DIANE: Family
Secrets by Liz Bryski
Set in Tasmania, the book begins with the
death of Gerald, a dominating husband and father. His wife who has been his
long time carer now has the chance to travel to France to visit his estranged
sister. The family becomes more splintered as they struggle to come to terms
with the death of their father/husband.
Diane thought it was well written, but a
bit of a ‘kitchen sink drama’. She would have liked a bit more story!
JO: Terms of
Endearment by Larry McMurtry
The main character Aurora, was a horrible
woman, an awful mother who dominated everybody’s life including that of her
beautiful daughter, Emma.
There were many funny moments, Jo liked the
book but not some of the characters.
The male author seemed to have a good
perspective on how women act and carry on.
PAULINE: One Life:
My Mother’s Story by Kate Grenville
This is the story of the author’s mother’s
life. She was not famous and came from a poor country background. Her parents
were quite indifferent to her, but her mother showed great determination to
stay at school and eventually going to University. The book tells the story of
her life until just after Kate is born.
Pauline thought it quite interesting, an
easy read but would have liked to learn more about her life after Kate was
born.
JUDY #1 also read this book.
She read from the Prologue that highlighted how different the lives of women
are now. She could imagine that the era Kate’s mother had lived in was similar to her own
mother’s life. This made the book more enjoyable.
BEV: When it
Rains; a Memoir by Maggie McKellar
When Maggie’s husband suicides, leaving her
with a young daughter and an unborn son, she doesn’t cope and so her mother
comes to help her.
Unfortunately her mother dies within a few
months from an aggressive form of cancer. After struggling along for another
year, Maggie takes the children on a holiday break to an aunt’s farm. The
children love it there and she makes the decision that this is where they will
move on and try to put their lives back together again.
Quite a good read, said Bev.
JUDY#2: Love Your
Sister by Connie & Samuel Johnson
This is the story of a brother and sister
as they cope with Connie’s several cancer diagnoses and their determined
efforts to fundraise to help find a cure.
An incredible story, very uplifting and
inspirational.
Judy commented that it was amazing that a girl
who grew up without a mother could go on to become such an amazing mother
herself.
TAM: House on the Hill by Susan Duncan
The author had previously lived in
Pittwater but at 65 she and her husband had a huge lifestyle change, building a
self-sustainable house near Taree.
At the same time she is also trying to deal
with her difficult 95-year-old mother who has recently had to move into a
Nursing Home. She also needed to talk with her about family issues that have
never been raised.
She struggles to love her mother while also
needing to look after her.
DENISE: Dracula in
Love by Karen Essex
Dracula has been in love with Mina through
the centuries. But when she dies and comes back, Dracula must wait for her to
choose him.
Mina’s mother had totally abandoned her
because she didn’t understand her. She was sent to boarding school, where
others were a ‘better mother’ to her.
Denise commented that mothers, through good
intentions, sometimes do the wrong thing.
She enjoyed this interesting book, lots of
fun and raunchy sex and sin!
CONNIE: The Three Marys
One of the subjects in this book was Mary,
the mother of Jesus.
The author described her life and the times
she lived in from an historical point of view.
His evidence is taken from the texts in the
Bible.
Connie found the book fascinating and
enjoyed learning more about Mary’s life.
WENDY L: Mrs Kelly; The Astonishing Life of Ned Kelly’s
Mother by Grantlee Kieza
Wendy was disappointed that in this lengthy
book (over 600pages) only about 50 pages were specifically about Ned Kelly’s
mother.
She found the author’s writing style very
annoying as he speculated and made assumptions. The book was well referenced
but many were almost fictionalized to make it a workable narrative.
It was a disappointing read as it was
mainly from Ned’s perspective.
PAT: Marie Curie and Her Daughters: The Private Lives of Science's First Family by Shelley Emling
Marie Curie’s
love of science and her discoveries are retold in this book but much more of
the focus is on her two daughters. She was close to her daughters despite being
away from the family home for long periods due to work.
