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