The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil by W Somerset Maugham was first published in 1925. Kitty Fane lived with her husband, Walter, in Hong Kong. He was a bacteriologist dedicated to investigating, often exotic diseases. Kitty did not love Walter but had married him because her mother was convinced that Kitty would become an old maid. It was when Doris, Kitty's younger sister, announced that she was getting married that Kitty decided to marry Walter and travel with him to Hong Kong before her sister's wedding.

It was in Hong Kong that Kitty met Charles Townsend and their romantic relationship began. When Walter discovered what was going on he convinced Kitty to accompany him to a village in China where there was an outbreak of cholera. If she did not come with him he would divorce her. Kitty eventually decided to go to China with her husband.

In the novel vivid pictures of life in a Chinese village after the First World War are portrayed, especially when a deadly disease has invaded the village. Kitty soon forgets Charles and becomes involved in trying to help nuns in a local convent look after abandoned children. Meanwhile Walter spends hours from home treating patients with cholera during the day and investigating the causes of the disease in the evening.

Kitty made many bad decisions but eventually she gained an understanding of what really matters in life and relationships with people, including family. Much of the book is about the economic and social standing of members of a family or community. 

When first published, The Painted Veil caused an outrage among some readers for its portrayal of social attitudes at the time and descriptions of infidelity. Today this is unlikely to be a concern but the author's constant derogatory remarks about the Chinese and their lives in the village will concern many readers in the twenty-first century.

The title of the book, The Painted Veil, comes from a sonnet by Percy Byshee Shelley with the same name. The poet suggests that people hide their true selves under a veil of superficiality. A veil is not mentioned in the book. The sonnet begins:

Lift not the painted veil which those who live 

Call Life; though unreal shapes be pictured there, 

And it but mimic all we would believe 

With colours idly spread,—behind, lurk Fear 

And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave 

 Their shadows, o'er the chasm, sightless and drear. 

W Somerset Maugham has written a work about characters dealing with the challenges of life including duty, sacrifice and working out what is important in life.

The Painted Veil by W Somerset Maugham was one of the three short listed books for Monash University Alumni Book Club for May 2026.

Book review - The Painted Veil - Marjorie's Musings 

Book review - The Painted Veil - henry.kisor.com 

Book review - The Painted Veil - Roof Beam Reader

 

Question 7

In Question 7 Richard Flanagan weaves biography, history, memoir and historical fiction in one book. Some of the topics covered include the experiences of the author's father as a prisoner of war in Japan, Leo Szilard and the bombing of Hiroshima, relationship between H G Wells and Rebecca West, a look at the little known futuristic books by H G Wells including one on an atomic bomb, treatment of Indigenous peoples in Tasmania, rivers and near death experiences - snippets of his family story and observations on world events and life are all interwoven in one short book.

The title of the book, Question 7, is based on a question asked by Anton Chekhov in his story, Questions Posed by a Mad Mathematician.

This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in March 2026. 

Richard Flanagan Question 7 - Whispering Gums March 2024

Question 7 - ANZ LitLovers Lit Blog January 2024

Question 7 review - The Guardian November 2023

The atomic bomb and a near death experience ... - The Conversation November 2023

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

I almost didn't read this book but I am glad that I did. Two children, Sam and Sadie, met in a hospital where Sam was a patient and Sadie was visiting her sister who was also a patient. The two children bonded over playing computer games and so their friendship began. They did not see each other for many years until they met again at a railway station when they were both college students.When they discovered that the love of computer games had continued and they were both interested in designing games they decided to design a game together. Sam's friend Marx joined the team as a producer and the company, Unfair, was formed.

Computer games do form the background of the book but the novel is primarily about the relationships between the characters and how they cope with the challenges that life brings. As their company grows and the the importance of deadlines increases the main characters have to make decisions about work and relationships. Life is not always kind and can their friendship survive?

