Recommendations for International Women's Day

International Women's Day is on 8th March so I thought this would be a good opportunity to recommend some of the fantastic fiction I have read over the past 12 months about women and their stories.  A common theme here is oppression of and discrimination against women (both contemporary and historical) and the characters in these novels are all likeable, feisty women determined to break free from the roles society has cast them in. They provide food for thought and a chance to reflect on these issues whilst also being hugely enjoyable reads.

The Girl With The Louding Voice, by Abi Dare

This highly readable, page turner of a novel which I devoured in just a couple of sittings tells the story of Adunni,  a 14 year old girl from a rural Nigerian village who longs for an education. The story begins by describing the poverty of her family and then she is sold: first as a bride to become the third wife of a middle aged man; and then into slavery as a domestic servant, so it is not always a comfortable read as it brings home the many ways that women are oppressed in Nigerian society. However there are also tender and joyful moments in what is ultimately an uplifting story of a girl who refuses to let herself be silenced and oppressed. Some readers might be put off by the dialect the book is written in but within a couple of pages your ear becomes attuned and it is like being there beside Adunni, completely part of the immersive experience of the book. SO good. 

American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins

American Dirt is an explosive page turner that reads like a thriller and kept me completely hooked from beginning to end. I was initially pulled in by the quote on the cover from Ann Patchett : 'I couldn't put it down. I'll never stop thinking about it.' ; and I am able to report that this is not hyperbole - this really is the case for me as well! It tells the story of Lydia, a bookshop owner from Acapulco, as she goes on the run from a local drug cartel attempting to escape to the USA with her eight year old son. It is one of those books that leaves you a little wrung out emotionally when you finish it as I was often moved to tears or had my heart racing in fear. It is well researched and well written and leaves the reader horrified at conditions faced by migrants trying to reach the USA, hardships and difficulties often exacerbated by the fact that the protagonist is a woman. This is a fantastic novel that left me thinking about Lydia and her son long after I had finished reading.

A Room Made of Leaves, by Kate Grenville

Kate Grenville is one of my favourite authors (you can read more recommendations of her work here :http://thisreadingmummy.blogspot.com/2017/01/must-read-australian-booklist-for.html) so I was very excited to read her latest offering, another historical novel set in eighteenth century Sydney as Australia is being established as a British colony. The novel, based on real events and real people, tells the story of Elizabeth Macarthur, the wife of John Macarthur a British Army Officer often recognised as the 'father' of the Australian wool industry. Aged just 21, Elizabeth accompanies her new husband to the newly founded penal colony and we follow her as she carves out a life for herself on the other side of the globe with a husband she quickly realises that she does not love. Elizabeth is a spirited, likeable and fiercely independent  woman who works hard to break free of the shackles placed on her by the expectations of eighteenth century society and exacerbated by the male dominated world of the penal colony. This is a lovely read, beautifully evocative of time and place, and you leave it feeling that you have gained a friend in Elizabeth.  She is a woman famous for being the wife of her husband but this novel shows her as so much more than that - as a person with her own story. 

The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Mercies is another historical novel, this time set in seventeenth century Norway. It begins with a terrifying storm (a real event that occurred on 24th December 1617) that kills almost the entire male population of Vardo, an island in the far north of Norway, deep inside the arctic circle. The rest of the novel is an absorbing account of how the women left behind learn to cope firstly with life without their men and then with the subsequent arrival of a new governor who has come to enforce new sorcery laws and ends up leading a witchhunt. This is a fascinating and terrifying novel which completely transports the reader to another time and place, and a more detailed review can be read here: http://thisreadingmummy.blogspot.com/2020/03/book-review-mercies-by-kiran-millwood.html 

What novels highlighting women and their struggles against oppression and inequality would you add to this list?

Must-Read Australian booklist for Australia Day.

Today is Australia Day - what better way to mark it than recommending some great books about Australia and my favourite Australian authors??

English Passengers, by Matthew Kneale

This is a stunning book. Kneale writes about the whole Vctorian period, summing up racial, social and religious beliefs of the time, through a journey from England to the colony of Tasmania. Parallel to the story of the journey is the story of the Aboriginal people of Tasmania and their brutal treatment at the hands of the colonists. This strand of the novel is shocking and incredibly sad, but this is balanced, and somehow emphasised, by the humour (at times of an almost slapstick quality) that is prevalent though out the book. This book made a lasting impression on me when I first read it 14 years ago, and I would definitely recommend it.

The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough 

I am sure that the seventies tv show did not do the reputation of this book any favours.... When you think of the Thorn Birds, most people think of a slightly trashy, overly romantic epic series that their mum used to watch and obsess about. However, if you can move past that, this is a fantastic book. I first read it as a teenager and I really fell in love with the Australia described by McCullough - the vast open spaces of the Outback where the family ranch lies. This book alone evoked a desire in me to visit Australia and see this incredible landscape imprinted in my mind from this beautiful book, and I am pleased to say that I travelled to Australia in 2000 and was indeed moved by its awesome landscape. A re-reading last year confirmed for me that the sense of place and the setting of the novel are the real stars of this book, but the plot of this epic family saga spanning several generations certainly makes for a gripping read. It is very long and there are very many characters (almost too many, as I felt at times that some of the characters were a little one-dimensional), but definitely worth reading, to totally lose yourself in another world- the beauty, splendour and isolation of the Australian Outback.

