 |
| BiP staff review by Leonie |
A God in Ruins
Kate Atkinson
May 2015 | Doubleday | $32.99pb *BiP price $27.99
Available 1st May 2015
Kate Atkinson has continued her story of life in the Second World War through the lives of the Todd and Shawcross families, who were introduced in her previous novel Life After Life. That was the story of Ursula Todd, and what a jigsaw puzzle of a tale that was. A God in Ruins is a companion piece according to Kate Atkinson, not a sequel. This book tells the story of Teddy, Ursula’s brother. After a childhood in the country and surviving boarding school, Teddy grew into a quiet, thoughtful man, with little ambition. He started off in banking, like his father. He really disliked his career and gladly joined the Royal Air Force, where he qualified as a pilot and joined a Halifax bomber squadron. The Second World War was long, hard and dangerous for Teddy and his crewmen. While on leave he finally plucked up courage to ask his childhood friend, Nancy Shawcross, to marry him. They waited until the war was over and then both took up teaching. Eventually they had a daughter, Viola. Teaching was a misery for Teddy until one day he just walked out of his classroom and never returned. He found happiness writing a nature column in the local newspaper which led to his career as a journalist. Teddy’s relationship with his grandchildren, Bertie and Sonny, was a warm and loving one, as Viola was a terrible mother, which she admitted years later. This is a very simple outline of a book that initially seems straightforward, but it definitely is not. Teddy’s story folds backwards and forwards, giving different perspectives of the same events.
 |
| Click here to read Tom Perrotta's review |
 |
| BiP staff review by Leonie |
Goodbye Sweetheart
Marion Halligan
Apr 2015 | Allen & Unwin | $29.99pb
Marion Halligan is back with her first novel since Valley of Grace in 2009, with her elegant style and gift for description. It is well worth the wait. Goodbye Sweetheart opens with the line “This story begins by water” – what an intriguing start. William Cecil is exercising alone, in his local pool in Canberra. A sudden heart attack and his life is over. He leaves behind a loving wife, two ex-wives and three children, one from each marriage. Once the shock of the news has sunk in, the families gather together. Lynette, William’s third wife and a successful business woman, and her daughter Erin are both distraught. Fergus, the son of the second wife, Helen, is summoned home from university in England, where he is studying literature and falling in love with red-haired Beatrice. Jack, William’s brother, arrives from Eden on the coast where he has lived since retirement. He is still grieving for his wife and William’s death is another blow. Next to arrive is Aurora, daughter of the first wife, Nerys. Mother and daughter are polar opposites, but wonderful characters. The biggest surprise for the family is the unexpected visit of Barbara, William’s mistress. Everyone begins to wonder just who was this man – husband, father, lover, brother and successful lawyer. Each member of the family has a different view of William, especially Helen, the second wife. Marion Halligan describes the conflicting emotions of the family so honestly. She portrays the countryside and cityscapes so vividly you are able to see in detail what she is describing.
