MAY, 2024 - CHOICE OF THREE BOOKS: FLESH WOUNDS BY RICHARD GLOVER, THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH BY EDDIE JAKU AND ANY ORDINARY DAY BY LEIGH SALES

 

This month we read three different books by three different authors, all non-fiction. The first is a memoir called Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover, the second a memoir The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku and lastly, Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales. There were also three other books read but the theme of all these books is about forgiveness, coping and resilience.

It was a very lively and interesting discussion.

 

FLESH WOUNDS by RICHARD GLOVER

TAM:  Richard told the story of living with a very strange mother. Perhaps it was the British class system that made his mother pretend she came from the upper class and the fact she was married to an alcoholic.  She said they both had a shared narcissism. He talks about how you can survive all this and make a success of your life.  Tam said it was very interesting and good reading.

ED: His mother pretended to be something she wasn’t.  She made out she was an only child. She told Richard she did not have sex with his father, and as a child, he believed it.  When his parents moved to New Guinea to run a newspaper Richard was only a baby. He was taken care of by a Nanny who gave him lots of love and attention. When he is older, he meets and marries a nice girl called Debra and has two children. To help understand why his mother would pretend to be upper class, he delves into his past and finds he has a whole loving extended family in England.  Ed enjoyed reading this book.

KRIS:  This memoir is both funny and sad.  It’s an honest account of his dysfunctional family – a distant mother with delusions of grandeur and an alcoholic father. Neither parent was a good role model nor provided any real parenting.  Even though Richard believed he should do his duty to his parents, the coldness and neglect of his mother affected him. Despite this, he became successful and determined to be a better parent to his own two boys. Although, it was sad in parts it was also quite positive. It was a very interesting story.

SHEILA:  This was the second time Sheila had read Flesh Wounds.  She found the book extremely sad.

BEST WISHES by RICHARD GLOVER (2023)

LESLEY: This book is frivolous, relatable and at times, serious as Richard moves from things that annoy him, amuse him and onto his hopes and wishes for a better world.  It’s an easy read with many moments of laughter.  However, rather than read, as I usually do, from cover to cover, I should have left the book out on the table and dipped into it in smaller doses.  365 wishes became a challenge, towards the end, to keep me interested. His witty, wry observations are amusing, though.

THE DAG’S DICTIONARY by RICHARD GLOVER (2004)

DIANN: She said he has written 17 books. It was written in 2004. Diann loved this book.  She said it was a very funny book of words that should exist.  One example is Guylingual which is a description of an Australian woman who can take part in conversations about cars, football etc.

THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH by EDDIE JAKU

PRUE:  At 100 years old he would be a fair judge of life’s experiences, considering his life story.  His parents would be proud.  It is an inspirational book about surviving horrors without being horrific in detail.  It balances sadness with joy, hate with love and fear with hope.  It is an honest telling of human nature, simply written, concise and well worth the read.

PAT: She said she had to leave out the middle section as she didn’t feel in the right place to read the more distressing parts.  She said Eddie was an intelligent Jewish man. He was an Auschwitz survivor and he had lost all his family in the war due to the Nazi’s.  He believed happiness is in your own hands, it comes from inside yourself. Some of his quotes were “If you are healthy and happy, you are a millionaire.” and “Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful.” He was very philosophical.  Pat found the book to be very uplifting.

ROSEMARY:  She said it was a very quick and easy read.  She liked Eddie’s positivity and persona.

JO: She read it one sitting.  She said it was very sad but positive as well.  He was very strong to go through what he did at the camp.

KERRY:  She had read it before.  The first time she was quite emotional, but this time she was more objective.  Eddie had a wonderful childhood. This is where he got his strength from – a great start in life.  Kerry liked the fact he chose to be happy.  He had great determination and although he could not deny his past, he chose to move on.  The book is a great memorial to him.  She felt it was an authentic voice and she liked the read.

BEV:  She agreed with all that was already said but wanted to add that Eddie’s father told his son that education was important.  This helped him get through.  He convinced Nazi’s of his skills to his advantage.  This kept him alive.  He was very intelligent.  His father was as well.  After a bad experience in Eddie’s earlier schooldays due to him being Jewish, his father arranged to get false papers for Eddie with a new name and to go to a different school.  Bev enjoyed this book.

