Book Review: The Youngest Son by John Byrnes

 The Youngest Son

by

John Byrnes

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 30th July 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Youngest Son

The Youngest Son is an epic tale that follows the lives of three siblings growing up during the great depression and spans the years 1929 to 1943 encompassing events of WWII in Tobruk and New Guinea.

 

John Byrnes has brought the streets of 1930's Sydney to life. The Leach family lived in Ultimo (The Mo) where most people were poor and desperately trying to keep a roof over their head. Evictions were rife and the common man was fighting back with picketing and riots. Prostitution, street fighting, illegal gambling, drugs and crime were an everyday part of life.

 

John, the eldest Leach sibling, had visions of attending University and then joining the priesthood. He had great empathy for the underdog and felt he had his life plan in order.

Maureen wanted more out of life than what her mother had settled for. Maureen had stars in her eyes and wanted the glamorous life of the women she read about in magazines. 

Bob, the youngest Leach, learnt early on that his fists talked louder than words. Him and his friends start out as petty criminals but soon find themselves mixing with the big boys of crime in Sydney's shady underbelly.

 

The Youngest Son is rich in flawed characters. I had great empathy for the Leach siblings, they were all very naive, made bad decisions, couldn't control their emotions and when things went wrong they seemed to always react in a detrimental way. 

I loved the Australian vernacular, the language and imagery of Sydney and surrounding suburbs was spot on. I was actually thinking at one point "yes, I know exactly where that factory is."

This is a gritty story which includes murder, scenes of war, drug use, sex scenes (these are more to add humour than spice) and profanities. 

The Youngest Son is a captivating story of power, revenge, betrayal and family. A real page turner, once I started I didn't want the story to end.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Plus that extra star for a character named Veronica 🌟

 

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: The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch

 The Surprise Party

by

Julia Crouch

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 28th June 2024

Genre: Psychological thriller

Pages: 343

Source: eCopy courtesy of the publisher 

 

Review: The Surprise Party

Eve and her husband Will are returning to the place they spent their honeymoon 29 years ago. A holiday in a secluded fishing village on the Crete coast is just what Eve hopes will rekindle their marriage. But first she has a confession to make! A long held secret she needs to divulge.

 

Poppy is also holidaying in the village. She is angry over her mother's lies and has recently broken up with her cheating boyfriend. Poppy is on a mission and she has it all planned. 

 

Eve's whole family arrives the next day for a surprise party for Eve's 50th birthday. Both Eve and Poppy now need to reassess their plans. When the morning after Eve's surprise party dawns, one guest will be dead.

This book had me hooked right from the gripping prologue where someone is in a life or death situation. This was such a great teaser because I then had to race through the book to see who it was and also how it ended.

A lot of the characters were messed up and honestly I thought the murderer could have been any one of them.

Lots of suspects, accusations, outbursts, unlikeable characters and great twists made The Surprise Party hard to put down. This is a read-in-one-sitting book!

I finished The Surprise Party eager for a follow up book.

My rating 4 / 5 🍷🍷🍷🍷

 

 

Book Review: Secrets in the Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal

Secrets in the Little Irish Village

by

Michelle Vernal

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 15th May 2024

Series: The Little Irish Village #4

Genre: Romance (RomCom)

Pages: 315

RRP: $4.99AU (Kindle eBook) 

Source: eBook courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Secrets in the Little Irish Village

After reading New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village I was eager for more of the garrulous Kelly family. The main character in New Beginnings is Imogen Kelly and Secrets features the love life of Grace Kelly. I enjoyed being back with all the familiar and well loved characters.

 

I'm reading the books all out of order but it's easy to pick up on where each sister is in the family.

 

I loved that Michelle Vernal's Little Irish Village series is not only a romance story, although I do like a HEA ending. Secrets in the Little Irish Village has lots of substance that kept me immersed in the story.

