APRIL - Our choice of book by an Australian author

APRIL - Our members had a wonderful choice.

Just so many Australian authors to chose from.

Their really varied responses follow.

JUDY A - Kylie Tennant -an author Judy had always meant to read.

THE HONEY FLOW - 1956. The book follows 1 year of migratory bee keepers as they move, seeking the best eucalyptus blossoms. Beginning in the Snowy Mountains, past many now flooded towns to Queensland, the book is full of larger than life characters and reveals a slice of 1950's country life. Funny, witty and humorous.

TAMARA - OUT OF THE FOREST. Gregory P Smith. 2018.  For 10 years a man lived in the forest in northern NSW. As a child he was bullied, suffered in an abusive family then placed in an orphanage where the horrors continued. An early life of petty crime, he finally removed himself from society and lived on his own resources and willpower. Finally rejoining society - his story is remarkable, moving and amazing.

JUDY J - HORSE - Geraldine Brooks. A wonderful read full of facts, well researched and written, a story based on true events. Slavery, racism, greed, a horse that became the most famous horse in American history - Lexington - a painting of a horse found in a junk heap, links to artist Jackson Pollock, an Australian connection, time lines from 1850's to present day and the Smithsonian Institute.

KRIS - THE STRANDING - Karen Viggers. Lex escapes to a small coastal town to heal his wounds. His baby had died, grief tore his marriage apart. Buying a house facing the sea, he can't hide from the small community. Meeting an artist, and having a relationship with her, doesn't heal Lex however the sea, the whales and eventually the small town people all help. The descriptions are quite vivid with strong themes of redemption, the power of nature and personal discovery. Enjoyable but not great.

JULIA - Julia is happily looking forward to the next Michael Robotham book.

ROSEMARY S - HEART OF THE GRASS TREE - Molly Murn.

Debut novel for this SA author, published 2019. The book delves into the little known, shared history between Aboriginal and non Aboriginal people on Kangaroo Island. A family returns to Kangaroo Island to mourn the passing of the family matriarch. Through letters, poems, collective bits n pieces, paintings etc the family learn of the islands early history and connections to the Indigenous people as well as the European sealers. A good read but the structure of the book was disjointed and the weaving through time was hard follow.

JUDY D - THE LEBS - Michael Mohammed Ahmed. Graphic story about a Muslim boy at Punchbowl Boys High School whose experiences are awful. Judy wouldn't recommend it. She also read MULLUMBIMBY by Melissa Lucashenko. Deals with land rights, joblessness, alcohol issues and unhappy Indigenous people. A sad story with a reasonable ending.

CONNIE - ALL THE GREEN YEAR - D.E.Charlwood. Set in Frankston Victoria the story is about a boy in 1929, really coming of age. The author insisted the book was not an autobiography but Connie had her doubts. Everyday life, escapism, escapades of 14yo boys, families, teachers - a really enjoyable read.

JO - THE SURVIVORS - Jane Harper. Set in a small coastal town in Tasmania, the story is about the guilt carried by Keiren, a man returning to the town of his youth. A young woman, who he was with, died whilst they were in a deep cave many years ago. As the sea rose and blocked their escape route, Keiren rang for his brother and mate to bring a boat and rescue them. Unfortunately both his brother and friend also died. Keiren has carried the guilt over the deaths for many years - but some fact emerge that may change how he feels and what really happened on that day. A murder mystery, finally solved 30 years later. Very good.

ROSEMARY - 7 1/2 - Christos Tsiolkas. Written during the time of Covid, a period of rage and confusion, the author wanted to write about beauty. He reflects on growing up Greek, religion, faith and 1950's life. Written through the eyes of an author who is going to write a book - covering the life of an ex porn star who has settled into happily married life only to be tempted by a huge amount of money to return to his old profession. The prose is beautiful but the storyline is very complicated. Really 3 different books in 1.

VAL - DIGGING UP DAD - Morris Gleitzman. A wonderful story by a prolific Australian author. Each chapter in the book covers an issue of today - climate change deniers, home rental problems, politicians behaving badly etc. In 1 chapter a young girl, living in a rental property with her mum, is alarmed when she finds they have to move out. Her big issue is that her late father's ashes are scattered over the yard. She devises a plan to dig up the garden, put it into large plastic bags and take Dad with her. Many difficulties and complications arise. Problem solving skills and great determination are needed to overcome the situation. The book is full of wit, creativity, resilience. A great story filled with today's issues.

JOAN - TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG - Peter Carey. Fiction based on historical facts. Entertaining. Joan also read NED KELLY - a short life by Ian Jones. A definitive biography, excellent and a must read!

PRU - EAST OF ALICE - Annie Seeton. Author has written many series for TV but this book is a standalone mystery. Gemma, a direct descendant of original Alice Springs settlers returns to her family home, her twin brother Ethan has disappeared and she wants to discover what happened to him. Ruby Gorge, an old mining area, plays a significant role in his disappearance. Great setting, well paced and quite captivating.

DIANN FORD - EAST OF ALICE. Annie Seeton. Diann also enjoyed the book. She liked the family history of Gemma, why she and her brother had become distanced for some time and the true aspects of Ruby Gorge.

PAMELA - TIRRA LIRRA BY THE RIVER - Jessica Anderson. Set between the Wars, narrated by 70+ year old Nora who has returned to her family home. Nora is trying to make sense of her life. How her male dominated life, artistic nature, her attempts to negate ugliness from her life, societies expectations have impacted upon her. The book is divided into 7 sections each representing 1 day in her mental journey of self discovery and self acceptance. The title comes from "The Lady of Shallot" by Tennyson and provides clues in the novel. Brilliant use of language.

LESLEY - DEVOTION - Hannah Kent. Set in 1830's Prussia a community of Old Lutheran worshipers are slowly being forced to either change their religious practices or leave their homes. An opportunity arises to travel to far off South Australia where they will be given land to farm and establish a new community, persecution free. Two 14 year old girls, best friends Hanne and Thea, are bonded through their love of nature, isolation and spiritual connections. They know what their futures hold according to the rules of their faith and society. The journey from Prussia to the fledgling colony of Adelaide is fraught with challenges. Along the way Thea dies. The plot and genre changes and so does the readers perspective. The book is beautifully written, historical fiction with themes of deep love, the power of nature and the strictures of faith. Enjoyable but I'm not a fan of the change in genre.

Lesley

FOR MAY WE HAVE CHOSEN AUTHOR DENIS JOHNSON AS OUR FOCUS.