Irene followed
her mother’s footsteps into science and was
instrumental in the discovery of nuclear fission. Eve traveled the world as a
foreign correspondent and then moved on to humanitarian missions.
Much of the information for the book
comes from letters written by Madame Curie showing her tender side.
An interesting read.
VAL: Marrying Off Mother and Other Stories by Gerald Durall
An amusing collection of short stories
set in 1935 when the family moves to Corfu after the death of their father. The
4 children decide that mother needs to be married off and unsuccessfully look
for suitors among the local Greeks.
When a friend of her son comes to
visit, she “falls in love” with him, decides to move to Athens meaning that the
children will all have to find jobs or return to school.
The children are
horrified because of their assumed superiority and privileged background.
An amusing story with
humorous banter between the children and their mother but Val found the book
very naïve now.
CLARIS: All For My Children by Sally Faulkner
When her husband refused to return their
children, and the Australian government and Lebanese justice system couldn't
help, Sally Faulkner flew across the world with a television news crew to try
to bring them home herself. There are very emotive arguments all through the
book.
Claris described it as an “I “ book, showing
her drive, her motherly feelings and her naivety from her perspective. She probably
also needed the money. It was not a literary work.
In contrast Claris also read Geraldine
Brook’s People of the Book.
Here the mother didn’t want her daughter to
know her grandfather. This was a literary work and meticulously researched for
the storyline.
The book was written as a way of documenting the parents ‘s struggle to cope with their profoundly autistic daughter. There are moments of humour as they travel in different cultures, frustration as they battle with the medical world, loneliness as she manages much of this alone while her husband is at work. She also feels a loss of identity because of the situation and the stress on her marriage. An important and moving book, said Kris.
SHEILA: Till Death Us Do Part by Jayne Ann Krentz /Amanda Quick
Set in Victorian London, this light read, well written and with a little bit of light sex thrown in was enjoyed by Sheila. A number of strong-minded single women who find themselves alone in the world join an exclusive ‘introduction agency’. When gifts that are only suitable for someone in mourning begin to arrive, they must seek help elsewhere.
JOAN: The Memory Stones by Caroline Brothers
The book is set in 1976 in Buenos Aires
and begins when a doctor takes his wife and daughters away for a break. On
their return they find that the military coup is underway. Many people begin to
leave while just as many go missing. It
is a haunting, compelling, heartbreaking novel recalling the search for missing
loved ones, particularly babies.
This is very much the story of the grandmothers
who continued searching and still today march every Thursday.
JUDY #3 The Mothers by Brit Bennett
This is a well-written debut novel set
in a contemporary black community in Southern California. It follows the
relationship between 3 teenagers as they search for emotional meaning, love and
dealing with pain.
‘The Mothers’ are elderly black ladies
who pray for others and narrate what is happening with the 3 young people.
ANNE: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
When Lucy is recovering from what should
have been a simple operation, her mother comes to see her. Their relationship
has been very strained for many years but they do spend this time talking. But
just as quickly her mother leaves again and the connection is lost.
When her mother is dying, Lucy who is
now a successful author goes to see her.
Anne thought the book was beautifully
written but it was hard to pick out a storyline.
DIANN: Mothers and Daughters by Minna Howard
Diann described the book as a good
family story and their own hidden secrets.
When a mother is widowed her 2 daughters
come to see her separately. There are twists and turns and some unexpected
surprises.
CLAURENE: Philomena by Martin Sixsmith
She had only read about 170 pages of the
book. It started well telling the story of a young Irish girl who becomes
pregnant. Her parents send her to a convent to give birth and here she stays
with her baby for 2 years. The treatment of the girls in the convent is
dreadful.
An American couple eventually adopts her
baby taking it back to the USA despite the protests of the Irish Government.
JULIA: Sins of the Mother by Danielle Steele
While building up a large and successful
business, the mother has spent little time with her children.
Later when she tries to make it up to
them by suggesting an expensive holiday together, the children don’t want to
go.
She must confront the past and face what
the future may mean.
Julia enjoyed it, an easy read and not
as predictable and trashy as other books by the author.
