The Australia Times - Books 305

THE TIMES AUSTRALIA

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BOOKS

Sit back, Relax, Open Up A Book Vol. 3 No. 5

September 2015

WHAT’S INSIDE The Girl with All the Gifts

A Guide to Berlin

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14 Wild Wood

Dark Places

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THE TIMES AUSTRALIA

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BOOKS

Leave The Wake Behind........................ 8 The Girl with All the Gifts......................14 Wild Wood............................................18 A Guide to Berlin.................................. 22

THE TIMES® AUSTRALIA

BOOKS

Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973.. 26 The Life of I: the New Culture of Narcissism....................................... 32 Illusionarium........................................ 35 All the Light We Cannot See............... 40 The Devil’s Detective...........................44 Dark Places.......................................... 47 Me Before You..................................... 52 Road To Nowhere................................ 55 The Man with the Compound Eyes.... 60 Dietland............................................... 63 The Wasp Factory................................69 Picture Books are Creating Memories.. 71

CONTRIBUTORS Bridget Conway Tracie Pascoe-Lark Sarah Gill Jackie Smith Anthony Reninger Heather Croxon Anna Harvey Fiona Fitzgerald Jane Freeman Tara Nash Ashley Alasagas Jennifer Douglas Lola Sterrett Khadija Caffoor Mitch Mott Emily Lighezzolo

We aim to inform, entertain, teach, encourage, educate and support the community at large by facilitating communication between all Australians. By providing the opportunity for all opinions to be shared on a single website.

WELCOME Hello fellow bookworms!

This month at TAT Books we have a ton of exciting book reviews for you to dive into. From detective stories, to beautiful prose, to unique romances, to the philosophical, to non-fiction, and to children’s books that are promoting awareness of World Dementia month - we’ve got you covered. There’s a little bit in here for everyone, and more!

I hope you enjoy the latest issue of The Australia Times Books magazine.

Bridget Conway (TAT Books Editor)

Leave The Wake Behind Author: Christie Heart

By Tracie Pascoe-Lark In the misty fjord land of the south island New Zealand in 1885, a man hands a woman a green heart on a gold chain, he has called her and she has come. A promise of return is made before this journey begins; a storm forms in the distant sky.

Present day north Melbourne streets smell of coffee and pulse with sounds of local buskers’ acoustic guitar. Our main girl Simone recognises a busker friend, Frank, and they play together, drawing in a crowd with ease; Simone’s energy, drawing the attention of young New Zealand boy, Shane.

A romantic entailment between Simone and Shane forms, born from instinct and attraction far deeper than all five senses of smell, taste, sight, touch and sound. There is a mysterious but unquestionable connection.

Tragedy strikes and Simone’s story becomes a metaphysical journey of the heart and soul, connected with a powerful force in the past, forcing her to draw strong on her ability to shift her attitude to recover from an energy so embedded in her present, so beyond her control.

We follow Simone’s journey from Melbourne to the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, through the pain and grief of which she is struck much like the lighting from the storm described in the prologue of the fjord land in New Zealand in 1885. In the Blue Mountains, Simone meets some fellow travelers through music, and eventually finds herself under the wings of an Alaskan backpacker who helps her move through the aftermath of the tragedy of which she has been bestowed.

Leave The Wake Behind is a novel with music written by award winning singer and songwriter Ms Christie Heart. The journey begins when this book is opened and the music is played as we lay ourselves down inside a hammock, that is a moment in time, suspended by emotions but comforted by the beautiful and mystical tone of Ms Heart’s voice.

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Christie Heart

Leave The Wake Behind Connection is a major theme of this story: physical and spiritual connection between Shane and Simone, spiritual connection between Simone’s best friend, Judith and the events of the world, a connection from the past to the present and also the mutual connection through music which keeps us feeling present but also drives us forward from pain. Connection between humans and nature becomes a drawing point for human emotional suffering in this novel as well as a sense of belonging to a culture, identifying with the land and the history of the culture in it.

I met Ms Heart at the Melbourne Writer’s Social Club and bought her novel without question when she described her idea of having a novel born from song. Ms Heart’s combined written and musical work is a holistic journey, much like Simone and Shane’s romance and enticing more than the five senses.

The album with songs form the book, opening with the title song ‘Leave The Wake Behind’ which thrusts you in to natural and native rhythms, ripping the flesh from today’s society right back to the bare bones that are the raw emotions of love and connection.

The journey concludes with the idea of letting go without forgetting, or leaving the wake behind: Tossed and alone on an unchartered ocean Searching for shore on an unchartered sea I only know if I keep moving onward I’m always leaving the past behind me.

Ms Heart is currently writing a sequel: The Red Dirt Road.

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Christie Heart

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The Girl with All the Gifts Author: Mike Carey

By Sarah Gill The Girl with All the Gifts is set amongst a dystopian future where most of humanity has been wiped out and driven crazy by a fungal infection. All it takes is blood or spit for the infection to spread from one person to another, and then you are one of the ‘hungries.’

The non-infected call them ‘hungries,’ because if you are unlucky enough to become infected you will lose all of your mental control and feed on the flesh of healthy humans.

Some of the few surviving members of the human race are secured in a heavy guarded area called the Beacon. Others are roaming in packs called Junkers.

After the infection, the Beacon arranged to set up a military base called Hotel Echo, where Dr Caroline Caldwell and her staff study a special group of children and try finding a cure for the infection.

The security of the base is led by Sergeant Ed Parks; and every day he and his staff take all the children from their cells to the classroom where they learn about the world, poetry, history, mathematics, music, and, everything else.

Melanie, is one of those children, a 10-year-old girl who is very bright for her age, she has a genius level IQ. Every day, Sergeant Parks comes to get her from her cell, where all the children are kept locked away. He holds a gun to her head while his staff restrains her, just like with all the other children.

But Melanie doesn’t mind, because every day she can’t wait to be taken to the classroom and be taught by her favourite teacher Miss Helen Justineau.

It soon becomes clear to Melanie, that she and all the other children are not like the adult humans, but they are not completely like the hungries either.

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Goodreads

The Girl with All the Gifts A day comes where a group of Junkers break into the base with a horde of hungries on their tail. As the base is under attack, Melanie, Miss Justineau, Dr Caldwell, Sergeant Parks and his subordinate Private Kieran Gallagher escape and decide to travel to Beacon as their only hope for survival.

It’s dangerous outside of the walls of the base, the hungries are everywhere and they can smell human flesh even when they can’t see it. Food and shelter is scarce and they must try to survive each night as they travel closer to Beacon.

The story is told from Melanie’s point of view for most of the novel, with the occasional chapter from the other characters point of view. The writing from Melanie’s point of view is childlike and insightful. With the exception of Melanie and Miss Justineau, I thought the other characters could have used a little more development along their journey. Carey does provide some foreshadowing into their background and how they came to be there, but for me I wanted to know more and I feel that if I did know more than I would have seen more of a transformation of those characters.

