Review: Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl by Sonia Henry

 

Title: Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl

Author: Sonia Henry

Published: 30th May 2023, Allen & Unwin

Status: Read May 2023 courtesy Allen & Unwin

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My Thoughts:

Despite the success of her provocative semi-autobiographical debut novel Going Under which highlighted the brutal treatment of medical interns in Australian hospitals, the stress of her Fellowship exams, a broken heart, and being on the frontline of the pandemic left Sydney GP Dr Sonia Henry desperate for a change of scenery. Told with honesty, humour, and heart, Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl recounts Sonia’s experiences over the next two years or so while serving as a locum in the outback regions of Australia.

Within days of joining an agency specialising in staffing remote areas, Sonia was making the long journey to the Pilbara region in Western Australia to fulfil a 40 day contract as the sole doctor in a mining town with a population of 300 people. It’s an experience that inspires a mix of awe and terror, both personally and professionally, as Sonia struggles to better understand herself while doing her best to provide health care for the people who live there. She highlights the human cost of the challenges of access to treatment equipment and resources, for both staff and patients, and the frustrating failure of the wealthy mining companies to invest their obscene profits in the health and welfare of the people who work for them.

After three months in the Pilbara, Sonia moves on to outback New South Wales, and from there, to the Northern Territory. In each region she exposes communities plagued by similar disadvantages due to a dearth of access to medical care and resources. I learned that with great swathes of regional and remote Australia having few, and/or no permanent GP’s, severely understaffed hospitals and, at best, sporadic access to specialists, chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, and mental health issues including depression and addiction, are badly managed, if it all. First Nations people are particularly vulnerable to poor health outcomes, though poverty among the population in general is a major contributor, especially for anyone living some distance away from metropolitan or well resourced regional centres.

Only by ‘putting her feet in the dirt’, and her interactions with colleagues, friends, and patients whom she meets on her travels, including a ringer who reads Tolstoy, a dream-walking elder, and a woman determined to end her life on her own terms, has Sonia come to understand some truths about Australia, but also herself, and she urges others to do the same.

Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl is an entertaining, candid, and thought-provoking memoir that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

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Review: The Rush by Michelle Prak

 

Title: The Rush

Author: Michelle Prak

Published: 3rd May 2023, Simon & Schuster AU

Status: Read May 2023 courtesy Simon & Schuster

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My Thoughts:

The Rush is an exciting and gripping debut thriller from Michelle Prak set in the outback of South Australia.

Quinn is late returning to the isolated Pindarry Hotel on the Stuart Highway, where she works and lives, when, through the rain, she spies a badly injured man on the roadside, and unable to leave him there, drags him into her car.

Andrea is anxious when her husband leaves her at the Pindarry Hotel to help an elderly farmer whose property is flooding. With the pub sandbagged and their employee, Quinn, due to arrive any minute, Andrea resolves to stay calm for the sake of her sleeping two year old son, until the power goes out, and a stranger comes to the door demanding to be let in.

Hayley, traveling from Adelaide to Darwin on the Stuart Highway with her boyfriend Scott and backpackers Livia and Joost, is only concerned for her carefully planned itinerary when the rain starts on their second day of travel. But then the roads begin to flood, and as tensions among the foursome grow, Hayley finds herself in a desperate rush for sanctuary.

The Rush is a fast-paced read as it largely unfolds from the perspectives of Quinn, Andrea, Hayley and Livia over a period of about two days. Suspense is introduced early, and built on effortlessly. The threats are recognisable and engender empathy for the characters at risk. Red herrings belie a breathtaking climactic reveal, that provides a unique twist on the story’s themes.

Prak somehow renders the vast landscape of outback South Australia claustrophobic  as the characters converge on Pindarry. The violence of the storm, as it strips away modernity, releases a feral energy that enhances the oppressive atmosphere.

A well crafted addition to the oeuvre of rural Australian crime fiction, The Rush is an immersive and riveting read.

