OCTOBER, 2025 - WOMEN'S PRIZE WINNING BOOKS

 

This month we decided to select a book whose author had won a literary award for women.  Awards chosen were; The Carol Shields Prize (a work published in English by an Canadian or American woman), Women's Prize for Fiction aka Orange Prize (established in the UK, inspired after the Booker Prize of 1991 had NO women shortlisted even though 60% of novels published that year were by women), Women's Prize for Non Fiction (newly created for any woman, writing in English) and the Stella Prize (emerged after discussions revealed how under represented women were in newspapers as reviewers and as authors. The Stella Prize is awarded for the most original, excellent, outstanding fiction or nonfiction book by an Australian woman). The reading range therefore was wide, and very enjoyable.

Ed - THE STRAYS - Emily Bitto. 2014. Stella Prize 2015.

A debut novel set during the Depression, the story is in 3 time frames. It's about friendships, being part of the artistic world, social mores of the times, and life's hardships and complications. Ed enjoyed reading the book.

Margaret - THE STRAYS - Emily Bitto. 2014. Stella Prize 2015.

Margaret also read The Strays. She too enjoyed it. It evoked the time in which it was set, and was well written. She felt the 'parents' in the story were too 'benign' and no good in a crisis. The young protagonists were allowed too much freedom living in almost a commune, which allowed for a degree of tension to develop.

Judy A - LARRY'S PARTY - Carol Shields. Women's Prize for Fiction 1998.

'Larry' is an ordinary man made extraordinary by the writer's deep inspections of his life. Each chapter looks at different aspects of Larry's life - marriages, being a father, work life etc. It ends with a dinner party hence the title. Really enjoyable with a kick at the end that brought a smile to Judy's face.

Bev - SMALL ISLAND - Andrea Levi. 2004.Orange Prize 2004.

Set after WW2 the novel covers the issues of post war migration to England by Caribbean immigrants. Their expectations and disillusionment, weak social policy, ignorance about their living situations, politics and deeply emotive conditions are all explored.

Kris - AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE - Tayari Jones. Women's Prize for Fiction 2019.

A love story with no substance. She wondered why it was chosen as an award winner.

Kellie - also read AN AMERICAN MARRAIGE. She was ambivalent about the story. A business  and life partner, Roy is arrested and jailed for 12 years. During this time his wife falls out of love with him and has a new relationship whereas Roy wants to return to his previous married life.

Tam - THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTYNESS - Ruth Ozeki. Women's Prize for Fiction. 2022.

A clever novel between a boy named Benny  and a book. After the death of his father, a boy starts 'hearing' objects talking, objects 'whisper' when he goes to the Library. The book considers grief, psychological impacts of events, communities within communities, kindness, A big book that was fascinating.

Rosemary S - THE ERRATICS - Vicki Laveau-Harvey. Stella Prize 2019.

A memoir - Vicki returns home to Canada, having lived in Australia for a number of years, to help her elderly parents - her mother needing age care support and her father needing home care. For a long time Vicki's sister had been  supporting the ageing parents. Vicki, tackling the vagaries of the elderly, realises just how controlling and manipulative her mother has been. Her previously undiagnosed mental health illness comes to the for. She is hostile, delusional and has isolated her husband from all friends and acquaintances. An enjoyable read.

Kerrie - THE BASS ROCK - Evie Wyld. Stella Prize 2021.

Not for the faint hearted! Intergenerational, complex, historic reflection of female sexual assault based on small personal stories. Tries to explain but not forgive motives. The Bass Rock is witness to generations of violence. Wyld writes with humanity and anger.

Jo - THE BASS ROCK also.

Jo struggled to make sense of the novel.

Lyn - BROTHERLESS NIGHT - V.V.Ganeshananthan. Women's Prize for Fiction 2024.

Set during the 10 year Sri Lankan civil war and written from the view of 16 year old Tamil girl, Sashi,  who dreams of becoming a Doctor.  Her dreams are put aside, her 3 older brothers join the violent Tamil fighters even though it's against all they've been raised to believe in. Leaders were brutal, cruel, showed no mercy and fought at any cost. Well researched and not an easy read.

Judy D - WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN - Lionel Shriver. Women's Prize for Fiction 2005.

Kevin, a teenage boy, murdered 7 classmates, a teacher and a school canteen worker. All before his 16th birthday. 2 years later his mother, Eva, is still coming to terms with the tragedy. Told through a series of letters with her ex husband, it's slowly revealed  her husband refused to 'see' there was any issue with Kevin's behaviour although there were many incidents where Eva was sure Kevin was the instigator. Along the way the underlying message is that Eva, in her ex's eyes, was a bad mother and the cause of their plight. Well written.

Pamela - ORBITAL - Samantha Harvey. Booker Prize 2024.

6 astronauts aboard the International Space Station spend 9 months circling the Earth - 16 dawns, 16 sunsets every 24 hours. Highly detailed and beautifully written, many tiny snippets of life onboard the spacecraft are shown. Pamela enjoyed the book especially the wonderful use of language.

Rosemary - THE LOST MAN - Jane Harper. Ned Kelly Award 2019.

Outback crime, main character is Aaron Falk. Good characters, remote locations, a good read.

Terese - THE IDEA OF PERFECTION - Kate GRENVILLE. Women's Prize for Fiction 2001.

2 very ordinary people leading very ordinary lives clash over the building of a bridge.  Time and patience are needed. She liked the characters but the book wasn't as good The Secret River.

Pat - At book club this month, for a coffee and company.

Debra - PIRANESI - Susanna Clarke. Women's Prize for Fiction 2021.

Psychological fantasy, mystery, fiction, escapism. Set in a labyrinth full of statues it was hard to understand and read. Weird and strange.

Pru - THE POWER - Naomi Alderman. Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction 2017.

Futuristic - Adult women of all ages develop the power to deliver electric shocks to males thus giving themselves great power. The book is full of feminist issues and is an eye opener to the way many women are so exploited and cruelly mistreated. Main character helps younger women learn to use the power responsibly and for positive good. Weird.

Talk about variety!  Until next month enjoy reading.

Lesley

FOR NOVEMBER WE WILL BE READING NON FICTION