Review: All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *

All The Way to the River - Love, Loss and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert is possibly the best memoir I've ever read. Bursting with brutal honesty shared in a manner I can't recall ever experiencing before, this is one to remember.

To sum it up as a memoir about relationships, love and addiction would be the understatement of the year. I don't tend to seek out memoirs on relationships or addiction and I don't enjoy reading fiction about addiction let alone non-fiction about the topic. Having said that, my love of Elizabeth Gilbert's writing led me to pick up her memoir and after reading it I was forced to reconsider my reading tastes in this regard.

The author tells us that Rayya was her hairdresser for several years before she went on to become a social acquaintance, then a friend, then a neighbour, then her best friend, lover, partner and finally her 'person'. Gilbert's description of Rayya is detailed, affectionate and admiring while remaining resolutely honest, particularly towards the heartbreaking and ugly changes towards the end of Rayya's life.

Similarly, Gilbert lays her own soul bare to the reader, declaring early on that she is a sex and love addict. She doesn't stop there though and elaborates further by stating:

"I'm also a romantic obsessive, a fantasy and adrenaline addict, a world-class enabler and a blackout codependent." Page 33

Wow, it's quite the mouthful and I was fascinated to learn how all of this has manifested in Gilbert's life and how she came to know and recognise this about herself. Gilbert shares all of this and more, including how she found the courage to admit her shortcomings and begin to make a conscious effort to be a better person for herself and others.

I really enjoyed learning about Rayya and admired her confidence and direct nature. If there was tension between Rayya and another person, she'd say to them:

"Let's just lay it on the table, man. The sooner we see this mess, the sooner we can start cleaning it up. And don't spare my feelings, dude - just say it! I'd rather have it come out all wrong than stay in all wrong. Cuz if it stays in, it's gonna be all wrong." Page 81-82

What a terrific attitude! I love the perspective that the sooner we see the mess, the sooner we can clean it up. I can see how Gilbert's codependent nature led her to cling to a person who made her feel like everything was going to be okay. Rayya was loved by all for her ability to cut through the pleasantries and make a real difference in people's lives:

"That's enough of the story, babe. We know the story already, we get it. But we don't live in our stories anymore, okay? If you're living in the story, you're still living in the problem. That's the old way, and it's getting you nowhere. We live in solutions, dude, or else we die. So let's start planning some solutions here. Because the way you're living is about to take you under." Page 84

Rayya was in recovery from a drug addiction when they met and Gilbert warns us that addicts can be some of the best and worst people out there; gloriously generous and devastatingly untrustworthy. Surprisingly, Gilbert advises that if you can save yourself from an addict you should cut them off and run. Shockingly, she points out that whether or not an addict dies from their addiction has nothing to do with the amount of love and support given to them by loved ones. This means your love can't save them.

Rayya once confided:

"The only thing that might have made me get clean sooner would have been if every person in my life had cut me off sooner. Because as long as I still had anyone left out there who I could bullshit and use, or borrow money from, or crash with, or who would listen to my sob story, there was no reason for me to quit." Page 246

It wasn't until Rayya had burned every single bridge in her life that she realised she had to decide whether she wanted to live or die. Imagine the guilt that could be assuaged for people with an addict in their family who struggle with the choice to cut their loved one loose or continue to support them. This is just one of the many insights in All the Way to the River that can literally change lives.

One minor gripe would be the overuse of italics to emphasize a word and you can see this in some of the quotes I've shared. Fortunately those listening to the author narrate the audiobook will be spared this frequent distraction.

That aside, there were so many times I had to sit with an idea or concept, like this one:

"In fact, drama and boredom are both symptoms of high anxiety, signalling a deep inability to simply be. When serenity is either un-available or unattainable, only drama and boredom will ever be on the menu." Page 334

All The Way to the River is a celebration of love, an exploration of death and grief with plenty of lighter moments and even a little humour. Far from a misery memoir, the author undertakes the most unflinching look deep within herself to discover why she does what she does and I found it incredibly illuminating. In All The Way to the River, the author delves past her feelings in order to understand her actions and behaviour on a deep level which ultimately made this memoir unforgettable. Having reached that understanding, Gilbert then embarks on the painfully slow process of rebuilding her life after it had been shattered; thus giving hope to all who read her words.

Highly recommended and life changing!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

P.S. Check out my 5 star reviews of The Signature of All Things and City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Review: A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox

* Copy courtesy of HQ Fiction *

A Magic Deep & Drowning by Hester Fox is a reimagining of The Little Mermaid set in the Dutch Republic in 1650. Sounds amazing and I certainly enjoyed the first section set in what is now the Netherlands. Clara and her maid take a ride in a carriage to see a whale that has washed up on a nearby beach. The daughter of wealthy parents, Clara wonders if the whale is a bad omen but is excited at the news of a betrothal as it means she can finally leave home and establish a household of her own.

On first sight, Clara believes the soon-to-be love interest Maurits could have easily stepped out of the pages of her nursemaid's fairy stories so we know that he's fae. Both characters quickly become besotted with each other and I was rolling my eyes early on with the descriptions of his tidal-pool eyes and the waves of heat that pass between them.

I reviewed The Widow of Pale Harbour by Hester Fox in 2023 and I'm assuming this is the reason the publisher sent me a copy of the author's latest release, A Magic Deep & Drowning. I commented in my 3 star review of The Widow of Pale Harbour that there was too much romance for my liking but here there's even more. In fact, I'd go so far as to call A Magic Deep and Drowning a romantasy or young adult coming of age paranormal romance. It sounds like a mouthful, but this historical romance will appeal to readers familiar with the genre.

This reimagining of The Little Mermaid involves a gender switch and Maurits hails from the Water Kingdom where his people are in turmoil, disgusted by the way humans have overfished the sea to the point of scarcity.

Clara was an adventurous and courageous protagonist keen to accept accountability for the destruction:

"For the first time in her life, she had made a decision herself, one that did not sit precariously on the axis of her own comfort and duty." Page 249

Wanting to atone for the sins of human kind is obviously admirable, but I have no idea why she had to do it while being hungry all the time. Even when there was food to eat, Clara chose to hardly eat any of it which proved annoying.