Red Dog, by Louis de Bernieres 

Any dog lovers out there should definitely read this book, and have the tissues handy. It is a very short book recounting the life of Red Dog who travels around the unforgiving Pilbara region of north-west Australia (a little like the Littlest Hobo) and the relationships he forms with the various people he adopts. Louis de Bernieres manages to make both the landscape and the people come alive and he writes with a great deal of warmth and affection. A little gem of a book.

The Slap, by Christos Tsiolkas

This book is fairly controversial and has provoked polarised opinions in reviews. Personally, I thought it was great - uncomfortable to read, yes, and it does not do much to promote your faith in humanity but compelling none the less. 

At a barbecue in suburban Melbourne, a 4 year old child is slapped by someone who is not his parent. The fallout from this is huge - a court case ensues and marriages, friendships and families are divided over which side to take. 

There is a very large cast of characters and each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character so the reader views events in many different ways. Several of the characters are deeply unpleasant and their actions at times repellent, but in an almost voyeuristic way, you have to keep on reading. 

This is a very thought-provoking novel touching on issues such as: identity, racism and how it feels to be an immigrant trying to integrate whilst holding on to your own culture and traditions; corporal punishment; different  parenting styles and the right of people to parent in the way they see fit; and the difficulties of marriage and family life. I think it is definitely worth a read, but afterwards you may not be able to say that you "enjoyed" it.

Now for my 2 favourite Australian authors - I would pretty much recommend anything they have written, but describe a couple of favourites here....

Peter Carey:

True History of the Kelly Gang - this won the Booker prize in 2001 and it's easy to see why. It is a novel unlike anything else, where Carey completely transports the reader to the 19th Century and the life of the notorious bush ranger, Ned Kelly. Carey has written in the voice of Kelly, uneducated and barely literate and this is what helps to totally immerse the reader in the time and place, but also means that it can be hard to get into. A page turning adventure and a mind-blowing accomplishment from this talented author.

Oscar and Lucinda - Another Booker prize winner. This time an epic story of undeclared love between two very unusual characters (Oscar and Lucinda!) spanning two continents and most of the 19th century. It is the beautifully drawn characters that really make this novel. It is rather long, but stick with it, the writing is fabulous!

30 Days in Sydney: a wildly distorted account - Carey returns to Sydney after a seventeen year absence and writes about his experiences, trying to find the essence of the place. It is very readable and as someone who has visited Sydney at around the time he was writing this I found it very interesting. This short book is hard to categorise - it's not a memoir and it's not a travelogue or guidebook, but the personal stories share space with the history and geography of the city. Sydney is a unique city and this book manages to convey a real sense of the place and its diverse inhabitants. 

Kate Grenville:

After reading The Secret River, I was hooked by Grenville's writing and went on to seek out as many of her other books as I could find. The Secret River and Sarah Thornhill are 2 of my favourite ever books. They deal with culture clashes between early white settlers and the the indigenous people on the banks of the Hawkesbury river in the18th and 19th centuries, and are described in detail here:http://thisreadingmummy.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/ten-books-i-would-recommend-to-everyone.html

I was then inspired to read Searching for The Secret River,which is Grenville's fascinating account of how she researched and wrote The Secret River and how the book grew from research about her own ancestors. It is not often that a reader gets a glimpse into the mind and process of a writer and this is a real treat, allowing a little understanding of how an idea becomes a novel. Very readable and enjoyable and compliments the novel perfectly. 

The Lieutenant is another novel by Kate Grenville set in Sydney at the time it was first established as a British settlement. The eponymous lieutenant is Daniel Rooke, an astronomer sent out with the First Fleet, who is uncomfortable with the way his colleagues attempt to interact with the local Aboriginal people. The novel documents his burgeoning relationships with the Aborigines and how this is viewed by his military colleagues. It is interesting to learn that the character of Daniel Rooke is based upon the real person William Dawes. 

With The Idea of Perfection Grenville proved to me that she could write about subjects other than the early colonisation of Australia. This novel tells the story of the unlikely romance blossoming between Douglas Cheeseman and Harley Savage, two people who have given up on love. The setting is an eccentric small town in rural NSW and both the setting and characters are wonderfully drawn. Grenville brings their awkwardness, embarrassment and affection vividly to life in this touching and gently humorous tale.

I'd love for you to comment and share your own Australian favourites.

Ten books I would recommend to EVERYONE

This was a difficult list to compile. As someone who reads upwards of 50 books a year, narrowing it down to recommend just a few out of all the books you have read is really hard. But these books all moved me, spoke to me, taught me things, shaped my world view or simply made me so lost in a different world that I actually grieved when the reading experience was over. And of course these books have stayed with me, some of them for many years. Some have been re-read time and again, but for others the emotions evoked still feel so raw and I still feel so involved with the characters that I don't feel I can go there again...yet. I hope you are inspired to read any you haven't already read and I hope you are as affected by these books as I have been. And please, please comment and leave some recommendations of your own!