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by  Gabrielle Zevin is a novel about relationships and friendship, rivalry, creativity, tragedy and survival in a sometimes unkind world. The characters must decide what they really want in life, whether it be in the world created by computer games or in the actual world in which they live.

The title, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, comes from the Shakespeare play, Macbeth. Marx once suggested it as a possible name for their company. Marx described a game as the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea is that if you keep playing, you could still win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever. (page 405) The author suggests that this philosophy should also apply to how we view our life and its challenges.

This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in March 2026. 

Wild Dark Shore

The Salt family are caretakers of a small island, Shearwater, near Antarctica. Everyone else has left. The island is particularly important as it houses the world's largest seed bank. A ship is due shortly to remove the seeds from the island to deposit safely at another location. However a severe storm is threatening to destroy the island and only a selection of the seeds can be saved in time. Then a woman's body washes up on the beach. She is still alive but the Salt family wonder why she has come to this island in the middle of nowhere.

It is obvious that something sinister has happened on the island and secrets are being kept, but the new arrival has secrets of her own. As the storm makes life on the island more dangerous the island occupants must decide if they can trust each other. Is it possible for them to make changes in their lives?

However the fate of the environment is the main theme of the book as the effects of global warming impact severely on the island.

Wild Dark Shores  by Charlotte McConaghy is a tension driven novel as the extent of the danger to the island inhabitants becomes apparent and the island occupants must determine their future plans.

This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in January 2026. 

Wild Dark Shore won the 2025 Dymocks Book of The Year. The novel is the February 2026 book in Dervla McTiernan's The bookclub that isn't a book club. It was also a nominated book for Women’s Prize for Fiction long list. Wild Dark Shore won the adult fiction prize in the 2026 ABA Book Awards.

The Frozen River

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is a work of historical fiction set in Maine, USA. It is based on the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife in the settlement of Hallowell. The story occurs from November 1789 to April 1790, covering a long, cold winter when the river is frozen solid. At the end of each section there is a flashback to events that occurred earlier in Martha's life. The story is primarily told from Martha's viewpoint.

The story begins when a group of men try to navigate the river on a raft before the river finally freezes over. When one of the men falls into the river he discovers a body frozen in the ice. The men manage to get their companion out of the water and safely to shore but then questions arise as to who the man in the frozen river is and how and why he came to be there.

As one of the local midwives in the region Martha is called upon not just to assist women who are pregnant and to deliver their babies safely, but she also assists with other medical emergencies as required. Much of the book concerns the role and treatment of women in a male driven community. One challenge faced is the arrival of a young Harvard trained doctor who is reluctant to accept the knowledge collected by women over time. The courts also provide harsher sentences for women than for men and Martha spends much of her time trying to assist local women in a variety of ways.

When the body is removed from the river, Martha is the first to examine it and comes to the conclusion that the victim was hanged before he entered the river. The new doctor also investigates the body and concludes that the man died from injuries after he entered the river. Several court cases follow and Martha is also involved in defending the honour of a woman who accuses two men of raping her. Martha keeps a day-book recording events in the community and this provides important evidence used in the trials. 

 The Frozen River is the Monash University Alumni Book Club book for January-February 2026. 

 Reviews:

The Frozen River - Portobello Book Blog

The Frozen River - Marmalade and Mustardseed 

Information about Martha Ballard:

Martha Ballard 'Delivered' - marthaballard.com 

Who was Martha Ballard - DoHistory 

Martha Ballard - Historic Hallowell

Other novels about midwives:

Lisa Lee. Lady Tan's Circle of Women

Lauren Chater. Gulliver's Wife

Philippa Gregory. Tidelands 

Braiding Sweetgrass

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two streams of knowledge together. This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in January 2026.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teaching of plants was published in 2013.  In 2022 another edition, Braiding Sweetgrass for young adults was published. 

An aim of the books is to acknowledge and celebrate our reciprocal relationship with the earth resulting in a wider, more complete understanding of our place and purpose in the land. Although Kimmerer is writing about indigenous people and their relationship with the environment in North America, the philosophy expounded also applies to other countries, particularly Australia.

