MEMBER REVIEWS

A period whodunnit set in Depression-era Seattle in 1933, this is an enjoyable read for fans of crime fiction. It tells the story of a naïve, small-town boy, William “Shoe” Shumacher, whose family fortunes depend on his move to the city to work on a newspaper. When a tip comes in of a murder at a nightclub frequented by the well-to-do on Profanity Hill, the novice reporter is thrown into the deep end covering a sensational underworld trial. He soon comes to wonder whether he can trust the police source feeding him information about the case and uncovers a web of corruption that lurks behind the city’s bright lights.

This is a traditional story structure and could, in some hands, feel hackneyed but Dugoni has drawn the characters and set the scene nicely and paces the narrative well. It is based on a true story of newspaper accounts of a famous trial from the period that he uncovered in an old suitcase. Adding to the realistic portrayal is the fact that Dugoni knows the fields of both law and journalism well: he is a graduate of Stanford University who worked as a journalist before studying law and worked as a litigator for 17 years before turning to writing in 1999. In a 25-year career, he has sold more than 12 million books worldwide.

7.5/10

Karen

My Friends tells two interconnected stories across dual timelines. In the present day, 17-year-old Louisa is about to age out of foster care. She treasures a postcard of a famous painting called “The One of the Sea” (or “On the Sea”) by an artist known as C. Jat (Kimkim), which shows figures on a pier. When she encounters the dying artist and later receives the actual painting from Ted—one of the people depicted in it—she embarks on a cross-country journey with him to the painting’s birthplace.

The second timeline follows four teenage friends 25 years earlier in a small town: Ted, Kimkim, Joar, and Ali. These kids come from difficult home situations but find refuge in their fierce friendship, spending their days together on a pier by the sea. Their bond during that transformative summer leads to the creation of the famous painting that later changes Louisa’s life.

The novel explores themes of the enduring power of childhood friendship, how art connects people across generations, the impact of difficult upbringings and inherited trauma, and finding hope and healing through unexpected connections. It’s written in Backman’s signature style—emotionally moving with humor woven through darker moments, filled with his trademark observations about humanity.

This book is hilarious and heartbreaking all at once, it’s about life and living it. It’s classic Backman funny without being goofy, deep without trying too hard. It doesn’t have twists, not in conventional terms at least, but it does have lots of secret lost tales that might remind you of your own younger self. It’s emotionally reflective, soaked in nostalgia. Even secondary characters feel deeply human like voices from your own past at points. The story made me so sentimental and by the end, I didn’t want to let these people go, somehow Backman makes each of them a part of your life. 

My Friends is for readers who enjoys a slow slice of life literary fiction. It’s ideal for those who like character driven stories with a slow immersive pace. If you’re drawn to stories where not much happens, but everything changes, this one’s worth your time.

My Friends is the kind of novel that stays with you not because it shouts, but because it whispers about long lost life, it’s about being young, being chaotic, being held together by others. Nothing is quite expressed in the book, but everything is felt, every emotion …..sometimes it even hurts....

9.5+/10

Pam

The novel is set in Jenin, a town in the West Bank, originally administered as part of the British mandate of Palestine (1920-1948). It was in the area annexed by Jordan in 1950 following the first Arab-Israeli wars (1948-49). It is the story of one family’s multi-generational struggle to survive through the decades before and after Zionist colonisation and theft of Palestine. They are forcibly removed from their village by Israeli soldiers and then moved to a refugee camp in 1948. They grieve for their past life in their own home on their own land which gave them a livelihood and a deep sense of meaning and purpose. The characters, both Palestinian and Jewish, are endearing and make the history all too real and personal, although initially there are almost too many characters to ‘keep up with’. The plot includes many twists and turns that draw the reader in; the use of language is skilful, with linguistic devices used to good effect to communicate beautiful descriptions of both place and humanity.  

While the novel can be criticised for being unashamedly pro-Palestinian, the writer Susan Abdulhawa, has conducted careful research so the story is based on historical fact. At times it feels like reading a documentary that is informing us more deeply about the situation in Jenin, and it is heartrending in places, giving one side of the very complex situation in Israel, while at the same time deepening our understanding of both Palestinian and Zionist causes.

9/10

Robyn

This fascinating novel tells the stories of two women - a spy recruited to the (real-life!) Alice Network in France during World War I and a young American student searching for her cousin, lost from all knowledge in WWII France - and how their mutual interests and mutual distaste for each other evolve, as they join together to find out what happened in each of these wars to people important to them. Each story is enthralling in its own right, but the remarkable coincidences and intertwining aspects of each make this a book not to be missed. 

