Book Review: The Grand Tour by Olivia Wearne

 The Grand Tour

by

Olivia Wearne

 

 

Publisher: Harper Collins

Imprint: HQ Fiction AU

Publication date: 2nd December 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Pages: 400

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Uncorrected paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Better Reading

 

About the book

 

When Ruby and Angela embark on a Grey Nomads road trip, the last thing they expect is a tiny stowaway; one who will turn them from unsuspecting tourists into wanted kidnappers and land them in a world of trouble. As their leisurely retirement plans unravel, Angela's relationship with her brother Bernard goes from bad to worse.

Bernard has his own problems to contend with. Adrift in life, his career as a news presenter has been reduced to opening fetes and reading Voss as an audio book (a seemingly impossible task). His troubles are compounded when his wife starts dating a younger man and a drink-driving incident turns him into a celebrity offender.

As Angela and Ruby set about repairing burnt bridges and helping their unexpected guest, and Bernard attempts to patch together his broken life, they discover that even after a lifetime of experience, you're never too old to know better.

 

My review

 

The Grand Tour, although I did enjoy the story, wasn’t what I was expecting. The blurb tells me Ruby and Angela embark on a grey nomads road trip and I expected lots of funny on the road disasters whilst reading about amazing places around Australia.

The Grand Tour is about relationships and the changing landscape of these relationships as we age. A satirical look at ageing disgracefully.

Ruby is estranged from her grown daughter who she has never had a solid relationship with. She was always a bit wary of her wild, rambunctious child as she was growing up.

Ruby and Angela become firm friends after the death of Angela’s husband. They are complete opposites but they compliment each other. Ruby who is an introvert loves Angela’s flamboyance. They live in the same complex and whilst their units are being renovated they take to the road in Ruby’s motor-home.

Bernard, Angela’s brother, is a curmudgeonly washed-up news reader trying to restart his career when he is pushed back into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. We are also introduced to his actress wife, Mia and her eclectic friends. An arty group of ageing bohemians.

Eight year old Izzy lives with her mother in a caravan park. Izzy’s mother has trouble coping and Izzy is neglected. Thinking her mother would be glad to be rid of her she stows away in Ruby and Angela’s motor-home, making them unwary kidnappers.

There are many funny moments as each character navigates the different relationships in their life.

The book was a slow read for me. A character driven story.

Olivia Wearne’s debut novel is witty and observant. She expertly depicts human foibles and slots them into chuckle inducing scenarios. 

 

3.5 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐ ½

 

Meet the author 

 

Olivia Wearne was born in Melbourne in 1977. She is both a novelist and a screenwriter with several film credits to her name and a Masters in creative writing. Olivia now resides in Ballarat, Victoria, where she writes at the kitchen table that she shares with her filmmaker husband and two young sons. The Grand Tour is her first novel.

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Together by Christmas by Karen Swan

 Together by Christmas

by

Karen Swan

 

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Aus

Publication date: 27th October 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 448

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

When Lee first came to Amsterdam, it was with a newborn baby and a secret. Five years later, her life is approaching normal: her career as a celebrity photographer is flourishing, her son Jasper is growing up, and they are enjoying the run-up to Christmas with their tight circle of close friends.

But all this changes one morning when Lee finds a book in the basket of her bicycle – and scrawled inside it, a desperate message. Who left it for her, and why? Lee feels compelled to help and tracks down the book’s author, Sam. With an instant, undeniable connection it seems they might have a shot at a real future together.

Until her past comes calling. As the snow falls and ice thickens on the city’s canals, the secret Lee has never told resurfaces. Suddenly everything she holds dear hangs in the balance. Christmas is a time for being together – but what if the truth means she ends up alone?

Escape to the snow-covered streets of Amsterdam in this deeply romantic read, featuring twists, turns and characters you'll fall in love with.

 

My review

 

I really enjoy Karen Swan’s books and I especially look forward to her Christmas offering each year. There is always a mix of romance and suspense and I can be assured of being taken away to a beautifully described location.

This year’s novel Together by Christmas was a little different to Swan’s previously Christmas themed novels. The main character is Lee, a former war photojournalist who had been working extensively in Syria and winning awards for her photos. Lee is a little hard to like at first. She now photographs celebrities for publicity shoots and it’s very clear she doesn’t like these people or their lifestyles, but still she takes their money to pay the bills.

I feel this must have been a hard book for Swan to write as it covers some heavy topics. Swan explores themes of PTSD in journalists that have seen the horrors of war, domestic abuse, the exploitation of illegal immigrants and the pressure some parents put on their children to achieve their lost dreams.

Lee’s backstory is slowly revealed through her memories and also through sessions with her psychologist. As the story progressed I could see why she was so closed off, negative and insecure.

