian rule to venture into life in Australia and trying to adapt to a new country whilst also trying to hold onto their own heritage.

 

Thank you Andra Putris for sharing your family's story with me and also your treasured family photos which were truly an honour to pore over.

 

Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me is an emotional story, filled to the brim with love.

Do yourself a favour and read this remarkable book!

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: The Fists of the Father by Daniel Tamone

 The Fists of the Father

by

Daniel Tamone

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 2nd July 2024

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Fists of the Father

I want to start this review by saying, you don't need to be a fan of boxing to enjoy and be moved by The Fists of the Father.

 

The Fists of the Father is a heartfelt story of generational trauma. A story of men using their fists to vent their anger and one young man trying to find the courage to walk away.

 

Ted's father was a world champion boxer, as was his father before him. It was only natural that Ted would go into this field.

 

The Fists of the Father is a story of men bringing up men. Doing their best but mostly failing. 

Tamone delves into father/son relationships. Rocky relationships that rely on tough talk and actions to display emotions.

The boxing scenes are well written. I could feel that surge of anticipation before each fight.

I felt real empathy for Ted. He was manipulated and used by management to conform to their wishes.

 

Additional narration through newspaper articles and boxing commentary give an insight into the harassment boxers receive from the media.

 

There is a lot to unpack in this book; mental health issues, anger, breaking the mold, forgiveness, PTSD, generational trauma and head trauma through sport.

 

The Fists of the Father is a passionate debut. I'm looking forward to seeing what Daniel Tamone delivers next.

 

My rating 5/ 5  🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊

Book Review: Outrider by Mark Wales

 Outrider

by

Mark Wales

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 25th June 2024

Genre: Thriller / Military / Dystopian

Pages: 368

RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Outrider

Australia has a new hero! Jack Dunne - Soldier, Father, Survivor.

 

I will start this review with a little insight into the author, Mark Wales. Mark is a former troop commander with the SAS and 2 x survivor contestant and 1 x winner of Survivor Australia. Great credentials to be writing a book that entails warfare and the fight to survive.

Outrider is a highly imaginative and gripping story featuring a dystopian Australia. It's 2034, Victoria and parts of SA, NT & WA have been invaded by the Chinese Communist Party. Jack Dunne is an Outrider, one of three highly trained operatives, and the Resistance's only hope of curtailing the Chinese invasion of the Hill. The Hill is an outposting in Victoria with Resistance fighters warding off the CCP's further invasion into Australia.

I found Outrider to be a powerful and haunting tale of a future Australia where a civil war has broken out between the resistance and those supporting the CCP.

The fighting scenes are quite graphic, so not for the squeamish. Wales' writing is very technical,  he knows his weapons, and there are lots of initials, acronyms and armory details which may be a bit confusing if you haven't read military thrillers before.

Wales pulls on his experience as a former troop commander with the SAS to deliver a tense and atmospheric thriller rich in strategic military scenarios and weapons beyond my comprehension.

I raced through the last third of the book - that's what I want - fast paced and tense - edge of your seat stuff.

I would have liked more on what the Chinese were doing in Australia and how they breached our defenses.

An underlying theme of a loving father / son relationship was a nice sideline to the blood and gore.

After reading Mark's fictional debut 'Outrider' I am keen to read his memoir 'Survivor: life in the SAS published in 2021.

Recommended for readers of Tom Clancy.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Book Review: Yes, Chef by Waitlyn Andrews

 Yes, Chef

by

Waitlyn Andrews

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 3rd August 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance 

Pages: 340

Price: $7.76AU (kindle)

Source: eCopy from the author

 

Review: Yes, Chef

Claire moves to Paris to heal from past traumas and to find her own way in the culinary world.

She is currently working at Teaks restaurant where they are cooking their way towards a Michelin star. Claire's ultimate dream is to be on a team that is awarded the star. She has sworn off work romances at all costs, she doesn't want distractions or messy break-ups. That is until in comes James Sullivan, the new head chef. 

 

I loved everything about this book! It is a light-hearted, funny, sweet, closed-door, slow-burn romance.  

A sweet female lead who couldn't hate anyone even if  she tried and a broody male lead with grumpy meets sunshine vibes, enemies to friends to lovers and dating the boss all thrown into one.

 

I enjoyed the culinary vibe, the food, wine and behind the scenes running of a restaurant. The definition chapter headings were a fun addition and I loved looking out for the use of the word in each chapter.