I kept reading in hopes of returning and dwelling in the bustling streets and canals of 1600s Amsterdam when in hindsight I probably should have set this aside. The overarching message about being better custodians of the land and the sea will appeal to many readers, but A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox is confirmation that romantasy isn't for me.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Shades of Yellow Winners Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my recent international giveaway for 3 signed copies of Shades of Yellow by Australian author Wendy J. Dunn.

All entrants correctly identified that Lucy writes about the mysterious and historical death of Amy Robsart. Two entrants (Maddy and Karinap13) gave me their postal addresses instead of their email addresses making them ineligible for the giveaway as I'm unable to contact them. Sorry about that!

We received 97 entries in total and Wendy helped me to choose the first of the three winners. The remaining winners were drawn today, and congratulations go to... (drum roll):

Suzanne, Jeena Murphy* & Anna maree-m

Congratulations! You've each won a signed copy of Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn valued at $35.99 along with an accompanying bookmark hand painted and signed by the author. You'll receive an email from me shortly to organise your inscription and postage details, so congrats! *Jeena, your email has bounced back undeliverable, can you please contact me in the next 5 days to claim your prize or I'll need to choose another winner.

Review: Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan *

Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo is simply sublime and it's a definite contender for My Top 5 Books of 2025.

A young woman shunned by her Amish community in the small rural town of Lakota Wisconsin refuses medical help and manages to give birth to a baby weighing 18 pounds thanks to the help of the local vet.

We watch this strange boy Gabriel Fisher grow up through the eyes of various characters including Thomas the vet who delivered him, his Amish grandmother Hannah and several others on the periphery of his life.

Astonishingly, Gabriel Fisher walks at the age of eight months and it's clear he's been a gifted young boy since birth.

"He's good at a lot of things. Animals love him, and he cares for them with uncommon understanding. At the rate he's growing, he's going to be bigger than two normal men and stronger than any three. God has given him many gifts. How can we be sure of His intentions so soon, when the boy is only ten years old?" Page 96

Each of these characters witnessing or participating in Gabriel's childhood and coming of age has their own interesting back story. I also loved the myriad practical ways they helped accommodate Gabriel's increasing size.

The Amish way of life in the novel reminded me of the shunning of Kai Proctor and later his niece Rebecca in the TV show Banshee which I highly recommend. A gentle people, they want Gabriel to continue living on their farm and participating in their community but his size soon attracts unwanted attention and Gabriel's life as he knows it is challenged by those who want to see him succeed in a different way.

Gabriel's gentle nature and amazing gift with animals reminded me of John Coffey in The Green Mile by Stephen King (highly recommend the book and the movie), not only due to his size but the fact that he was special and had a unique gift.

The writing in this was magnificent and I was deeply moved by the ending, especially when I understood the significance of the feathers on the cover. I don't want to mention much more than this as it's a story best entered into without any prior knowledge but I came to care very much for Gabriel and I was touched by the back stories and character growth within the novel.

Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo is entirely unforgettable and highly recommended!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

WIN 1 of 3 signed copies of Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn

* Giveaway courtesy of the author *

Intro

Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian author with a passion for bringing forgotten women of history to life and her new release Shades of Yellow will be published on 7 September. 

To celebrate the launch I'm hosting an international giveaway to give readers the chance to win 1 of 3 signed copies of Shades of Yellow valued at $35.99. Each winner will also receive an accompanying bookmark hand painted and signed by the author. Entries close midnight AEST Sunday 7 September 2025, enter below and good luck!

Blurb

During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage.

After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death.

Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?

Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed.

Review: Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Everything is Tuberculosis - The History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection by John Green is an in depth examination of tuberculosis (TB), it's causes, history, treatments and cures and why it is that so many people continue to die of the disease each and every year.

TB is an infection caused by bacteria and it's airborne, meaning anyone can catch it. According to the author, between 1/4 and 1/3 of all living humans have been infected with it but only a small percentage of those (up to 10%) will end up becoming sick with active TB. Malnutrition and a weakened immune system can trigger a dormant case of TB to become active, making it largely a disease of poverty.

The author of The Fault in Our Stars began to take a serious interest in the topic when he met a young boy with TB in Sierra Leone. Referring to Henry's case throughout the book enables him to put a face on the disease and Green sets the scene early on when he informs the reader just how many people have died from TB in the last 200 years.

"Just in the last two centuries, tuberculosis caused over a billion human deaths. One estimate, from Frank Ryan's Tuberculosis the Greatest Story Never Told, maintains that TB has killed around 1 in 7 people who've ever lived." Introduction

I remember learning this fact at some point in the last few years and it's precisely the reason I decided to read this book. Also known as consumption, and sometimes referred to as the white plague, tuberculosis is the oldest contagious disease and I wanted to know more about it.

The audiobook is narrated by the author himself and I was most interested in the history of TB and in particular the romanticisation of consumption in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At that time, it was believed TB was only acquired by people with great sensitivity and intelligence. If that wasn't bad enough, women with consumption were thought to become more beautiful, ethereal and wondrously pure. Ugh!

TB is a wasting disease and death was commonly a long and drawn out process during which sufferers became weakened and bed-bound. It's hard to believe now - until you recall the popularity of waif models and the heroin chic style from the 1990s - but this began to affect beauty standards of the time. Patients with active TB became thin and pale with wide sunken eyes and a rosy tint on their cheeks from fever and this beauty ideal became desirable and highly valued. (You can see this reflected in the art and literature of the time).

Green moves on to the science of TB and describes the various breakthroughs in medicine that led to TB eventually becoming treatable and then curable. In 2023, a million people died of TB and while Green acknowledges we can't eliminate TB completely, we can make sure nobody dies from it. So why haven't we?

The author explains that the drugs to treat TB aren't being produced and made available in the countries that need them most. Essentially, the drugs are where the disease is not and the disease is where the drugs are not.

