Review: The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham

Simon McDonald reviews Michael Robotham's The Secrets She Keeps, a compelling psychological thriller that delves deeply into the psyche of the human mind.

In Michael Robotham’s sure and practised hands, domestic noir has achieved new heights. With its perfect blend of sharp plotting, great characterisation and a powerful narrative, The Secrets She Keeps might well be the spiritual successor to Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train we’ve all been waiting for.

The Secrets She Keeps revolves around two central themes: the attainment of a (perceived) perfect life, and the extremes we are capable of going to in order to keep our darkest secrets safe. Our narrators — Agatha Fyfle and Meghan Shaughnessy. — come from vastly different backgrounds, but are united by two unconnected and deeply personal secrets, both of which have the potential to unravel their lives. Agatha thinks Meghan has it all — two perfect children, a handsome and successful husband, a happy marriage — while all she has is an absent boyfriend (and father of her unborn child) who won’t return her calls. If only Agatha could see the inner-workings of Meghan and Jack’s marriage; see past the sheen and the smiles plastered on their faces in public. Is a third child really the antidote to their woes? And if it is, suppose that antidote was maliciously removed… the consequences would be devastating.

In this standalone psychological thriller, Robotham explores the lengths we’ll go to bury the truth beneath a flood of lies. He never writes a dull page, ratcheting up the tension, pressing his foot against the accelerator, until the pages start turning themselves. The Secrets She Keeps is gripping and heartbreaking in equal measure. You will doubt everything and everyone, because ultimately, the characters at the novel’s centre simply can’t be trusted. They are liars, cheats and scoundrels. And they are so utterly compelling, you might breeze through this one in a single sitting. It’s ‘forget your job, meals, friends and family’ kind of good.

Review: Australia Day by Melanie Cheng

Our bookseller Simon McDonald reviews Melanie Cheng's collection of short stories, Australia Day.

Melanie Cheng’s short story collection Australia Day is an absorbing panorama of contemporary Australia, populated by a diverse cast, which spotlights the ramifications of such an eclectic potpourri of different races and faiths coexisting. These are 14 powerfully perceptive stories, written with love, humour, realism, and a distinct edginess. While the terrain covered might be familiar, Cheng’s take on our treasured multiculturalism feels fresh.

Some of the pieces in Australia Day have been published elsewhere, including in the Griffith Review and Sleepers Almanac, but I’d yet to sample Cheng’s work prior to cracking the spine of this collection, and in truth, through my own ignorance, I knew little about her fiction. It was only thanks to the cherished booksellers grapevine that my attention was piqued, and I’m ever-so-grateful that community highlighted another gem. Cheng’s mastery of the form seems to deepen with each story, and at various moments I was jubilant and disheartened by her depiction of our society, but constantly awed by the deftness of her prose. Most admirable is Cheng’s capacity to both indict and acquit Australians throughout her stories: she is equally scathing as she is complimentary, and neither is ever overtly expressed, always nuanced.

Australia Day is a stunning reminder of our great nation’s diversity. Regardless of our heritage, where we’ve come from, or where we’re going — race, religion, ethnicity be damned — we are all inextricably linked by the land we inhabit and share. Melanie Cheng’s short story collection is a celebration of our multiculturalism, even when some of her insights prove uncomfortable. It’s necessary reading, not only because it’s a microcosm of who we are, but because each story is a gem, and a joy to behold.

Review: Wimmera by Mark Brandi

Our resident crime guru Simon McDonald reviews the 2016 Winner of the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger, Wimmera by Mark Brandi.

Wimmera tracks the friendship of two boys from a defining moment in their childhood, when a mysterious newcomer arrives in the small Australian country town of Wimmera, through to the discovery of a body in the river twenty years later. Mark Brandi’s debut is a simply extraordinary literary crime novel, delivered with intelligence, power and heart.