 

Yes, Chef is the perfect read if you are after something light, fun and positive. It's a real feel-good read.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: The Changing Room by Belinda Cranston

 The Changing Room

by

Belinda Cranston

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st May 2024

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 240

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

 

Review: The Changing Room

The Changing Room is set during the 1990's and follows Rachel, a young Australian girl, on her journey from London to Egypt and Israel as a backpacker.

 

The story reads a lot like a travel journal narrated by Rachel as she spends time in London then traveling to Egypt and on to Israel spending time living on a kibbutz in the Negev Desert. Rachel has a kind heart but she suffers from anxiety so it stops her from seeing the wonder in the world rather noticing the grime noise and people trying to rip her off.

 

Lots of mentions of events and news from the 90's sets the plot firmly in the era and gives the book a nostalgic element.

 

The story was a bit choppy as it jumps from present day to Rachel's childhood. The blurb mentions a cartoon about a man in a changing room that had a big impact on Rachel however this only gets a couple of brief mentions in the story. I would have liked this explained more.

 

I enjoyed this story with themes of suppressed memory and mental illness and I learnt that Jerusalem Syndrome is a real thing (who would have thought!).

 

The Changing Room is a story that is not black and white but lets the reader draw their own conclusions about 'the story past the story'.

 

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Downstream by Annika Johansson

 Downstream

by

Annika Johansson

What do you do when your great Australian dream gets washed away?

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th April 2024

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Downstream

Inspired by the Lismore floods of 2022 Annika Johansson has written a compassionate and heartfelt story about losing everything, getting out of your comfort zone and finding new meanings to life.

 

Rob and Sal have lost their home, car and every possession in the Lismore floods. People everywhere are looking for accommodation and after sleeping on couches of family for weeks they finally land a unit in Ballina, only to find out it's been double leased. The two couples decide to share the two bedroom one bathroom unit.

 

The story is narrated in the first person by Rob and we could really see how far out of his comfort zone he was living with the other couple who, although around the same age, were much more outgoing and relaxed about life.

At the beginning of the book we are led to think Sal is anxious and somewhat of an introvert however it is soon obvious that Rob is projecting his anxiety on to Sal and in the presence of the other couple she shows her true self; warm and spontaneous. 

 

Annika Johansson includes fact in amongst this fictional tale and it is this, that makes the story come alive on the page. We know hundreds of people did lose everything in the floods and had to fight for compensation.

 

I quite often wondered if Rob and Sal's marriage would survive under the pressure as there were many dark moments as losing everything threatens Rob's sense of self. However, Johansson adds humour through two vastly different couples thrust together and forced to live, get along and struggle through insurance delays and government red tape whilst also living in extremely close proximity. 

 

Downstream is a heartfelt story and an ode to the strength and resilience of humankind. I found this a pleasant, light read with likeable characters, perfect imagery and plenty of humour.

 

Congratulations Annika on a fabulous debut. I'm excited to see what you come up with next!

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

 

Book Review: Family Trust by Peter Wilson

 Family Trust

by

Peter Wilson

A trust fund to die for...

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 26th April 2024

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 222

RRP: $4.58AU (Kindle Ebook) 

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

Review: Family Trust

Family Trust by Peter Wilson is a highly entertaining and engaging crime thriller with themes of wealth and corruption. Wilson takes his readers into the murky world of money, privilege and power.

 

The story is told through multiple timelines covering three generations.

In the 1960's financial lawyer Henry Taylor was employed to set up a trust fund owned by good friends William Harris and Edward Griffon, two of the wealthiest men in Australia.

 

Present time is Harris & Griffon's grandchildren, Mel, David & Rachel. They have all had tumultuous childhoods and Mel believes someone is trying to kill her.

Family Trust is a story about greed, wealth and betrayal. I didn't know who or what to believe as twist after twist is revealed. I found the majority of characters to be very unlikeable as greed takes over from good manners and honesty.

 

Det Senior Constable Kirsty Campbell is introduced to the story as she investigates the murder of a male sex worker with strong links to the Harris family. I would love to see Kirsty Campbell as the main character in a series of her own.

Wilson adds moments of  humour amongst the tension and mayhem.

 

Fans of crime fiction will love this story of money, murder and manipulation. It will have you second guessing all the way through.

 

my rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

Available now in eBook on Amazon.

Book Review: Last Chance in Paris by Lynda Marron

 Last Chance in Paris

by

Lynda Marron

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd April 2024

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 280

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

Review: Last Chance in Paris

Last Chance in Paris is a poignant and heartfelt story of past regrets and new beginnings.