A whole host of factors, including big pharma companies keep drug prices high; only a finite amount of aid sent to foreign countries is allocated to medicine and lack of access to basic medical facilities in poorer countries means that TB goes on to kill a million people unnecessarily each year. Learning TB is basically an expression of injustice and inequity was grim and depressing.

At the end of all this, there was no call to action, no website to donate to or petition to sign which was a lost opportunity in my opinion. Green is clearly calling for global healthcare reform, but provides little for the average reader to do with their frustration at the current situation.

For novels with consumptive characters, I can recommend:
- The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson by Belinda Lyons-Lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Bone China by Laura Purcell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown

* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown is one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2025. The Book of Doors was a reading highlight last year and it made My Top 5 Books of 2024, so naturally I've been eagerly awaiting the author's next endeavour.

The Society of Unknowable Objects is set in present day London and is primarily told by Magda Sparks, with other character points of view shared throughout the novel. Magda has been attending six monthly meetings of the Society hosted by Frank in the basement of his bookshop for several years now.

"For eighty years the Society of Unknowable Objects had existed with a sole purpose: to collect and protect and keep secret the magical items of the world. For forty years no new item had come to light and the world of magical things had been quiet, the Society's collection undisturbed in the hidden recess behind the bookcase." Page 14*

After years of uneventful meetings, news of the emergence of a new magical item comes as a shock. Magda volunteers to meet with the owner and secure the item for the Society, swiftly learning she's not the only person seeking possession of the item.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sheer creativity and imagination with regard to the unknowable objects housed in the Society's collection. The magic is contained in everyday items, like a necklace or a chess piece and their various powers were interesting.

The writing is compelling and each chapter ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, enticing the reader to continue long after lights out. There's plenty of adventure, action and of course magic, but the romance really bogged down the story for me.

There were moments of dialogue that made me chuckle like this comment from one society member to another:

"I love you, but you're absolutely the model of a modern major pessimist." Page 198*

The characters engaged in clever use of the magical items while constantly acknowledging the danger of the items falling into the wrong hands, which of course some of them do. The origin story of the objects was believable, although the source of the origin story remained a mystery; to me at least.

I noted the slight nod to the science fiction classic Frankenstein - in the desire by the monster for a mate - but I'm relieved to say I enjoyed this book a hell of a lot more.

In fact, The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown would have been a five star read if it wasn't for the heavy romance element and a little too much greenery in the denouement. Gareth Brown is now an 'auto read' author for me and I can't wait to find out where he plans to take his growing fan base in the future.

* I read an uncorrected proof copy, so the page numbers I've quoted may not accurately correspond with the published version.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson by Belinda Lyons-Lee

* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *

The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson by Belinda Lyons-Lee is the story behind the events that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

With a killer Prologue about wardrobes and their ability to absorb the essence of their creator as well as those who have used it to keep their belongings safely inside it, I dare you to read the first page and not continue.

When the story kicks off we're in 1885 in the seaside town of Bournemouth on the south coast of England. The novel is told from the perspective of Fanny Osbourne, a married American writer who went on to divorce her husband and marry Robert Louis Stevenson to become Fanny Stevenson.

I appreciated the character list at the beginning of the book and it certainly helped me keep the Shelley characters straight in my mind. In telling her tale to Lady Shelley, Fanny confides:

'It's a strange tale,' I said. 'A wardrobe, a hundred-year-old hanging of an infamous criminal, a cunning poisoner, and plenty of greed, lust, betrayal and madness.' Page 66

You might be wondering if you need to have read any of Robert Louis Stevenson's work (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or Treasure Island) in order to enjoy this gothic historical fiction novel and my answer is a resounding no. I haven't read the Jekyll and Hyde classic, although those who have done so will definitely enjoy the few snippets of writing shared in this novel as Stevenson throws himself into his work creating a novel about the duality of nature.

At the same time I was reading this, I was listening to Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green and it had additional relevancy for me as Stevenson is portrayed as having a consumption like illness (now called tuberculosis) which played a large part in the events of the novel.

This is my second time reading the work of this Australian author, having enjoyed Tussaud by Belinda Lyons-Lee back in April 2021 and I was pleased to find this just as well researched and containing a similar dark gothic atmosphere I've come to appreciate in her writing.

The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson by Belinda Lyons-Lee is recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction based on the lives and actions of real people from history with a touch of the supernatural.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Talk Your Way Out of Trouble by Jahan Kalantar

Jahan Kalantar is a successful criminal defence lawyer and advocate in Australia and in his memoir Talk Your Way Out of Trouble - Life Lessons from the Law I thought he was going to teach us how to talk our own way out of legal trouble should we ever find ourselves in it. I was hopeful he'd share the type of advice he's cultivated in his career and now regularly gives his clients. However, this isn't really that book.

Instead, this is Kalantar's memoir from his early days as a law student and law graduate, right through to the successful criminal lawyer he is today. This comprises time spent working as a solicitor in several different areas of the law and figuring out that wasn't his preferred career path for a variety of reasons. It also includes his time studying for the bar and qualifying as a barrister before deciding the wig - and everything that came with it - wasn't for him. Based in Sydney, Kalantar is also a university lecturer, social media commentator and public speaker so he's seen plenty of legal cases and helped more clients than he could probably count.

In this book, the author shares his career progression and a number of memorable cases that have shaped his view of life and the law along the way. Some cases and clients are touching or poignant and some are even funny but Kalantar doesn't shy away from sharing his mistakes along with his successes.

"Show up each day, do your best to adapt with grace, show resilience in the face of adversity and remember that mastery and perfection are a myth. Every day is simply us trying, it's why we call the work of a lawyer, practice." Afterword

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author himself and it was interesting but wasn't the reading experience I anticipated. Instead, I assumed I was going to learn how to talk myself out of trouble. Naturally I accept full responsibility for jumping to the wrong conclusion about the contents, although I do wonder if the title misled any other readers in a similar way.