TERESA:  She thought about what made Eddie different in his ability to survive the trauma of the concentration camp.  Eddie felt the greatest thing was love and to be loved by another person and there was the importance of education and work. He felt if your morals are gone you go.  Kindness gave him the strength not to give up. He believed in the importance of love, friendship and health.  Teresa also liked this book.

ONE MAN WITH MIRACULOUS HANDS by JOSEPH KESSEL

JOAN:  This non fiction book was published in 2023.  It’s the incredible story of Doctor Felix Kersten, a Finnish physiotherapist and masseur who became Heinrich Himmler’s personal doctor.  Through this connection he was able to save many lives from death and prison during WWII.  Joan said it was well written and a page turner.

ANY ORDINARY DAY by LEIGH SALES 

ROSEMARY S:  Sales interviews people who have suffered high profile tragedies and those who have been there to support them through their grief and trauma. Rosemary was particularly fascinated by the stories behind those who are there to help behind the scenes, the state coroner, a retired detective and a forensic counselor from the Department of Forensic Medicine.  Through the darkest times of their lives, we come to understand a little of how they coped, not only with the trauma, but also the attention that was brought upon them, particularly from the media. Rosemary said it was an interesting, honest and thought provoking story. This is a story of forgiveness, coping and resilience. She enjoyed it but didn't love it.  She found the scientific data and research a little boring.

Kris

 

JUNE:  We will be reading books by Edgar Wallace (Crime Writer).  Books are still available on the bookshelf.

APRIL, 2024 -- BOOKS BY AUSTRALIAN AUTHORS

 

April saw us reading books by Australian authors - and what a range from which to choose. Modern day authors and those from the past, crime, fiction and nonfiction genres, rural and city backgrounds, mysteries, thrillers, saga's  and thought provoking narratives - our group always offer variety.

PRU - THE LOST JEWELS.  Kirsty Manning  2020. Inspired by an actual jewellery theft in 1912 known as the 'The Cheapside Haul'. An historian researching this jewel theft realises there is a possible connection between her family ie her great grandmother and the jewellery crime. With 2 timelines throughout, events and different perspectives are provided, 1 from the time of the crime and the other from the present day. Details of jewellery styles, methods of production, social values, the culture of the time are all presented. Beautifully written, great descriptions but too long.

ROSEMARY - THE IN-BETWEEN. Christos Tsiolkas. 2023. A contemporary story, set around dinner party conversations, where 2 men delve into past relationships and contemplate whether they can find love again . Can they trust, let go of their pasts and look to a future together? Very thought provoking.

HELEN - STONEYARD DEVOTIONAL. Charlotte Wood. 2023.  A woman abandons city life and moves into a small religious community, she leads a reclusive life and with more time she begins to reflect on her early life, her emotions and thoughts. A troubling visitor comes to the monastery and there's signs of change and disruption. A reflective and meditative read, written in a simple style.    

JUDY A - MY BRILLIANT SISTER. Amy Brown. 2024. 3 vignettes - Ida, married to a university lecturer, is teaching her year 6 class Miles Franklin's novel "My Brilliant Career". Ida wonders about her life if she'd been a twin, became famous while the other lived in the shadows. Vignette 2 - Linda, early 1900's, is Miles sister. She muses what life has been like growing up with a famous sister and holds many resentments ( including a husband she doesn't love any more).  V - 3 - modern day setting, a famous singer and only child  named Stella is confined to home during the Covid Epidemic. She has a broken heart due a recent relationship fall out. She wonders what life would have been like if she'd had a twin. A clever book, well written but there were parts Judy didn't warm to.

BEV - YESTERDAY'S SHADOW. Jon Cleary 2001. Detective Scobie investigates 2 murders that happen in 1 night. Many twists, an old fashioned detective story. A good read.

JUDY J - OUTBACK. 2022. Patricia Wolf. Crime, thriller set in outback Queensland around Longreach. 2 German backpackers disappear. The portrayal of country towns, the local people, truckers, the police force etc very unflattering. Some very gruesome details of crime described. There are much better Australian authors.

