6 minute read
Review
TOP 4 BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
1979 by Val McDermid The unmissable, unputdownable first episode in an electrifying brand new series from the Queen of Crime who brought you the Wire in the Blood series. “McDermid is at her considerable best” The Guardian
Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks An epic, sweeping new love story from master storyteller Sebastian Faulks. Set in Europe between the two World Wars, it is his most powerful novel since Birdsong
After by Morris Gleitzman The much anticipated final instalment in the story of Felix, hero of the award winning Once series. This is a powerful climax to a much loved children’s series.
Together. Memorable Meals Made Easy by Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver is a global phenomenon who has sold over 47 million books worldwide! This lovely book is about comfort, celebration and the sharing of mouthwatering food.
A BOOK LOVER’S REVIEW BY JACQUI SERAFIM
Miss Benson’s Beetle
by Rachel Joyce
In 1914, Margery Benson was 10 years old and living in London when father showed her a picture of the “undiscovered” golden beetle of New Caledonia. Entranced by its beauty and thrilled by her father’s attention, the golden beetle lodged itself fast in her memory and in her imagination. By 1950, Margery is in her mid-forties and two world wars have wreaked their havoc on society, wiping out generations of young men and scarring families, leaving both men and women damaged and devastated. Margery’s own family is decimated by war and she has led a small, lonely and insignificant life doing what is expected of her and staying in the background. One day, something snaps and Margery abandons her unrewarding job as a domestic science teacher and decides to travel across the world on an expedition to find the golden beetle of New Caledonia. She advertises for an assistant, and the woman who takes the job is the last person she would have chosen. Playful, flirtatious Enid Pretty in her pink suit and pom-pom shoes, with her impractical luggage and her bottle-blond hair, could not be more inappropriate for an expedition assistant. Margery is horrified by the thought of undertaking her expedition with Enid but she is also desperate to escape. As these two women set out on the adventure of a lifetime, both determined to escape their pasts and live their dreams, they discover the power of female friendship. Miss Benson’s Beetle is a wonderful portrait of two very different women, both victims of their time, who find strength and courage in each other’s example. They are “polar opposites” in every way: Enid is chatty and social, Margery is quiet and awkward. Margery is a spinster in her mid-forties, “a big woman” with frizzy brown hair and 25 year-old Enid is “a short, thin woman, with hair like bright candy floss”. Margery knew “They made a ridiculous pair…like a brown ostrich coupled with a pink-hatted canary”. But they also have something in common - both Margery and Enid are scarred by their respective pasts and limited by their options in post-war British society. Their adventure is both comic and heart-warming, full of mishaps and misadventures with both hilarious and calamitous outcomes. But as they travel together they learn from each other and realise they are stronger together. As Enid reminds Margery “You must never give up…We are not the things that happened to us. We can be what we like.” Miss Benson’s Beetle is a delightful novel of the transformative power of friendship which deftly explores the lasting impacts of war and the constricted lives of the women left behind. As Margery and Enid work together to pursue their dreams, they break free of their pasts, and of the restrictive roles assigned to them.
The Burns Bay Bookery is open for ‘takeaway’ from 9-3, Mon to Sat. 9427 4218 or e: burnsbaybookery@bigpond. com au We also have many games and puzzles to while away the lockdown hours, Miss Benson’s Beetle is a New York Times Bestseller and was shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.
VERSE
The man in the moon, my mate of old
By Harry Curby
Glowing silver moon my friend, silent way up on high, speaks in unheard whispers, while I glance into the sky, neither praise nor condemnation, no judgement of any sort, beaming light the contact, re-assuring and expecting nought. No-one is ever friendless, having a loyal friend like that, breaks barriers through the ether, across divide of spaces endless, none ever alone come nightfall, if one’s trusting and believing. offers comfort yet nothing tactile, but sense of trust and meaning. Night-times dark and often cold, and after they are spent, new crescent moon’s first quarter comes, on horizon heaven sent, each night still growing larger, star of Eve follows close by, well on way to waxing gibbous, to become grown adult in the sky. Earth tilts and turns to finally greet, the new day’s rising sun, Moon takes it’s leave with stars in tow, now retiring for work done, returns to light up next day’s night, to delight sky-watchers all, lover’s hearts stirred and all their kin, standing to look in thrall.
Karen Paull
Community Chaplain
Listen
Our cat, Prince, is loving lockdown! Prince, who is a very loved part of our family, now regards his three humans to be at his beck and call night and day. He has a range of techniques to get our attention. When outside wanting to come in, he jumps onto the window sill of my study, so I can see him looking soulful. If I choose to ignore him, he will scratch and meow at the back door nearby, with increasing intensity. At night-time when he is inside, wanting to go out, he employs more dastardly techniques. He knocks our treasures over, taps sleeping faces with his paw, and even jumps onto our daughter! He begins gently, but if we ignore him, he communicates with more and more determination. Maybe, this sounds familiar to you, and maybe it’s not a cat you’re thinking about… Our communication skills are under the spotlight during lockdown. Being forced to live together much more intensively, will show up some cracks in our relationships. Many households are experiencing tension, frequently aroused by poor communication. Learning to adapt to life in a more difficult environment creates substantial challenges for everyone. In pre-marriage counselling, new couples are encouraged to adopt a ‘we’ mentality to life. How do they create wins for both of them? Good communication skills are required to produce satisfying outcomes. Many people are good at expressing what they want, but fewer listen as well. Effective listening takes more than hearing the words spoken. Listening from the heart goes deeper: tuning into the emotions and non-expressed words, voice inflection and volume, reading body language and facial expressions. Encouraging a conversation partner to say what is difficult for them to express, with affirming nods and noises, using open, sensitive questions, while suspending judgement, kindly elicits more specific information. When Prince meows, we don’t always run to him. When he waits patiently for us to come, he gets a cuddle or a reward. Likewise, listening well doesn’t mean agreeing with everything we hear. However, listening patiently to understand each other’s viewpoint tends to help defuse a situation. Taking time to cool down and reflect upon our response, gives an even better chance to weigh our desires and rights with others’ fairly. Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry. (The Bible, James 1:19 GNT)
I am here to listen to people (on the phone or Zoom) of any or no religious persuasion, in order to help them through difficult times, such as these.