The author offers an effective method of saying sorry and it was a more succinct version of the method offered in Sorry, Sorry, Sorry - The Case for Good Apologies by Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy. It was also the subject of a TEDxSydney event entitled A perfect apology in three steps which might be of interest to some readers.

After a generous and heartfelt series of Acknowledgements at the end of his book, I enjoyed this surprising addition:

"On the other side of the coin, I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the many people I've encountered during my years who were unnecessarily cruel, mean spirited, difficult and plainly unkind. On behalf of myself, and everyone else working to make the world a better place, fu*k you! I wrote this book anyway. I hope the lessons in it inspire you to live better, and seek to see the best in people before casting judgement." Acknowledgements

I'm sure many authors have had similar thoughts when publishing their work, but huge kudos to Kalantar for having the courage to include it for all to see. Loved it!

Talk Your Way Out of Trouble - Life Lessons from the Law by Jahan Kalantar is an excellent choice for anyone considering a career in law, law adjacent lines of work or advocacy.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

The Lost Bookshop by Irish author Evie Woods is historical fiction meets magical realism with lashings of romance. Published in 2023 to great acclaim, the novel unfolds in alternating chapters and features three main characters.

In 1921, Opaline has run away to France to avoid an arranged marriage at the hands of her brother and finds a job working for Shakespeare and Company bookshop. With an eye for buying and selling antiquarian books her overbearing brother is hot on her trail, sending her to an asylum when he catches up with her in Dublin and finds her pregnant out of wedlock.

The contemporary narrative is set in Dublin where Martha escapes an abusive relationship and takes a job working as a housekeeper for the eccentric Mrs Bowden. Henry is a PhD student searching for a rare manuscript and a bookshop he walked into but can never find again when he meets Martha.

All three narratives were first person perspectives and there were many literary references and bookish quotes to keep book lovers turning the pages. I particularly enjoyed this one concerning the motivations of a rare book dealer:

"Never trust a book dealer who lets sentimentality get in the way. I had to own it because there is only one of it in the world - that's all there is to it. If I own it, then no one else can. I have known men to hazard their fortunes, go long journeys halfway about the world, forget friendships, even lie, cheat, and steal, all for the gain of a book." Page 169

The author does an excellent job creating a bookish atmosphere and I longed to browse the aisles of the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in addition to the mysterious shelves of the lost bookshop of the title.

However, there were romantic relationships in all three narratives that quickly grew tiresome. All too often, romance bogs down a far more interesting plot and this was the case for me here. I also found it difficult to accept that both Opaline and Martha would be ready for romance without more breathing time after their respective prior experiences.

There are some significant elements of magical realism in the story - largely focussed around Martha for some inexplicable reason - and most of these were creative and absorbing, but never adequately explained.

At the end there were a number of loose narrative threads that were left unresolved and too many unanswered questions about the true identity of Mrs Bowden when I wanted needed answers.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods will appeal to book lovers who enjoy historical fiction, magical realism and romance and who don't mind finding the meaning between the lines.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is now the longest book I've ever read, coming in at 1,276 pages. It was definitely the most intimidating book on my TBR and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment having finished it. What can I say about this classic? Well, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Many of you will know the basic outline of the book, Edmond Dantès is falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Envious of his success, a number of people collaborate to conspire against him for their own personal gain and when Dantès learns the identity and motivations of his conspirators, he sets out to destroy them.

In order of severity, our conspirators are:

Caderousse - envious neighbour wracked with guilt over the fact he didn't stop the plot
Fernand - in love with Dantès' fiancé Mercédès and guilty of delivering the letter
Danglars - ship's purser and colleague envious of Dantès' recent promotion to ship's captain and responsible for writing the letter accusing him of treason
Villefort - Deputy Crown Prosecutor, sends Dantès to prison without release in order to protect the identity of his Bonapartist father

Later escaping the prison after 14 years and finding a hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo thanks to a touching relationship with a fellow prisoner, Dantès completely re-invents himself and becomes an entirely different man. After purchasing the island and founding a chivalric commandership, he leaves his old identity behind and re-enters society as the Count of Monte Cristo.

The descriptions of Dantès' incarceration and meeting with his fellow prisoner Abbé Faria were some of my favourite chapters. Abbé becomes a cherished companion and father figure and eagerly shares his extensive knowledge of languages, science, philosophy, history and politics with Dantès who is transformed by the wisdom generously shared.

During this time we're given access to Dantès thoughts and feelings but after his escape, the reader is no longer privy to his plotting and planning to bring down his enemies. Regrettably we only see the effects of his master plan by joining a range of individual characters including the conspirators and those in their immediate orbit as events transpire.

Here's an example of Villefort reflecting on the fact that he is sacrificing Dantès to his own ambition in order to protect his father:

"Now, in the depths of that sick heart the first seeds of a mortal abscess began to spread." Page 86

Suggesting Villefort will carry remorse in his soul until death is heavy indeed, although later in the book when Dantès catches up with Villefort, he's thriving and far from suffering. In fact, all but Caderousse have succeeded in the time Dantès was imprisoned.

Largely told in a third-person omniscient point of view, when Dantès re-enters society he finds his conspirators much changed:

Caderousse - has lost his livelihood as a tailor and is living in poverty
Fernand - has married Mercédès and is now the Comte de Morcerf after a distinguished service in the military
Danglars - has married into a noble family and is now Baron Danglars, an influential banker in Paris
Villefort - is now Chief Crown Prosecutor, however he's hiding the secret of an illegitimate child

There's a lot of detail and many characters to keep track of. The section in Rome with the bandits went for way too long and really only served to give Dantès an introduction to Parisian society. Sometimes it felt as though we were glimpsing the society goings on purely for the author's entertainment. I did enjoy the witty dialogue between Danglars and Villefort in Paris, but I found myself hoping it was all leading somewhere and part of the bigger plan.