Other books by Kimmerer include The Serviceberry: an economy of gifts and environment, Gathering Moss: a natural and cultural history of mosses, How to Love a Forest: the bitter sweet work of tending a changing world and This Book is a Plant: how to grow, learn and radically engage with the natural world.

See How They Fall

The Turner family meet to spend Easter together at the family property, Yallambee, in New South Wales. Sir Campbell Turner, who had created a family business that traded worldwide, had recently died and part of the reason for the family get-together is for his three sons, Jamie, Duncan and Hugo, to discuss the distribution of the family fortune. But before the weekend ends one person will be dead and a six year old girl will be seriously ill in hospital.

Initially See How They Fall by Rachel Parks reads as a mystery novel with the need to discover who committed the crime, but it soon becomes obvious that it is much more than that. The story is narrated by Skye, the wife of Duncan Turner, and Mei O'Connor who is investigating the case. The corruption that has occurred within the Turner family is gradually revealed along with the extent that family members will go to cover up the family's crime activities.

As the novel develops into a psychological thriller it is difficult to stop reading as the reader encounters another twist or turn as the exploits of this dysfunctional family are revealed. The Turner family is used being above the law. Skye and Mei are determined that this time the truth will be revealed.

See How They Fall is a debut novel for New Zealand writer, Rachel Paris. I look forward to reading her next book. 

 This was the Monash University Alumni Book Club book for October 2025. 

Review: See How They Fall - Debbishdotcom  

Review:See How They Fall - Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books  

People absolutely hate me - The Spinoff  

See  How They Fall - Goodreads 

White Mulberry

In 1928 Korea was occupied by Japan. Eleven year old Miyoung lives in a village with her mother and one of her sisters where she attends the local school. Miyoung has a good relationship with her teacher who suggests that she should continue her education. Her older sister has just had a marriage arranged for her and Miyoung does not want the same thing to happen to her.

Eventually it is decided that Miyoung should go to Japan to attend school and live with her sister and her new husband. Miyoung soon discovers that students from Korea are not welcomed by Japanese students. To fit in, she adopts a Japanese name, Miyoko, but life is still extremely difficult. Miyoung wants to continue her studies but cannot afford the cost so finds work as a nurse's aid and a maid. Meanwhile she meets Hojoon and they have a son, Ko-chan. However when Hojoon dies, Miyoung once again has to decide how she can earn money to support her son. What she really wants to do is to return to Korea but by this time Japan is involved in the Second World War making the decision to travel home more difficult.

White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton is a novel based on the life of the author's grandmother and her father. It is a story of living in a time of challenge and mistrust. It is a world of hatred but love and understanding may still be found as Miyoung is determined to make a good and safe life for her young son. The novel is also a study of a young woman choosing to live her own life in an environment where females are meant to be subservient.

This book was one of three books selected as a possible title for discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in August-September 2025.  

Dead Man Walking: the murky world of Michael McGurk and Ron Medich

5 September 2009 businessman, Michael McGurk was shot as he arrived home after collecting a take-away meal for the family. His young son was with him. People in Sydney were well aware of the corruption associated with McGurk and his associates but the execution took people by surprise.

Kate McClymont, an investigative journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald, with the assistance of Vanda Carson, has compiled a detailed account of the lives of McGurk and Medich, the man accused of ordering the hit on his former business partner. Medich was finally jailed in 2018 for ordering the hit plus other crimes attributed to him.

 In Dead Man Walking, the journalist has compiled a comprehensive account of the business and criminal activities of McGurk and Medich and their numerous associates. This is a story of extremely dodgy business deals, intimidation, arson, fire bombings of properties and many failed businesses, plus drugs and brothels. The activities were not always purely confined to Australia. McGurk and his associates also involved a number of politicians in their activities.