 

An emergency trip to hospital has the family re-evaluating petty squabbles, secrets from the past raise their head and a disastrous storm has the community banding together to raise money.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the Emerald Bay township, it was warm and inviting. Being Australian I loved the Irish setting and could hear the lilting Irish accent as I read.

Secrets in the Little Irish Village is light and heartwarming, funny, uplifting and entertaining. The perfect story to lose yourself in.

My rating 4.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

My review of New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village

 

Book Review: The Mistress of Dara Island by Averil Kenny

The Mistress of Dara Island

by

Averil Kenny

A tropical paradise is her birthright ... but will its dark secrets destroy her dreams?

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd April 2024

Genre: Historical / Mystery

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

Review: The Mistress of Dara Island

The Mistress of Dara Island is an enchanting story of power, money and long held secrets, set on a fictitious island off the coast of far north Queensland.

 

Tahlia (Tally) is the only child of Nerissa the owner of Dara Island and one day the land that she loves will pass to her. However the exclusive resort is currently run by her rich and powerful father, and he wants Tally to have nothing to do with it.

 

The willful and determined Tally was not scared to stand-up to her cruel and militant father. He banishes her from the island but she vows to return and claim her birthright.

 

Set in the 1960's Averil Kenny richly evokes the beauty and seclusion of the island with a luxury resort on one side and the other filled with treacherous peaks covered in jungle. 

I loved the wonderfully portrayed characters in this story and many of the chapters ended on little cliff-hangers that kept me eagerly reading.

What starts as a story about a willful girl and her love of the island soon morphs into a suspenseful mystery with plenty of jaw-dropping twists.

The Mistress of Dara Island is the perfect holiday read!

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another fabulous book I have read by Averil Kenny:

THOSE HAMILTON SISTERS

 

 

 

Book Review: Sunrise Over Mercy Court by Fiona McCallum

 Sunrise Over Mercy Court

by

Fiona McCallum

Just when they thought they were done....

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 5th April 2023 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 496

RRP: $32.99AU now in B format $22.99AU

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Sunrise Over Mercy Court

I have read a few of Fiona McCallum's novels and I have really enjoyed them. However, Sunrise Over Mercy Court was a miss for me.

 

Elsie and Howard have been together for almost 60 years and at 78 they are tired of the aches and pains, bored with life and low on finances. They plan on getting all their affairs in order then end their life, peacefully together, before their 79th birthday.

 

Sunrise Over Mercy Court was quite depressing and I couldn't at all connect with Elsie and Howard. Their talk of methods of suicide were so ludicrous it was funny. Then I felt bad for thinking it was funny because it is a serious topic.

I really don't like the use of drugs to add humour in a story, even if they are light recreational drugs. 

8 year old neighbour Milly was a breath of fresh air, wise beyond her years, and also the magic elixir that made all Elsie & Howard's aches and pains magically disappear.

 

My rating 2 / 5 ⭐⭐

I don't know who I could possibly recommend this book to. However here are some of Fiona's books I do recommend!

TRICK OF THE LIGHT

THE LONG ROAD HOME

HER TIME TO SHINE 

A LIFE OF HER OWN

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Someone Else's Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews

 Someone Else's Bucket List

by

Amy T. Matthews

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: 31st January 2024

Genre: Contemporary / Romance

Pages: 390

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Someone Else's Bucket List

It's no secret I love a heart-wrenching read and Someone Else's Bucket List ticks all the boxes.

However, Amy T. Matthews doesn't simply break her reader's heart she has added lots of humour, adventure, arm-chair travel and even a touch of romance.

 

Jodie Boyd is shy and anxious, she has never been one to follow her dreams. Her sister Bree is an adventurous, globe-trotting, hugely successful Instagram influencer.  Jodie loves and admires her sister but she could never put herself out there like Bree does. Bree's untimely death leaves the family not only devastated but facing financial ruin with huge medical bills to pay.

Then a prescheduled post pops up on Bree's Instagram challenging Jodie to finish the last six items on Bree's bucket list. If she finishes them a sponsor will pay off the family's debts, with one condition, it all needs to posted to Instagram.