ROSEMARY S - EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT.  Benjamin Stevenson. 2023.  6 authors all on the Ghan and there's a crime. 5 Detectives all try to solve the crime. Far too many characters so was a confusing read with a number of silly events.

DIANN - BLACK SHEEP. Judy Nunn. 2023. A novel set across 3 generations of family - The Wakefields. Mostly set on a sheep station in Goulburn. A saga starting in 1878. Diann enjoyed the history in the novel.

EDE - TIRRA LIRRA BY THE RIVER - Jessica Anderson. 1978. Nora has spent most of her life trying to escape from the small town she grew up in, from her husband a mean and controlling man and from her mother-in-law. Eventually she divorces Colin and he gives her a small settlement. She does escape - to London, and becomes a successful dressmaker. The story is filled with her adventures, experiences and conversations. Easy to read but the time frame was confusing at times.

LYNN - PAPUA. Peter Watt. 2022. 2 men come to face each other during WW1, one an Australian Captain Jack Kelly. The other a POW, Paul Mann a high ranking German. An unexpected bond is formed. They return to civilian life after the war, both into very changed circumstances. Jack has a son born after he enlisted. Paul finds the Germany he returned to vastly different with an ambitious Adolf Hitler on the rise. He's worried about his future. The both decide to go to Papua, a land with supposedly rivers of gold but legendary cannibals. Lyn thought it a great read full of love, loyalty, family strength and friendship.

JOAN - KILLING FOR COUNTRY - A FAMILY STORY. David Marr. 2023. Nonfiction. Excellent early colonial history including the NATIVE POLICE FORCE and their role in the expansion and acquisition of land from 1848. Well documented.

KRIS - THE SPACE BETWEEN THE STARS. Indira Naidoo. 2022. A memoir  recalling her childhood experiences in a fun and loving family.  With the suddenness and unexpectedness of the death of her beloved sister  rocking her world Indira used her grief and nature to help heal and deal with the loss. Kris loved it.

PAMELA - KILLING WOMEN: REWRITING DETECTIVE FICTION. Ed Delys Bird. 1993. Women rewriting crime with women as the lead. 6 women writers talk about how they see women portrayed in crime. What are the reasons for murder? Women writers face discrimination and gender bias both as writers as well as the victims of crime in their stories.

VAL - THE MYSTERY WRITER. Sulari Gentill. 2024. A highly improbable murderous crime is committed. A young women, an aspiring writer, tries to discover who murdered her (hopefully) new publisher.  Quite tongue in cheek, very enjoyable and bright.

PAT - THE WHITE GIRL. Tony Birch. 2019.  In a fictional outback town a 63 year old Indigenous woman raises her granddaughter whilst always on the lookout for welfare authorities who steal, and send to missions, indigenous children. At this time Indigenous adults were not allowed to leave town unless they had a permit. Historical fiction but based on many real life stories. Beautifully written.

TAM - A PASSIONATE LIFE. Ita Buttrose. 1998. Ita wanted to make things better for women. Always very feminine, extremely clever, very dignified and very strong whilst working in a man's world, she faced head on many challenges. A trailblazer and quite driven she took on a range of roles with great success. An insight into the world of journalism. Tam admires Ita's many qualities.

JO - BLOOD MOON. Garry Disher. 2009. A murder/crime thriller set in Victoria. A woman who is researching locals who violate land use laws is murdered. Who done it? A good read.

LESLEY - THE SEVEN. Chris Hammer. 2023. Crime, mystery set in rural Victoria where 7 old money families run the town. All have invested in previous times in irrigation projects to divert water from the Murray to their land holdings. A body is found at the weir, there's research quietly being done to see how water leases and land holdings had changed hands and benefited a certain few. Strong images of country towns and their quirks, the strength of family dynasties, the unspoken rules of keeping past secrets buried, the separation between the 'haves' ie the 7 families and the 'have nots'. An interesting story but some weakly drawn characters . Too many minor faces lead to confusion. 

 

 

Next month, May, we are choosing to read a book by either Eddie Jacu, Richard Glover or Leigh Sales.

Lesley.