Wimmera opens in the midst of the 1989 summer holidays, where we’re introduced to best friends Ben and Fab. These almost-teenagers spend their days yabbying, playing backyard cricket, hypothesising revenge against school bullies, and leaving unsaid their shared discomfort over the way Fab’s father hits him, and the suicide of Ben’s next-door neighbour. When a man moves into the now-vacant neighbour’s house, Fab and Ben contemplate his presence in their hometown now; what brought him here, and where was he before? He’s a big man, obviously strong, built like a linebacker. There’s something not right about him; a meanness in his smile, a dubious glint in his eye. Unbeknownst to Ben and Fab, his arrival in Wimmera will have a major impact on their young lives — the ripples of which are still felt twenty years later, when their friendship has long since eroded, Ben now living the big city life in Melbourne, while Fab remains, stuck in a dead-end job, burdened by the weight of a decision made in his youth, soon to be crippled by it when the police discover a body in the river.

Wimmera is rural Australian noir perfected. The tone of the novel is bleak, its characters steeped in defeatism. You know from the start: nobody is going to get what they want, and everyone is going to get what’s coming to them. In his foreword of The Best American Noir of the Century, Otto Penzler described noir works as “existential pessimistic tales about people, including (or especially) protagonists, who are seriously flawed and morally questionable. The tone is generally bleak and nihilistic, with characters whose greed, lust, jealousy, and alienation lead them into a downward spiral and their plans and schemes inevitably go awry.” That’s Wimmera in a nutshell. It is unsettling and bittersweet bearing witness to two young men orbiting a black hole, but more importantly, it’s unputdownable.

Comparisons to Jane Harper’s critically acclaimed The Dry are inevitable — both Australian debuts, both set in rural Australian towns — but besides their sheer readability, these are two very different novels deserving of equal merit. Harper’s was a relentless page-turner; a race to determine the perpetrator of the crime. Brandi’s is more of a slow-burn; a character-driven, emotionally-wrenching tour-de-force. It's not just my favourite crime novel of the year so far, it's one of my favourite novels this year, full-stop.

The Best Crime Books and Thrillers of June 2017

Our crime connoisseur Simon McDonald reveals his favourite crime novels and thrillers of the month.

The Force by Don Winslow

Don Winslow, the acclaimed, award-winning, bestselling author of The Power of the Dog and The Cartel, turns his sights away from the War on Drugs to deliver a truly epic, Godfather-esque cop novel, The Force.

It opens with NYPD Detective Sergeant Denny Malone in federal lockup, reflecting on the decisions that landed him behind bars. Formerly a hero cop and the self-proclaimed King of Manhattan North, Malone was in charge of an elite NYPD unit commissioned to battle drugs, guns and gangs, until something -- well, everything -- went wrong, and his whole world came crashing down. Seems 18 years of bending the rules has finally taken its toll. Not that Malone's remorseful. In his mind, he's done what he's had to, in order to keep the streets safe and line the pockets of his comrades, who deserve maximum compensation for the risks they take. Malone doesn't consider himself corrupt or dirty: when you're working under the hammer of a broken justice system, you make your own rules. Against the backdrop of community outrage from high-profile police shootings of young black men nationwide, Winslow unveils Malone's unravelling.

The Force is a propulsive crime novel, offering plenty of social commentary, and a dose of Winslow's trademark dynamism and flair. Anyone needing proof Winslow is one of the finest crime writers working today, here's your proof.

Defectors by Joseph Kanon

Joseph Kanon’s Defectors moves deliberately but colourfully, with intelligent prose and a strong Cold War period feel. With his recent literary gems (Leaving Berlin, Istanbul Passage), the heir apparent to John Le Carré is doing a wonderful job re-sparking interest in classic spy fiction. Nobody is doing it better. Frankly, nobody can do it better.

In 1949, CIA agent Frank Weeks was exposed as a Communist spy and defected to the Soviet Union. Twelve years later, in 1961 when the Defectors opens, his brother, Simon, a New York-based book publisher, gets drawn into a dangerous scheme when Frank dangles the proposition of a tell-all memoir. Simon travels to Moscow, anxious about reuniting with his brother, whose treachery resulted in his dismissal from his work as an analyst (a position he had held with the OSS during World War II), not to mention discomfort over the his secret affair with Frank’s wife, Jo.