 Dead Man Walking would appeal to those who regularly read true crime novels as the book investigates an unfortunate period in recent Australian history. Readers of crime fiction would, at times, consider that they were reading another crime novel!

This book was one of three books selected as a possible title for discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in August-September 2025.

Murder of Michael McGurk - Wikipedia

Ron Medich found guilty - ABC

The Enchanted Hour

Reading has been an important part of our family life. I always read to our boys from when they were babies and have continued the reading with our grandchildren. When our sons and the two grandchildren that we looked after regularly started reading I listened to them read and then read to them from a book written for an older age group. Over the years we have read a great variety of books and enjoyed many adventures through books. My grandson and I still read together when he visits us after school. We share the reading - he enjoys reading the dialogue - but recently he will take over the book and read it to me if it is one that really appeals to him.

 Consequently I looked forward to reading Meghan Cox Gurdon's book about the joys of reading out loud, The Enchanted Hour: the miraculous power of reading aloud in the age of distraction.. 

In this book the author stresses the importance of reading aloud to children from a young age. Information from research projects showing the advantages of reading to children from an early age compared with children who do not have books read to them is used to back up her theories. Reading aloud is particularly important in houses where family members are immersed with media on screens. The author also discusses the advantages of reading aloud to older people, either in a group or individually.

The Enchanted Hour is an interesting study of the history and science showing the importance of reading aloud. 

This book was one of three books selected as a possible title for the Monash Alumni Book Club in May-June 2025.

Look Closer

'Expect the unexpected' should be the warning placed on Look Closer, a crime novel by David Ellis. Whenever you think you have worked out what is going on you discover that the situation is very different. Basically, most of the characters are liars, leading double or more lives. The author is having a wonderful time playing games and providing puzzles for the reader to attempt to solve.

Simon leaves Lauren's house. She is dead. Who killed her? The plot in this crime novel is gradually revealed  in the stories of several main characters including Simon, Vicky, Lauren, Christian and Jane who is investigating the case. The story is also divided into sections - Halloween, Before Halloween and After Halloween. We also learn of events that occurred many years earlier. But who can be believed? What is the truth?

Although Jane believes she knows what happened will she ever be able to prove it? Is this the perfect crime? 

Look Closer was the book chosen for the Monash University Alumni Book Club in June 2025.

Reviews

Look Closer by David Ellis - Crime Fiction Critic

Look Closer by David Ellis - Criminal Element

Look Closer by David Ellis - D K Flynn 

Look Closer by David Ellis - Reading Reality

The Land Before Avocado

When reading the Letters to The Age there are frequent comments as to how much better life was in the past compared with today. This is especially the case when there is discussion about interest rates and home loans. Baby Boomers had a much easier life than young people today! is the belief of many younger people. 

In The Land Before Avocado, Australian author, journalist and radio host, Richard Glover, sets out to investigate what life was really like for Australians living in the late 1960s and 1970s and concludes that generally Australians have much better living conditions and opportunities today compared with the past.

Richard Glover has researched what life was really like at the time by studying official statistics, advertisements and articles in The Australian Women's Weekly and asking his radio listeners to comment on some of his ideas for the book.

The ability to be able to purchase a home of their own, and to furnish it, was not as easy as may people today seem to think. Money was short after the war and, especially with generally one wage, there was not much money left after paying the mortgage. Household items such as refrigerators, washing machines or television sets, were often purchased by the use of lay-by, hire purchase or even rented.

The author discusses what it was like growing up and attending school during this period - especially the discipline metered out to children as punishment. People looking back over time remember how children were generally left to their own devices after school which may have been fun but often carried an element of danger, especially when children played on some of the now considered dangerous play equipment in parks at that time.

Food at the time is discussed - very different nutritionally from what is available today. At one stage Richard and his wife prepare a typical meal that would be provided for guests at a dinner party in the 1970s. The guests were generally not impressed. Clothes and fashion is another topic discussed.

In the 1960s / 1970s Australia was predominately a nation of mainly white European immigrants. Discrimination against Aborigines and people from Asian countries was the norm.