 

I loved how Matthews conveyed Jodie's terror at not only having to preform these very public acts but also having it all broadcast across Bree's Instagram, watched by over a million followers.

Every character in this story was so well portrayed, each playing an important role in Jodie's growth.

 

It was so much fun to follow Jodie as she checked items off the list, mostly freaking out about everything but pushing through and discovering a more assertive side of herself. Her character growth was slow to evolve which made it all the more believable.

I loved following all the # teams for who Jodie may have as a love interest - so much fun! 

 

Someone Else's Bucket List is a beautiful, heart-wrenching and fun read about grief, hope, love and courage. It's about believing in yourself and going after your dreams. 

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

If you like this review you may also like:

The Inn at Tansy Falls

Twenty-Six Letters 

The Way From Here

Book Review: The Blue Gum Camp by Leonie Kelsall

The Blue Gum Camp

by

Leonie Kelsall 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 3rd January 2024 

Genre: Rural Romance

Pages: 419

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Blue Gum Camp

The Blue Gum Camp is Leonie Kelsall's fifth book featuring characters from Settler's Bridge and surrounds.

 

Charity Farrugia is persuaded to attend a B & S ball by her sisters, Faith and Hope. They feel the always serious and always responsible Charity needs to relax and have some fun.

 

Lachlan is only going to the B & S ball to keep an eye on his mischievous younger brother Hamish. Lachlan has been working the family farm whilst his father has become a curmudgeonly recluse since his mother's untimely death twelve months ago.

When Lachlan and Charity meet sparks fly but Charity isn't ready to let her guard down.

 

I enjoyed the different ways of thinking between Hope and her friends in their early twenties and that of mid thirties Charity. Having characters from different age groups adds diversity to the story. I loved all the sibling banter and light ribbing both with the Farrugia sisters and Lachlan and Hamish. It felt very natural and was filled with humour. The siblings' similarities and differences were perfectly portrayed.

If you have read the previous books you will see many well-known and much loved characters get a mention which adds a further level of connection with the whole community that surrounds the books.

 

Kelsall explores themes of running a farm, aging parents, early onset dementia, feeling responsible for siblings, cognitive disorders, loss and grieving.  

The Blue Gum Camp has slightly darker themes and more drama than most rural romance novels however the main theme is still one of rural life and the lack of potential partners in small country towns.

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: The Italian Marriage by Jenna Lo Bianco

 The Italian Marriage

by

Jenna Lo Bianco

An inheritance. A fake marriage. Must be amore.

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 27th December 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Italian Marriage 

I loved this book! The perfect beach read, even though I'm nowhere near a beach.

The Italian Marriage is so sweet I think I 'aawed' through the whole book.

The Italian Marriage is a fake marriage trope; he falls first, one bed, sweetly sexy, romance.

Matthew D'Adamo is set to inherit the family estate but first he needs a wife. The estate goes to the youngest 'married' D'Adamo male.

Sarah Browne, a free-spirited event manager, agrees to an air-tight pre-nup and is looking forward to a break from the emotional toll of her endometriosis. The first time the two meet is on the flight to Florence. When they arrive they find another claimant has surfaced and now they must spend a year together restoring a rundown hotel. Whichever couple is most successful after 12 months wins the family estate.

I loved both Sarah and Matthew! They were both so perfect; kind, accommodating and thoughtful. Sarah is fun, spontaneous and confident. The story introduces lovely friends that help them connect with the community and there are also those that are bent on thwarting them so there is loads of drama between all the sweet moments of Sarah and Matthew getting to know each other.

With chapter headings in Italian and lots of Italian interspersed throughout conversations it was very easy to connect with the location.

The Italian Marriage is steeped in the culture of Italy. The language, the food, the architecture is all vividly played out on the page.

If you are after a sweet romance with plenty of drama and a few little twists The Italian Marriage will not disappoint.

The Italian Marriage is destination romance at its best!