But more than that, Simon’s concern is based on uncertainty over Frank’s intentions. The man has made self-preservation an art form, and there is no way his KGB masters will agree to an unadulterated exposé — so what is the true purpose behind Simon’s visit? And will Simon agree to whatever scheme Frank has set in motion? Whatever he decides, there will be a cost.

Like Alan Furst’sThe Foreign Correspondent and Le Carré’s The English Spy, Kanon’s latest perfectly encapsulates the potency of a spy thriller devoid of explosions and shootouts. This is a thriller that eschews video game shoot-’em-up style action, and instead relies on the the complexities of its characters and their confused loyalties to maximise suspense.

Defectors is a virtuoso display by an author at his peak. It’s a masterful thriller, pure and simple.

The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne

When the notorious child abductor known as the Marsh King escapes from a maximum security prison, his daughter, Helena, tracks her father through the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan while reflecting upon her childhood as his prisoner. Pitched as a breathless race-against time to stop the Marsh King from reaching her family,

The Marsh King’s Daughter is less of a pulse-pounding thriller and more of a coming-of-age character study, with the bulk of the story comprised of flashbacks to Helena’s youth. 

Born and raised in a swamp, Helena had no idea that she and her mother were captives until they were rescued. Trained to trap, hunt and kill, Helena and her mother’s rescue plucked her from anomalous existence to another: a foreign world of electronic gadgets, the internet, and a population grossly enamoured in the goings-on of celebrities. She isn’t comfortable in this world; misses the solitude of the wilderness. Meeting her husband, Stephen, eased the transition; so too the birth of her daughters, which focuses Helena, gives her a purpose, makes her something other than merely a survivor. She’s never told Stephen about her past; lied from the beginning, wanting to separate herself from the past. So when when notorious kidnapper, rapist, and murderer Jacob Holbrook escapes police custody thirteen years after she helped put him away, not only does Helena worry for the safety of her children, the sanctity of her marriage is also under threat.

Conceptually, there’s a lot to love aboutThe Marsh King’s Daughter. Who better to track the Marsh King than his daughter, who learned everything from him? And,as the narrative flits between the past and present, the pages almost turn themselves, Karen Dionne superbly ratcheting the tension. This is a fine character-driven psychological thriller for readers who’ve grown tired of such novels set in the suburbs, and looking for a fresh landscape to explore.

Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane

Dennis Lehane is the author of one of my favourite novels of all time —Shutter Island — and as a long-time admirer of his Patrick Kenzie / Angie Gennaro crime series, as well as the stellar Coughlin trilogy, I was very much looking forward to his new standalone book. And Since We Fell, ultimately, doesn’t disappoint, despite its slightly meandrous beginning (first sentence aside which is a ripper!), when it feels like Lehane is taking the scenic route to the novel’s core. But when the moment arrives (which will remain unspoiled in this review, obviously), everything clicks into place, and the novel kicks into Lehane’s trademark high gear. 

Since We Fell follows Rachel Childs, a former television journalist, who lives as a virtual shut-in after a mental breakdown she experienced on-air as a result of coverage of the massive earthquake that shattered Haiti in 2010. Despite her struggles, life’s not altogether so bad for Rachel: she lives a wonderful life with her husband, who demonstrates incredible composure and understanding of her situation. Then, as a result of a chance encounter one afternoon, everything changes, and Rachel realises she’s been involved in a massive conspiracy; a deception unlike anything she could’ve possibly anticipated. To face the truth, and to survive it, she must overcome her greatest fears. 

Lehane’s latest is a satisfying physiological thriller that becomes utterly relentless once it gains traction. The background into Rachel’s past seems excessive at times, even though it’s ultimately necessary information for readers to fully understand her motivations. But once you get through it, when you reach the moment, the plot comes together in exhilarating fashion. The tension is ratcheted up to the nth degree, and readers will be turning the pages as fast as they possibly can to see how the story plays out. 

Dennis Lehane’s novels are at the top of the genre’s food chain.

