Nesting

Ciara Fay, a young mother with two daughters, decides that she must leave her family home to escape from her abusive husband. Since her marriage she has been under her husband's control, has had no access to money except to purchase specific items, is not allowed contact with friends or family and has been prevented from returning to work. Her  husband does not help with the children's care or housework. Ryan has never hit Ciara or the children but he is verbally abusive, controlling and intimidates her psychologically and sexually. She also later discovers that he has placed an app on her phone so he always knows where she is.

Ciara has left home with the children before but was forced by Ryan to return. She is determined not to allow this to happen again. Finding suitable accommodation that she can afford is not easy and she spends nine months in housing accommodation where she needs to sign in each night to keep her room. However she does begin to make friends who help her and she finds temporary employment. However Ryan will not leave her alone and is determined to regain control.

In Nesting Irish author, Roisin O'Donnell has written a moving account of the difficulties faced by women if their marriage breaks down. She also writes about the difficulties of the homeless in finding accommodation and employment in Ireland.

Here one moment

It is an ordinary plane trip from Hobart to Sydney. The flight was delayed but once in the air all appears normal until a woman stands up and begins to walk slowly down the aisle giving each passenger a pronouncement as to how and when they will die. Most of the passengers are too surprised to take her predictions seriously and when the airline staff convince her to return to her seat she falls asleep. However, for many of the passengers the predictions cause anguish and fear, especially when three of the predictions appear to be true.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty provides chapters on how some of the passengers react to the predictions of their future. For some life continues as usual while for others it is an opportunity to change their lifestyle. The novel also provides background regarding the life of lady on the plane and how she came to be on that flight.

The novel examines the notion of free will and destiny as well as love and grief. Allusion is made to the concept that a small change such as a butterfly flapping its wings can cause catastrophe elsewhere - part of chaos theory. In this novel Liane Moriarty explores how some characters react to hearing of an unexpected event that may, or may not, affect their future.

No More Secrets

Carter Pierce runs the family property at Blue Moon. He reluctantly agrees to the visit of a journalist who wants to write a story about the property for a magazine as his mother feels that this is a great opportunity to promote the property. However he is not prepared for the changes that will occur in his life when Summer Lentz arrives to write her story. 

There is an instant attraction between Carter and Summer, however both Carter and Summer have secrets they are reluctant to reveal. As their relationship develops they realise they must be honest with each other if the relationship is to become permanent. They also discover that their attempts to keep their relationship secret are futile, especially when they are living in a community that thrives on gossip.

No More Secrets by Lucy Score is a cozy, romantic comedy with emphasis on romance. The reader is introduced to a range of sometimes eccentric characters (animals as well as people) living at Blue Moon who will feature in future books in the Blue Moon Series.

The God of the Woods

In 1961 a young boy goes missing on the family property and fourteen years later has still not been found. Then in 1975 his sister, Barbara, also disappears. As the search for Barbara continues some of the police become interested in reopening the case concerning the disappearance of her brother. There is a feeling held by many of the locals that the wrong man was charged with causing the boy's death. 

In The God of the Woods by Liz Moore the story is revealed over many time frames and through the eyes of a variety of characters. The land where the story takes place is owned by the Van Laar family and consists of the family property and Camp Emerson - a summer campsite for children. Characters who help reveal the plot are Louise (a camp leader), Tracy who is attending the camp, Alice Van Laar (the mother of the missing children), Carl Stoddard who worked on the property, Judyta who is an investigator searching for Barbara, Jacob (an escaped criminal) and Victor Hewitt who managed the property when the boy disappeared.

As a party is being held at the house each time one of the children disappears there are many suspects to investigate and the thread of the story changes frequently before the reader discovers what happened to both of the children. The plot of the novel is a little like meandering through the woods until the ending is revealed. This is the story of a complicated family and friends who are determined to protect the family name and business.

Orbital

Set in the near future, Orbital by Sarah Harvey is an account of one day in the life of four astronauts and two cosmonauts in a spacecraft, orbiting 250 miles above Earth. Each day the spacecraft completes 16 orbits of the earth - orbiting the planet once every 90 minutes. Each chapter covers one orbit. 

The book describes the daily lives of the occupants of the spacecraft - four men and two women; two Russians, one Japanese, one British, one Italian and one American - as they carry out their scientific experiments, exercise to keep fit, send regular reports back to base, eat, sleep and adjust to the different environment of living in space for a prolonged time. There is time to reflect on life and family back on earth and the damage being done to the environment. There is also concern about the quantity of space junk circling the earth. The first manned spacecraft for many years has just left Earth for the Moon which causes another avenue for reflection about the future of space travel.

