It’s bingo Saturday once again – that rolled around fast! The square I’ve filled for this entry is:
A non-fiction book
I don’t read anywhere near the amount of non-fiction as I do fiction, but I’m trying more and more to slot titles in with regularity.
Peter Rees has done an extraordinary job with putting together The Missing Man. On the one hand, this book is a biography on Len Waters, but on the other, it’s a commentary on racism throughout our Australian history. Through his navigation of the life of Len Waters, Peter Rees demonstrates the many ways in which our bureaucracy has let down Indigenous Australians. This is a book where the history very much speaks for itself.
This year I’m playing book bingo with Mrs B’s Book Reviews. On the first and third Saturday of each month, we’ll post our latest entry. We’re not telling each other in advance what we’re currently reading or what square we’ll be filling next; any coincidences are exactly that – and just add to the fun!
Follow our card below if you’d like to join in, and please let us know if you do so we can check out what you’re reading.
Now I’m off to check out what square Mrs B has marked off for this round. See you over there!
Theresa Smith Writes 
#Book Bingo 2018: ‘A book with a one-word title’ – Storyland by Catherine McKinnon
‘This land is a forever land.
The clock ticks to a different time.’
When I heard about this book I wanted it, boy did I want it bad. I mean, c’mon, how often is a fiction book set on the banks of Lake Illawarra! And then to discover the author was giving a talk at Wollongong Library, well, I eagerly attended and I left happy as Larry with a signed copy.
I live very close to the Lake and only one street over from Hooka Creek and not too far from Mullet Creek. The area and waterways has been our playground for many years – we take our dog for a stroll alongside Hooka Creek, we power walk on the shared pedestrian cycleway next to the lakes foreshore as well as picnicking, and kayak on Mullet Creek, so it was absolutely fascinating reading about the area I live in.
Storyland is an interesting voyage into Australian history spanning four centuries. It was cleverly structured and I loved the connecting stories, each one narrated by five different people. The story opens in 1796 with Will Martin, a young cabin boy sailing with Matthew Flinders and George Bass, on the Tom Thumb, traveling south from Sydney Cove to the Illawarra and then advances to 1822, Hawker, an ex convict who commits a brutal crime, and in 1900, we have Lola who runs an isolated dairy skirting the Five Islands Estate with her half brother and sister, who are thought to be guilty when a young girl goes missing, Storyland then skips to 1998, Bel, a 10 year old girl goes rafting with two boys and gets involved with a young woman and her violent boyfriend, 2033 and 2717 run together, Nada, the fifth and last voice in this superb tale, sees her land crumble around her, climate catastrophe has caused severe destruction.
The writing is exquisite and the flowing descriptive language is intoxicating.
An outstanding read. Highly recommended.
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I have yet to read this but I bought it last year on love your bookshop day. I’ve heard so many great things about it but I really love your connection to the setting. What a lovely endorsement!
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Thanks, Theresa!
Excellent! So glad you have it to read, will look forward to your thoughts when you get to it.
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