Since We Fell is blessed with a compelling narrative and top-notch writing. It will satisfy Lehane’s legion of fans and convert new ones. At a time when our bookstore shelves are packed with titles trying desperately to be the next Gone Girl andThe Girl on the Train, Since We Fell will satisfy fans of both, but remains its own distinct beast.

Camino Island by John Grisham

John Grisham forgoes his trademark courtroom drama for a multi-layered caper story. 

Camino Island opens with a daring heist. The prize? The five manuscripts of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s only novels, valued at $25 million, under lock-and-key in a high-security vault located deep beneath Princeton University. But there’s no such thing as the perfect crime, and this gang of five made mistakes, which result in a couple of arrests. Despite pressure from the FBI’s Rare Asset Recovery unit, the remaining thieves vanish without a trace, and for a time, their investigation stalls, until a man on their watch list – an infamous bookseller on Camino Island named Bruce Kable – comes to their attention. More specifically, his collection of rare manuscripts. Determined to employ a mole to get close to Kable and assess his possible criminality, Mercer Mann, a struggling writer burdened by debts – and coincidentally, a former frequent-traveller to Camino Island – is somewhat reluctantly pulled into the fold.

Camino Island is a fun cat-and-mouse thriller. The manner in which Grisham ties his various plot threads is impressive, and showcases his skillful plotting. More than anything, it's a love letter to booksellers and readers, the author revealing some insider secrets that folks not "in the know" will be tickled by. 

Sydney Writers' Festival 2017

The Sydney Writers' Festival programme was announced last Thursday night and there is lots to be excited about.  Here is a round up of our picks of the best books and authors to watch. 

For more information on events with these authors visit swf.org.au.

Insomniac City by Bill Hayes

The Potts Point staff are rarely unanimous but on special occasions we all fall in love with the same book. Bill Hayes' tender, witty and intimate memoir is a love letter to New York and his late partner, the wise and compassionate Oliver Sacks. 

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

This is a masterful debut novel from a vibrant new voice in fiction. It tells the story of a determined young black woman, trying to find her way in the world after losing her mother. With frankness and humanity, Bennett tackles friendship, ambition, adulthood and the support and suffocation of community.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2016 National Book Award. A haunting, visceral novel that never flinches from the aberrations of history, while still singing with imagination and heart. Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning story is about giving voice to those who need to be heard, perhaps now more than ever. 

The Return by Hisham Matar

Counting Hilary Mantel and Chimamanda Adichie among his readers, Hisham Matar is an essential voice in non fiction today. The Return is an extraordinary memoir that revisits Matar's childhood in Libya and dives into the difficult personal and political story of his father's life. 

I'm Supposed to Protect You From All This by Nadja Speigelman

This powerful memoir is force of nature, just like its provocative author and subject. Speigelman sets out to explore the stories and secrets of her mother and grandmother - both fiercely intelligent, French and a little bit nuts. The book is a wild ride filled with emotional intensity and dark humour.

In the Darkroom by Susan Faludi

When Susan Faludi received a matter-of-fact email from her estranged father informing her that he'd become a woman, she decided to revive a relationship that had long fallen away. The result is a fascinating, compulsively readable book which raises as many questions as it answers, and proves that there is no such thing as a singular identity.

Potts Point Top 50 Books for 2016

We always suspected that the Potts Point crowd had the best literary taste in town and now it's confirmed. We've tallied our best-selling 50 books for 2016 and the verdict is in - you buy the best books and we love selling them to you.

1. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

Set in the art world, this is an addictively interesting story of forgery, betrayal and the history of a very special painting. There was a lot of love for this excellent novel in store, and we're proud to say it's our number one pick for 2016. 

2. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Commonwealth was one of the all time customer and staff favourites from last year. It's a tale of blended families, dysfunctional relationships, but above all the redemptive power of love and loyalty. Put simply, we worship Ann Patchett and would read the back of a cereal box if she wrote it.

3. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

This is the book that got everyone talking last year. And crying. Yanagihara follows four young college friends as they grow up, fall in love, fail, succeed and attempt to find real estate in New York City. Be warned, this novel is more than it seems and has a disturbingly dark underbelly that only the bravest will make it through without tears.

4. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

FERRANTE FEVER. We have it, and so do you apparently. And yes, it's contagious. If you haven't yet read this Italian four-novel series about Lila and Lena, the fiercest, smartest and strangest little girls in Naples you are missing out on an immersive world of violence, politics, proto-feminism and dirty words in dialect.

5. Everywhere I Look by Helen Garner

Helen Garner, praise! This time our national treasure has turned her acute, witty eye to all sorts of topics from friendship and writing to the indignities of old age. The woman can write a sentence hoo boy. 

6. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift

Graham Swift's new fiction is a sensual novella that you will no doubt gobble up in a single sitting. Set in 20th century Britain at a time of intense change, but covering just one afternoon, Mothering Sunday is a little window a world of a simple housemaid, whose life is anything but straightforward. 

7. The Course of Love by Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton shares his thoughts on love, relationships and marriage in this poignantly realistic novel featuring all of our deepest fears, flaws and desires. Love has never sounded so logical than in de Botton's capable hands.

8. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This moving historical novel has been enchanting staff and customers for a while now. If you haven't had a chance to read it - it's not too late to sink into Doerr's stunning sentences and meet characters who will stubbornly lodge in your heart and never leave.

9. Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook

Delicious fish and seafood. People who know what they're doing tell you how to make it taste good. That is all. So basically, perfection in a cookbook.

10. The Road to Ruin by Niki Savva

Scandal. Controversy. Onions. The Abbot Credlin saga is stranger than fiction and Sava's vicious wit and stable of untold stories will keep you reading and disbelieving until you've thrown your hands and eyebrows up in the air so often you don't bother taking them down again.

11. The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

12. Nutshell by Ian McEwan

13.Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent

14. Midnight Watch by David Dyer

15. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

16. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

17. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

18. Farewell to the Father by Tim Elliott

19. The Noise of Time by Julian barnes

20. The Sellout by Paul Beatty

21. Aunts Up the Cross by Robin Dalton

22. The Secret Recipe for Second Chances by JD Barrett

23. The Dry by Jane Harper

24. The Girls by Emma Cline

25. The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

26. Kings Cross: A Pictorial History by Anne-Marie Whitaker

27. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling

28. The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson

29. Talking to My Country by Stan Grant

30. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

31. Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty

32. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy

33. The Mothers by Brit Bennett

34. Rod Campbell's Aussie Animals

35. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

36. Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

37. The Odd Woman and the City by Vivian Gornick

38. Quarterly Essay 63: The Enemy Within by Don Watson

39. Oi Frog! by Kes Gray

40. Exposure by Helen Dunmore

41. The 78-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths 

42. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance

43. The Bricks That Built the Houses by Kate Tempest

44. Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain

45. The Good People by Hannah Kent

46. A Divided Spy by Charles Cumming

47. Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler

48. Mr Chicken Arriva a Roma by Leigh Hobbs

49. The Riviera Set by Mary Lovell

50. Waters of Eternal Youth by Donna Leon

Happy reading for 2017!

-- Love the PPBS team

The Man Booker Shortlist: A Guide for the Perplexed

When the Booker shortlist was announced a few weeks ago I proclaimed that this was the year I would read the entire selection of six novels. I make many stupid proclamations, but unfortunately I said this one out loud in front of people I like and respect.

The Man Booker Prize is a strange, unpredictable beast — now that I have read all the books on the 2016 list I cannot say for sure what it is those judges look for except that the novels are all inventive, assured and have a dark side. I have been surprised, delighted, confused, challenged, provoked and moved, but never bored.

I'm not sure if there's quite something for everyone on the list, but there are definitely some things for some people. Happy reading!

1. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy

Hot Milk is a fantastically strange, sexy and blackly funny novel. It was the first one of the list I read, and probably the one I will recommend to the most people. Set in a coastal town in Spain, the story follows Sofia and her mysteriously ailing mother as they seek treatment at an unconventional clinic run by the beatific Doctor Gomez and his eccentric staff (including a pregnant cat named Jodo). At its purest, the novel is a coming-of-age story, but don’t expect a traditional narrative arc – Sofia’s journey is as bizarre as it is compelling.