Melanie and Miss Justineau’s relationship is like mother and daughter, and Carey’s depiction of this, and the innocence in which he writes their bond is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Without giving too much away, not all five make it to Beacon, as you might expect from most zombie and dystopian stories. The ending however, is unexpected for books of this genre and it took me by surprise. The group discovers how the fungal infection started, and how it came to infect humans, but they never find a cure for it. Humanity’s future is left in the hands of Melanie and Miss Justineau.

I was delighted to see that the book is being adapted to film, which will be titled She Who Brings Gifts directed by Colm McCarthy, starring Glenn Close as Dr Caldwell, Gemma Arterton as Miss Justineau, and Sennia Nanua as Melanie. It is due to be released in 2016.

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Wild Wood Author: Posie Graeme-Evans

By Jackie Smith “There are no accidents. There is only fate.”

Posie Graeme-Evans’ latest historical fiction novel, Wild Wood delightfully combines romance, mystery and intrigue in a tale which transcends time.

On the borderlands of Scotland, the castle Hundredfield is unwell. Known for his strict yet fair governance, Norman warlord Godefroi has sent his people into chaos, torn apart by the disappearance of his new wife, Lady Flore, who apparently died in childbirth. His brothers, Bayard and Maugris struggle to keep the village running smoothly, and worry for the brother they once knew so well. And what will become of the child Lady Flore left behind?

Fast-forward six hundred years. London is high on the recent marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer, but for Australian Jesse Marley, this is far from a time for celebration. Having just discovered she was adopted, she finds herself in search of her birth mother and longs to uncover the secrets of her past. Unfortunately, her big plans are not working out as she hoped and things take a turn for the worse when she is struck by a motorbike and confined to a hospital bed, unable to speak.

The doctor assigned to her case, Rory Brandon is intrigued by Jesse’s recovery process – she dreams vividly of times long past and sketch places and people she has never met before – strange things she would not have engaged in prior to the accident. In particular, he is interested in her drawing of Hundredfield, the castle where Rory spent most of his childhood days. Why do her pictures keep recalling memories of Rory’s past? Who is this mysterious girl and what is her connection to the Lady of the Forest?

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Provided by Simon and Schuster

Wild Wood Inspired by the Legend of the Fairy Flag, a Scottish legend which speaks of a clan leader falling in love with a fairy princess, who after giving birth to their child, returns home, Wild Wood is not your usual work of historical fiction, which often stay firmly within a specific historical period. Instead it takes place over two periods of time, that of Jesse’s (1981) and Godefroi’s brother Bayard (1321).

It is these interweaving perspectives that really make this book special. The inclusion of Bayard within the story not only gives the narrative depth, but fuels the characters residing in the more current time period. As readers follow Jesse on her journey to find a place where she belongs, they can’t help but wonder about what Hundredfield was like in its glory days. In this, Graeme-Evans has forced the readers to look beyond the surface, drawing them into the novel and keeping them waiting for more, even as they turn that final page.

Having spent many years as a television producer, working on some of Australia’s best loved programs, including Hi-5 and McLeod’s Daughters, Graeme Evans knows how to produce work audiences will love. Wild Wood, her fifth novel, is no exception.

I have been hooked on the novels produced by Graeme-Evans for a while now, but I can honestly say that I believe this to be the best she has produced so far. Not only will this novel appeal to lovers of historical fiction, but readers of most genres. Overall, it’s a fantastic tale well told.

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A Guide to Berlin Author: Gail Jones

By Bridget Conway The latest novel from Australian writer Gail Jones, A Guide to Berlin, takes readers on an emotionally haunting journey as we follow the lives of six foreigners who meet in Berlin, Germany. The novel is full of graceful style and effortless prose, all neatly rolled into a plot that weaves both familiar and unfamiliar experiences onto the page. We feel at one with the characters, although they are all unique and different in their own way, and so, through the tumultuous events that unfold we feel as if we are along for the ride ourselves.

The result is a spellbinding novel that is at times more poetry than prose, more dreamlike than reality, more subconscious thought than logical thinking.

Jones introduces us to Cass, a young Australian woman who has recently arrived in Berlin. It’s clear from the get-go that Cass is unsure about what path she wants to be on in her life. She’s recently graduated from art school and has set off to travel the world on her own. Berlin drew her in because of its bustling train tracks and its association with one of her most admired authors, Vladimir Nabokov, author of Lolita and Speak, Memory.

Soon after her arrival in Berlin, Cass meets Marco, an Italian real estate agent currently living in Berlin. The two meet outside of one of Nabokov’s homes and instantly strike up a conversation. Marco encourages her to join his group of other foreigners who are obsessed with and constantly intrigued by Nabokov and his writing. Cass reluctantly joins the group, which includes Victor from New York, Gino and Marco from Rome, and a Japanese couple, Yukio and Mitsuko.

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Random House

A Guide to Berlin The five foreigners make up an unlikely group, however they quickly grow close after the suggestion from Marco that they all perform a speak memory of their own (just like Nabokov’s). What follows are five diverse yet unifying stories from each character in which we learn of their journey so far in the world. We learn of the heartbreak of Victor’s lost father, of Cass’s dead brother, and of Yukio’s time spent alone and isolated as a hikikomori in Japan.

The speak memories bring the group close because they involve an entire opening up of inhibitions, and without any prior knowledge or expectations, each member is free to be who they are when it’s their turn to tell their speak memory. The novel follows these varying stories and for quite a long time it seems like possibly everyone is at peace and that this will be a novel that takes us on a quiet ride through Berlin’s snowy streets.

Yet, tragedy strikes, and the group dismantle and break apart piece by piece before our eyes. Just as we’ve gotten to know and love the foreginers, we are taken away from them and they are taken away from us. With elegant and crafty interweaving of stories and threads, Jones brings us to the final conclusion where we are left hanging in the balance between knowing and not knowing, wanting to know and never wanting to find out.

A Guide to Berlin is not just beautiful prose and stunning storytelling; it’s also historic, timeless, and imaginative. We feel as if we are in Berlin standing next to each character, watching their frozen breath leave their mouths as they tell their tale of woe, heartbreak, and new beginnings. They have all found themselves in Berlin for whatever reason, and we have found ourselves intoxicated with wanting to know more about them, yet we barely scratch the surface. Jones teaches us that every person is more than what they seem to be, and that we are all complicated webs trapped in the painfully beautiful existence that is life, yet at the same time, none of us is alone in this.

Grab a copy of A Guide to Berlin here.

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Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 Author: Haruki Murakami

By Anthony Reninger Beer, obscure characters, existentialism, and more beer.

If you’re a fan of these things, then I’d recommend you find a way to get Haruki Murakami’s first two novels, Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973, into your lap.

Although both works are technically novellas due to their length, they have been jointly published outside of Japan recently, in beautiful black hardcover.

