Wow we had a busy May! We have been working hard behind the scenes to get this major new event up and running, the Makers in Business Online Symposium. You may have heard? Early Bird admission is now available to buy until the end of June 30, 2022.
As a result I read slightly less than usual, but still found some beauty.
I have learnt though that maybe books that get awards aren’t really all that they’re cracked up to be, and that sometimes you should listen to the voice in your head that says you don’t have to put yourself through something hard to handle just for the sake of literature.
Loveland by Robert Lukins
It took me a while to finish this book. It was one where I kept rereading sections that wouldn’t sink in and then I’d be on a roll of devouring again.
Set in two countries over three generations of women, a story of inter generational trauma and the male violence used to control the hearts of strong women.
This book has passages of beauty but ultimately needed some editing.
The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
The story of Jas and the grief she and her family navigate after the tragic death of her brother Matthies.
This book was distressing. It’s not a book you necessarily enjoy due to the nature of the pre teen behaviour and emotional fallout of a grieving family.
It’s hard to understand from many points of view why this is so macabre. The narrator is scattered with anxious thoughts that make it difficult to endure.
The family degrades from trauma and the religious aspect feels barbarically medieval in a modern setting. Is this story about sexual assault or a dysfunctional response to death?
I am starting to wonder if books need to have a disturbing harshness to them to win the Booker prize or maybe I’m just not academic or literary enough to “get it”. Maybe it’s lost in translation. I stuck with it as yet another act of faith in literature and now have some horrid images in my head that live rent free.
Wayward by Dana Spiotta
Oh my goodness I adore this book.
The story of Sam, menopausal in mid life and looking for change, and the relationships with her beloved mum Lily who is moving towards the end of her life and and Ally, the intellectually adept and silently rebellious teenage daughter.
Smart and keen. Emotionally deep, relatable. The feminist and historic angles, political context and situations heighten the drama.
Complex family dynamics. The power of matriarchy. The magic of women. Tender. Compelling. Loved it.
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