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Review: The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

 

Title: The Book That Wouldn’t Burn {The Library Trilogy #1}

Author: Mark Lawrence

Published: 11th May 2023, HarperVoyager GB

Status: Read May 2023 courtesy HarperCollinsAU/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

“We’re all the story we tell about ourselves….That’s all anyone ever is – the story they tell, and the stories told about them.”

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is the beginning of an ambitious new fantasy series by Mark Lawrence.

Within the city of Crath is the Atheneum, an infinite labyrinth that holds one copy of every book that has ever been written. The Library, it is said, is the source of truth, and whomever controls it, rules the kingdom. But the Library has its own power, and cedes none.

Livira lives in the Dust outside the walls of Crath. When her village is attacked by Sabber’s she expects to die, instead she is rescued, and with the intervention of Deputy Head Yute, is admitted as an Atheneum trainee, the first of her kind.

Evar lives in a sealed chamber deep within the Library, it is the only place he has ever known. With him are Clovis, Kerrol, Starval and Mayland, not related by blood but siblings nevertheless, watched over by automatons, The Soldier and The Assistant.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Livira and Evar, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn unfolds at a good pace. It takes some time before the two protagonists intersect as the story weaves through the present, the past, and the future, in unexpected ways.

Livira, whose name means ‘weed’, is a wonderfully entertaining protagonist. Despite her outsider status, Livira earns the loyalty of friends, and refuses to give quarter to those who wish to see her fail. Curious, Intelligent, tenacious, and a little reckless, the secrets of the Library are a puzzle she is determined to solve.

Evar, who unlike his siblings has no memory of his life before the Library, is a somewhat melancholy figure, longing for something he can’t name. While Clovis, Kerrol, Starval, and Mayland all possess an obvious skill, seemingly a gift of the Mechanism that brought them to the chamber, Evar believes he has none but what they have taught him.

Exploring themes such as tradition, knowledge, power, truth, memory, war and xenophobia, our current reality is often reflected in Lawrence’s fantasy. I highlighted several blocks of text that struck me as I read, particularly those about the use, and misuse, of information.

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is, of course, also an ode to the magic of reading, books, literature, and libraries. The Atheneum is in many ways a character itself, an infinite labyrinth of secrets, cared for by android-like guides, including a delightful mechanical raven, with their own mysterious agenda. It makes for an extraordinary setting that will appeal to any booklover.

I was taken aback by several clever twists in the plot, some of which genuinely surprised me. The story’s secrets remain elusive until the exact moment that Lawrence reveals them. There is plenty of action, from brief skirmishes to panicked chases, that accelerates as the end draws near to a cliffhanger ending. Though Livira is the more compelling character, there are moments of triumph, and of heartbreak, in both perspectives that support suspense and interest. Romance plays a low key role in the story, but there is a lot of heart in the relationships between allies.

Having not read anything by Mark Lawrence before I was pleased to find his prose is often lyrical and evocative, given to thought-provoking turns of phrase. There is also wit, warmth, and glimpses of self awareness in the writing. At times there is repetition in the narrative, but it’s only a minor issue.

A complex, intriguing, and utterly enchanting novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn delivers an absorbing read, and promises more to come.

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Review: The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson

 

Title: The War Nurses

Author: Anthea Hodgson

Published: 12th April 2023, Michael Joseph

Status: Read April 2023 courtesy PenguinRandomHouse Australia

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My Thoughts:

Inspired by the experiences of Australian nurses, including the author’s great aunt, in Singapore during WWII, The War Nurses is a remarkable and moving story of courage, tragedy and friendship from Anthea Hodgson.

It’s 1941 when the Queen Mary sets sail carrying members of Australia’s armed forces overseas. Among them are volunteer enlisted nurses Margot, Beth, Lola, and Minnie, bunk mates who become friends on their journey. Stationed in Singapore, the women tend to the allied forces, proud to be of service, but they are forced to flee when the Japanese invade the island barely a year later. Herded onto the Vyner Brooke along with 60 other Australian nurses, over a hundred injured soldiers and dozens of expat evacuees, mostly women and children, the ship attempts an escape only to be strafed with bombs in the Bangka Strait.