You should read Hot Milk if: you see weirdness as a virtue, and have unresolved issues with your mother.

If Hot Milk comes up at a dinner party, you might like to make the following pretentious, yet enigmatic assessment: ‘I particularly responded to the visceral poeticism of the language, and let’s just say I’ll never look at jellyfish the same way.’

2. Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh

Eileen is a grim, unforgiving, claustrophobic character study of the eponymous Eileen, a young woman who lives with her sadistic alcoholic father and works at a juvenile prison. Although she presents herself as thoroughly unremarkable, the story’s claws catch on the casual, even comical way she reveals the more disturbing parts of her personality. Reading Eileen is an exercise in withstanding the grotesque; through the loose structure of a noir thriller, Otessa Moshfegh masterfully chips away at the soiled, encrusted parts of ourselves that we don’t want to acknowledge. It’s a novel about shame, desire and the unstable nature of morality.

You should read Eileen if: you hunger to explore the darkness that lives inside us all. Not for the faint of heart or unstable of stomach. 

If Eileen comes up at a dinner party, you might like to make the following innocuous comment: ‘Moshfegh has really pushed the boat out on the unlikeable protagonist front – she renders the abject like it’s nobody’s business.’

3. The Sellout by Paul Beatty

Paul Beatty’s novel is lightning in a bottle. It’s an uproarious, savage satire of the least politically correct kind. The language has an inimitable swagger and the multi-layered political, historical and pop cultural references flow so thickly and quickly you may need a literary decanter to process the message underneath. Make no mistake, this is very likely a work of genius, but it is a hugely challenging read as it gallops along, lacerating the state of American race relations until there's nothing left but shreds of indignity. This is an important novel, but I fear that on my first reading I’ve barely processed its true depths and comedic achievement.

You should read The Sellout if: you’re after a fresh take on US race politics and are ready to take on a tsunami of inter-textual allusions which culminate in an exhilarating ride through a hyper-racial world. 

If The Sellout comes up at a dinner party, you might like to make the following grandiose announcement: ‘This might be the great satirical work of our generation.’

4. All That Man Is by David Szalay

David Szalay’s novel is made up of nine discrete sections, each of which drop you into an entirely new universe with new characters’ flaws to judge. Set in locations all over Europe, each of the stories is about a man, and these men become older with each chapter beginning with a 17-year-old on a not-so-sexy European adventure and ending with a dying man in his seventies. These characters are constantly travelling away from home – in cars, on planes, on yachts. Are they chasing the unattainable? Or are they merely running to escape themselves? Their stories throw up questions about masculinity, exile, disenfranchisement and the trappings of class, with a dash of schadenfreude thrown in for good measure.

You should read All That Man Is if: you enjoy short stories, and feel the urge to invest in a series of largely unsympathetic men who secretly hate their lives.

If All That Man Is comes up at a dinner party, you might like to suggest off handedly: ‘Aren't all these stories just exploring one question – what happens when the entitled become disempowered?’

5. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

Madeleine Thien’s Do Not Say We Have Nothing explores the trauma and silence born out of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and the power of music to embody and transcend suffering. From contemporary Vancouver to the deserts of southern China, the story roams across time and place stitched together by a constant preoccupation with music and a set of hand-written manuscripts that safeguard family secrets. The book is like a tapestry, with each character's journey its own piece of folklore, gradually coming together to create a whole picture. This is historical fiction in its most understated form, with all of the pathos but none of the sentimentality.   

You should read Do Not Say We Have Nothing if: you’d like learn about the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and feel many feelings at the same time.

If Do Not Say We Have Nothing comes up at a dinner party, you might like to proffer knowingly: ‘We often think of music and creativity as a form of outward dissidence, but Thien shows it can be an inward rebellion as well.’

6. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet

It took me a while to buy into this 19th century-style novel, but once I was in I was ALL IN.