Believing he's God's instrument, Dantès sets out to bring them down one by one:

Caderousse - Dantès gives him a second chance but eventually his greed gets him killed
Fernand (Comte de Morcerf) - Dantès proves Fernand committed treason and he is subsequently disgraced. His wife (Mercédès) and son leave him and he commits suicide from the shame.
Danglars - Dantès manipulates the stockmarket, bankrupting and disgracing Danglars. Fleeing his home in Paris, he steals money to establish a new life in Rome. Kidnapped by bandits (friends of Dantès from earlier in the book), he's imprisoned and starved, forced to buy food and water until he has little money left and is a broken man.
Villefort - Dantès manipulates Villefort's wife (a poisoner) and she poisons several members of Villefort's household. Dantès then exposes Villefort's secret of an illegitimate child in court and Villefort realises his wife is the poisoner. After forcing her to kill herself he suffers a mental breakdown.

Dantès' thirst for revenge seems to wane as the book goes on and there are many insights I enjoyed like this one:

"Truly generous men are always ready to feel compassion when their enemy's misfortune exceeds the bounds of their hatred." Page 953

The author breaks the fourth wall occasionally with phrases like "as we mentioned earlier" or "we owe it to our readers" or "in the previous chapter". And I was surprised when the author referred to himself in Chapter 36: "The author of this story, who lived for five or six years in Italy..." I wasn't expecting to be addressed directly by the author in this manner but readily enjoyed it.

I'll admit Dantès' relationship with the slave girl completely creeped me out. She saw him both as a father figure and a lover - blurgh - so when he ended the novel with her I screwed up my face in distaste. It was fitting that his relationship with Mercédès was beyond repair but what's wrong with sailing into the sunset alone?

Published in 1844, I read the Penguin Classics hardback edition translated by Robin Buss, and when compared to the ebook edition available on Libby, it was a very readable translation. Originally published as a weekly serial in a French newspaper, Dumas was paid by the word (or the line) and the book is understandably quite long as a result.

Enriching this month long reading experience (it took me 33 days, reading 3% each day) was reading The Count of Monte Cristo with fellow book blogger Suzie Eisfelder. Discussing it as we went along, Suzie recorded her thoughts on our buddy read on her YouTube channel where she says: "I thank Tracey for making it possible for me to actually finish this book." You're very welcome Suzie and thanks for sticking with it!

Immediately after finishing, I thought The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas was going to be a five star read. But in the considerable time it's taken for me to write this review - and include all of the character arcs for my own future reference - I'm reconsidering. I'm now able to separate the detailed narrative from the sense of achievement and satisfaction having conquered this sizeable classic and I'm going to settle on 4 stars.

Overall, a very enjoyable buddy read of this classic which I followed up by watching the 1975 version of The Count of Monte Cristo starring Richard Chamberlain.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: History Stinks!: Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time by Suzie Edge

Throughout June and July I was finally tackling The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and needed a light audiobook to listen to in my downtime. History Stinks! Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time by Suzie Edge is the second in the History Stinks! series - the first being History Stinks! Poo Through the Ages - and is recommended for readers aged 7 years and over.

Published in April 2025, doctor and historian Suzie Edge turns back time to teach young readers about the history of urine, snot, pus, earwax, vomit, blood, sweat, tears and saliva. Tapping into the fact that kids of a certain age find bodily excretions gross and funny, the author combines her medical knowledge with her love of history to educate us further on this gooey subject matter.

We learn how urine was used by doctors to diagnose patients. 2,500 years ago the physician Hippocrates tasted a patient's urine in order to diagnose their condition. Now considered the father of medicine, Hippocrates was able to utilise this technique to spot conditions like diabetes if the urine was too sweet. He also tasted a patient's earwax; if it was bitter the patient was well, but if it was sweet, the patient was sick.

The chapter on earwax was enlightening as the author tells us medieval monks used earwax to help stick gold leaf to their illuminated manuscripts and to alter the consistency of their ink. Wow!

"Amazingly, earwax can tell us a lot about a person. Archaeologists who find bodies when they are digging in the ground sometimes find them with earwax still there. You can tell what someone liked to eat, the environment that they lived in and what pollutants they were exposed to." Chapter 5, Ewww! Earwax!

Presented in an easily digestible and accessible writing style, the content features regular jokes and info that will no doubt keep kids engaged.

History Stinks! Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time is perfect to listen to in the car with kids who want to know more about gross human bodily excretions and how our knowledge about them has changed over time.

Other books by Suzie Edge include:
Vital Organs - A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts
Mortal Monarchs - 1,000 Years of Royal Deaths

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

In the mood again to tackle another self help book, I recently listened to the audiobook of Hidden Potential - The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant. With an endorsement from tennis champion Serena Williams, I was confident Hidden Potential would provide a number of pearls of wisdom to add to my growing collection.

The author includes achievements by an array of inspiring individuals from all walks of life which was mildly interesting but this book is a better launching pad for those with low self esteem who feel underrated and overlooked. I guess I should be thankful that's not me.

Throughout the audiobook, there were snippets read by other contributors that distracted from the overall flow of the content. If they were longer they may have had value but I just found them irritating and a distraction.

I did enjoy this tidbit about the difference between asking for feedback and asking for advice.

"Instead of seeking feedback, you're better off asking for advice. Feedback tends to focus on how well you did last time. Advice shifts attention to how you can do better next time. In experiments, that simple shift is enough to elicit more specific suggestions and more constructive input. Rather than dwelling on what you did wrong, advice guides you toward what you can do right." Chapter 2, Human Sponges - Building the Capacity to Absorb and Adapt

I can understand how this book has helped readers overcome psychological barriers and inspired them to chase after their dreams, but for a reader who has read many self help books I didn't find a previously untapped reservoir of hidden potential to draw from.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Lies We Tell Ourselves Winners Announced

Thanks to everyone who entered my recent giveaway to win 1 of 2 signed copies of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot. Thanks to Big Ideas Press for providing the prizes and to Romi from Books On Tour PR & Marketing for the collaboration.

All entrants correctly identified Harley as the main character and entries closed at midnight Sunday 20 July 2025. The winners were drawn today, and congratulations go to... (drum roll):

SHARKS & MADDIE

Congratulations! You've each won a signed copy of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot. You'll receive an email from me shortly to organise your inscription and postage details. Congrats and I hope you enjoy this Australian young adult story.