Told through multiple points of view, Marron’s lyrical prose and unique writing style build empathy for her large cast of characters. The reader is introduced to people who are broken and looking to time in Paris, the city of love, to find purpose again and a desire to move forward and find meaning again.

Last Chance in Paris is a story of love; new love, fragile love, old love and unrequited-love. A chance for reconciliations and new beginnings.
A young couple hoping to save their marriage, a widow mourning a lost love and ready to uncover a long-held secret, an old man filled with regret looking for forgiveness and two young refugees just scraping by on the streets of Paris. Each of the characters' lives intertwined and touched each other in deep and often unnoticed ways, over one weekend in Paris.

Last Chance in Paris is a beautiful showcasing of the city of Paris as the characters visit landmarks and restaurants.

Heartfelt but not heartbreaking, Lynda Marron always gives the impression that her characters are slowly moving forward. I became totally invested in the lives of the characters. This is a book you will think about long after you’ve turned the last page.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Book Review: The Beacon by P. A. Thomas

 The Beacon

by

P. A. Thomas

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th January 2024

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 416

RRP: $ 32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Beacon

Jack Harris, son of media giant Malcolm Harris, is sent from his high profile Melbourne office of Harris Media to their lowest regional newspaper, The Beacon, at Byron Bay. His father wants him to learn the business from the ground up but Jack thinks it may be punishment for questioning some of his father's actions.

 

Jack is eager for some journalistic work but when he arrives his mentor, Patrick O'Shaughnessy, is nowhere to be seen. Jack soon meets the colourful Caitlin O'Shaughnessy, Patrick's daughter. 

Patrick's body is found days later looking very much like the victim of a shark attack. Some things about the death don't add up for Jack so he and Caitlin decide to do some investigating of their own and soon find there are a few people that Patrick had managed to get on the wrong side of via his journalistic reporting.

 

The Beacon is such an entertaining page-turner. Set in the beach-side town of Byron Bay. P. A. Thomas cleverly portrays Byron's beauty and its flaws. Showcasing Bryon's eclectic and diverse cast of residents and their relationship with the missing reporter.

Thomas includes lots of fun banter, a main protagonist who can be a bit naive at times and a compelling mystery that kept me intrigued with plenty of twists and numerous antagonists. I was eager to see how the story would end.

 

Jack is the type of character you will find hard to let go of. He's honest, funny and a bit naive at times. He gets himself in and out of plenty of sticky situations. I closed the book hoping we would be seeing more of Jack Harris in the future. 

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ plus an extra ⭐ because there was a character named Veronica 💖

Book Review: The Roadmap of Loss by Liam Murphy

 The Roadmap of Loss

by

Liam Murphy

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd January 2024

Genre: Literary Fiction  

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

Review: The Roadmap of Loss

The Roadmap of Loss is an affecting story about loss and grieving. Liam Murphy's writing is lyrical and evokes a sense of melancholy.

 

Mark Ward has always struggled with his sense of self carrying the burden of guilt over his father leaving him and his mother when he was five years old.

 

After his mother's sudden death, Mark finds a bundle of letters from his father to his mother. Letters filled with love set against the landscape of his travels across the United States. Mark decides to take his father's letters, pack up his life in Melbourne and retrace his father's journey, 20 years on, hoping to find closure.

 

I loved that The Roadmap of Loss was set in the 1990's, no mobile phones and no GPS made road travel exciting, dangerous and often spontaneous.

Mark is a young man with an enormous chip on his shoulder; angry, abusive and sullen. Perfect characterization made me neither like or dislike him. He brought problems onto himself so there was no sympathy, which was something he didn't want anyway.

 

Mark reads each of his father's letters as he arrives at the next destination and in a unique writing style the chapters start again from number one after each letter.

The Roadmap of Loss is a sombre read however there are also unexpected snippets of humour that actually had me laughing.

 

Liam Murphy's plethora of memorable characters that come in and out of Mark's life make for entertaining reading as he travels ten thousand hard and lonely miles across America.

I never knew how the story would evolve as Mark had a low regard for his own life and often danced with the idea of ending it.

 

The Roadmap of Loss is an insightful exploration of grief and the restorative power of forgiveness. A great read for those that enjoy lyrical prose and literary fiction.