My rating 5 / 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: Voices in the Dark by Fleur McDonald

Voices in the Dark

by

Fleur McDonald

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 31st October 2023 

Genre: Rural / Suspense

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback) 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPR

 

Review: Voices in the Dark 

I always eagerly await each new release by Fleur McDonald. Her knowledge of and dedication to small communities, farming and the problems they face shines through in her stories.

Voices in the Dark is a stand alone rural suspense novel featuring country cop Dave Burrows however he is not the main character in this story.

Sassi Stapleton is driving to Barker after a late night call asking her to come immediately as her grandmother is seriously ill. When Sassi doesn't arrive at the expected time, her uncle notifies Dave and the police get into action.

Fleur McDonald packs an emotional punch as the police, ambulance and emergency services work together in a harrowing rescue scene.

Voices in the Dark focuses on the Stapleton family and their struggles to reconnect and get over the demons of the past. There are lots of appearances from characters I have grown to love from previous books. Mia the young constable, Dave and Kim all have strong parts in this story. Lots of well placed backstory keeps new readers up to speed.

Fleur writes magnificent stories about country people, farming and the problems remote areas face but also highlights the special bond small communities have. Even though the gossip abounds they will do anything to help each other.

Voices in the Dark is a story about family secrets, elder abuse, letting go of resentments, moving forward and starting over. 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Book Review: The Summer Place by Janette Paul

 The Summer Place

by

Janette Paul

Three women, lives adrift, and a life-changing beach

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 26th April 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 384

RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Summer Place

The Summer Place is a thoroughly enjoyable, heartwarming story about love, healing and friendship.

 

Told through the perspective of three women, each broken in different ways. I like that Janette Paul portrayed each woman's obstacle with equal importance because for each of them their hurt was equally debilitating.

 

Erin is recovering from a near-fatal accident, holding tight to all her grief and anger. She is constrained by her PTSD and the scars that riddle her body.

Cassie, recently widowed, cannot seem to move on from her grief and regrets. 

Jenna has been secretly in love with Blake for years, and now she has been invited to his wedding.

 

All three women have been invited to a wedding at Hope Head, a place that holds memories, in much happier times, for each of them.

I loved every character in this uplifting story. The three main characters' problems all came across as real and the supporting characters were just that; supportive and honest, edging Erin, Jenna and Cassie to make decisions towards happiness and healing. 

 

The fictitious Australian town of Hope Head on the mid north coast of New South Wales was beautifully described and a fitting location to have an epiphany on life and moving forward.

 

The Summer Place is sentimental and sweet, with HEAs all round, it filled my heart with joy.

 

The Summer Place is the perfect beach read.

 

My rating 5 happy stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

About the author

 

Janette Paul is an internationally published author of contemporary women's fiction and romantic comedy, and is the alter ego of award-winning suspense author Jaye Ford. Her first novel won two Davitt Awards for Australian women crime writers and her books have been translated into nine languages. She is a former news and sports journalist, and ran her own public relations consultancy before turning to fiction. She now writes from her home in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Book Review: Reaching Through Time by Shauna Bostock

 Reaching Through Time

by

Shauna Bostock

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 4th July 2023

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 352

RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Reaching Through Time

With Reaching Through Time Shauna Bostock has delivered an extensively researched family history going back generations, with interesting facts on Indigenous and Australian history included.

I love family research and genealogy and it doesn't just have to be my own. I can pore over anyone's family tree for hours. Births, deaths, marriages and connections between families fascinates me.

Shauna includes a family tree at the front of the book and I kept turning back to it to see where each relative came in.

You never know what you will find when you start researching your ancestry and Shauna did discover that one ancestor was a slave trader in England. I liked that this book was an honest account of her ancestry and the bad wasn't covered up or omitted.

I enjoyed every aspect of Shauna's book. Her writing is very personable and open. I was astounded by how much research, travel and time went into uncovering all the details and there are pages and pages of sources listed in the back which is a testament to this fact.