WIN 1 of 2 signed copies of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot

* Giveaway courtesy of Big Ideas Press *

Intro

It's time for another giveaway and I've teamed up with Romi from Books On Tour PR & Marketing to bring you a young adult story set in Australia. The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot is suitable for readers aged 12+ and contains themes of friendship, self-esteem, body image, family dynamics, first romance and mental health.

Maura Pierlot is an Australian writer and international award-winning children's book author. She holds a PhD in philosophy, specialising in ethics and is also a qualified art therapist. 

Blurb

The biggest lies are the ones you tell yourself.

When gorgeous new student, Carter, struts into class, Harley knows it's time to reinvent herself. Before long, she's shedding not only her weight but her friends, her family and the person she used to be. Betrayed by someone close to her, Harley abandons her only ally, drawn into a dangerous game of self-deception with no rules. Or winner. Spiralling deeper into a world where nothing is as it seems, Harley is desperate to find her way back. But first, she must figure out why her dead grandmother is messaging her. Why her father's never home. Why the voice keeps making her do things she doesn't want to do. Why everyone she loves is out of reach. Why everything she wishes for is vanishing before her eyes ... or is she the one disappearing?

Giveaway

This international giveaway for 1 of 2 signed copies of The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Maura Pierlot has now closed. Thanks to Big Ideas Press for providing these prizes valued at $22.99AUD each, entries closed at midnight AEST Sunday 20 July 2025. Good luck!

Guest Speaker for The Society of Women Writers Victoria this week

Exciting news! This week I'm honoured to be a guest speaker for The Society of Women Writers Victoria where I'll be talking about "The Wonderful World of Book Blogging."

If you’re passionate about writing or curious about book blogging, here are the event details:

Date: Thursday 10 July 2025
Time: 7.30PM
Price: $15.00
Tickets: on sale here

For those who might be interested, here's the event description:

"Tracey Allen is the Melbourne based booklover behind Carpe Librum. Reviewing books for 20 years and regularly engaging with authors, agents, publicists and publishers, Tracey has interviewed some interesting authors over the years and has a never-ending pile of books waiting for her to read. In this session, Tracey is going to talk about the wonderful world of book blogging so bring your burning questions, nothing is off limits. You can visit her blog at www.carpelibrum.net."

I can't wait to connect with fellow writers and readers to discuss my favourite topic of books, book reviews and book blogging and hope some of you will join me there.

Carpe Librum!

Winner of the 20 Year Celebration Giveaway Announced

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to celebrate 20 years of blogging at Carpe Librum.

Entrants were invited to share their favourite Carpe Librum post from the last 20 years as well as any additional comments and I received so many messages of warmth, I'd like to share a few of my favourites here before we draw the winner.

Share your favourite post from the last 20 years:
"I have a memory like a sieve so had a little look at your top fives for each year and realised you had introduced me to Jack Heath's books so I love you for that! And Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor which is one of my all time favourite novels."

"I won (and then read) your book giveaway for The Winter Dress and it was around the time I started liking the history genre and have loved reading your email! You are one of the few I open and read the whole way through!"

"So many good ones! The Life of Birds (love birds), The Dictionary of Lost Words (one of my most fave books ever) and The Woman in the Library (another great)."

"Can't remember the specific post but I early on realised I enjoyed seeing the new post notification pop up in my inbox. Always found myself nodding along with the reviews, we often have very similar opinions!"

"Carpe Librum has become a motto for me to treasure as long as I am able to do so. ANCORA IMPARO!!!"

I love that last comment of Ancora imparo! It's a quote by Michelangelo and it's an Italian phrase that means 'I am still learning'. I couldn't agree more!

Entrants were also able to leave feedback or the book/s they planned to buy if they won the giveaway:
"I'd just like to say I look forward to reading your reviews even if I decide many of them are not for me. You are so thorough and because of this I get a good idea what the book is all about and can make my decision, to read or not to read, from there. Thank you."

"Congratulations Tracey - I don’t visit your blog as often as I should, but I do always read your emails, and get a little thrill when I see them in my inbox."

"Keep reading, keep writing, keep blogging - don’t conform to books you don’t like (we’ll be able to tell in your reviews!). But overall, you are doing a great job and I enjoy seeing your emails pop up in my inbox. Truth be told if I win this book giveaway I will be unashamedly searching for romantasy haha."

"Congratulations on 20 years, Tracey! An amazing achievement. I always enjoy seeing your reviews pop into my inbox. Yours remains the only blog I subscribe to and I look forward to reading many more great reviews in the years to come!"

See what I mean? Entrants left such touching and thoughtful comments, many of whom have been subscribers for more than 10 years, which is amazing in itself. And I love the cheeky comment that one of the entrants will be using the voucher to be purchase some romantasy if they win, hilarious!

Well, the time has come to the announce the winner. There were 73 entries in total and congratulations go to:

Rachel

Congratulations Rachel! You've won a $50AUD gift card from Dymocks. If you don't have access to a Dymocks store and prefer not to order from them online, I'll happily organise a gift card of the same value from your preferred bookseller to be emailed to you. Enjoy and Carpe Librum!

Review: The Pretender by Jo Harkin

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury *

The Pretender by Jo Harkin is the story of a young boy raised as a commoner, completely unaware that he’s Edward Plantagenet, the Earl of Warwick. Or is he?

I absolutely loved this novel, and it helps that I'm fascinated by the historical account of Lambert Simnel who was allegedly a pretender to the throne of England. In 1487, it was claimed this 10 year old boy was Edward Plantagenet, the son of George, Duke of Clarence; who opted to be drowned in a barrel of wine for treason against his brother. Hidden for his safety after the princes in the Tower disappeared, the boy was tutored for years before the political climate favoured the beginning of a rebellion in his name.