9.5/10

Alan

Thaw is the story of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s fatal 1912 expedition to the south pole in a story that combine’s history and fiction. The story is gripping, with central themes of failure, legacy and an insight into our planet’s unpredictable climate.

I liked the way Glover combined a fictional modern day Glacial Archaeologist, Missy Simpson with her grandfather, meteorologist for the ill-fated party, George Clark Simpson. Missy works to discover the true cause of the adventurers deaths and clear her Grandfather’s reputation.

9/10

Julia

Japanese gardens and their design and construction are a core theme of this story, but it has numerous threads running through it.  In some ways it is a coming-of-age story but it is also a story of love that spans 40+ years under extremely difficult circumstances.

The narrative starts in 1937 at the time of the Japanese invasion of China and follows a year in the life of 20-year-old Stephen, a Chinese student who has contracted tuberculosis.  His family decides his convalescence and recovery will be better away from Hong Kong, so he travels to his (Chinese) grandfather’s beach house in Tarumi, Japan.  Here he forges an unlikely, deep friendship with Matsu, the 60-something Japanese caretaker of the house.

I don’t think I’ve ever read such a beautiful and moving novel.  The writing is simple, flowing, serene and calm, although there are times of high emotions and tension.  It’s a story about beauty and disfigurement; creation and destruction; honour and dishonour, infidelity and deep, enduring love.

For me, this book comes as close to 10/10 as any I’ve ever read.

10-/10

Carol

Every page of this book is gripping. Set in war-torn Germany during WW2, we see the landscape and people through the eyes of a young German girl, Liesel, as she moves into her early teens. We watch the interactions of neighbours and how they change over time. 
The story is beautifully written, each page replete with evocative phrases and sentences like 'with clenched thoughts' or 'The day was grey, the colour of Europe.' One of my favourite pieces is a simple introduction to a woman who will soon become one of the main characters in the story, 'Nobody wanted to be the one to tell Rosa Hubermann that the boy hadn't survived the trip. In fact, no-one ever really wanted to tell her anything.'

10/10

Melinda

It is difficult not to compare this novel with Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe; they both include a complex plot, an element of fantasy and are set in Brisbane. This story is contemporary and tells of the violence, brutality and human exploitation associated with the drug trade. A glorious extra in this novel are the pen and ink sketches by Paul Heppell which are an integral part of the story, as the main character is a gifted teenager who dreams of being (no, it’s more than a dream; she is determined to be) a famous artist with her work exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Another difference between the two stories is that this one focusses on the homeless community (or the “houseless” people, as the artist prefers to call them). The statistics presented by Dalton, relating to the influx of people into SE Queensland and the numbers living on the streets of Brisbane are startling and deeply disturbing, particularly when juxtaposed with the exploitation of the

vulnerable.

Yes, this book contains graphic language and violence, but there is also beauty: this is a story of loss, love, hate and coming to understand and accept who you are. The characters are wonderfully described and developed, and the writing abounds with memorable philosophical phrases. The one that really grabbed me is when the artist is describing her future when the public is viewing her exhibition: “I find it motivating to consider what all those people are going to one day make of my life choices …. It reminds me to apply a strong sense of significance to everything I do.” 

Couldn’t we all benefit from taking that approach to life?

A 9 out of 10 for this one from me.

Carol

What a great read! The story begins in 1863 when Icelandic teenager, Helga arrives at a farm ready to begin work and a new life. We watch as this already strong, independent girl matures. The author weaves in Icelandic and Danish legal history at one of the major milestones of Helga’s life.

Helga navigates her way through a world where women can be quite vulnerable. Strong and determined she manages life, children, a hand-to-mouth existence and the constant fear that today may be the day that her fisherman husband doesn’t return from the dangerous waters. The family eventually moves to Canada where life, despite hardships, becomes a little more secure and a little less hand-to-mouth than it had been in Iceland.

Helga was the great grandmother of the book’s author. The story walks a nice line between fiction and the real life and times of the protagonist and her family. It makes for a compelling read. 

It's an Indie book. In my view, it could have had a tighter edit. For example, a theme related to mermaids could have been woven in more seamlessly. I rate it an 8 or 9 though. Well worth the read! 

Book club members are welcome to borrow it from me.

8.5/10

Melinda