The fate of Hodgson’s four heroines, and their fellow survivors, illuminate those of their real-life counterparts. Around 150 people survived the sinking of the ship and made their way to the closest shore clinging to rafts and debris. Tragically around fifty met their death on Radji Beach, among them 22 Australian nurses, at the hands of a party of Japanese soldiers, except for one lucky escapee. The rest of the survivors were captured, separated by gender, and then interned in camps until the war ended in 1945. Not all lived to be released.

I was already broadly familiar with the events on Bangka Island but the perspectives of the author’s characters create a sense of immersion in the ordeal. Written with genuine respect, compassion and empathy for the people on whom Hodgson’s characters are based, Margot, Beth, Lola, and Minnie are fully realised amalgamations. Hodgson relates how they endure their bleak circumstances with dignity, loyalty, wit, resourcefulness and determination.

As Hodgson later notes, many of the incidents in the story that seem unbelievable or exaggerated, are actually true. It’s a harrowing tale that brought me to tears more than once. That anyone survived, not just physically, seems almost a miracle. Yet the horror is tempered by warm and inspiring moments of friendship and support, small rebellions, and even a touch of romance.

A compelling novel, The War Nurses is a heartfelt and deserved tribute to the 65 members of the Australian Army Nursing Service who died and survived the sinking of Vyner Brooke.

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Review: Homecoming by Kate Morton

 

Title: Homecoming

Author: Kate Morton

Published: 5th April 2023, Mariner Books

Status: Read April 2023 courtesy Mariner/Edelweiss

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My Thoughts:

“Home, she’d realised, wasn’t a place or a time or a person, though it could be any and all of those things: home was a feeling, a sense of being complete. The opposite of ‘home’ wasn’t ‘away’, it was ‘lonely’. When someone said, ‘I want to go home’, what they really meant was that they didn’t want to feel lonely anymore.”

Homecoming is a captivating novel, the seventh from bestselling author Kate Morton.

When London-based journalist Jess Turner-Bridges learns the beloved, indomitable grandmother who raised her, Nora, has been hospitalised after a fall from the attic stairs, she returns home to Sydney after a twenty year absence. Jess is distressed to find Nora in a frail and confused state, and desperate to learn what precipitated the accident.

Jess is stunned when her search leads her to uncover a family tragedy that had been kept from her. Hidden beneath her grandmother’s pillow is a true crime book, titled ‘As If They Were Asleep’, that documents an investigation into the shocking deaths of Nora’s sister-in-law and four young children on Christmas Eve some sixty years earlier in the small South Australian town of Tambilla.

While the narrative shifts back and forth in time, it does so in a unique way. In the present much of the story is related through Jess, and occasionally her estranged mother, Polly, while the events of past unfold from several perspectives, and through excerpts from the book, as Jess reads it.

Impressively, Morton sustains the intriguing mystery of what really happened to the Turner family at ‘Haylcon’ until the very end, slowly teasing out the secrets, deceptions and betrayals that reverberate among three generations. I was genuinely surprised by several of the plot reveals, and though Homecoming is a fairly hefty length it’s well paced.

The meaning of home is one of the central themes Morton explores in her story, along with motherhood, family, and identity. Nora, Polly and Jess are complex characters, whose lives, and relationships with each other, are each shaped by the events in Tambilla in both direct and indirect ways. The author also touches on the issue of mental health, and the joys of literature.

With vivid description and evocative prose, Morton brings her settings to life. I felt as if I could find my way around Darling House, on the cliff-edged of one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs, Vaucluse, where Nora raised both Polly, and Jess; and through the grounds and rooms of the grand stone hall of ‘Halcyon’ in rural Tambilla where the Turner family lived.

An enthralling and atmospheric tale, beautifully told, Homecoming is a stellar read, I recommend.