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

I first read this book for my English GCSE course and I have re-read it countless times since. There is something very powerful about the story of the prejudices of a town in the American Deep South during the 1930s, being told through the eyes of a lovable, innocent 8 year old child. Reading it as the teenage product of a sheltered, rural English upbringing I realised along with Scout just how awful humans can be to each other and also started to question why this might be. This book was a real eye-opener for me at the time of first reading, but I have continued to come back to it because I love the character of Scout and the way she is not afraid to question what is happening in her hometown. It is funny, touching, moving and thought provoking - a must-read for everyone.

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

This is another book that I first read at school, this time as part of my A-level English course, and have revisited it many times. It tells the story of a real-life crime - the brutal murder of an entire family in their remote Kansas farmhouse - and follows the investigation, culminating in the capture and eventual execution of the two men responsible.  This book became an obsession for Truman Capote and the resulting work haunts the reader too. It is a meditation on the nature of crime and punishment and what causes people to commit such terrible acts. It is also a powerful argument against capital punishment and as such it really makes the reader question their fundamental beliefs about the value of human life. Powerful stuff. Read it.

Room, by Emma Donoghue

I think this may be the most affecting book I have ever read. Yes, that sounds like hyperbole, but I honestly could not stop thinking about the two main characters for many months after reading this, always wondering about how their lives had panned out. It is about a woman and her son who are held captive in a tiny room for many years. It sounds horrific and it is, but it goes so far beyond this. What I took away from this novel was a message of love. I felt that in particular it was about a mother's love for her son, the bond between them and ultimately what it means to be a mother. 

We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver

This is another book with bleak and shocking subject matter. There's no getting away from the fact that it is an uncomfortable read, but it is also utterly engrossing and compelling. It is about a mother who struggles to bond with her child and the shocking acts that child goes on to commit. The mother always believes her child is capable of evil, but her husband refuses to believe her. It is told through a series of letters to her husband in the aftermath of the terrible event perpetrated by the child. It is very cleverly constructed and the whole novel is fraught with tension, building to a devastating and unexpected conclusion. Whilst bleak and uncomfortable to read  it is also an exploration of the nurture versus nature debate causing the reader to reflect on whether a person can be innately evil; an examination of motherhood and the role a mother plays in the development of her children; and a look at perception and the way in which events can be viewed in completely contrasting ways by different people involved in them. Uncomfortable, but thought provoking, affecting, and worth it.

The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, by Roddy Doyle (and it's follow-up Paula Spencer)

This novel tells the story of Paula Spencer a woman living with domestic abuse. It is somewhat bleak and has even been described as depressing, but the feat of writing is extraordinary. Roddy Doyle not only manages to find a totally convincing voice as a woman, but he is also able to infuse this bleak tale with life, humour and hope. Paula's voice is strong and you begin to empathise with her, like her and have hope for her future. 

In the second novel time has moved on and Paula is on the road to recovery. The two novels together show just how far Paula has come, though she is still the flawed but likeable woman from the first novel. Together the novels also make an interesting study of the economic ups and downs of Ireland during the 1990s and on to the boom years of the early 2000s, particularly through the lives of its working class people. A very emotional read (although at times laugh out loud funny) but ultimately uplifting and redemptive, finding hope and the indomitable human spirit in the bleakest of situations.

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozie Adiche

Themes of race and identity are uppermost in this novel, which follows the story of a young Nigerian woman who moves to America and blogs about her experiences. It is very readable and Ifemelu is a very likeable character - the reader is completely drawn into her life. It is an eye-opening account of life in America, in particular what it means to be black in America and what it means to be an immigrant in America. Powerful and unforgettable.

The Secret River, by Kate Grenville (and it's follow -up Sarah Thornhill)

This novel explores colonialism and its brutalities and injustices, along with the personal moral quandries faced by the colonialists themselves. It follows a family of early settlers along the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, Australia, describing their struggles to cultivate the land in an unfamiliar environment, their interactions with the indigenous people already living there and the moral compromises they make in order to be successful and fit in with the settler community. It is beautifully written and the harsh existence of these early settlers in the spectacular but uncompromising landscapes of 18th century  New South Wales is brought vividly to life. While reading I was completely immersed in another time and place. There are times when the subject matter is brutally shocking and other times when it is heart-wrenchingly sad, but it is always compelling.

In the second novel, the eponymous Sarah Thornhill is one of the daughters from the original settler family. It traces her life and marriage and the guilt she feels when she uncovers the truth about how her father built his fortune. The exploration of colonial guilt and whether people truly can be held responsible for the sins of their fathers is what makes this novel stand out for me. 

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

This is an epic story of friendship and loss and how one moment can change lives for ever. It is incredibly sad, but beautifully written and the sense of place created is so strong. It also charts the destruction of Afghanistan from a relatively developed country in the 1970s, through the Soviet invasion and Taliban rule, when it becomes a failed state. I found this aspect of the novel incredibly interesting and almost as sad as the personal story being told. It is a book that the reader becomes totally immersed in - impossible to but down.