As an avid Murakami fan, I bought the book the day that they piled it onto the shelves and was quick to devour its contents. Considering that it was the first novel by the now renowned author, I took a step back and made sure that I wasn’t too harsh in my criticisms. These two works contain the typical Murakami tropes, which readers have come to love or hate, such as jazz, vinyl records, and cats. And as I was reading, I found it fascinating to find small ideas that Murakami would go on to develop and even turn into stand-alone novels.

Hear the Wind Sing follows a young, un-named protagonist in the last days of his summer break back in his hometown. The chapters are short (1-2 pages, usually), and give the impression that Murakami took fragments of ideas and glued them together to make a makeshift sculpture. Some of the ideas fit together, while others stand out like Channing Tatum at the Pokémon World Championship. Don’t be surprised if, after reading a chapter, you’re asking yourself, ‘What does that have to do with anything?’

Because, to be honest, the only thing that really happens is, the protagonist drinks beer and sometimes discuses life with his friend, The Rat. And yet somehow I found myself engrossed in the novel.

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Hear the Wind Sing

Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 Author: Haruki Murakami Hear the Wind Sing is fragmented, sure, but these fragments carry a certain kind of surrealism at times; a deep melancholy which wraps itself around your body and sinks into your chest. Even as I’m writing this, I can still feel it there, settling into the sheets before a long rest. It’s possible that the reason I enjoyed Hear the Wind Sing is because of my long history with Murakami — I’ll be the first to admit that. I wouldn’t recommend these two books to someone who is new to the author. You’d be better off starting with A Wild Sheep Chase or Norwegian Wood.

Pinball, 1973, though similar in length, is a much ‘fuller’ novel. The growth from Hear the Wind Sing is apparent in his descriptions and pacing. It continues the story of our nameless protagonist and his friend, The Rat, as they mull around their early twenties and search for a certain meaning or rhythm. Our protagonist meets a pair of twins and has a beautiful relationship with a pinball machine, while The Rat burns all his bridges in search of something more than the small town he’s grown up in.

Similar to Hear the Wind Sing, the prose is tight and the way in which characters are depicted is wonderful. Murakami leaves a lot of back-story and explanation out of his story, which keeps it from getting bogged down with exposition, and creates a well of mystery for both his characters and the world around them.

And although Murakami does tend to get a little caught up in his description in Pinball, 1973 (a fault that would appear on a greater scale in his later novels), I never felt like I was wading through mud just to cross the finish line.

Peculiar characters, a pile of questions I’ll never have the answer to, and the most emotional investment I’ve put into a pinball machine in my entire life. Reading Murakami’s work is like watching a magician when you’re 12 years old: There’s so much excitement and mystery to the performance. Your eyes never stray and your mind recalls the magic for weeks.

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Pinball and 1973

The Life of I: the New Culture of Narcissism Author: Anne Manne

By Heather Croxon Most people would be familiar with the story of Narcissus: the youth of Greek mythology who was so beautiful that upon catching his own reflection in a stream, fell in love with it thinking it was a water sprite, and died while pining away for himself (that’s the short version). When we think of narcissists in modern society, we perhaps think of those people who ‘love themselves’, especially those who post an unneeded amount of ‘selfies’ on social media, or who can’t resist looking at their own reflection in a shiny surface.

Little did I know that narcissism is actually a clinical personality disorder that goes far beyond loving oneself too much in aesthetic terms; at the extreme end of the narcissistic spectrum there can be violence accompanied by a complete lack of remorse and an inability to recognise any wrongdoing.

In this updated edition of The Life of I: the New Culture of Narcissism, Anne Manne sheds some light on the psychology of narcissism. Through the use of some well known recent incidents such as the doping scandal surrounding Lance Armstrong; the massacre of seventy-seven young Norwegians by Anders Breivik; and even the role of Alan Greenspan in the GFC, Manne uncovers the inner workings of the narcissist, and provides psychological insight that goes a long way to discerning the reason for these people’s actions.

While outwardly these cases appear to have little in common, on a psychological level they are not overly dissimilar from each other, and in each instance, the reasons provided to the world for their actions appear to be little more than a facade. They are instead driven by what Manne calls the ‘darker core aspects of narcissism’ to gain attention at any cost. Manne dissects each of these individuals (amongst others) and uses them to tell a larger story about the society as a whole. Society is, after all, made up of individuals, and it is society who makes us who we are.

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Image Š Melbourne University Press, 2015

The Life of I: the New Culture of Narcissism

The case of Armstrong was particularly interesting as the utilisation of such a public figure, whose life was essentially laid bare for the world to see, provides a fascinating insight into how the narcissist works. Being able to view his childhood and his career in light of the information provided by Manne puts the entire scandal into a whole new perspective, and provides a new way of viewing Armstrong both before and after the scandal broke.

For a reader who isn’t overly familiar with psychology and personality disorders, The Life of I was a little difficult to read at times. At the halfway point I was beginning to feel swamped with information and found myself wondering how I was going to finish, but thankfully approximately the last 40 percent was notes and references. Despite the information overload, for the most part the book was written in such a way that even a layman like me could understand what I was reading. The level of research undertaken for this book is admirable and although there are perhaps a couple of sources that are utilised more heavily than others, in general the arguments provided are backed up with plenty of reliable data, some of which would make for some interesting further reading.

Reading The Life of I was an illuminating experience both on a personal and social level. I came away from it recognising some aspects of myself that could be considered narcissistic, but also understanding how I have come to be that way which enables me to change. Along with that, I now have a different lens through which to view current events and the way human society works.

Any book that can cause the reader to not only reflect on themselves as an individual can only be a good thing; one that causes the reader to also reflect on society as a whole is a book that needs to be read by everyone.

The Life of I: the New Culture of Narcissism has been shortlisted for the University of Queensland Non-Fiction Book Award.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Melbourne University Press for providing a review copy.

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Illusionarium Author: Heather Dixon

By Anna Harvey What if the world held threats and secrets no one ever thought were possible? What if a schism could create an alternate world so distorted that you wouldn’t even recognize yourself? Author of Entwined - the highly praised retelling of The 12 Dancing Princesses, Heather Dixon, creates a fantastical, steam-soaked adventure where the more one imagines, the more corrupted they become.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But when the King is desperate to save his Queen from a deadly plague slowly killing off females, Jonathan and his father are recruited to find the antidote. Except the only way is by using fantillium, a chemical that when inhaled, can produce shared hallucinations through people with the rare ability of illusioning. When Jonathan learns he possess this gift his ordinary life is rewritten with chaos and adventure.

In the YA world, the majority of protagonists are female; epic romances are plot staples; and the primary genres – paranormal, real-life drama, fantasy worlds and dystopian futures – have been exhausted to the point of tedious repetition.

Enter Illusionarium: a dark steampunk fantasy set in dystopian London 1882 – a world full of aerial cities and floating ships under a monarchy based upon the principals of King Arthur and his knights. Romance was but a tiny pale splotch on a giant canvas filled with adventure, suspense, alternate worlds, lovable characters, magic, science and malformed growths (yeah, you heard me). And you know what? It was a refreshing change because it gave Jonathan, whose POV the novel was in, more freedom to be the rising hero without being tied down to a love interest.