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Review: Flowers of Fire by Hawon Jung

 

Title: Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women’s Rights Worldwide

Author: Hawon Jung

Published: 7th March 2023, BenBella Books

Status: Read March 2023 courtesy BenBella Books/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

“The title, Flowers of Fire, was inspired by the Korean word bul-kkot, which literally translates to “fire flower” and refers to flame. In South Korean society (and elsewhere), women are often treated like flowers: pretty objects of desire to be seen and not heard. But these women have found ways to flare against the everyday sexism they experience, so I chose Flowers of Fire as a metaphor of their ongoing struggles—and their indestructible hope.”

In this fascinating and inspiring portrayal of the modern feminist movement in South Korea triggered by the phenomenon of #metoo, author Hawon Jung explores the legal, social and cultural changes in its wake, and the women who fought for them.

Jung credits the courage of lawyer Seo Ji-Hyun with starting the national conversation about #metoo when in 2018 she went public about her experience of sexual assault. A highly commended and well respected solicitor, Seo had lodged a complaint about been groped by a senior prosecutor in 2010. The investigation went nowhere and Seo reluctantly let the matter go until several years later that same man was promoted into the justice ministry and deliberately set out to ruin her career in revenge. In January 2018 a devastated Seo went public and her statement sparked a revolution.

Whereas South Korean women rarely made formal complaints about sexual harassment and/or assault, knowing that they would routinely be labeled a “flower snake”, and face both private and public shaming, in the weeks after Seo’s interview, nearly a hundred accusations of sexual misconduct were made against prominent men, exposing a similar pattern of misogyny, objectification, and abuse in nearly all corners of society, and women from all walks of life began to share their #metoo stories. A public event was organised in March 2018 in Gwanghwamun Plaza to allow ‘everyday women whose voices don’t make it to TV news’ to speak up and to listen, and ran for 2,018 minutes.

Hawon Jung explains how the ensuing movement stimulated some changes in government, law, workplaces, schools, and every day life. Seo, who feared the end of her legal career, was assigned to handle gender equality–related policies at the justice ministry and helped usher in several major reforms, including raising the age of sexual consent from thirteen to sixteen. The man who assaulted her was convicted  of ‘abuse of power’, and was sentenced to two years jail but he was later acquitted in the Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, progress is continually challenged by men who prefer the status quo of the patriarchy. Jung examines the practice of revenge ‘counter accusations’, the ubiquity of ‘molka’ and other digital sex crimes, and the rise in conservative men decrying ‘kimchi girls’—a widely used slur defining a woman as selfish and unreasonable. Conservative politicians rant about the country’s falling population rate, ignoring the fact that gender inequality is the most consistently cited reason for women shunning marriage and childbirth.

The book also touches on a number of related issues such as the fight for compensation for the ‘comfort women’ forced into the system of camps during World War II to supply sexual services to soldiers, the high rate of cosmetic surgery among South Korean women, as well as the open discrimination against homosexual and transgender individuals. South Korea, which still lacks an act formally banning discrimination in the public sphere despite several attempts, still has a way to go in the pursuit of gender equality, as do most countries.

Insightful, thoughtful and engaging, I found it really interesting to learn how South Korea’s feminist movement and issues echoes and diverges from those in west, and recommend Flowers of Fire.

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

 

Title: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries {Emily Wilde #1}

Author: Heather Fawcett

Published: 19th January 2023, Orbit

Status: Read January 2023 courtesy Hachette Australia

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My Thoughts:

“Herein I intend to provide an honest account of my day-to-day activities in the field as I document an enigmatic species of faerie called “Hidden Ones.””

Offering a delightful blend of mystery, adventure, romance and magic, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an enchanting historical fantasy from Heather Fawcett.

Emily Wilde, a Cambridge Professor and dryadologist writing an encyclopaedia about the known species of Folk and their lore, arrives in the remote village of Hrafnsvik on an island off the Norwegian coast hoping to learn the secrets of its elusive indigenous fae. Related through Emily’s journal entries, Emily soon encounters her quarry, befriending a brownie she calls Poe, and meeting an unhappy changeling, but it’s after two young women vanish from the village that Emily must confront the regions rather terrifying courtly fae, and finds herself at the mercy of an imprisoned Faerie King.

