6 minute read
Review
TOP 4 BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
“Home is more than a place. It’s a
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feeling.” From bestselling food writer and cook Rick Stein comes this stunning collection of all time favourite recipes and essays that celebrate the rituals of home cooking.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
An absorbing, exhilarating ride, The Lincoln Highway is a novel as vivid, sweeping, and moving as readers have come to expect from the author of A Gentleman in Moscow.
A Bloody Good Rant by Thomas Keneally
Beautifully written, erudite and at times slyly funny, A Bloody Good Rant is an invitation to share the deep humanity of a truly great Australian.
Little People Big Dreams Treasury
A beautiful keepsake from this critically acclaimed best selling series that explores the lives of outstanding people in a way to appeal to children.
A BOOK LOVER’S REVIEW BY JACQUI SERAFIM
The Wife and the Widow
by Christian White
Kate Keddie’s husband, John, is away in London for a medical conference. When he fails to arrive home to Melbourne on the expected flight and can’t be contacted, her concern turns to dread as she discovers that not only did he not attend the conference but that he has been unemployed for months. She soon discovers that John never left the country and their skyped conversations took place from a fake hotel room. As Kate and her father-in-law work with the police to search for answers, they are soon led to the family’s holiday home on Belport Island off the coast of the Bellarine Peninsula.
It is difficult to write about a murder mystery without giving too much away – but there are no spoilers here. It is clear from the chapter heading on first page of the novel that Kate is “The Widow”. This engaging story unfolds from two narrative perspectives. Kate Keddie, is “The Widow”, married to John Keddie, an affluent doctor living in Melbourne and mother to a 10 year-old girl. She is shy and restrained but dignified and strong – she is aware that John is troubled but has allowed him to keep his secrets and later discovers that “she had spent the better part of the past two decades living inside a cocoon.”
The alternate narrative perspective is that of Abbey Gilpin, “The Wife”. Abbey is a Belport Island local scraping by, supporting her husband’s meagre income as an Island caretaker for the holiday homes of the wealthy tourists, by working part-time shifts at the local supermarket. Abbey is mother to two teenagers and has an unusual interest in taxidermy. She faces the challenges of her life with wry humour and energy. While these two women are separately uncovering their husbands’ secrets, they are both forced to question how well they really know their husbands and are drawn slowly but inexorably into a compelling confrontation with each other.
The Wife and the Widow is an easy but compelling read. It is wellpaced and engaging but is also more than just a murder mystery. The novel explores the contrasted worlds of these two families – the tensions between the locals and wealthy tourists, the difficulty of making a living in a small coastal town and the challenges of marital relationships, family life and adolescence. It also explores the impact of suppressed trauma:
“If we don’t talk about the monsters in this world, John’s voice whispered, we won’t be ready for them when they jump out from under the bed.”
As the stories of these two women and their husbands unfold, the characters are revealed as complex and well-drawn, each with convincing motivations and actions. White’s prose is lyrical but precise – his atmospheric descriptions of the eerie island in winter creating a perfect backdrop for this psychological thriller. This is a well-crafted crime novel with deft misdirection and an unpredictable denouement.
The Wife and the Widow is the Winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction
Why are you drawn to a certain space, even before you incorporate your mark? I found mine. It doesn’t have ocean views or gold taps. On initial inspection it was the one. The keys, The door, My sanctuary. Why this space and not another? The feeling of right. Bottle that essence. Reassurance of life. Confirmation of being. Activation of presence. All safety installed. My home, community in Lane Cove. Isolation endured. Happiness confronted. Surrounded by apprehension and wonderment. Walk out the frustration. Encompass the compassion and energy. All feelings created, shared and solved. My neighbourhood, community in Lane Cove.
ANNETTE JOHNSTON
Please write to us with your poetry, verse, flash fiction, 100 word stories, short stories and any other musings you may have. We welcome everything: editor@thevillageobserver.com.au
Karen Paull
Community Chaplain
Re-emergence
What a relief to finally visit a hairdresser! This was a cherished rite of passage out of lockdown as we reemerged, unmasked once again, along with flowers of every hue, butterflies, nesting birds and reptiles big and small. It signalled the resumption of many social activities that had been forced into hibernation with us. Maybe we are identifying with the creation around us this Spring, pushing through the barriers of protracted solitude with some effort, to resume a fuller life? Let’s not forget the gains we have made in the interim however, and choose to retain some treasures from our winter of hibernation. You may identify with some of the following... Full marks to the instigator of the early transition to outdoor tables of five people. How often do we invite even numbers, often just couples, because it seems more comfortable? A single friend remarked how great it was to be the valued fifth person. Having missed Christmas in our state of origin last year, being with our remote family and friends will be even more special when it reoccurs (this year hopefully!) Will we continue to cherish the new relationships made with those living in our close proximity too? New skills, hobbies and friendships have been initiated, often mediated by technology. Many people have discovered the joy of being in natural places and the soul refreshment it brings. Will it continue to be a place of nurture for weary souls when there are other choices? Let’s commit to retaining what has become precious to us. Our new worship community, Sacred Space, has recently celebrated themes of joy and resilience found in the natural world. Confined to Zoom, our intentional outdoor community brought their notable examples to computer screens, demonstrating their own adaptability. From photos of lockdown babies - mainly experienced over technology, to early garden delights grown from seed or new grafting, to indigenous sites visited by kayak – the group found hope and joy from others’ insights. Our spectrum of walking groups, book club, coffee and dinner groups are all reemerging too, so it’s a good time to join in. Valuing people and experiencing the restorative effects of the created order are two specialties of Lane Cove Community Chaplaincy. Would you like to join us as we re-emerge in walking, social and spiritual groups? Check out the details and contact me via the links below to experience ‘life in all its fullness’.
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.