I found Jonathan both relatable and likable, starting from his own description of being a ‘sort-of’ guy – ‘sort of’ handsome, ‘sort-of’ smart. Overall he’s a good-hearted, courageous sixteen year-old who had me continuously laughing over his self-deprecating humor and smart-ass comments in the form of footnotes.

The supporting cast was just as unique and their strong personalities, chemistry between one another, and sharp concise dialogue is a credit to Dixon’s understanding of human behavior through creative license.

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Illusionarium I loved that the main female was Jonathan’s sister. Hannah/Anna (depending on which world you’re in) risks everything for the people she loves while sporting a stubborn and feisty air. She is the epitome of resilience and loyalty and was the primary motivation behind Jonathan crossing worlds to get the antitoxin for the disease slowly killing Hannah and his mother; and for the way he rebels against Lady Honouria to save Anna’s life.

Lockwood was definitely an unexpected character. When he was introduced as a oneeyed Lieutenant guarding Lady Florel’s evil doppelganger’s cell, I found him incredibly annoying and arrogant and thought him nothing more than a minor character. But he slowly crept into the story as Jonathan’s reluctant friend and sidekick (I’m lucky he isn’t real or he would kick my ass over that description). The sparring dynamic between the two boys was hilarious and his obvious attraction to Anna was endearing and even more hilarious.

The world building was a rich tapestry of the Victorian era infused with a touch of sciencedisguised magic. Unlike a lot of fantasy books, it wasn’t overwritten and I was quickly immersed. In saying that though, there were a few action scenes that I found difficult to visualise due to so much occurring at once.

Apart from the characters, my favourite aspect was the idea of a world breaking apart when a schism’s created. In the case of Nod’ol – the world Jonathan crosses over to, it’s due to fantillium corrupting the lives of the people. Dixon’s subtly hints here that the Arthurisian world Jonathan lives in is in fact a schism to the world we live in. That little teaser resonated with me long after I had finished the book.

Greenwillow publishers have described Illusionarium as The Night Circus meets Pixar, while many fan reviews have claimed it’s targeted more for younger teens. Examples of this can be found in Acrossthewords.com, where it is quoted that ‘the narration and dialogue seemed a bit more Middle Grade than YA’, and The Eater of Books blogspot stated it was ‘kind of on the juvenile side.’ I disagree. I found it to be a crescendo-paced, vibrantly executed adventure that was a refreshing change from all the more darker and serious novels in its category. At the heart of the story, there is a beautiful message of being true to one’s own conscience and the repercussions of straying off course from one’s own ‘compass pointing north.’

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Nathalia Suellen

All the Light We Cannot See Author: Anthony Doerr

By Fiona Fitzgerald Anthony Doerr’s 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestseller All the Light We Cannot See is a novel embroiled in war, history, morality and identity. It explores the nature of power “you know the greatest lesson of history? It’s that history is whatever the victor says it is” and the blind, unquestioned acceptance of authority.

The narrative seamlessly interweaves between the lives of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl and Werner Pfenning, a German orphan, whose paths collide in occupied France during World War II. Blind six year old Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris. He works at the Museum of Natural History as ‘keeper of a thousand keys’ and devotes himself to building a miniature replica of the streets they live in so his daughter can memorise her surroundings and find her way home. When the Germans invade France, they flee to Saint-Malo, a walled city in north-western France to stay with their estranged and reclusive Uncle who is still suffering from shell shock from the Great War. With it too dangerous to go outside, she becomes imprisoned within her adopted surroundings, eager to escape and be at one with nature.

Werner Pfenning and his sister Jutta live in an orphanage in the mining town of Zollverein during one of Germany’s worst economic periods. When they discover a radio set in an alley way, Werner becomes completely engrossed with it and is soon able to expertly dismantle and re-build all types of sets. This skill is quickly noticed and Werner finds himself enrolled in the National School of the Hitler Youth.

The chapters about Werner’s experiences during his schooling years are some of the most powerful in the entire novel. We see the real struggle Werner is faced with in trying to find his identity in such an oppressive environment, the intolerance of nonconformity (seen in the heart breaking experiences of his only friend, Frederick) and the losing battle in the ability to choose right from wrong. As the novel progresses, Werner becomes more and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence.

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All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See Marie-Laure and Werner have many things in common. They are both victims of fate, ordinary children caught up in a war they don’t understand. Throughout the novel, they both heavily rely on the sense of sound; Marie-Laure because she has physically lost her sight and Werner whose job it is to listen through his radio set to track down ‘illegal’ transmissions. They have also both lived challenging lives and experienced personal tragedy before the outbreak of war; Marie-Laure suddenly having to adapt to a life without sight and never knowing her mother who died during child birth, and Werner growing up in a poor orphanage knowing very little about his own parents other than that his father died in the city’s coal mines.

They do however also represent stark contrasts, particularly in terms of their interests.

Upon learning braille, Marie-Laure finds solace through literature where she is able to escape reality and enter imaginary worlds laced with wonder. Werner on the other hand obsesses himself in the practicalities of science and the physics of broadcasting.

Coincidentally, it is Marie-Laure’s passion for literature and Werner’s aptitude for science that brings them together.

When discussing his title, Doerr explained that first a foremost it was a reference “to all the light we literally cannot see” most obviously through Marie-Laure’s lack of sight and the electronic wavelengths emitted through Werner’s beloved radio sets.

Metaphorically, Doerr explains that he wanted to highlight the countless stories of everyday civilian experiences of war, “the stories of ordinary children, for example, are a kind of light we do not typically see. Ultimately, the title is intended as a suggestion we spend too much time focused on only a small slice of the spectrum of possibility.”

Although continually reminded of the horrors of war, this novel is so much more than just another war story. It gives a voice to the everyday victims or war, it is a coming of age story and a fable that constantly questions morality and idea of controlling your own destiny, summed up perfectly within one of Werner’s favourite weekly broadcasts he listened to when living at the orphanage, “open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever”.

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The Devil’s Detective Author: Simon Kurt Unsworth

By Jane Freeman We are familiar with dark detective stories set in the hellish back streets of Los Angeles or Scandinavian cities with names like Ikea kitchens. However Simon Kurt Unsworth has taken it one giant step further in his debut novel. This detective story, The Devil’s Detective, is set in Hell itself.

In an impressive feat of imagination, Unsworth has created a dark and sordid alternative world, Hell, a grim place of dreadful decay, prostitution, slavery, demons, humans and angels. In this world, people are randomly plucked from Limbo to grind their way through miserable jobs, ignorant of their sins, ignorant of their futures, dreaming only of their possible elevation into Heaven.

Into this beyond Dantesque world comes a serial killer, someone who not only physically rends his victims (ripping off penises is a specialty) but who also causes their souls to disappear. Our “detective” in this story is Thomas Fool, whose allotted task in Hell is to act as Information Man. Fool, and his two colleagues, spend their time receiving canisters detailing the crimes that have been committed that day in Hell – understandably numerous. However most are labelled Do Not Investigate and sent whizzing up the receiving pipe to places unknown.