Though she is uptight and has few people skills to speak of, Emily is an endearing character, who I thought intelligent, earnest and brave. Conditions are tough in Ljosland but content with just her faithful dog, Shadow, for company, Emily is looking forward to months of solitary field work, so she is not pleased by the unexpected arrival of fellow academic, Wendell Brambley.

Wendell is in many way Emily’s opposite. Cheerful and charismatic with uncommonly good sewing skills, he exasperates Emily in a manner no other does. Though Emily pretends otherwise, she recognises there is something special about Wendell. Wendell’s charm does prove to be a boon for Emily, especially in her dealings with the villagers, whom she inadvertently offends, and later in dealing with fae. I enjoyed the pair’s banter, and their friendship that hints at the development of something more.

Though the pacing may seem a little slow to begin, it does improve. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is not all light and whimsy, Fawcett’s world of Folk has its dark side. There are moments of drama, suspense and action that include faery trickery, abduction and sword fights.

I think Fawcett got the tone of the narrative right in that it reflects the formality of the period (the book is set in 1909), and Emily’s own scholarly propriety. The footnotes, which are not too extensive, also fit the style.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a captivating read, and I’m pleased to know that a second book is expected in early 2024.

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Review: In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan

 

Title: In the Blink of an Eye

Author: Jo Callaghan

Published: 10th January 2023, Simon & Schuster Au

Status: Read January 2023 courtesy Simon & Schuster Australia

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My Thoughts:

Crime fiction with a speculative twist, In the Blink of an Eye is an impressive debut from British author, Jo Callaghan.

DSC Kat Frank, newly returned from bereavement leave, is unhappy when her boss directs her to lead a pilot program to test the suitability of using an AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) in a police investigation. Professor Okonedo, determined to better the operation of the force, asserts that the AIDE is not only capable of collating and analysing vast amounts of data in a fraction of the time required by a human, but has been programmed to filter out the bias and prejudice that can taint investigations. Kat doesn’t believe algorithms can truly account for the vagaries of humankind, or replace the experience and instincts she, like most good police officers, often rely on.

With input from her small handpicked team, consisting of DI Ryan Hassan and DS Debbie Browne, along with AIDE Lock, who presents as a lifelike hologram with the default appearance is as a fairly nondescript 6ft tall white male, and Professor Okonedo as an observer, Kat selects two missing person cold cases for them to review. Unexpectedly the investigation’s into the current whereabouts of university student Tyrone Walters and wanna be actor Will Robinson converge when the team discovers a sinister link in their disappearances.

Essentially In the Blink of an Eye is a police procedural, Kat and her squad conduct interviews, investigate clues and gather evidence to explain the fate of the missing men. Callaghan develops a solid mystery and I thought it played out well. There’s plenty of tension, enhanced by the anonymous perspective of a young man suffering at the hands of shadowy figures, and effective twists in the plot.

The speculative elements of the novel are thought-provoking. The conflict inherent in Kat and Lock’s different approaches to investigation, and how each affects the case, is fascinating, with the strengths and weaknesses of both methods fairly illustrated. Lock’s superior ability to gather and analyse information is undeniable but Kat proves that empathy, discretion, and an understanding of nuance are also valuable investigative tools.

I really enjoyed the unique dynamics of Kat and Lock’s partnership. Kat is a likeable lead character. As a decorated police officer, with 25 years of experience in the force, Kat is a dedicated investigator who has confidence in her abilities, but she is a little emotionally fragile given the recent death of her husband, caused in part by of a misdiagnosis by an AI, which fuels her antagonistic attitude towards the AIDE. Kat is also a mother, with her teenage son on the cusp of relocating to begin university, and as such there are aspects of the cases that she strongly relates to. It’s surprisingly difficult to refrain from ascribing human motivations and emotions to AIDE Lock. Solely driven by statistics and logic, though capable of deep learning that gives it the ability to adjust its behaviours, it nevertheless has a distinct character which I really grew to like.