Many  of the laws appear archaic in modern society now. There were laws against homosexuality. Women required a male guarantor to have a bank loan. At the beginning of this time period women working in the public service had to resign when they married. 

Legislation regarding seat belts in cars and child restraints for children were gradually implemented in the 1970s. There were no laws against drink driving and men, on car trips frequently went into the pub for a drink. Any family with them waited in the car or the ladies' lounge. The Australian road toll was extremely high and increasing each year. 

Smoking was allowed everywhere and was generally encouraged. There were even lollies, FAGS, for children to pretend to smoke.

People sunbathed without sunscreen. In many areas it was difficult to get a telephone line installed at home. Dining outdoors in the street was not allowed. What is considered 'real coffee' today was unobtainable.

Richard Glover admits that the music in the 1960s and 1970s was good, however he was not impressed with audio cassettes which were easily damaged and record that did not work when scratched. Television was a relatively new medium but initially there were only three channels and programs were limited. The quality of the picture varied according to antennas available. Censorship was also rife limiting the books that could be freely read.

Today people complain about the growing amount of corruption in modern society. In 2018 when this book was published, the author argued that this was a much greater problem in the 1960s and 1970s. Robbery, murder, and car theft was common along with corporate and political corruption.

However there is one plus, according to Richard Glover. We can now expect to live twelve years longer than in the 1960s and 1970s! Another plus is that avocado is now a recognised ingredient on Australian restaurant menus as well as in family homes.

This book was one of three books selected as a possible title for the Monash Alumni Book Club in May-June 2025 and July to October 2026.

The Bird Hotel

The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard is the story of the life of a woman, Irene, as she establishes a new life for herself in a different country. Irene was brought up by her grandmother after her mother disappeared, believed to have died in an explosion. The grandmother changed their lives and they moved home several times to avoid authorities from tracking them. Eventually Irene married and had a child but then another disaster occurred in her life. She was on the move again.

Eventually Irene found herself living at a small hotel in an isolated village in South America and her life changed for the better. There were still many challenges but, with the help of friends, she makes a new life. The book includes a rich assortment of characters who live in the village or visit the hotel.

The Bird Hotel is a well written, readable novel covering four decades that immerses the reader in the story as the plot is revealed. The Bird Hotel is the book read by the Monash Alumni Book Club in March 2025.

The sea, the sea

When retired actor, playwright and director, Charles Arrowby relocates to a house by the sea he is not prepared for the dramatic changes about to occur in his life. The first section of The Sea,The Sea by Irish author, Iris Murdoch, provides initial thoughts outlining the background to Charles' life so far and his desire to write his story - now that he has the time to do this. This is followed by a more serious attempt to record his story in which we meet a cast of characters who, one way or another, have impacted on his life. We also begin to realise that Charles is not necessarily a reliable narrator and there could be many versions of the story.

Much of the book revolves around Charles' infatuation with his 'first love' Hartley who he meets again in the village near where he now living with her husband, Ben. Their son, Titus, has disappeared from their life. However we soon learn that Charles has had many relationships including with Clementine, Lizzy and Rosina plus other women who appear infatuated with him. His written account deals with his version of the story with these women which becomes chaotic when Lizzy and Rosina with Gilbert, Peregrine, Hartley's son, Titus, and Charles' cousin, James, arrive at his house at the same time.

This is a story of relationships ( real and imagined) - jealousy, remorse, hatred, tragedy and love are some of the themes occurring in the often humorous account of Charles' life. A major factor of the book is, of course, the sea which is ever present. There is also a feeling of the supernatural with Charles convinced that he has seen a sea-monster and his suspicion that his cousin may have mystical powers.

The version of the book that I read had 580 pages of small print which made it a challenge to read at times however persevering was worthwhile. The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch won the Booker Prize in 1978. This novel was one of three books selected as a possible title for the Monash Alumni Book Club in March 2025.