Pages of photo inserts are included which give an added connection whilst reading. Thank you Shauna for sharing your precious family photos. They are a beautiful addition to the book.

Reaching Through Time is perfect for readers who enjoy Aboriginal history, Australian history and exploring the past.

4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

A formaer primary school teacher, Shauna Bostock's curiosity about her ancestors took her all the way to a PhD in Aboriginal history.

Book Review: The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street by Marlish Glorie

 The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street

by

Marlish Glorie

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 2nd May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty and Lace Book Club

 

My review of The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street

The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street was originally published in 2009 and has been re-released by Fremantle Press with a new, modern updated cover.

The book opens on quite a dramatic scene as Helen has  had enough of her husband's hoarding and living with dead people's belongings, she drags her bed outside and attacks it with an axe.

Helen, hoping to start a new life, eventually leaves her husband and with the help of her long-time neighbour, Astrid, she buys an old rundown bookshop. 

I quite enjoyed this quirky and poignant story about the messiness that is family. Glorie shows how serious hoarding can destroy relationships. Helen and Arnold's two sons had left home to get away from the mess and they very rarely saw them but when they heard their mother had actually left their father, both boys found their way home.

Marlish Glorie's writing is witty and candid. I felt this story was a bit of a tragi-comedy. It's a story of love, loss and grief, of second chances and doing the best you can. I loved the finely nuanced characters, all inexplicably tied to each other. The story is funny at times and at other times quite profound.

I'm a bit of a hoarder myself, not to the extent that Arnold hoards, but I love teacups and teapots. And of course books!

This quote in the book had me in stitches, because this is exactly what I tell my children. 🤣🤣

"One day, all this will be yours. And Vivian's. It's your inheritance. I've been thinking about your future."

 The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street may not be to everyone's liking, but I loved it!

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Marlish Glorie is a novelist, short story writer, mentor and teacher of creative writing. Her short stories have been published in national anthologies. Marlish lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband. She is currently working on another novel, and also volunteers at Trillion Trees.

 

Book Review: Inkflower by Suzy Zail

 Inkflower

by

Suzy Zail

I think there is no better day than Global MND Day to post my review of Inkflower

 

Publisher: Walker Books

 

Publication date: 5th July 2023

 

Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 384

 

RRP: $22.99AU (paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Inkflower

Fifteen year old Lisa's father has Motor Neurone Disease and only six months to live. He gathers the family together to tell them the story of his childhood. A story of a young boy who fought against all odds to survive.

 

Lisa battles with the idea of this new version of her father; a dying man with a devastating childhood. His stories bring to life the grandparents, aunts and uncles she never had the chance to meet.

 

Inkflower unfolds in a dual time-line narration. The now, set in the 1980's, is narrated by Lisa as she navigates school and friendships whilst coming to grips with her father's illness and also who she is. The then, is narrated by Lisa's father Emil as he tells his family the harrowing story of a young boy bullied at school for being Jewish, taken from his home in Czechoslovakia and the horrors of his years in Auschwitz.

 

The balance and parallels between Emil's years of fighting for survival in Auschwitz and his battle against the debilitating effects of MND were astutely portrayed.

 

Inkflower is a deeply moving story of survival inspired by the true events of the author and her family.

Suzy Zail has written an honest and candid story of love, courage, family and resilience.

There can never be too many stories detailing the horrors of Auschwitz and they need to be recorded now because soon there won't be any survivors left.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Publisher's recommended age: 14+

About the author

Suzy Zail has worked as a litigation lawyer, specialising in family law, but now writes full time. Among other titles, she has written The Tattooed Flower, a memoir about her father's time as a child survivor of the holocaust, the story which inspired this novel. Her first novel for young adults, the Wrong Boy, was short listed for the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, the WAYRBA, USBBY and YABBA awards. 

You can visit Suzy online at suzyzail.com.au and on Instagram @authorsuzyzail

 

Book Review: The Money Club by Fiona Lowe

 The Money Club

by

Fiona Lowe

Wealth. Trust. Betrayal. 

