Paula from Tasmania

BY PAULA XIBERRAS

ADDRESSING AGEISM AND THE WISDOM OF OWLS

Joanna Nell once again writes a refreshing and positive take on living later life. In her book ‘The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home’ her protagonist Harriet Bloom, who as her name suggests is still ‘blooming’ at close to ninety years old, is still enthused by her career as a nature journalist. In fact it is by pursuing a story that leads to a fall and subsequent deployment to residential aged care. Falls are the factor that separate a person from a formerly independent existence and residential care. The sudden end of her independence sees Harriet yearning for escape. While she is in the home she meets fellow resident Walter Clements also seeking an escape and a return to home once he masters his mobility scooter and achieves his licence. Harriet and Walter are introduced to ‘The Night Owls’ club a nocturnal event run by nurse Bronwyn for those who do not wish to retire to bed too early. The night owls are a successful until the unconventional nurse is dismissed from the home. It is up to the residents to get the progressive nurse re-instated. When I spoke to Joanna she told me of her association with Tasmania, a book conference she attended a couple of years ago as well as enjoying a family holiday. Before its cancellation this year, Joanna told me that her husband, a sailor was going to sail in the Sydney to Hobart race. Joanna is also a doctor, interested in exploring ageism and how people in residential care are out of sight and out of mind, primarily because of our reluctance to talk about ageing. The novel uses humour to address issues relating to aged care, the good and those that need to be improved. For instance it’s often said that a nursing home is the best place to fall down and this becomes common in a very understaffed industry. On a lighter note there is the complaint that the coffee in nursing homes is always cold! For the most part, residential care is not tailored to the individual and ideally it should seek to maintain as much independence as possible, something that is very important for the dignity of the human person. Some improvements that could be made are the option of providing doctors in residential care, so residents do not have to visit acute care in hospitals.

‘THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM WOODLANDS NURSING HOME’ BY JOHANNA NELL IS OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY HACHETTE.

ANOTHER WINNER ALBUM FROM DANIEL

It’s the evening after the running of the first COVID effected Melbourne Cup in Australia so it’s an appropriate day to talk to another winning formula that is Daniel O’Donnell. Having a chat with Daniel is like having a conversation with family or friends, such is the welcome he gives to all those he meets and remembers. He tells me he saw my name on the interview schedule and was looking forward to our chat.

THE SELF-TITLED ALBUM, ‘DANIEL’ IS OUT NOW AND WE CAN EXPECT DANIEL TO VISIT OUT SHORES AGAIN IN 2022.

Today we are talking about Daniel’s new self-titled album. He tells me there is nothing special in its naming and that the title was decided for him. In this new album in which he works with Nigel Wright, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s producer. The album takes a sophisticated turn in both songs and scenery. The cover shoot was taken, says Daniel, two miles from his house at Donegal beach and filmed in classic black and white. One of the songs on the album, recorded by Daniel and wife Majella ‘Remember Me’ which they sang on the Late Late Show, was dedicated to those who lost loved ones during the pandemic and went on to aid charity. Always on the lookout to find ways to help, especially during the pandemic, Daniel decided to perform an online concert from Derry to aid his artists and crew who were affected financially due to lack of gig and touring opportunities. Before we close our chat I ask Daniel if he might say hello to my dad and sister and he warmly agrees. My sister asks Daniel if he knew an Irish horse won the Melbourne cup this day. He confesses that although he doesn’t follow horse racing he knows the trainers well. That is Daniel for you, a ‘winner’ in so many respects but especially in his attitude to people and generosity with his time.

FOOLHARDY

Karly Lane’s latest book ‘Fool me once’ is the story of Georgie Henderson who runs a cattle property in New South Wales. Her aim is to buy back the family farm ’Tamban’ sold by her father when he experienced hard times. While she works on her mission she takes some down time and attends the B&S Ball meeting fellow farmer Michael Delacourt who whirlwinds her from New South Wales to Hawaii. The bubble bursts when she discovers Michael’s secret and her happiness is destroyed. Karly, who often works on two books at a time, tells me that the original conception of this novel was thirteen years ago when she was newly married and not working. She and her husband moved from Cobar to Newcastle, leaving her feeling a bit like a military wife. Not knowing anyone and with little to fill in her days she read military romances. After a while she felt the books she was reading lacked the kind of romance she desired, so she decided to try writing her own. After contacting Mills and Boon for writing guidelines she began writing. As Karly keeps everything she writes she decided for this new novel to rework one of those novels from the past discovering that re-working can be harder than starting from scratch. Karly will soon have another book out, a sequel to her novel ‘Someone Like You’.

‘FOOL ME ONCE’ BY KARLY LANE IS OUT NOW PUBLISHED BY ALLAN AND UNWIN.

MURRAY ROLLS ON

Pete Murray releases his second single ‘If We Never Dance Again’ from his EP ‘The Night’ on Friday March 5. The song was co-written with producer Morgan Dorr in 2019. The writing was a day long effort which required communication between continents. The clip of ‘If we Never Dance Again’, says Pete, captures the epic romance of the song beautifully. An interesting piece of trivia is in the couple featured in the clip are a real-life couple who actually married during the clip shoot. This EP says Pete is inspired by his family and life experiences.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 75

SPIRITUAL STEPS

I recently spoke to John Connell about his latest release ‘The Running Book’. John is an Irish farmer that loves to run and we talked about his running a marathon through his hometown of Longford, which was the setting of his previous book, ‘The Cow Book’. Running is purposeful for John, he uses his time running to reflect on his life and his writing. Running has taken him over the world as well as running closer to home through the Irish fields, each place also a walk through a place’s history. An important message that John shares is how running is an inexpensive way to fitness, physical, mental and emotional, putting you in a good mood and it can even help prevent cognitive decline. John has visited and hiked in Tasmania (he mentions ‘The Bay of Fires’) and sees it as a great place to experience a natural environment. John tells me that the present leader of the Navajo nation also loves running. In fact, running is considered sacred by the Navajo, as it provides a link, or way from earth to heaven. There is also the secular sense of running through places that link a person to their nation’s history.

JOHN’S BOOK ‘THE RUNNING BOOK’ IS OUT NOW PUBLISHED BY SCRIBE BOOKS.

‘LAPSE’ BY SARAH THORNTON IS PUBLISHED BY TEXT PUBLISHING.

ON IRELAND’S FAVOURITE DAY, CELEBRATE WITH IRELAND’S FAVOURITE PUD.

FEMALE FOOTY

I spoke to Tasmanian author Sarah Thornton about her book ‘Lapse’ in which her protagonist Clementine Jones is submerged in coaching a regional footy team. Working in a regional area is just what Clementine wants as she attempts to forget events from her past. Her footy team the Cats are enjoying a successful year as they approach their season finals. A hiccup occurs when Clementine’s number one player, Clancy Kennedy, drops out just prior to the finals Clementine senses something is wrong and in attempting to get to the bottom of the issue her own secrets swim to the surface. Sarah grew up in Tasmania and now is offshore living on a boat! Sarah tells me the novel was in part inspired by the events surrounding Indigenous football player Adam Goode in 2015. Also a lawyer, Sarah draws similarities between her first career and writing. Like the author, a lawyer needs imagination in how they present facts.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY

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