When this new and more terrible criminal appears, Fool is informed by his superiors, the bureaucratic demons of Hell, that he is to investigate after all. As he stumbles his way through this unfamiliar process, he is helped by two new additions to Hell.

The first is a new and improved gun which Fool uses enthusiastically to shoot various repulsive demons, and the other the mysterious Man of Plants and Flowers, the talking consciousness of all the meandering plants that wander through this decomposing world.

Fool’s hell is different to our usual imaginings; it is explained that over time the fiery pit and Sisyphean sufferings of the traditional medieval sinners have been replaced by a post industrial world of tedious tasks and almost total hopelessness. Fool’s errand 44

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The Devil’s Detective

The Devil’s Detective takes him through grim and at times disturbingly scatological experiences, such as viewing the fields where farmhands have to eat manure and the frightening boarding houses where the Genevieves live, the humans who are created to act as prostitutes to demons.

Along the way, Fool is also acting as host to a couple of visiting Angels, Adam and Balthazar, sent down from Heaven to negotiate the annual exchange of souls, the number of people randomly (and finally violently) taken up to heaven equated with others plucked from Limbo. Adam and Balthazar are enigmatic figures, terrible and beautiful in their power and righteousness.

With the cynical help of Hell’s bureaucrats, led by the dusty little clerk figure named Elderflower, Fool pursues his dismal task, engaging in a disturbing series of violent encounters with demons travelling towards the final climactic battle, the usual ending of all good thrillers.

Simon Kurt Unsworth is a 43-year-old English writer who has previously written horror short stories (his collection Quiet Houses was long listed for the prestigious Edge Hill Short Story Collection prize). As you would expect, The Devil’s Detective is awash with horror essentials, plenty of trailing intestines and excrement and demons licking bodily fluids off each other.

However in this book, Unsworth has also fused an arresting and original blend of horror and thriller writing as well as mixing in a satisfying dollop of police procedural - right down to the “forensic pathologist” figure who in this case is able to quiz his corpses about their murderer. The ending not only has a gratifying twist in the tail, but the book is layered with a fable like quality reminiscent of Kafka, able to speak to readers of anything from fascism to the hidden horrors of refugee camps, however you like to read it.

The Devil’s Detective is a fascinating read, if occasionally veering into the repulsive.

You may need to have a strong stomach and a cosy pair of slippers to deal with its scatological horrors and atmosphere of grim despondency. However, you almost certainly won’t be able to put it down as it takes you on a vividly written, white knuckle meander through a mesmerizing and dreadful world.

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Dark Places Author: Gillian Flynn

By Tara Nash The book Dark Places (2009) by Gillian Flynn — the author who brought you Gone Girl and Sharp Objects— has a captivating, horrific, and thrilling storyline. It’s misanthropic tone pulled me in immediately — hook, line and sinker.

If you enjoyed Gone Girl then you will love Dark Places; the writing style and tone is consistent with Flynn’s other work.

The story is set on a farm in Kinnakee, Kansas and follows the lives of a low-economic family The Days who were murdered in a ‘Satan Sacrifice’. The protagonist Libby was only seven-years-old and survived the ordeal along with her drunken father Runner and brother Ben who was 15-years-old when convicted and serving life in jail and twenty-five years later, Libby goes searching for answers.

Libby’s character at 31-years-old is very engaging; with the responsibility of testifying against her own brother, the bitterness from losing her family early in life and dealing with survivors’ guilt, she lacked the foundation to become an honourable adult and is miserable and depressed. She is struggling to make ends meet and has up until now survived on donations from well-wishers. She has no job and her money is quickly running out. Therefore, when the Kill Club, a group obsessed with crimes, ask Libby for details, she reluctantly agrees to investigate the crime for a price. This prompts Libby to get outside her comfort zone and forces her to confront the realities she hasn’t allowed herself to face.

The narrative structure is just as effective as it was in Gone Girl; it alternates between present time, of Libby taking a road trip to discover more about the ordeal, and 1985 — elaborating on the details leading up to the murder from the point of view of the mother Patty and the brother Ben, which builds up the suspension and mystery. There are very small satisfying clues and pieces that foreshadow what happens in the end; building up tension which made the book a real page-turner.

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Dark Places The story excellently captures the everyday lives of the struggling family — both financially and psychologically. Ben’s character is very withdrawn; he is an outcast because of his odd behaviour and dark moods and changes friends in an attempt to fit in. Although he is convicted for murdering his family, his character is very easy to empathise with as he is just a misfit desperate to belong. The details leading up to the massacre put Ben’s situation into perspective, making it a very realistic scenario.

A recurring theme throughout the story is the failures of the family, how they’re shunned from the rest of the town and never mastering their environment. As Libby said to her brother Ben, “I know a little bit about trying to do the right thing and fucking up completely,” I added. “You talking about Mom?” Ben said. “I was talking about me.” “You could have been talking about all of us.”

All of the Days carry with them a shared recklessness; for example, Patty ‘knew immediately then that (Runner’d) leave, that he was not a man to depend on, that he wasn’t even a man she liked very much. And still she’d gotten pregnant three more times, because he didn’t like to wear condoms and it was too much trouble to nag.’

I believe Flynn’s message was that darkness could be found in anyone; a victim of circumstance, owing a debt-ridden farm, living in a hostile family with a drunken dad, or unable to fit into the community, then people can be capable of anything.

The ending may have been the only downfall; however this more than compensated for in a gutsy and eventful plot.

The overall tone and events throughout the book is much more horrific and shocking than Gone Girl, I’m drawn to this genre, but only pick up this book if you’re prepared for some gory scenes, dark calibre and share with me this morbid fascination.

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Dark Places

To seriously ill children around Australia, wishes are powerful.

They create hope for the future, strength to battle life-threatening illness and joy from their unique once in a lifetime wish experience.

Help us unleash the incredible power of wishes by donating today!

DONATE NOW makeawish.org.au 1800 032 260

Me Before You Author: Jojo Moyes

By Ashley Alasagas In one sense, we have all heard this story before: girl meets boy and everything changes. But in another sense, you have never read a story quite like this before. It’s less of a love story and more of a story of self-discovery.

If there is anything Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You knows, it’s the realisation that our lives are not as set in stone as we’d like them to be. Promises of a certain lifestyle can be taken and tossed away in an instant or two.

The book follows Lou as she navigates her mid 20s. Lou was first content with her small town life; her job at The Buttered Bun cafe, her life at home with her family, and her relationship with her boyfriend, Patrick. She thought she knew exactly how her life would pan out. But after her job at the cafe falls through, Lou is forced to find a new job to continue supporting her family. She takes a job as the carer for Will Traynor, a young man left quadriplegic after a motorcycle accident.

Will, an intelligent and adventurous 35-year-old, has become unrecognisable to his family and friends as he struggles to adjust to his new life confined to his wheelchair.