Set in Amsterdam, I loved the atmosphere with the whole community out skating. There was a lighter side to the story with Dutch Christmas celebrations and traditions explained. These happy events blended well with the darker themes simmering below the surface.

Together by Christmas is a wonderfully immersive and important story. I just feel it may have been better not released as a Christmas read.

I’ve given this 4 rather than 5 stars only because I want more joy from my Christmas reads.

 

My rating 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

Meet the author

 

Photo: Goodreads

Karen Swan is the Sunday Times top three bestselling author of twenty books and her novels sell all over the world. She writes two books each year – one for the summer period and one for the Christmas season. Previous winter titles include Christmas at Tiffanys, The Christmas Secret, The Christmas Lights, and for summer, The Rome Affair, The Greek Escape and The Spanish Promise.

Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisty plots, sometimes telling two stories in the same book.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Long Tail of Trauma: A Memoir

The Long Tail of Trauma: A Memoir

by

Elizabeth Wilcox

 

 

Publisher: Green Place Books

Publication date: 11th November 2020

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 268

Format read: eBook

Source: Courtesy of Stephanie Barko Publicist

 

About the book

 

The Long Tail of Trauma covers the lives of five generations of the author’s maternal ancestors from 1904-2018, through Europe and America. The long tail refers to multigenerational family trauma that begins near Liverpool before World War I and continues through Operation Pied Piper and the PTSD era in America.

The author’s journey becomes an exploration into attachment and the legacy of maternal trauma on intergenerational mental health and relationships. Through documenting her forebears’ stories, author Elizabeth Wilcox gives us a greater understanding of what a mother must overcome to erase the epigenetic stain of early childhood trauma.

 

My review

 

Elizabeth Wilcox writes a memoir that at times reads like an historical  novel it is so full of atmosphere and sentiment.

I enjoyed the combination of writing styles that brought to life the story of Anna and Violet.

 

In the Long Tail of Trauma we follow 4 generations of mothers and daughters. Elizabeth explains, through her research, how trauma can be passed down through the generations.

 

The storyline is sourced from extensive research of Elizabeth's family history and uses some creativity concerning her ancestors thoughts and conversations. 

Dispersed between chapters of her great-grandmother's and grandmother's lives are chapters on her own life growing up with a mother with PTSD.

 

Elizabeth Wilcox has given many documentations to support her claims and I found her  memoir and that of the lives of her ancestors, Germans living in England during the outbreak of WWII to be both engaging and fascinating reading.

The Long Tail of Trauma is an interesting study on childhood trauma and its impact on mental health, autoimmune disease, depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts.

4/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo: Goodreads

Elizabeth Wilcox has worked as a journalist in England, Hong Kong, and the US. She has extensive experience both nationally and internationally as a newspaper columnist, radio presenter, CNBC television news producer, and web producer.

Her first book The Mom Economy (Berkley, 2003) was called “one of the best career books of 2003” by syndicated columnist Joyce Lain Kennedy. Her guest appearances include community and book groups, local and national radio programs, popular podcasts, and network television. Her work has been featured in ABC7 “All About Kids”, Bloomberg Radio, The Boston Herald, Boston Globe, Marketwatch, The Chicago Tribune, CNNfn, Parenting Magazine, Redbook and others.

Elizabeth Wilcox currently consults with educational organizations that promote social and emotional learning and trauma-informed practices for youth.

She lives with her family in Vermont. 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Come Home Ella by Chelsea Davies

Come Home Ella

by

Chelsea Davies

Illustrated by Lisa Coutts

 

Publisher: Empowering Resources 

Publication date: July 2020

Genre: Children's / Picture Book

Pages: 36

RRP: $17.00 AUD

Format read: Soft cover

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Come Home Ella is a children's picture book which light-heartedly follows the emotional journey of a family after their baby's early arrival. Told through the eyes of baby Ella's older sibling, it aims to educate children about premature babies and help families experiencing similar situations deal with the emotions involved.

 

My review

 

Come Home Ella is a heartfelt story from the point of view of a young child waiting to see their newborn sister Ella. Ella was born premmie and needs to stay in hospital.

 

Come home Ella goes through the different emotions that may be felt by a young child in this situation. Sadness at not being able to see the much anticipated new arrival, wariness after seeing a photo with all the tubes attached to the baby, anger as their mother leaves to go to the hospital everyday and then joy as they  are finally able to see and hold their baby sister.

 

Coping ideas are put into place with hug charts and calendar countdown.

 

Written through the eyes of a child Come Home Ella is simple and hopeful, giving just enough information for a young child to understand but not so much as to overwhelm.

 

I think this would be a valuable resource for any family undergoing the same situation.