With its clever, provocative premise and appealing, complex characters, In the Blink of an Eye is a compelling novel, and I believe only the first of what promises to be a great series.

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Review: Seven Sisters by Katherine Kovacic

 

Title: Seven Sisters

Author: Katherine Kovacic

Published: 4th January 2023, HarperCollins Australia

Status: Read January 2023 courtesy HarperCollins/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

 

Australian author Katherine Kovacic delivers on a powerful and provocative premise that explores grief, guilt, justice and vengeance in Seven Sisters.

“Each one met her eye, and in each face there was grief and understanding and something else – a reflection of the bleakness she saw whenever she dared to look in a mirror.”

Struggling to cope with her feelings of rage and frustration in the aftermath of her sister’s murder at the hands of her abusive partner, for which he received only a suspended sentence, Naomi doesn’t expect group therapy will be much help. She is stunned when Mia, her psychologist, introduces her to the five other members and learns that not only do they sympathise with her loss, but understand it. Like her, Gabrielle, Brooke, Katy, Olivia and Amy have each lost a beloved sister as a result of domestic violence, and similarly, the perpetrator faced few consequences.

Drawing inspiration from the classic film ‘Strangers on a Train’, the women all agree these men must be stopped, and carefully devise ways to exact justice in a manner that will seem accidental. No plan is perfect however and there are several very tense moments as each woman attempts to fulfil their task by creative, but plausible, methods. I enjoyed the suspense generated by each situation, especially when things threaten to go awry, and then a lone detective begins to grow suspicious about the string of deaths.

I sympathised with each woman, easily imagining the depth of their loss, and the anguish of knowing that the person’s responsible escaped serious repercussions. I can’t really fault them for their desire for revenge especially when the law has failed so badly at meting out justice. Kovacic addresses the moral issues thoughtfully, but honestly it’s hard to muster up any outrage for their actions. Though this is fiction, and I don’t condone murder, I indulge in a little revenge fantasy myself whenever I read in the news of yet another man who receives a ludicrously light sentence or none at all for an assault on a woman.

Compelling, bold and fast paced, Seven Sisters is a well written and exciting revenge thriller.

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Review: Retribution by Sarah Barrie

 

Title: Retribution {Lexi Winter #2}

Author: Sarah Barrie

Published: 30th November 2022 courtesy HQ Fiction

Status: Read December 2022 courtesy Harlequin Australia

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My Thoughts:

 

Retribution is the thrilling sequel to Unforgiven, in which Sarah Barrie introduced Lexi Winter.

Once a lone vigilante, after the events of Unforgiven, Lexi, the survivor of pedophile network that included her parents, has joined the police force and now is a probationary Constable. Working within the rules is not easy for her, but she’s doing her best to honour the commitment she made, at least during work hours. Lexi is still hunting for Damon Vaughn, the sociopath who delivered Lexi to the orchestrator of her childhood abuse, and is secretly playing a dangerous game designed to find him.

Lexi’s two worlds collide after she and her training officer chase a pair of teenage drug dealers. Tightly plotted with plenty of action that includes plenty of tense situations, violence, and several murders, Retribution is fast-paced and exciting. Set between the central coast area of NSW and Sydney, three seperate investigations, plus Lexi’s personal project, eventually intertwine, reuniting Lexi with Detective Inspector Rachael Langley and her Homicide squad, which includes Detective Sergeant Finn Carson.

Working with the team in an official capacity is a challenge for Lexi. Given her extraordinary talents, Lexi’s struggle humanises her, and I liked the role it plays in her personal growth. Barrie also provides more insight into the lives of Rachael and Finn, and I’m liking the hint of a possible relationship developing between Finn and Lexi.

Retribution is a gripping page turner and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

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