With physical and mental scars that cannot heal, Will’s mother hoped that hiring Lou would lift the spirits of her son.

The pair begin to test each other in ways they were not prepared for. Lou has never cared for a quadriplegic before, or anyone as bitter as Will had become. She also didn’t dare to dream for anything more than a quiet life in her small countryside town. But as Will opens up to Lou’s vibrant personality, he introduces her to foreign films, classical music, literature and the world outside their small town.

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Me Before You

Me Before You

Will has to rely solely on the care of his parents, Lou, and his nurse, Nathan. Suffocated by his own helplessness, he decides that he wants to end his life on his own terms – the only real power and independence Will believes he still has. Lou makes it her personal mission to inspire Will to continue living. She plans adventures for him in the hope that he finds some glimmer of happiness.

The novel is a tapestry of flawed characters and complex relationships – my favourite kind of novel. Grounded by it’s simple and straight-to-the-point narration, the story does not at all feel forced. The relationships are organic and symptomatic of relationships most of us have or have had.

The romance between Lou and Will is not a conventional one. This is not a love at first sight kind-of story, it does not happen at once. It takes time before the two warm up to each other, let alone love each other. But they see one another at their most vulnerable. And in these moments you see that Lou and Will give a part of themselves to each other, as they both see a bigger and brighter life for the other.

And maybe that’s why I struggled to make it to the end of the book – not because it is a difficult or terrible read – but only because I couldn’t see past my own tears.

This novel will have you asking questions about love, life and the power of our own choices. As you will find in Me Before You, there are no right or wrong answers. But the beauty of this novel lies in Jojo Moyes’ exploration of the possibilities.

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Road To Nowhere Author: Evan Shapiro

By Jennifer Douglas Road to Nowhere by Evan Shapiro leaves you deep in thought about the past, present and future of the human species. It takes you to places you hope you never need to go, presenting global issues that although are fiction, seem so real.

Presented as a science fiction novel Road to Nowhere is so much more. Evan Shapiro has entwined a variety of genre’s within one book. Based around the main characters of Patrick and Kirby, Evan Shapiro has your mind twirling around relationships, love and the need for ones own identity, whilst pondering how far you would go with another in order to protect yourself and the one you love. There is crime and a murder to be solved

by Anthenian Detective Costas Paradisos, who uncovers more than he ever imagined and leads to relationships not only of sex and lust but also of deep connection. Throw in Angel, a gifted teenager who is able to complete advanced mathematical calculations in her head within a fraction of a second and an old man known as Ancient; and you have an array of characters, which hold a connection stronger than they realise.

Road to Nowhere takes you there. With Costas, you travel the globe; with Patrick, Ancient, and Angel you travel Australia, whilst Kirby has you floating around in space talking DNA and atomic organic structure. Evan Shapiro is a writer not to be messed with. He shows immense strength in his structure and plot, creating individual lives that have you enveloped in their adventure yet entwined in the complete journey.

Road to Nowhere by Evan Shapiro is one of those books that is hard to describe. I definitely do not feel I can do it justice in the form of a written review. This is a book that you must read to appreciate and to feel the full weight of what possibly may not be as fictional as it is presented.

What I loved about Road To Nowhere was the ability of Evan Shapiro to take me into the future without actually loosing myself in the present. Using climate change, a topic close

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Road To Nowhere to home for all, Evan Shapiro foresees the future of the human race way before it’s time.

As a reader he placed me within a fiction that could clearly one day be fact. As our earth becomes drier and the planet heats up the reality of a time when we are sleeping during the day and working at night may not be far away. As I read Road To Nowhere I lived this reversed life. As a woman reader I felt the relationship struggles of Kirby, her battle with the advances of a man who grossed her out, and her battle to live in outer space as a scientist. At times I was left wanting to speed through my reading in order to find out if Patrick and Kirby would be reunited or if Patrick was doomed on a planet that was soon no more. Then there was the interesting topic of corporate control, the fooling of a nation to think that they needed what was being offered yet placing only themselves first. For myself Evan Shapiro has created, in a Road To Nowhere, a piece of fiction that not only had my mind whirring but was so close to home it is scary.

I urge you to put down what you are currently reading and grab a copy of Road To Nowhere.

You will soon be seeing the world around you from a different thought perspective.

I leave you with the three following extracts from various pages of Road To Nowhere by Evan Shapiro.

‘What was survival if its cost left you spiritually bankrupt? As a species should we not only strive to survive but also strive to evolve?’

‘There are only three things you need to worry about. What you were, what you are and what you’ll be.’

“What if all other living creatures apart from humanity are born with an understanding of universal truths. Seems to me they tend to live their lives in sync with nature rather than in opposition to it. They don’t destroy to the capacity and scale that people do. Perhaps humanity is wasting its time trying to find answers to questions that every other living being already knows instinctively?” The old man smiled.

ISBN: 978-0-9925601-8-8 Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Evan-Shapiro/e/B00MUP0D78 Join Evan Shapiro on Facebook: www.facebook.com/evanshapiro.author

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The Man with the Compound Eyes Author: Wu Ming-Yi

By Lola Sterrett Are we doomed to live in the shadow of what has been lost? Wu Ming-Yi’s The Man with the Compound Eyes, translated into English by Darryl Stark, is an exploration into the tidal nature of grief.

Set in a near future, the novel tells of an earth where global warming has irreparably changed the world’s weather patterns and the strange untouched island of Wayo Wayo, where every second male child born is thrown to the sea to appease and honour the Sea God. Due to the change in the world’s weather patterns, a trash vortex has formed in the middle of the ocean and crashes into the coast of Taiwan. Drawn together by the trash vortex, loss and grief, The Man with the Compound Eyes tells the stories of Alice, a woman preparing for her suicide after her son and husband vanish in the Taiwanese mountains, and Atile’i, a second son from the Wayo Wayo Islands whose destiny is that of a human sacrifice for the Sea God. At face value the story is just that, the morning that the trash vortex slams into the coast of Taiwan. Alice, after years of wrestling with the idea that her son and husband are gone, plans to take her own life. Meanwhile, on Wayo Wayo Atile’i time has come to be given to the sea. However Atile’i fights back against the waves eventually swimming towards the trash vortex, finding no other options available to him, Atile’i creates a makeshift home amongst the rubbish.

The Man with the Compound Eyes, is a bizarre and wonderful mix of a novel within a novel, nothing is as it seems. Ming-Yi weaves an evocative tale where the mountains and environment of the earth are a focal point and plays the role of a living breathing character.

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The Man with the Compound Eyes

The Man with the Compound Eyes

The exploration of grief, loss and their many different faces means thatThe man with the Compound Eyes has an empathic heaviness, yet the true strength of the novel is how it does not compare the different aspects of heartache. Who can say that the damage done to the earth’s environment is greater than that felt by a mother whose son has vanished without a trace or the pain felt when your memories twist and turn inside of you and you can longer remember what was real and what was the work of imagination. Memory and perceptions of reality play an important role, with the third act of the book devolving into a literary rabbit hole, wherein the reader has to sift through their memories of the characters to find the truth at the heart of the story.