 

Age: 2+years

  

5/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Chelsea is an emerging author and mother of three living in the picturesque Margaret River Region of Western Australia.  Forever gaining inspiration from her surroundings, Chelsea writes poetry and picture books to engage, empower and intrigue young minds. She aims to encourage children to understand and deal with emotions, and mental well-being, in a compelling, yet nurturing way.

When it’s time to put down the pen, Chelsea might be found practicing yoga, engrossed in a novel, trying her hand at arts and crafts, or enjoying sun, sand and surf with family and friends.

Chelsea describes creative writing as her ‘bliss’ and is excited to create a little magic of her own. Author facebook

About the illustrator

Lisa is a Melbourne based illustrator who has illustrated many books and items mostly in the children’s market thanks to her charming character based style, and because she is a bit of a kid at heart.

 She studied graphic design at Swinburne and has been a freelance illustrator since graduation.

 Lisa enjoys working in dry pastel for it’s light, soft texture and the colourful mess she can make. She also uses pencils and acrylic paints. With these she loves to create and draw characters and their worlds, whether real or imagined.

 Her favourite things in life inspire her illustrations. She is cat crazy and has two cheeky Devon Rexes called Coco and Elsa. She loves riding her bike especially long distances and up mountains. She also has a thing for striped clothing and often her characters are wearing something stripey just as she does. Oh, and she loves making and eating pancakes. Lisa's facebook

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

  

Book Review: The Shearer's Wife by Fleur McDonald

The Shearer's Wife

by

Fleur McDonald

 

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 3rd November 2020

Genre: Rural Fiction / Crime

Series: Detective Dave Burrows

Pages: 384

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

1980: Rose and Ian Kelly arrive in Barker for supplies before they begin shearing at Jacksonville Station, a couple of hundred kilometres out of town. Rose, heavily pregnant with their first babies, worries that despite Ian's impending fatherhood he remains a drifter who dreams of the open road.

 

2020: When the Australian Federal Police swoop unheralded into Barker and make a shocking arrest for possession of narcotics, Detective Dave Burrows is certain there is more to the story than meets the eye. 

 

2020: After many months of grief over her brother's illness and death, journalist Zara Ellison is finally ready to begin a new chapter of her life and make a commitment to her boyfriend, Senior Constable Jack Higgins. But when she's assigned to investigating the Barker arrest, Jack begins to believe that Zara is working against him.

It takes a series of unconnected incidents in Zara's digging to reveal an almost forgotten thread of mystery as to how these two events, forty years apart, could be connected

 

My review

 

The Shearer's Wife is a dual time line narration. The first is in 1980 when a heavily pregnant Rose Kelly arrives in Barker with her husband, Ian. They lead a nomadic life moving from one shearing job to the next.

In 2020 the AFP arrive in Barker and arrest a local. Dave is warned off the case but when it's one of his own town's people he knows he must help.

 

Through this story Fleur McDonald brings country South Australia straight into my home. I loved how welcoming, helpful and accepting the country people are, willing to help out perfect strangers. This is a feel good story.   

Rose and Ian are happy together living the nomadic life of a shearer but we learn how difficult this life would be with a family. McDonald also includes topical subjects of the time, such as the wide-comb dispute that had shearers  up in arms.

 

Through Dave and Kim Burrows we see the problems faced by country police and the fine line between policing an area and being friends with the locals. This also puts a strain on a marriage.   

 

McDonald includes the trauma of PTSD and how it's a difficult diagnosis, usually picked up by friends rather than the person suffering. PTSD can affect the sufferers relationships and everyday life if not treated. 

Both stories were interesting and I was equally invested, wondering how the two stories would tie in.

As the story evolved the tension ramped up. The plot was realistic with heart-stopping suspense and just when you think it's all over the tension mounts again.

The Shearer's Wife is a rivetting rural crime story, easy to read yet full of heart, mystery and suspense. Although part of a series it reads as a stand-alone!

Fleur McDonald writes two series featuring Det Dave Burrows. One is set in 1999-2000 with a younger Dave Burrows and the other is present day.

 

5/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

 

Photo: Goodreads

Fleur McDonald has lived and worked on farms for much of her life. After growing up in the small town of Orroroo in South Australia, she went jillarooing, eventually co-owning an 8000-acre property in regional Western Australia.

Fleur likes to write about strong women overcoming adversity, drawing inspiration from her own experiences in rural Australia. She has two children, an energetic kelpie and a Jack Russell terrier.

 

 

 

Want to know more about Dave? This 32 page eBook available on Amazon is a great little introduction to this character!