His Bloody Project rests on the premise that the book comprises found archival documents relating to a triple homicide case in 1869 in rural Scotland – the story is a collage of different perspectives on this one gruesome event. The bulk of the novel is an articulate personal memoir written by the accused, which forms the undercoat on which other opinions are painted. This is no ordinary murder mystery – we know who did it – rather it’s an unexpectedly deep meditation on the nature of truth and intention, and whether we can ever really know the mind of another (or our own).

You should read His Bloody Project if: have a penchant for psychoanalysis; want to improve your Gaelic vocabulary; or have read all of the novels actually written in the 19th century and want more please.

If His Bloody Project comes up at a dinner party, you might like to ask provocatively: ‘Considering how meticulously Macrae Burnet mimics the 19th century style, how is it that this novel feels so modern?’

_____________________________________

While I am loathe to expose myself in this way, I might as well go ahead and write my vague predictions for the prize, which is being announced this Tuesday (October 25th) in London.

Most likely to win: Hot Milk or The Sellout 

Least likely to win: All That Man Is and Eileen

Wild cards: His Bloody Project and Do Not Say We Have Nothing

By Kate Steinweg, Potts Point bookseller, reader and opinion haver (kateisreading.com)

Indigenous Literacy Day

September the 7th is Indigenous Literacy Day and we will be donating 10% of our sales from this day to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. 

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) and the great work that they are doing.

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is a national charity of the Australian Book Industry. Their aim is to reduce the disadvantage experienced by children in very remote Indigenous communities across Australia. The focus  of the ILF is to improve literacy rates and instil a lifelong love of reading. Our programs focus on creating a special relationship with reading from an early age with free books, some in First language, and though publishing stories from communities.

In May of this year I travelled to the Tiwi Islands to see the ILF in action.  We were a group of nine, five ILF staff and Board members and four ambassadors - Richard Flanagan, Alison Lester, William Barton and Jared Thomas.  On Melville Island we ran a series of workshops with kids at Milikapitti School and Tiwi College.  It is hard to put into words how amazing the response was to these workshops.  As part of the program children and community members also received books to take home and enjoy.  Living in the city it is hard to imagine a world without books or even a world without any written signage but in Australia’s most remote and disadvantaged communities there is nothing and whilst literacy might be second to everyday survival the opportunity to make lasting change in communities is there and must be embraced.

The ILF runs three core programs - Book Buzz, Book Supply and Community Publishing Programs.

Book Buzz supplies books to play groups and appropriate community contacts for the youngest of children. The Book Buzz program also translates books into First language so the books are more accessible for families where English might be their second of third language.

Book Supply provides a range of books to communities. These books are carefully selected to be culturally relevant and interesting with the long term goal of cultivating a culture of literacy. So far in 2016, the ILF has distributed 50,000 books to 210 communities and have plans to expand to another 50 communities over the next year.

Last, but not least is the Community Publishing Program which involves sharing and documenting stories making Indigenous stories available to their community but also sometimes to a wider audience.  Some of these books are commercially available, please pop in to the shop and look at No Way Yirrikipayi! a fabulous collaboration between the children of Milikapiti school and Alison Lester or Tiwi Girl  which was written by the Senior Girls from Tiwi College.

This year on Indigenous Literacy Day the Spinifex Writing Camp will be launching their new book -The Goanna was Hungry.  A great book showcasing the efforts of ten young writers from Tjuntjuntjara, Mt Margaret, Menzies and Melbourne working with acclaimed author/illustrators Sally Morgan and Ann James. 

Justine Clarke, Josh Pyke and Deborah Cheetham, all of whom are ILF’s Ambassadors, have produced a fabulous song called “Words Make the World Go Round”.  The children from Gawura Campus at St Andrew’s School have joined them on this catchy song.

The ILF raises all its money without any government funding.  They rely on the book industry, publishers and most importantly any person who believes it is a child’s right to be functionally literate and able to read and write.

What you can do to help:

• Make a donation to the ILF
• Buy a book from us on 7th September and be safe in the knowledge that 10% of the sale price will be donated to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
• Every time you have a book wrapped at the Potts Point Bookshop make a gold coin donation which is then given to the ILF,
• Buy one of the books that are available through the community publishing program.  We have them in the shop.
• Buy the great new song “Words Make the World Go Round.”