Reviewed by Claire Brook First time author, Aticia Grey, writes an account of her life on the land, learning how to train Australian Kelpies under the tutelage of Neil McDonald. Aticia and her dog Gossip Girl appeared in the ABC television programme, Muster Dogs, in 2020. Along with four other farming families, Aticia took on
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend Like a sponge, a child soaks up other people’s realities. The blank canvass of life is painted on by another’s brush. (p. 257) The front cover and title, Sex, Drugs and a Buddhist Monk, along with a run-on sub title: A stepping stone towards a silent mind, really does give the
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Bruce Pascoe reminds Frank Byrne’s readers that “this is a very strong story of survival. A tragic reminder of the harshness and unfairness of the mission era but also the toughness and determination of our people”; while Jo Dutton writes that “Frank Byrne was a gentleman in every sense. He spoke softly
Reviewed by Ian Lipke The name Andrea Wulf has the hearts of both publishers and reviewers pumping at increased velocity. She is an author who was born in India, moved to Germany, but now lives in England. She is the author of several highly acclaimed books, the winner of numerous international awards, and most importantly,
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Lucy Worsley has recently produced a biography of the writer, Agatha Christie, in which she shows unequivocally that the world in which her subject was born in 1890 had rules that defined what women could and could not do. Christie’s world, for example, frowned severely on women who had the temerity
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders What if your father told many tales of the Second World War, but somehow the real story was elusive, with three obscure years? What if he was sworn to secrecy, but you are intensely curious about the events that took place in those malignant times? This was the dilemma facing Neil
Reviewed by Richard Tutin What sets this book by international cricketer Dan Christian apart from the many cricketing books that are currently available? Surely the sport, like many other codes, has been well covered while every retiring cricketer seems to produce a memoir or autobiography soon after the conclusion of their playing career. The main
Reviewed by Gail McDonald Sheila Hancock is one of Britain’s most highly regarded and popular actors. Sheila received a Damehood for services to drama and charity in 2021; and only following the death of her husband John Thaw in 2002 took up writing. A memoir of their marriage The Two of Us was a number
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Comparisons drawn between John le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Fourth Man are to be expected but have little substance. The books belong to different genres and were written for two very different audiences. However, this rarely stops exciting comparisons being made, because here in real life is the
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve So many superlatives have been attached to Chloe Hooper’s work and her latest titled Bedtime Story is no exception, having already attracted many accolades. In it, she considers, in range and depth, the problem she faced in preparing her two sons, the elder particularly, for the imminent death of their father, Don. Chloe
Reviewed by Ian Lipke The title of Ann-Marie Priest’s biography of the gifted Australian poet Gwen Harwood is a fine metonymic description. This poet is renowned for the brilliance, the intellectual toughness of her verse, while being as well known for her sense of the ridiculous and her capacity for hard physical labour. By the
Reviewed by Ian Lipke A biography of the Australian novelist, short story writer, and poet Katharine Susannah Prichard has been written by Nathan Hobby and released by Melbourne University Press. Long regarded as a notorious woman on the fringes marked by her literary powers and her left-wing politics, Prichard’s tortuous life has not been untangled
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Dr Nikki Stamp has written a memoir, a non-fiction form of writing that is like a biography but differs markedly from it. A memoir may be described as a record composed from personal observation and experience. Closely related to, and often confused with, autobiography, a memoir usually differs chiefly in the
Reviewed by Gail McDonald This biographical novel by Antony Jeffrey centres mainly on the story of his mother who is described as a brave and sensitive woman who never stopped caring for the people she loved. It is a story of love, loss and family and is the first novel written by Antony. He previously
Reviewed by Richard Tutin Those who survived the Holocaust of World War II have, over the years, slowly told their stories. For some, the trauma they suffered has been such that there has been a reluctance to say anything about it because of the pain they have suffered and are still suffering. Tony Bernard’s father