One major flaw of the novel is, due to the alternating character perspectives of the chapters, it is hard to be completely immersed by Wu Ming-Yi’s writing. Unfortunately, half the time I had to go back and re-read the chapters just to make sure that I wasn’t missing anything, having the adverse effect of snapping me out of the moment.

It is a hauntingly melancholic read; nature and its inherent fragility are on full display as Ming-Yi manages to make me long for a Taiwan. A Taiwan I have never visited and am not sure exists outside of his mind and imaginations. Whilst the universe at play in the novel is a large and complex one, usually the characters become lost and are sacrificed for the sheer size of the author’s concepts, but Ming-Yi manages to make the flapping of a butterfly’s wing or the feeling of grass between your toes turn into something beautiful and significant. Whilst slow, The Man with the Compound Eyes is truly science fiction at its core; a worthwhile and satisfying read for any lover of literature.

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Dietland Author: Sarai Walker

By Khadija Caffoor Alicia “Plum” Kettle is 29 years old and waiting for her life to begin.

Plum is sure that she only has to wait a few more months – once her gastric band surgery is complete, a thin, confident woman will emerge to finally take control of the life that Plum is letting slip by.

Because Plum weighs 300lbs and spends her days alone, avoiding eye contact and working via email for a glamorous magazine publishing house (which somehow has too few desks to give her unglamorous self a space in the office). Barely managing to stave off severe depression, Plum is a spiky and at times unlikeable protagonist, a reflection of her attitude to herself: her self-hatred is acute and painfully rendered.

‘If I was smaller,’ Plum thinks, ‘they wouldn’t stare. They wouldn’t be mean.’ As a selfproclaimed fat woman who is comfortable with her body, Sarai Walker writes empathetically of how Plum is split in two – on the one hand, she is desperate for the life that the beautiful and thin ‘Alicia’ will have, the romantic dates and the small clothes that she can’t stop herself from buying; on the other, Plum hates Alicia for not having to face the isolation of everyday cruelty and derision. While her roommates bonded over the never-ending question, ‘Does this make me look fat?’ – when what they were really asking was, ‘Does this make me look like you?’ – Plum removed herself from these social situations to where she now exists, in self-imposed exile.

So why is she suddenly being followed by a mysterious girl with a notebook?

In the same vein as Alice’s fall into Wonderland, Plum is about to tumble down into the rabbit hole world of Calliope House, a feminist collective populated by quirky, larger-thanlife female characters. The organisation is run by Verena Baptist, daughter of the founder of the deliciously satirical Baptist Plan for weight loss of which teenaged Plum was a faithful devotee, imagining herself in their adverts – ‘Sad violins, then Burst!’ and Plum would be thin.

Walker is a prolific writer of short stories, essays and articles that have been featured in

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Dietland international publications, and Dietland is her first novel. She is also a fat activist and believes that the issues of fat acceptance and feminist activism are linked: fat becomes a very gendered political issue because of the way that structures of power grant privilege to certain people.

She says that girls are taught that ‘a tremendous amount of your value and your worth as a person, is how you look … it very much is about sexual attractiveness.’ Hatred of fat bodies is therefore inextricably linked to hatred of women; in Dietland, Walker explores what would happen if women turned their anger outwards, rather than internalising it.

And so as Plum begins reluctantly to deal with her self-loathing, emerging from her isolation, coincidentally so too emerges a militant feminist faction intent on taking revenge on errant men. The unknown entity, who signs herself (or themselves) as ‘Jennifer’, starts taking on accused rapists, pornographic filmmakers, and newspapers which publish photos of naked women. Walker credits Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club with the idea behind Jennifer, which in quickly becomes a global phenomenon of women taking radical ‘masculinist’ action against what they consider male-dominated injustice. The Jennifer acts are presented in the book as news items, and while this does engage with the world in which Walker has created for Plum, the device is somewhat dissonant to the narrative and at times jarring to the reader.

Nevertheless, Walker intriguingly juxtaposes her questions about how far the issues of fat shaming and ‘rape culture’ are linked – fat is certainly a feminist issue here.

This is all an ambitious amount to tackle in a first novel, and Walker is, on the whole, successful. Her characters are strong and her writing is sharp, intelligent and funny, and really shines in the sections where Plum’s world comes uncomfortably close to our own. An ex-television star fired after she cuts her long hair is based on Keri Russell of Felicity fame; the magazine’s beauty closet is comically large enough to fit a 747 aircraft or two; and Plum’s tedious Waist Watchers meetings need no further explanation. Still, at some points the irony and comparisons do begin to stretch a little thin, such as Plum’s barely-veiled references to a well-known lingerie brand, which she calls ‘Bonerville’.

Dedicated to Walker’s foremothers ‘who didn’t always have a voice,’ Dietland places the reader in the part of the under-represented, voiceless minority of being both fat and a woman in contemporary society. Slowly engaging with what it means to live in the world – whatever that might mean – Plum begins to confront what ‘real life’ can and cannot be. Contentedness with one’s self is highly political, says Walker: ‘To say that you are going to accept yourself the way you are really freaks people out. It makes them very angry. It’s deeply radical.’

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Dietland

The Wasp Factory Author: Iain Banks

By Mitch Mott It has been two years since Iain Banks went to that library in the sky where all great writers go when they die, and 32-years since the publication of his break through novel The Wasp Factory. Banks was known primarily for his science fiction work in which he painstakingly creates exotic alien planets inhabited by wise and noble races who then inevitably spend the second half of the book murdering each other in equally exotic ways.

Before he was known for building and inhabiting universes with words, he was writing dark, gothic fiction that placed him squarely on the international literary map. The Wasp Factory, published when he was 30 and making no in roads with science fiction novels, describes the world as seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Frank.

To say that Frank had a troubled childhood is to compete strongly for under-statement of the century. As Frank goes about his macabre and ritualistic daily routines, checking his sacrifice poles, making sure his stockpiles of homemade explosives and projectiles are in a state of readiness, he reminisces on moments from his scarring childhood. These memories are teasingly drawn out, tantalising readers with grim titbits of information that unfold into events that go a long way to explaining why Frank is his sociopathic self.

Frank lives with his father in a sprawling house located on a small island in Scotland. Though the island is tiny and joined to the main land by a bridge, its separation from the local community becomes a symbol for Frank’s own isolation. His only contact is daily encounters with his father, the occasional phone call with his brother Eric, who has recently escaped from a mental institution and is ominously making his way home, and a local villager Jamie, who is Frank’s only friend a dwarf for good measure.

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The Wasp Factory

The Wasp Factory

Eric’s return to the island becomes an event much like the bombing of Dresden in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5; a pivotal moment that is built up and up until it towers over the story and never really needs to be executed. Its mere presence is enough to drive the story. Eric’s phone calls are all that is required to allow Frank to delve into his memories and it is sometimes questionable whether the conversations are really taking place.