After King Henry VII and his progeny, this pretender claimed to be the 17th Earl of Warwick and next in line to the throne but his cause was defeated. After the Yorkist rebellion failed to make him King later that year, the young boy received a pardon based on his youth and was sent to work in the kitchens as a servant.

I was wondering which line of history author Jo Harkin was going to take and she navigated the threads of history perfectly. In the beginning, we're introduced to a lively 6 year old John Collan being raised on a farm in a remote English village in 1483. Some of my favourite scenes were of young John on the farm, and the author has a terrific sense of humour:

"John!' calls small Mary. 'Is it true? That kings have a groom of the stool who watches them shit and then takes the shit and looks at it?'
'Of course it's true,' John says. 'There's a groom of the stool right here in the village.'
'Who!'
'Jack. He waits by the midden to collect everyone's turds. He's probably got one in his jerkin now.'" Page 24

Still enjoying John's childhood, a strange and unnamed nobleman visits the farm and John is swiftly taken from everything he's known. Taking on the name Lambert, a home-sick John undertakes years of tutoring in secrecy and wishes he wasn't a noble. Living in seclusion with his tutor and falling in love with reading and studying Ovid, Plutarch, Juvenal, John is a natural scholar.

Soon enough though, his life is drastically changed again and he is wrenched from his tutor to travel to Flanders. Each time he is moved like a political pawn from one country to another, he changes names but the author does an exceptional job of keeping us on track as his external identity shifts from Lambert to Simnel, Edward, Simnel and beyond.

Another favourite era was John's childhood friendship with Philip the Handsome (1478–1506), and later on his time in Ireland where in Dublin in 1487, he's proclaimed King Edward VI. I found John's internal musings on his fate to be convincing and his self doubt endearing as he attempts to negotiate the uncertainty and dangerous political climate in which he finds himself.

John realises he'll either be crowned King of England or be killed in the process and tries to make the most of his circumstances while plotting revenge for those who have hurt him along the way. You might imagine the novel ends when John is pardoned and sent to the kitchens, but this change of circumstances does nothing to dull the narrative.

"... there are so many layers of servant-tiers between them. Here there are larders, a pastry kitchen, buttery, cellar, waferers, larderers, sauciers, dessert cooks, undercooks, scullions. The hundreds of servants rushing around these demesnes wear no livery, being below eyesight." Page 309

Occasionally I was struck by an historical fact that gave me pause, like the fact that King Henry V invaded France in 1492 and according to the author, took 700 ships and 15,000 men to besiege Boulogne. It's hard to imagine the logistics involved in an invasion involving 700 ships.

I heartily enjoyed the witty dialogue and descriptions in The Pretender - one character has a face like a portcullis - and the writing style had me chuckling along as we accompany John as he enters adulthood.

"Don't worry, Jack. When I need a turd inspecting, I'll be sure to send for you!" Page 41

Some of you might know that John was later appointed to the position of falconer and we follow his life until he disappears into the history books in an extremely satisfying conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed The Pretender and I can readily imagine it adapted for the big screen. I admire the author's ability to cater to both eventualities that John was indeed the legitimate Earl or a boy groomed to be a figurehead but a pretender nevertheless.

The Pretender by Jo Harkin is highly recommended for readers of historical fiction interested in the wars of the roses and is a contender for My Top 5 Books of 2025.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Potato Book - 101 Recipes from the Potato Queen by Poppy Cooks

This book made me buy duck fat. It's true! Unlike many readers who discovered Poppy Cooks on TikTok or Instagram, I saw The Potato Book - 101 Recipes from the Potato Queen on the new release shelf of my library portal and reserved it immediately. Who doesn't love potatoes? Patiently waiting for 6 weeks for this popular title, little did I know that my roast potatoes would never taste the same again.

Living in England, Poppy O'Toole trained in Michelin-starred restaurants but lost her job as a Junior Sous Chef during the pandemic. Deciding to make cooking videos and gaining a substantial audience, Poppy filmed a series called '25 Potatoes Recipes to Get You Through the Second Pandemic'. The resulting success was huge and Poppy embraced the love for potatoes and went FULL POTATO in her content from that point on.

Later filming 'Around the World in 80 Potatoes', '12 Days of Christmas Potatoes' and 'Cooking Potatoes Every Single Day until I Physically Implode' she's now the Potato Queen and was nicknamed the 'High Priestess of Potatoes' by Nigella Lawson.

Since reading her book, I've started following Poppy on Instagram and watching her work magic with the humble potato in the kitchen adds another delicious layer of enjoyment.

The first recipe I tried was The Classic Roast Potato, which involved a number of additional steps to what I was doing that produced potatoes that are crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside. Yum! The next recipe I attempted was (you guessed it) the Goose-Fat Roasties. They're so delicious my husband has taken to calling them pro-tatoes and they're now a regular staple on steak nights.

When my time with the The Potato Book was up, it was filled with so many terrific recipes I was loathe to return it to the library and decided to buy a physical copy for myself. This rarely happens with a recipe book, earning The Potato Book - 101 Recipes from the Potato Queen by Poppy Cooks an instant 5 stars.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum Celebrates 20 Years of Blogging

I have another major milestone to celebrate in 2025 because this month (drum roll)...

Carpe Librum turns 20 years old!

I'd love to share how it all started, what's changed over that time and offer a giveaway so that we can celebrate this accomplishment together.

I've come a long way since this blog started in 2005 under the name My Four Bucks. Often when people offer their opinion they call it their 2 cents but I always have more than 2 cents to contribute and in order to share it, My Four Bucks was born. At the time, I posted on topics that took my fancy however my first official book review was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Since then, I have published an astonishing 1,126 book reviews, can you believe it?

In August 2012, My Four Bucks underwent a significant rebrand and was relaunched as Carpe Librum (Seize the Book). In May 2014, I joined the team of book bloggers writing for Boomerang Books and also became one of their affiliates. Over the next 12-18 months I included affiliate links with all of my reviews but it failed to generate any income.