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: The Girls by Chloe Higgins

 The Girls

by

Chloe Higgins

A memoir of family, grief and sexuality

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 27th August 2019

Genre: Non fiction / Memoir

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Girls

When Chloe was seventeen she and her mother stayed home, so she could study for HSC exams, whilst her father took her two younger sisters on a ski trip. On the way back from the trip the car was involved in an accident and burst into flames. Both the sisters were killed.

The Girls is what followed, for Chloe, after that fatal day.

 

I find it very hard to review memoirs, especially those that involve grief and mental illness as I've never had this extreme level of grief.  

 

I appreciated that Chloe was candid in her writing. It is no use writing a memoir if you are only going to write the good stuff and gloss over the bad. It's all included; the drugs, the sex and the bouts of depression.

 

The words flow and her writing is easy to read even though the content is tough.

The story jumps around a lot in time and sometimes I found the time stamp hard to figure out.

I am glad writing this book has helped Chloe work through her own grief and by the end of the book I was pleased she was starting to heal.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Challenges: TBR challenge

                    Non-fiction challenge

Book Review: The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer

 The Age of Light

by

Whitney Scharer

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 12th February 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 375

RRP: 29.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Age of Light

The Age of Light is a fictional rendition of the life of artist Lee Miller, concentrating on the years she spent with Ray Man. After extensive research and finding little is taught about Lee Miller in art history courses Whitney Scharer has written a darkly intoxicating story about the woman behind the man.

The main timeline of the book is the late 1920's and set in a bohemian Paris. Lee has left New York and modelling behind and wants to pursue a career in photography. When Lee meets Man ray they embark upon a passionate affair. Man Keeps Lee close but she doesn't mind as they are working together and experimenting with photographic techniques. As Lee builds her own confidence in her work, Man's jealousy and real personality show.

Lee and Man's affair is totally consuming but it is this affair that suddenly makes Lee realise that it's not her controlling men with her beauty, The men in her life have always controlled her.

There are chapters on Lee's life as a journalist during the war. However these are very short and only give flashing scenes of the horrors that damaged her and caused her withdrawal from society. There are also flashbacks to Lee's childhood showing the trauma that shaped her personality.

I liked Lee and could understand it was her upbringing that made her so aloof. Scharer doesn't play on the bouts of depression that obviously plagued Lee's life instead giving her readers a story of growth and survival in a male dominated world.

The Age of Light was an engrossing read. I read it in a day! It would not only appeal to readers interested in the Arts but anyone who enjoys a good story of betrayal.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: The Last Line by Stephen Ronson

 The Last Line

by

Stephen Ronson

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Publication date: 16th November 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction / Crime

Pages: 341

Price: $16.99AU (kindle edition)

Will be out in paperback in Australia on 13/2/2024

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

Review: The Last Line

I have to say I love to read any stories set during WWII. I have read many and they have all been diverse in the area of the war the stories are centred on.

 

The Last Line is set in country England on the outskirts of the war zone but the citizens are still very much aware that the Germans could arrive at any minute.

 

The protagonist John Cook is a farmer but he has fought in WWI and Afghanistan. He is a trained killer.

When a young woman is found murdered on his land he is the prime suspect to a lazy police force. Knowing the murder won't be investigated further, John turns vigilante and starts his own reconnaissance work, never expecting the level of corruption he will become embroiled in.

The Last Line is a fast-paced mystery thriller written in a crime noir style narration. It is hard not to barrack for John, he is a marvelous anti-hero. There is a lot of violence throughout the novel and the main subject is quite confronting. However, I loved all the intrigue and the character of John was very believable. He made mistakes and took them badly.

The setting is fabulous - distanced from the war yet right there amongst it with children being evacuated from London and billeted to country families, whilst underground groups are setting up defence tactics if the Germans reach them.

The Last Line is a great read! I'm looking forward to another John Cook novel and wondering where he will go from here.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Stephen Ronson grew up in Sussex, and spent a large part of his childhood exploring the woods and fields around Uckfield, many of which were still dotted with reminders of WW2 - pill boxes, tank traps, nissen huts, and graffiti left by soldiers awaiting D-Day.

He is a passionate student of local history, and when he learnt about Auxiliary Units - groups of men who were instructed to lay low during the predicted nazi invasion and lead the fight back, he knew he had to write about a Sussex farmer, one with a love of the land, and a natural desire and ability to get the job done.

Many of the locations and characters in the John Cook series are inspired by real places and real people. In particular, Stephen was inspired by his grandparents, Eric, Bessie, Peter and Vera, each of whom did their bit on the home front.