Genesis might conjure up childhood memories of Sunday school and the beginning of the bible but in the lead character we have a namesake who is perversely the signifier of the end when an unplanned pregnancy leads to the melt down of a youthful relationship and a fatal decision. This perfect storm of high emotion … Continue reading “Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin”
Category: National Reviews
National book reviews
Tale of a Tooth by Allie Rogers
Colour and sound convey the emotional ebbs and flows of a deteriorating relationship observed through the innocent eyes of Danny whose sensitivities to light and noise hint at a mental imbalance that struggles to find clear expression. The syntax and language are articulated in the voice of a young child allowing the reader to regress … Continue reading “Tale of a Tooth by Allie Rogers”
The Zero and the One by Ryan Ruby
Pembroke College Oxford is the educational cauldron for two brilliant but damaged egos whose diverse backgrounds trigger an attraction of opposites in which a mutual need to define their own destinies leads to a catastrophic denouement. Zach is the American Svengali whose Ivy League background is at odds with Owen’s provincial upbringing but their coming … Continue reading “The Zero and the One by Ryan Ruby”
The Teacher’s Secret by Suzanne Leal
A much maligned vocation slowly suffocating under the weight of bureaucracy is the catalyst for an ideological clash between Terry the free spirited educator and Laurie the newly appointed, results driven head teacher whose risk averse business model views children as commodities rather than individuals. Suzanne Leal presents a rich array of characters inhabiting an … Continue reading “The Teacher’s Secret by Suzanne Leal”
Fire On The Mountain by Jean McNeil
Standing as a metaphorical sentinel, a glowing mountain protects a post colonial African outpost from the 21st century and the cold wind of change it threatens to brings with it. Esteemed author Pieter is the physical presence in tune with the spirituality of his environment but the dreamer fears the nightmare of a disintegrating family … Continue reading “Fire On The Mountain by Jean McNeil”
The Winter’s Child by Cassandra Parkin
The long winter of depression induced by the unexplained disappearance of a beloved son is fleetingly lifted by the spiritual light of a gypsy soothsayer predicting the prodigals return on Christmas Eve. Preyed on by a witches’ cauldron of mystic Megs who delight in stirring the tea leaves of the emotional vacuum left by Joel, … Continue reading “The Winter’s Child by Cassandra Parkin”
Wildest of All by P K Lynch
Religion, broken relationships and untimely death provide the emotional speed bumps as Sissy careers seemingly out of control along the rocky road from innocent childhood to nascent maturity. Sitting in the passenger seat is Jude the tragically distant mother unable to put the brakes on her daughter’s descent into darkness, as she in turn struggles … Continue reading “Wildest of All by P K Lynch”
Ideal Love by Alice Burnett
The evocation of love is spoken through three voices in a plot that explores this emotion in all its aspects from true love to lost love and intertwined with the tantalising nirvana of ideal love. The key protagonists are engaged in a love triangle whose emotional apex is Venus, the possessor of a hypnotic voice … Continue reading “Ideal Love by Alice Burnett”
Rain Falls On Everyone by Clar Ni Chonghaile
The childhood trauma of witnessing Rwanda’s genocide gives Theo an unwanted perspective on life as he sinks into the mire of a Dublin underclass fuelled by drug money. But as he reluctantly adapts to a life of urban conflict he can’t escape the blood soaked images of his African past. His foster parents, Jim and … Continue reading “Rain Falls On Everyone by Clar Ni Chonghaile”
Skylarking by Kate Mildenhall
The lighthouse is a beacon of hope and source of protection for ships navigating the treacherous Cape waters but for Kate and Harriet this desolate outpost is a dreamy idyll where their youthful friendship is allowed to blossom untainted by the dangers and temptations of city life. In nineteenth century Australia the infrequent visits of … Continue reading “Skylarking by Kate Mildenhall”