In 2015 Carpe Librum turned 10 and in April 2016 I was excited to launch my current logo. In 2018 and 2019 I was asked to be a Digital Storyteller and Blogger for the Melbourne Writers Festival which was a highlight and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In September 2020 I became a Booktopia affiliate, but again, this wasn't successful in the long term.

In the early years, I began receiving requests from authors to review their books on Carpe Librum. I also began to send publishers my reviews of their new releases and after a number of months, started requesting advance reader copies (ARCs) for myself. I was thrilled when they said yes and they soon started asking me to review ARCs and sending books in the mail. This increased over time and lead to a lucrative few years receiving all kinds of unsolicited books in the post every week just in the hope of a review.

Let's check out some stats from the last two decades of blogging:
Number of posts published: 1,596
Number of reviews published: 1,126
Number of blog comments: 3,280
Number of giveaways: 89

Number of books given away: 133
Number of author interviews: 51
Number of email subscribers: 795
Number of reading challenges completed: 51
1 Million views achieved: December 2017
2 Million views achieved: September 2023
3 Million views achieved: May 2025
Most popular book review: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth (32,447 visits)

More recently, the number of unsolicited books in the mail from publishers has declined significantly over the past year or so and other Australian book bloggers agree it's the end of an era. I can request new releases on NetGalley (NG) however I still prefer to read print copies over e-books so I'm not an active NG reviewer. I've been enjoying the additional reading time to pursue the never ending list of back catalogue books and have still managed to enjoy some incredible new releases from publishers. The fact that I'm not reviewing as many ARCs and new releases as I used to could have had a detrimental effect on my traffic but that hasn't been the case at all.

What's next? I've stayed true to the books I like to read and haven't been tempted to dip my toe into the highly popular pool of romantasy novels that are dominating the catalogues at the moment. I don't spend much time on Instagram and don't feel any desire to join the BookTok community. Yet despite this, readers are still finding my reviews and continue visiting my little corner of the internet at Carpe Librum. Last month I achieved 3 Million hits and I don't know of any other Australian book blogger who has reached this milestone; but if you have, please let me know below, I'd love to congratulate you on your success!

It's been a thoroughly enjoyable 20 years and I've never considered slowing down or stepping away from my passion for a moment. Reading and reviewing books fills my cup, so thanks to all of my subscribers and readers. Some of you have been with me since the very beginning, while others have stuck around after entering a giveaway, or pop back in from time to time to see what I've been reading. If you're reading this, it means we share a love of books and the written word, and I appreciate that while you're reading my words here, you're taking precious time away from your book. Carpe Librum!

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed. Enter below for your chance to win a $50AUD gift card from Dymocks. If you don't have access to a Dymocks store I'll arrange a gift card of the same value from your preferred bookseller to be emailed to you. Entries are open internationally and close at midnight AEST Monday 30 June 2025. Good luck!

Review: The Name of the Sister by Gail Jones

* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *

The Name of the Sister by Gail Jones is about an unknown woman who is sighted on a deserted highway outside of Broken Hill in rural New South Wales. A passing trucker stops to render aid to the woman who is traumatised and unable to talk. The media is ablaze with the story as families and friends of the missing from within Australia and abroad claim the unknown woman Jane is their sister, daughter, wife, mother, friend.

Angie is a freelance journalist in Sydney who begins to write about Jane's re-appearance from the point of view of those who have had their hopes crushed after learning Jane is not their missing loved one. Supporting character Bev is Angie's best friend and a cop, who happens to be assigned to the case and travels to Broken Hill to investigate Jane's identity and where she came from.

This sounds like another great Australian crime fiction novel with two strong female characters, but let me tell you, I needed a dictionary by page 6 to look up the word 'contrapuntal' and it didn't stop there. There were moments where there was a particular turn of phrase I especially enjoyed, like this one from Angie:

"Their conjugal irritation was mutual, and both needed by some edifying alternative to be reminded of who they were." Page 74

However, moments like conjugal irritation were fleeting, and I needed to frequently stop reading and reach for a device to look up words like: lunette, propinquity, ziggurats, raddled (yes it's a word), maunder, ineluctable and interregnum. Other new to me words were: obduracy (I was hazy on this one so had to check the meaning), lacrimarium, cartouche and invidious.

I enjoy learning new words, however Angie's internal thoughts started to feel like an intellectual flex by the author when combined with the lines of poetry, quotes and double helpings of introspection. In fact, this quote from Angie's inner thoughts perfectly describes the writing style of The Name of the Sister:

"And the fact that she was composed of all this mixed-up cultural stuff: drifting phrases, lines from songs, literary quotations, rhymes and rhythms, scraps of image, nothing that really passed for coherent thought." Page 75

The novel was definitely coherent, but this intellectual flotsam and jetsam peppered the page when I really wanted to get down to Jane's story. Couple this with the internal musings from Angie on missing women in general, the intrusion of journalism in true crime, the contrast between the urban streetscape and rural landscape, her mess of a marriage, and the malevolent predation of women and my patience started to wear thin.

The focus on feminism and misogyny was a little too heavy handed for me but is timely and will deeply resonate with many readers. Here Angie reflects on Bev's role:

"She'd been an officer most of her adult life and must surely have known what to expect: how a woman is intruded upon, how a woman is presumed known, and how what is unknown incites anger, or desire, or the wish crudely to expose." Page 5

Broken Hill is described as parched, inhospitable and empty-looking so you might be thinking this an odd cover design for an erudite rural mystery. Angie's love of white ibises and the ancient Egyptian culture (Thoth in particular) is the inspiration for this literary design although I didn't think it was a good fit for the story within.

The denouement was engaging and I enjoyed the action and plot development at the end, however overall I found this pretentious and ostentatious. I've enjoyed literary fiction in the past so I don't think I'm unsuited to the entire genre, but The Name of the Sister by Gail Jones is high-brow literary crime fiction which I found to be full of Angie's internal contemplation and cogitation that failed to engage my interest. I'm clearly not the right audience for The Name of the Sister which might be called a literary masterpiece in the hands of other readers. Gail Jones is a celebrated Australian author but I don't think I'll be exploring any more of her novels.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★