Tag Archives: books by women

Book Review: The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith

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This story follows the lives of three people; Adrian an academic who specialises in the study of death, Kezi a young artist who is estranged from her parents and Laura, a town planner who hides problems about her seemingly perfect marriage.

Adrian, just out of a long-term relationship meets Laura at a cheese shop. He also happens to be Kezi’s neighbour. These three navigate the changes which happen to turn their lives upside down.

I had read only one other book by Goldsmith and I confess to not liking it at all (Reunion). I was reticent about this one particularly the pace of the first fifty pages. Soon I was thoroughly engaged with the characters and the clever way Goldsmith changed their arcs particularly Adrian who at first seems dull and spineless but towards the end reveals what a wonderful man he really is.

Laura on the other hand was more complex stuck in a marriage which was controlled by a spineless selfish man. The unravelling of the marriage drew sympathy as well as appreciation when she finally makes some decisions.

There is sadness with Kezi as well as joy and deep friendship and of course the setting in Melbourne made it all the more relatable. There was also reference to music which I didn’t fully engage with but nevertheless the writing is excellent.

There’s a lot to this book so give it a go.

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: 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: 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.

Book Review: The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden

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Set in Holland in 1961, two women are thrown together for the summer with consequences which affect their lives.

The book begins with reclusive Isabel who lives alone in the family home. Her two brothers are out in the world, Hendrik lives with his boyfriend, while womaniser Louis has a girlfriend, Eva who he foists onto Isabel while he’s away with work. Obsessive, compulsive Isabel despises the extroverted Eva which makes for a tense atmosphere in the house.

This is a masterful novel with a twist, I didn’t see coming. The shadow of World War Two permeates through the narrative, stalking each character with a trauma each is not keen to revisit. Eva has her own secrets which she keeps bottled up while challenging Isabel’s way of life in ways she never imagines. The relationship between the women changes in unexpected ways. There is quite a bit of sex which while done well began to become a little protracted for my liking. The story certainly zips along in the last third bringing the whole story to a satisfying end.

It’s a riveting read filled with obsession, passion and betrayal. It’s also about dispossession and rights of those who were displaced during the war.

Beautifully written with well developed characters, I enjoyed this Booker Prize short listed novel for 2024.

Book Review: Orbital by Samantha Harvey

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A book about people in space as well as being a Booker Prize Winner for 2024? I’m in.

This is a story about a day in the life of six astronauts on a space station. The astronauts, four men and two women come from Russia, America, Japan, Britain and Italy. They’ve left their families and friends for several months and we glimpse their day, working, playing, eating and sleeping.

The novel is broken up into sixteen chapters because the space station whizzes around earth sixteen times giving them a view of the world, many times over. Each time still fills them with fascination and wonder from their unique perch.

There’s no real plot or suspense or mystery but that is intentional. We learn that they do as we do, eat, sleep, work just like anybody else yet in very different circumstances. Their dehydrated food and the view of whatever continent they pass, the jobs they do on board, their relationship with each other and the connection they have with their loved ones at home and their cultures is anything other that ordinary.

It’s a meditative read as the mundane tasks at home take on a different challenge in space.The writing is completely descriptive, and lyrical immersing the reader into the every day of the astronauts.

Pietro will go and monitor his microbes that tell them something more about the viruses, funguses and bacteria that are present on the craft. Chie will continue growing her protein crystals, and attach herself to the MRI to have one of many routine brain scans that show the impact of microgravity on their neural functioning.

The author touches on many issues from global warming to politics, love and loss, art and culture but there is not really any development of any theme. Some of the details such as the MRI machine mentioned above seems a little fanciful and hardly realistic.

Still it’s science fiction so we suspend belief, don’t we?

I enjoyed the writing and the descriptions were incredible yet the repetition did become a little tedious. I was more interested in the relationships between the astronauts and while there was some attention, it was less that I wanted. We see glimpses of who they are but not enough to really get to know them.  I did however have to remind myself that this is one day and nothing of any consequence really happens.

 It’s a short read and a very memorable one. If you like a pure literary journey then this one is for you.