Publisher: Harlequin Australian

 

Publication date: 3rd May 2023 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 528

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

My review of The Money Club

With The Money Club Fiona Lowe brings her readers right into a small country town devastated when a well respected member of their community goes missing, along with the money they invested with him.

Brad Quinn is charismatic and affable. He and his fiancée, Izzy, live a life of luxury and Brad is happy to share the secret to his success with his close friends and family. As the money rolls in everyone in Brad's Elite Club is able to buy luxury cars and overseas holidays, until Brad and their money disappear.

Fiona explores how easy it is for people to be caught up in these schemes when they are advised by a close friend, preying on the bonds between them.

I found it very hard to like any of the characters or find any sympathy for them. Many of the characters blamed everyone but themselves for their loss. I did however like the growth of the three main characters. Izzy, Lucy and Birdie showed great strength and fortitude by the closing of the book.

I enjoyed the mystery part of the plot and this had me hooked as the tension hung in the air and there was an unexpected turn of events that truly shocked me.

Fiona Lowe explores themes of community, family, home ownership, trust, friendship, financial stress and starting over.

Does the small town of Glingilly survive this devastating financial blow? You will have to read the book to find out!

My rating 3.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐½

About the author

Fiona Lowe has been a midwife, a sexual health counsellor and a family support worker; an ideal career for an author who writes novels about family and relationships. She spent her early years in Papua New Guinea where, without television, reading was the entertainment and it set up a lifelong love of books. Although she often re-wrote the endings of books in her head, it was the birth of her  first child that prompted her to write her first novel. A recipient of the prestigious USA RITA award and the Australian RuBY award. Fiona writes books that are set in small country towns. They feature real people facing difficult choices and explore how family ties and relationships impact on their decisions.

When she is not writing stories, she's a distracted wife, mother of two 'ginger' sons, a volunteer in her community, guardian of eighty rose bushes, a slave to a cat, and is often found collapsed on the couch with wine.

 

Book Review: A Woman's Work by Victoria Purman

 A Woman's Work

by

Victoria Purman

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

 

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 5th April 2023

 

Genre: Women's Fiction / Historical

 

Pages:  358 

 

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback) 

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of A Woman's Work

A Woman's Work is a poignant look at the expected role of married women post WWII Australia.

 

Set in 1950's Australia when the chance of winning a cash prize in a cooking competition could open up a wealth of opportunity.

Told through the dual narrative of two Australian mothers; Ivy Quinn, war widow and single mum to 12yo Raymond, and wife and mother of five, Kathleen O'Grady.

Victoria Purman knows how to immerse her readers into the lives of others. We get a very personal view of both Ivy and Kathleen's lives; their dreams, internal conflicts and despair.

Ivy is a single working mum, she constantly worries if she is doing enough for Raymond, he has no father figure and she is concerned this may have a negative effect on him.

Kathleen, a SAHM of five, finds her days overwhelmed with washing, cleaning and cooking. Her and her husband have grown apart and she feels lost.

 

Both women find a new purpose and confidence when they decide to enter the Australian Women's Weekly recipe competition with a  cash prize of £600.

I immediately connected with Ivy and her son Raymond. Kathleen took me longer to work out. I didn't like her at all until the penny dropped and I realised she had severe depression (sometimes I need these things spelled out to me).

I loved all the cooking and recipes and whilst reading I had so many things I would have liked to ask my grandmother about. I also enjoyed all the nostalgia Purman invokes with the inclusion of rationing, movies of the time, fantales, the Melbourne Olympics and Bex powders.

A Woman's Work is a truly engaging read, and even though set in the past is perfect for contemporary fiction readers.

My rating 4 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA Today bestselling fiction author. Her most recent book, The Nurses' War, was an Australian bestseller, as were her novels The Land Girls and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. Her earlier novel The Three Miss Allens was a USA Today bestseller. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript.

I'm off to make some cheese and gherkin scones! 😀