Category Archives: Book reviews

Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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I always enjoy Sally Hepworth’s books. They are easy to read with shades of light and dark with devious twists. Mad Mabel is no exception.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one living on the same street for decades concealing a horrible past. The tale switches between her childhood and present day when someone reveals her secret: she was a murderer. Coupled that with the death of the next-door neighbour and you have a great story with twists you won’t see coming.

You really can’t go too wrong with this novel. The character of Mabel is simply lovable, her eccentricities, her care and gruffness all make her delightful.

There are so many issues, Hepworth tackles: parental neglect, loneliness, grooming, small town prejudices, aging and more.

I really enjoyed this mystery; the characters and the story kept me turning the page. If you haven’t read any of Sally’s books, try this one first then tackle the rest.

Book Review: When Things Are Alive, They Hum by Hannah Bent

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This is a story about two sisters bound together by their unfailing love for each other.  Marlowe is a scientist studying in London while her sister, Harper who has Downs Syndrome and a congenital heart disorder lives with their father in Hong Kong. Harper’s health begins to rapidly deteriorate and when Marlowe flies home she is desperate to get her sister a transplant despite objections from Harper herself, her father and medical staff.

Told from both sister’s point of view, it’s a moving story of love, loss, grief, the right to choose how to die, and Chinese treatment of organs.

Harper who sees everything in a positive light is quite delightful as she is insightful and I warmed to her character. Her sister Marlowe tends to lose the plot entirely racing towards an ill-thought out and dangerous plan. It is hard to fathom the selfishness of her actions. But under it all is unresolved issues with the death of her mother and her feelings of responsibility as the older sister.

The subject matter is tough but the characters themselves didn’t quite come together for me. Perhaps I couldn’t see them as being completely authentic and I found it hard to buy into Marlowe’s actions at times.

Nevertheless it was an interesting read even if a little heavy handed at times.

Book Review: Mrs Kelly: The Astonishing Life of Ned Kelly’s Mother by Grantlee Kieza

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Ned Kelly has become folk lore here in Australia and there’s been a long-held fascination with him. While this book is about him, it’s also about what came before, notably his mother’s background story and the battles she had raising her family and keeping them alive.

Ellen Kelly was nine when she arrived on a ship in 1841 and died at 93 having outlived a number of her twelve children. She was also a pioneer trying with her ex-convict husband to forge existence on the land, harsh and unforgiving.

This is a remarkably well researched book and while Ellen is often overshadowed by her son’s story it is done within context of the landscape, the family and the difficulty placed on them by the law. It’s hardly surprising, the family turned to crime to survive then revenge when authorities were unfair.

I learnt a lot about the difficulties for women especially those in dire circumstances. Kieza also gives quite an insight into Ned for he was indeed quite unhinged when you review the crazy stunts he pulled.

I also enjoyed reading about the history of those places I’ve visited giving a better appreciation.It’s well written, meticulously researched with honest interpretation of events. Check this one out.

Book Review: Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart

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It may be a long read but it’s a thrilling page turner of historical crime and mystery.

A dual time-line novel, the setting is 1961 and 1973 in Harrowford Hall, a home for unwed young women in country Victoria.  A body is discovered there in 1973 as the Home is being prepared for closure and a female detective is reluctantly given the case by her superior.

This is a powerful novel digging up the issues of unwed mothers, their treatment as well as those of their offspring. This is coupled with the sexism within the police force reflecting the disapproval across broader society.

Yeowart does a remarkable job uncovering these themes and at times it gets quite dark with twists I didn’t expect. It’s a well-researched story of the era, completely captivating page after page even if a little confronting.

You won’t put this one down until the last page is turned. Give it a go.

Book Review: The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

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Another Irish writer, this is the first novel I’ve read by this author and probably not the last.

This is a story about four generations of women in one family and the challenges they face. Each short chapter reads like a short story capturing vignettes of life with these women. The main character is Saoirse born in the first chapter. She lives with her mother and feisty grandmother who are fierce in their protection and love for each other one minute and vehemently fighting with each other or others the next.  

‘Mother’s and Nana’s heads were nearly touching across the table, and smoke from cigarettes and steam from cups of tea ascended towards the ceiling in wispy, twisting clouds.’

The prose is lyrical as it is beautiful and Ryan captures the women’s voices brilliantly. There is nothing sentimental in the portrayal of each female character who possesses strength and vulnerability.

There are themes of love, trauma, unmarried mothers, grief, inequality as well as hope, enduring relationships and love. Not a word is wasted in packing a lot into this relatively short novel.

Give this one a go.

Book Review: Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell

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I’ve read a spate of Irish authors in the last couple of years and here is another one to add to the list.

It’s a powerful story and if you’re looking for a tension packed novel then this one is for you.

Ciara, a mother with two small children lives with a controlling and emotionally abusive husband. In one impulsive moment of desperation, she hastily grabs some clothes, puts her children in the car and escapes from the family home. With no money, no home and no job she is adrift in a system difficult to navigate during Ireland’s housing crisis.

The themes of abuse, coercive control as well as systemic issues where women face an uphill battle just to feel safe and secure is played out well in this story.

There are a range of emotions from sympathy to outrage to helplessness. And while this may be set in Ireland these issues are certainly not isolated to that country. I’d suggest it’s endemic across the world where patriarchal systems fail to cater adequately for women who need help. The author has put this front and centre which is why this is a powerful novel, shortlisted for a number of prizes.

It’s not all doom and gloom though as Ciara finds support not just from her family but also friends who provide a crutch for her, emotional as well as physical. Heart-wrenching at times, it’s  a hopeful read.

Book Review: Theory and Practice by Michelle De Kretser

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This story takes us to the 1980’s in Melbourne where a young Sri Lankan woman is undertaking a post-doctoral study of Virginia Woolf. She has moved from Sydney leaving behind a broken relationship. She considers herself a feminist but embarks on a relationship with Kit, who is her friend, Olivia’s boyfriend. Despite his insistence that he and Olivia have a deconstructed relationship, the woman is torn with her guilt for Olivia and her own desires. 

“Sometimes jealousy was a visitor from an alien galaxy that had nothing to do with me. Sometimes it was a frightening growth in my body for which science hadn’t discovered a cure.”

The woman contrasts Virginia Woolf’s middle-class Englishness with the tea pickers in colonial countries whose work in abysmal conditions enabled Woolf to the lifestyle she had at the time. And I found this to be an intriguing along with the other themes of racism and colonialism.

The characters are never completely likeable and it almost reads like a memoir. I found the story meandered in parts and found it difficult to connect with the narrator.

An okay read but not a memorable one.