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch - review

The Berry Pickers

In May 1962 a family made up of members of the Mi'kmaq people made their annual trek from Nova Scotia to Maine to take part in the berry picking season. Each year they worked on the same property and lived in a nearby cabin. One day four year old Ruthie disappeared. Her six year brother, Joe, was the last family member to see her. She was last seen sitting happily on a large rock by the road. Joe went for a walk and when he returned Ruthie had disappeared. It was fifty years before she was reunited with her family.

The effects of this event on Ruthie's family and Ruthie herself (renamed Norma) is told in the first person in alternating chapters by Joe and Norma. Ruthie's family never give up looking for her and Joe's account describes the problems he faced throughout his life as he was convinced that Ruthie's disappearance was his fault. Norma on the other hand knows that she looks different from her 'parents' but she also knows that she is loved by her 'mother'. Norma's mother accidentally reveals her secret before she dies and Norma is able to search for her true family.

In The Berry Pickers, Amanda Peters has written a moving thought provoking novel about grief and betrayal but also a story of love as the background stories of the two families involved when an indigenous child is stolen are revealed. 

This book was one of three books selected as a possible title for the Monash Alumni Book Club in February-March 2025.

The Berry Pickers won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction 2024.

The Mango Tree: A memoir of fruit, Florida and felony

When the phone rings one morning Annabelle Tometich finds herself talking to her mother who is in the Lee County Jail. This was not the start to the day that she had been expecting. Josefina Tometich was arrested for shooting at a man with an air-rifle when he was stealing mangoes growing on a tree in her garden.

In The Mango Tree Annabelle Tometich has written a memoir about her family when she was growing up in Fort Meyers, Florida. Her mother was born in the Philippines and moved from Manila to the USA to work as a nurse at the local hospital. Her father, Lou Tometich, was the son of an immigrant from Yugoslavia. Annabelle and her sister, Amber, and brother, Arthur, were therefore the product of a mixed marriage.  

Families can be complicated. The author acknowledges towards the end of the memoir that the real interpretation of an event may not be clear until much later. The book contains themes of forming and maintaining relationships, raising a family in a culturally different environment, racism, grief and especially family relationships in general. There is much humour in the book as the author recounts family events and describes often eccentric members of her extended family.

The heart of the book is the mango that Josefina loves to eat and attempts to grow from seed in her garden. A difficult task but one that she is proud of when she is finally successful. The mango tree is therefore a central feature in Josefina's family life

The Mango Tree was one of three books selected as a possible title for the Monash Alumni Book Club in March 2025.

Glorious Exploits

Glorious Exploits is the first novel by Irish author, Ferdia Lennon. The story is set in Syracuse in 412 BC during the Peloponnesian War - the conflict between Athens and Sparta that lasted from 431 until 404 BC. While attempting to invade Syracuse in Sicily the Athenians were defeated with many soldiers being captured and left to die in a quarry outside the town. Occasionally citizens from the town would visit the quarry to view the starving prisoners in their chains.

Gelon and Lampo are two unemployed potters who occasionally visit the quarry, taking small amounts of food and drink for some of the prisoners. Gelon, a fan of the plays of Euripides, decides to give food to those prisoners able to recite lines from plays, particularly Medea. Lampo agrees to help and the two men decide to become directors of a production to be staged in the quarry. As well as Medea they plan to stage another play by Euripides, The Trojan Women.

There are many challenges to be overcome before the performance but the two men push on enlisting assistance in obtaining finance, costumes, scenery, music and, of course, choosing the actors to perform the play. The play also needs to be promoted to ensure an audience for the performance. It is not smooth sailing but eventually it all comes together. Despite some initial hesitation, the plays appear to have made a good impression on the audience. Then disaster occurs.

There are many wonderful characters portrayed in this novel with its universal themes of friendship, loyalty, the horrors of war, compassion, love and loss, grief and how an appreciation of art and literature can be a unifying force for all people despite other differences.