The book’s namesake, the wasp factory itself sits at the centre of the story and is Frank’s method for telling the future. By placing an unlucky wasp within the maze of his own construction, Frank believes he is able to predict the future by whichever death the wasp chooses for itself.

His reliance on shamanistic rituals coincides with his dislike of the unknown; he doesn’t stray far from the island and when he does it becomes a great journey unto itself. His disregard for animal life, namely the wasp within the enormous machine, mirrors his feelings towards humanity. For Frank it is not the death of a person that is important but the method in which they are killed.

Written in simple gothic prose, Banks makes Frank feel like flesh and bone though his mind is far from normal. The novel marked the beginning of a thirty year career that included stage productions of his book ‘The Bridge’ and numerous documentaries on his life, politics and writing philosophy. Frank and his brother Eric have also weathered that thirty years and are as chilling as ever, timeless in their teenage madness. A sign that Banks’ legacy continues well after his death.

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Picture Books are Creating s e i r o Mem

By Emily Lighezzolo

Dementia is a wide-spread disease in our country with more than 1.2 million Australians involved in caring for a person with dementia. Helpless and confused, children must watch an elderly relative forget how to do basic things or even forget their own name. This is why a team of Australian authors decided to use picture books to connect with children and give families a vehicle to help children understand dementia.

As Karen Tyrell, the author of Harry Helps Grandpa Remember, reflects, “Knowledge and understanding reduces the fear of interacting with those with memory loss. If children can understand what’s happening to their grandparents and loved ones, they can cope better and interact and enjoy each other’s company.”

Often children want to help their parents who are struggling with the thought of a loved-one suffering memory loss. However, without any understanding of dementia, the child can be left feeling powerless. Debra Tidball, the author of When I see Grandma, emphasises the importance of teaching children about dementia and the effects it can have on those who are close to the person affected.

“Watching the decline of someone you love, or being towed around to unfamiliar places to

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visit people who seem unresponsive can be confusing and overwhelming for young children” she says. “Sensing that their parents are also overwhelmed and grieving can heighten feelings of being out of control. It’s important for children to have a framework for understanding what is happening in their family and be given tools to feel that they have some mastery over events.”

Each book in the dementia collection is inspired by the authors’ personal experiences, many having had a loved one lose their memories. It reflects the inward struggle they felt as their relative or someone else’s started to drift away from reality.

Another author of the group, Victoria Lane reflects on her personal experiences. “My book Celia and Nonna grew out of a time in my life when I had both ageing parents to help care for, and little kids as well,” she says. “The experience of being in a nursing home and with elderly people was very confronting for me but also a strange place for children. While the idea for my children’s book originated with a sense of loss – my eldest daughter could no longer enjoy sleepovers at her Nonna’s house – I’ve turned the story into a positive one that I hope will help many other families, carers and staff of aged care facilities.”

Karen Tyrell also remembers her tragic past with dementia: “My father has memory loss and my father-in-law Alzheimer’s. I was inspired to write a children’s picture book to raise awareness, community understanding and most importantly share memory and coping skills for both the young and old.”

Similarly Debra Tidball saw the effects of dementia, up-close. “My mother had early onset dementia and ended up moving into a low care, then high care aged facility,” she says. “My children and I continued to visit her and it is these experiences that have formed the basis of the book.”

Other members like Ellie Royce, author of Lucas and Jack, is constantly surrounded by the tragic effects of dementia. “I have worked in Aged Care for almost ten years and I’ve watched and participated in so many of our resident’s journeys through dementia,” she says. I’ve become very close to some of them and it is impossible not to be touched and changed by the love and suffering both of the person with dementia and their families.”

The authors crafted these memories into emotional stories, sown with their own heartache, which could communicate to children how to cope with someone who loses their memories.

The authors all specifically chose picture books to connect with children as they inspire both the

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right and left side of the brain in a stimulation of colour and story. They bring to life the reality of dementia in such a tangible way for children and in a way that can be shared by families who have a relative suffering from it.

As Kelly O’Gara, author of Do You Remember?, says, “I really enjoy the simplicity of children’s stories and I love the fact that illustrations play such a large role in contributing to story. A picture tells a thousand words, while the words are beautifully simplified for the mind of a child.”

Ellie Royce shares the same opinion, as she says, “Picture books in particular are a beautiful art form.

I love the way they resonate with both sides of our brains, words and images and so become the perfect medium for all children (and adults!) no matter how they communicate or learn.”

Debra Tidball also reflects on it from a practical perspective, as she foretells, “Reading is a foundational skill that has the power to unlock children from the cycle of disadvantage, as well as transporting children into the lives of others, and sowing the seeds of empathy.”

This group of Australian authors has shown how picture books have the power to create memories and evoke understanding in children. They hope the books will inspire children to remain involved in the lives of their loved-ones who suffer from dementia, rather than being deterred by misunderstanding and fear.

As Victoria Lane emphasises, “I feel really strongly that it is important to keep families as involved as possible when their relative experience dementia and/or moves into aged care, and I hope parents find the book helpful in discussing the issues with their kids.”

Kelly O’Gara also strongly speaks of the changes she hopes her book will bring about. “I hope children come away from reading this book with a clearer understanding of what their grandparent or loved one is going through,” she says. “I hope they feel less confused about the changes in behaviour they are noticing and learn some simple ways of continuing to interact with them as the condition worsens.”

More than anything though, I hope the children understand that their loved one still cares for them greatly, even when they become unable to show it, or forget. ‘Do You Remember?’ highlights the power and beauty of memory and the love of family.”

Ultimately, these Australian women are creating memories from the beautiful pages of their picture books this World Dementia Month.

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Lucas and Jack “Lucas and Jack” is first and foremost meant to be a fun, thought-provoking read, but I have seen it work as a doorway to sharing memories,” says Ellie Royce.

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When I see Grandma “My book “When I See Grandma” is about a grandmother in the late stages of dementia,” says Debra Tidball. “It is based on my children visiting their grandmother in the last months of her life.”

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Celia and Nonna “In Celia and Nonna, all the lovely traditions and routines that Celia enjoys when she stays at her grandma’s house come to an abrupt end when Nonna moves into a nursing home,” says Victoria Lane. “Celia needs to find a new way to connect with her beloved grandma and make their time together special.”

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Inspiring Minds

BOOKS

Harry Helps Grandpa Remember “Harry Helps Grandpa Remember tells the story about a little boy who struggles to communicate with his grandfather and who’ll do anything to help his grandpa remember things he’s forgot,” says Karen Tyrell. “Harry’s objective is to spring board discussion on memory loss for the aged, empathy for those with memory loss, care for grandparents and how to use simple tools to help someone to remember.”

Independent Media

Inspiring Minds

77

Do You Remember?

Do you Remember? aims to explain the confusing changes children may be noticing in behaviour, and introduce simple and beneficial ways of interacting with someone who has dementia. This book highlights the importance of love and memory in this situation, to foster positive interaction between loved ones.

78

Independent Media

Inspiring Minds