June : Australian Classics

PRUE:   The Hanging Garden by Patrick White

The draft of this book was found on Patrick White’s desk after his death in 1990 and was eventually published in 2012. It had been left largely unfinished and is thought to be initially one of 3 parts. It tells the story of 2 children who are brought to a wild garden on the shores of Sydney Harbour to shelter from the Second World War. The boy's mother has died in the Blitz. The girl is the daughter of a Sydney woman and a Communist executed in a Greek prison. In wartime Australia, these two children form an extraordinary bond as they negotiate the dangers of life as strangers abandoned on the far side of the world.

Prue thought it a beautiful story, difficult at first to read but pleased she persevered with it.

VAL:   Coal Creek by Alex Miller

Although the author was born in England, he migrated to Australia as a 16 year old, and grew up droving in both Australia and New Zealand.

The story is the Australian outback of the 1940s. Tough people with a gentle core are misunderstood and read incorrectly when the new police officer, with a sense of self-importance, driven by a sense of superiority, is determined to shape up the town. An illiterate boy of 20 narrates the story making it seem appropriate to the tough and unforgiving landscape that is so important to the story.

A sad but beautiful book, said Val.

Ed:   Jessica by Bryce Courtney

Jessica is based on the inspiring true story of a young girl's fight for justice against tremendous odds.
A tomboy, Jessica is the pride of her father, as they work together on the struggling family farm. One quiet day, the peace of the bush is devastated by a terrible murder. Jessica is the only one able to save the killer from the lynch mob, but will he receive justice in the court?

There are many other side stories that make this one of the author’s most popular books.

Judy #1   We of the Never Never by Aeneas Gunn

Published as a novel, it is the account of the author’s experiences in 1902 at Elesey Station in the Northern Territory. She was the first white woman to settle in the area, and at first the people on and around the station resented her, eventually winning their affection and respect.

Published in 1908, the book is significant in that it described the things that made Australia different from anywhere else – life in the outback.

CLAURINE:  Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Set in the summer of 1965 in a small rural town in Western Australia.

Jasper Jones is an older, rebellious, mixed race boy who seeks the help of his younger friend Charlie. Keen to impress he follows Jasper into the bush. After finding body of Jasper’s girlfriend the two of them try to find out who had done it. Small town prejudices and understanding the truth make this an interesting novel. Not a ‘who done it’ but more a ‘who will tell’ said Claurine.

 

JO:   Five Ring Circus by John Cleary

Set in Sydney in the lead up to the 2000 Olympic Games, it is the 15^th book featuring the detective Scobie Malone. He investigates murder, conspiracy and corruption taking place during the preparations for the Olympics.

Jo described it as a good read and enjoyed the references to familiar places.

DIANN:  Daughter of Australia by Harmony Verna

This is the story of 2 children who grow up in an orphanage in Western Australia and develop a strong bond to each other.

This is only broken when the girl is adopted by a wealthy American couple and the boy, by relatives from Ireland who have emigrated to claim him.

When they later meet again, their lives have taken very different courses!

Diann believes this will be a future classic.

DIANE:  The Bush by Don Watson

The author grew up on a dairy farm and had previously been the scriptwriter for Paul Keating. But in this book he explores the bush, the way it had been and how it is now. He writes about the characters, the mistakes that have been made, the horrors and the beauty of the bush. He writes about the character of mateship, the stories from the shearing shed, and the knowledge the aborigines possess but which is generally ignored. He writes in an amusing way.

Diane believes that if this isn’t a classic, it should be!

CONNIE:  Swords, Crowns and Rings by Ruth Park

This is the story of a boy born a dwarf in 1906 and it follows his life until 1932. He is from a poor family but forms a lasting friendship with a girl from a rich and ambitious family who frown on the relationship.

There are moving descriptions of life during the war and the Depression, very hard times to live through.

A well-written and very emotional book.

PAT:  Breath by Tim Winton

Set in a small coastal town in Western Australia, the story is narrated by Bruce "Pikelet" Pike, a divorced, middle-aged paramedic and takes the form of a long flashback in which he remembers his childhood friendship with Loonie. The main action of the novel takes place in the 1970s.

