Fiona Lowe’s latest book, Daughter of Mine, reminded me of Monica McInerney’s books, particularly The Alphabet Sisters. This also has three very different sisters, but born in a Victorian country town, with similar family dramas, relationship issues, secrets and lies. The characters are introduced and then the deceit and the surprises are slowly revealed. This Read More …
Fiona McCallum’s latest novel is set in the city, rather than her rural based previous books. This was more relevant and interesting for me, and the storyline had a number of dimensions that were engaging. Thirty-one year-old Hannah has not had much go wrong in her life. She is happily married to Tristan, is planning Read More …
The Things We Promise is a young adult novel set in the 1990s when HIV and AIDS were first seen in Australia. Sixteen-year-old Gemma is focussed on her school formal, and the chapters are told in relation to the time until this event. Her older brother Billy lives in New York with his partner, Saul, Read More …
Caroline Baum has written a memoir detailing her experiences as an only child to dysfunctional parents, but also their childhoods and why they respectively parented the way they did. Although she lived a life of privilege, not wanting for anything materially, the love her father in particular claimed he had so much of for her, Read More …
The Shape of Us introduces women who join a blog for people who are overweight. Four of them have issues with some of the others posting on the forum so they form a breakaway group. They communicate online and then down the track meet in person. Despite very different backgrounds they share the desire to Read More …
Shannon Leone Fowler has written an honest and heartbreaking account of her relationship with Sean, how they met, the travel they shared and her love for him before his very sudden death on the beach at Thailand, at age twenty-five, She also relates the shock and grief immediately after, and the long process back to Read More …
I was not aware of Nadiya Hussain from her win on The Great British Bake Off. She can obviously cook, but she can spin a good yarn as well. The Amir sisters with all of their different personalities and quirks do indeed have secrets, as do other members of the family. In a charming story Read More …
I have read Nikki Gemmell’s earlier novels and many of her columns in The Australian. I remember her writing about having to move her grandmother into care, and then losing her. Then when her mother’s death followed so quickly after that I was surprised, and then found out how. In After she covers all of Read More …
Sally Hepworth’s third novel The Things We Keep was just pipped at the post as my favourite book of 2016. Her latest The Mother’s Promise is another great novel. Alice is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the disease that killed her mother. She has spent most of her adult life caring for her only daughter, Zoe, Read More …
Alzheimer’s disease has become so prevalent these days, or our awareness of it is much greater than it was, or both. Accordingly there have been books written about it, and from them I have a better understanding of the effects on those suffering the condition, and the ones who care for them. Particularly devastating is Read More …
