What a superb and sublimely written novel! I was initially tentative about Boy Swallows Universe....drug dealers, a junkie mum, very colourful language, prison breakouts....not exactly Goudge or Gaskell! Thankfully, the reviews from some of my favourite bookstagrammers encouraged me to give it a go.
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It's the best contemporary book I've read in a long time. It is very difficult to categorise as it transcends traditional genres. A boy, coming of age when the decks are stacked against him. Crime, relationships, philosophy, love, brutality, guts and a good dose of magic. Good men that are bad, and bad men that are good.
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But mostly, I found this a story full of tenderness and joy, and Eli Bell jumped straight into my heart and I cheered for him right to the heartstopping end. The fact that this is semi-autobiographical blows me away. This was my Australia, so familiar yet so far removed from my own experiences. Trent Dalton, what a story!
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I recommend it to everyone!
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#boyswallowsuniverse #trentdalton #australianliterature
I flew to Adelaide with my brother this morning for the funeral of my great aunt, who passed away last week, 11 days off her 100th birthday! We were planning to come over next weekend for her birthday celebration, but she had other plans for us all! She was chuffed to receive her congratulatory letter from the Queen before she died. It's been a special day, sharing memories, reconnecting with family and making new friends.
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This pic was taken at the gorgeous beach at Port Noarlunga. I knew the only reading time I'd get was airport and flying time so these tiny Wodehouse Pick-Me-Ups are perfect!
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#portnoarlunga #pgwodehouse #apgwodehousepickmeup #mullinersbuckuuppo
The Gown of Glory is a dear story of a "wonderful family, short of cash but rich in everything else".
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Set in America in the late 19th century, newlyweds David & Mary Lyall move to the tiny village of Ladykirk for David to take up the post of Presbyterian Minister. The first chapter ends with young, ambitious Mary solemnly pronouncing that they will be in Ladykirk "about five years, no longer". The next chapter opens 25 years (and three grown children) later and they are still the pillars of that same small community. It's a little bit 'It's a Wonderful Life' as David & Mary come to realise that everything they hold dear and important is right there, and that in return they are as needed and loved by the townsfolk.
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Agnes Sligh Turnbull has written a beautiful story! She reminds me of Elizabeth Goudge and I'm sure fans of Goudge would adore this. Her descriptions of village life, and the surrounding countryside are wonderful. She writes characters that are multi-dimensional and with plenty of quirkiness! To the consternation of his congregation, David's best friend is the only athiest in town, who demonstrates mercy and grace when it's needed most. Mary's favourite hobby is to write obituaries for the older townsfolk, scouring old poetry books for the most fitting sentiments. There is plenty of humour and it abounds in faith and love.
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If you can't tell, I was in my element reading this. Pure joy!
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#agnesslighturnbull #thegownofglory #vintagebooks #elizabethgoudge
In 1714 the finest bridge in Peru suddenly collapses, sending five travellers to their deaths in the gulf below. The accident was witnessed by Brother Juniper, a monk who is compelled to learn about each victim and why they were on that bridge at that moment in time. He is on a quest to prove that the tragic deaths were divine intervention rather than chance. His search leads us to Thornton Wilder's "timeless investigation into the nature of love and the meaning of the human condition".
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I came across Wilder's Pulitzer prize winning classic when I was looking for a book published in 1927 for my #100yearsofbooks challenge. Books like this are exactly why I wanted to do the challenge in the first place. I may never have read it otherwise. It is a poetic, philosophical, aesthetically beautiful, and superbly written novella and one that stays with you long after turning the last page.
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#thorntonwilder #thebridgeofsanluisrey #pulitzerprize