 

The Farmer's Choice by Fleur McDonald

 

This short story features some background on a young Dave Burrows fresh out of Ag college and explains the situation behind him leaving his family and the farming life he loved so much.
We get to know Dave’s personality and what motivates him.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Soldiers by Tom Remiger

Soldiers

by

Tom Remiger 

 

 

Publisher: Text Publishing 

Publication date: 1st September 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction / War

Pages: 240

Format read: Paperback

Source: Won

 

About the book

 

Breen sometimes thought sourly that Tiger Jackson would have made a good fascist. He told unreliable stories, he liked power and admiration, and he had all three military virtues- self-belief, luck, and an eye for the main chance. Despite all this, Breen liked him. Somehow it was impossible not to.

After the death of Corporal Daniel Cousins in what is apparently a training accident, a young officer, Lieutenant Breen, becomes obsessed by the case. Was Cousins murdered by one of his own?
Breen's investigation, as well as his unanticipated love affair with a superior officer, threatens the unity of his comrades as they wait for the suffering to come in the Battle of Crete-one of the defining encounters of World War II.

My review

 

Opening in 1940, Soldiers follows a group of New Zealand soldiers as they are sent to England for training then to Egypt and Crete defending these areas against the ever advancing German army.

 

In this compassionate, yet fierce, story Tom Remiger puts emphasis on the different personalities of the soldiers and how they cope with the conditions and each other's company.

 

At the start of the book I was a little lost as the characters were at times called by their first name or last name or even a nickname. It seemed like their were more characters to keep track of than there actually were. However, as the story moves on the names all slot in and the story became easier to follow.

 

Remiger deftly describes the long tedious days of waiting and the terrible conditions the soldiers endured. His characters are real! They are at times not as brave as they would like to be. They get along and they fight. Sometimes they are best friends and at others they hate each other, begging for space.

We follow these characters as they change from men to soldiers.

 

Underlying this story of man and war  is a compassionate story of devotion as Lt Patrick Breen becomes aware of his feelings for Captain  Sinclair. Breen is a gentle soul although many of his fellow soldiers thought he had a wildness about him. He becomes obsessed with the accidental death of one of the soldiers in their company. This obsession soon leads to paranoia and he sees motive in many of his fellow soldiers.

Soldiers is a moving story and not like the usual WWII stories I read full of killing and bravado. Remiger has dug into the soul of his soldiers to reveal their true feelings and fears. When the fighting comes, some will rise to the occasion whilst others will fall.

About the author

Photo: Text Publishing

Tom Remiger is the name under which Tom McLean writes fiction. He is originally from Rotorua, New Zealand, but now lives in the UK, where he is completing a DPhil in literature at Oxford. His non-fiction and academic writing have been published in a number of journals and magazines. Soldiers won the 2019 Michael Gifkins Prize.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Lucky's by Andrew Pippos

Lucky's 

by

Andrew Pippos 

 

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 27th October 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Family Saga 

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99 AUD

Format read: Uncorrected paperback 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book 

 

Lucky's is a story of family.

It is also about a man called Lucky.
His restaurant chain.
A fire that changed everything.
A New Yorker article which might save a career.
The mystery of a missing father.
An impostor who got the girl.
An unthinkable tragedy.
A roll of the dice.
And a story of love, lost, sought and won again, (at last).

 

My review

 

Lucky's is an ode to the old Greek cafe style restaurants with Andrew Pippos drawing inspiration from his own upbringing.

 

Jumping back and forward in time Pippos shows us a post war Sydney when many migrants came to Australia to start a new life, opening cafes and expecting their children to work in the cafe.  Here the story follows Achilles Asproyerakas who played an important role in Lucky's restaurants as his cafe Achillion was the prototype for the Lucky's chain.

 

Then in 2002 we meet Emily on the cusp of a trip from England to Sydney, Australia, to boost her career in journalism, her husband tells her he is in love with another woman. Emily is drawn to Lucky by a painting her father gave her of a Lucky's franchise cafe. Emily hopes to write a career saving story on the Lucky's franchise rise and demise.

 

Emily and Lucky have many parallels in their lives. Tragedy has had a major involvement in both their lives. Lucky's name was ironic, and this wasn't lost on him, as tragedy after tragedy befell him. His character was well drawn and it was easy to connect and sympathise with him. I eagerly followed Emily's and Lucky's stories looking forward to Emily's big scoop and the outcome of Lucky's appearance on Wheel of Fortune with the hope of opening a new cafe. However the story fell short with too many time changes. Would it have been more engaging if it was in chronological order? I'm not sure.

 

Lucky's is a tragic tale, tragicomedy without the laughs. If they were there I missed them.

 

Pippos' writing is exceptional; nostalgic, tragic and palpable. 

 

3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Andrew Pippos spent part of his childhood getting underfoot in his family's Greek-Australian café. When he grew up, he worked in newspapers and taught in universities. This is his first novel, and it packs in everything he knows about growing up in a noisy, complicated, loving family. He lives in Sydney. 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20