The story is told by Lampo using Irish dialect. I found it took a while to work out what was going but after a few chapters I became thoroughly involved with the characters and story being told. Although the setting is more than two thousand years ago, unfortunately the message of the story is still valid today.

Glorious Exploits is the book read by the Monash Alumni Book Club in January 2025. 

History of Syracuse - Livius.org

How to be Remembered

Tommy Llewellyn turned one and no one, including his parents, remembered him. His presence was still there but no one remembered who he was. This happened every year. Tommy was taken to a foster home where he was looked after by Miss Michelle until he turned eighteen, though he had to reintroduce himself to her every year on the day after his birthday.

As he grew older Tommy was determined to find a way of defeating this jinx that was affecting his life. Each year he would experiment to try and find out what would prevent this annual event from occurring. When in the foster home, Tommy met Carey but she, of course forgot him. When he left the home Tommy was determined to find Carey and re-establish their relationship.

Eventually Tommy decides that his life will always be different but is determined to work out how to still create a life with a new family even though there will always be parts of his life that he leaves behind each year.

This was a Monash University Alumni Book Club suggested book in 2024.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

China in the fifteenth century. Eight year old Yunxian Tan lives with her parents where she is taught how to be a lady by her mother, Respectful Lady. This is the age of foot-binding for girls from a young age if they are to marry into a family that will bring respect and add value to their family.

Yunxian's grandparents are doctors. Male doctors are not allowed to physically examine women but question them from behind an opaque screen. Female doctors, like her grandmother, have no such restrictions except when blood is involved. They can assist at a birth but only a midwife can deliver a child or have anything to do with blood. Yunxian begins to learn about medicine from her grandmother.

When observing a birth Yunxian meets Meiling, the daughter of the midwife, and the girls become friends although they are from different backgrounds and obstacles to their remaining friends are often put in their way. At the age of eight, Yunxian is betrothed to the son of a merchant family. At fifteen she will be married, will move to a new home and will be expected to produce a male heir for her husband's family.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See is a story of female friendship and trust in a world dominated by men. The women have to rely upon each other for support in this class structured environment. Meiling and Yunxian begin to realise that over the years they have formed and relied on a circle of women who help each other.

The section by the author at the end of the book explains that the novel is based on the life of Yunxian Tan who was a female doctor in China in the fifteenth century and published a book about some of her cases. After locating a copy of a translation of the book and researching about life for women in fifteenth century China, this novel of historical fiction was written.

Useful information about some of the issues in the book and general background can be found on the author's website at LisaSee.com

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is the book read by the Monash Alumni Book Club in October.

The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven

In 1916 Sven Ormston decides to leave Stockholm to take up mining near Svarlbard. Unfortunately there is an accident when an avalanche impacts the mine and he is seriously injured. In time he recovers physically but his face in particular is severely disfigured. He leaves the mine to find a job as a steward at another camp further north for part of the year and learns to be a trapper during the winter.

When he writes his memoir later in his life Sven recounts not just his experiences and the harsh environment in which he lives but his relationships with the few people that he befriends - Scottish geologist Charles MacIntyre, a Finnish trapper Tapio, his niece Helga and her daughter Skuld plus Ludmilla and his sister Olga. But his greatest friends are his dogs, Eberhard and Sixten.

In The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven, Nathaniel Ian Miller has based the character of Sven on a real Spitsbergian hunter. Unfortunately little is known about the person who inspired the character of Sven but  what is known about him allowed the author to create this story about Sven and his challenges. The novel also sets the story in the historical context of Russia moving into other European countries as well as the impact of war, even on the lives of people living in isolation.

This is a story not only about pain but also about various forms of love as people strive to survive in difficult circumstances. As the plot is revealed we come to know, respect and enjoy the company of the characters as they attempt to make the most of what life offers. Certainly a book worth reading.

This book was one of three books selected as a possible title for the Monash Alumni Book Club in February-March 2025.

The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven - Marmalade and Mustardseed