The boys are mentored by an older surfer who encourages their risk taking. He then reflects how this affected his life later on. The choices they made in their youth followed them all their lives!

CHARIS:  A Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Charis thought this was a classic piece of writing. Set during The Plague in England it described how one woman coped and survived. The author’s humane approach comes through especially as she writes about life and death.

March also by Geraldine Brooks is a retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women from the point of view of Alcott's protagonists' absent father.

A feature of both books is the author’s meticulous research.

 

DENISE:  The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea by Randolf Stow

Set in Geraldton, Western Australia in the 1940s, the story revolves around two main characters, Rob and Rick, over a span of 8 years. Rick is Rob's older cousin who leaves to fight in WWII. Rob is a five-year-old little boy who adores him.

Rick comes back after the war, a changed man, having been captured and spent time in prison camps in Singapore and Thailand. Rob doesn’t understand why he has changed as he has spent his growing up time in the countryside.

It is certainly one of Denise’s favourite books!

BEV:   Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

The plot focuses on a group of female students at a private school in 1900 that inexplicably vanish at Hanging Rock while on a picnic. It also explores the repercussions the disappearances have on the school and local community.

Bev thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it the best book she had read all year!

JUDY #4:  A Fortunate Life by A B Facey

This is the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. He faced so many tragedies yet he thought his life was fortunate.

Judy described the book as being written in a simple and unadorned fashion, without a whiff of sentimentality.

WENDY:  Getting of Wisdom by H H Richardson

Set in 1890’s where Laura who comes from a struggling rural family is sent to boarding school in Melbourne. She doesn’t fit in, she’s poor, cocky, willful and intelligent.

Wendy thought the ending was ambiguous; Laura had grown apart from her family and had to conform to be accepted.

The book raises the question of girls who were educated in these times, where did they go from there?

A great little book!

ANNE:  Aunts Up The Cross by Robyn Dalton

This is the story of a young girl who, in the 1920s lives with her aunts and a few uncles in the gentile end of Kings Cross. There are great characters coming and going in the house and all told with a rye sense of humour.

JULIA:  Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs.

Both of these are favourites of Julia and her children. Great for reading aloud and sharing the beautiful illustrations.

ROSEMARY:  A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

This is a novel in 2 parts. The first tells the fight for survival by number English women in Malaya who have been captured by the Japanese during World War 11.

The second is a love story. It takes place six years later when a newly wealthy English woman returns to Malaya to build a well for the villagers who helped her during war. Thinking back, she recalls the Australian man who made a great sacrifice to aid her and her fellow prisoners of war. She has to find him.

The book has a happy ending and was much enjoyed by Rosemary.

 

TAM: Shearer’s Colt from an Anthology by A B Patterson

A rich boy (an Earl’s son) is sent over to Australia, and he meets up with a shearer who has made money in the goldfields. They team up to go into the horseracing business together.

It’s good fun and a good read. Tam’s comment was that Patterson captures the Australia of the time in his characters.

KRIS:  The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Kris described the book as a modern classic!

She liked the idea of the story and it really made her think.

She found the behavior of people at the bar-b-que very annoying and some children particularly badly behaved.

While she thought the sex and the language were awful and people so objectionable, it must be good writing to bring up so much emotion.

JOAN:  Nine Parts of Desire, The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks

While a Foreign Correspondent in the Middle East, the author shared an office with a young woman who changed to Muslim fundamentalist. Why did she suddenly accept this old religious code?

The book seeks answers from Islamic women.

Joan found it very enlightening, written in a very good journalistic style and easy to read.

UPCOMING BOOK CLUB TITLES

JULY: any Jane Austen book (apart from Emma)

AUGUST:  A Sherlock Holmes novel by Arthur Conan Doyle

SEPTEMBER: Australian Bushrangers

OCTOBER: author Rose Tremain – Restoration, Music-A- Silence & The Road Home

MAY is the month to celebrate MOTHERS

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. 

KRIS:  My Life in a Pea Soup by Lisa Nops

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.