Orbital to a large extent reads like a poem as it records the different views, thoughts and activities of the spacecraft occupants. It is a short novel, only 136 pages. Orbital by Sarah Harvey won the 2004 Booker prize for fiction.

No Trace

Gabe Ahern has a job working on the Goldmont Station in the Pilbara, the property of an old friend. After the events that occurred in Wild Dogs Gabe realises that he must attempt to vanish without a trace in order to hide from those wanting to kill him. He is relatively successful until a group of members of the public arrive at the station for a holiday. Once one person recognises him his identity becomes public knowledge. Gabe also receives a phone call from the police warning him that one of the men arrested for people smuggling and selling drugs is being released and will probably want to find him.

I know that this is a cliche but once again No Trace by Michael Trant is a fast paced, tension filled thriller that is difficult to put down. It is not long before things begin to go wrong on the station - the station helicopter crashes, the telephone and internet connection are broken and a guest is found dead. Gabe is also aware of other problems occurring on the station and has the feeling that he is being watched. Who is responsible? Is it one of the guests or are there other people hiding on the property who want to kill him?

No Trace is the second book in the Gabe Ahern Aussi Noir series by Michael Trant.

The Hotel Avocado

 The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer is a continuation of the story of the lives of Gary and Emily who we originally met in The Satsuma Complex. Gary continues to work in a law firm in London while Emily has moved to Brighton where she is upgrading the hotel she has inherited from her father. Gary and Emily continue to meet in Brighton each weekend. In order to attract publicity for the hotel, Emily decides to purchase a model of a giant avocado to use as the hotel sign. However, before the avocado can be suspended from the balcony permission needs to be obtained from the local council and the chair of the planning department is known to be corrupt.

Meanwhile Gary has his own issues in London. He is working to help his elderly neighbour, Grace, have visiting rights to see her grand-daughter again. But then as the trial of the police who were arrested in the previous novel is looming, Gary is targeted by two men working for the criminals to persuade him not to attend the trial to give evidence that would convict them. His only solution is to disappear for awhile.

The story is told largely through the voices of Gary, Emily and Grace plus a fourth voice whose identity is only revealed at the end of the novel. The squirrel that Gary communicated with in the first book also makes an appearance.

The author's humour and quirky method of weaving a story is a feature of the book which will appeal to those who enjoy Bob Mortimer's quirky story-telling abilities. The result is a light, amusing enjoyable read.

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.

The Surgeon of Royaumont

In 2017 I researched the life of a nurse - Janet Muir Gaff - who served overseas during the First World War. This research was also part of an assignment for the Diploma of Family History, University of Tasmania. I have also read a number of novels about nurses during World War I. Consequently I was pleased when Better Reading sent me a copy of The Surgeon of Royaumont, a work of historical fiction set during the First World War, to read and review.

Clara Heywood trained as a doctor at the Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and worked, initially, in the children's ward. With the advent of war, surgeons were needed to work overseas treating wounded troops. However the Australian Army would not accept female doctors in their ranks. Also Clara's father, an army officer who had served in India, was adamant that no daughter of his would serve in Army medical units.

But Clara was determined to assist soldiers wounded during the war so when Clara heard of the Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont in France, which was run by women to treat wounded soldiers in France, she travelled to England and then to France to take up a position at the hospital. 

Treating severely wounded soldiers was an entirely new experience for Clara and it took some time for her to even begin to adjust to her new environment. Fortunately it would be three months before she would be expected to amputate limbs but treating other battle injuries could also be a challenge.

Trying to establish a role for herself in the medical profession, Clara constantly faced discrimination because she was not male. Overseas she also discovered, from time to time, discrimination because she was Australian. Clara soon discovered that discrimination also existed in a variety of other forms at the hospital.

Although working at Royaumont provided many challenges for the young doctor it allowed her to expand her medical knowledge and expertise. But it took time for her to accept that if a patient died it was not necessarily her fault. She still hoped to eventually work in Australian or British Army medical corps but until that became possible she would learn all that she could at Royaumont.

Although some of the staff made it clear that they did not want to work with young Australian female doctors, Clara did make good friends with many of the staff. Also, because of her previous experience with horses, she was allowed to check the condition of the working horses in the stables which provided a break from medical procedures involving men wounded in war. 

There was, however, another problem that had to be faced. Her father  now worked in England and ordered her to transfer to England or return to Australia. Her unofficial fiancé, also a doctor, had taken up a position in England and wanted her to join him. Clara had decisions to make about her future.

The Surgeon of Royaumont by Susan Neuhaus is a thought provoking novel about the challenges faced by women who wanted to serve their country overseas helping their countrymen wounded in battle. Australian women had achieved the right to vote in elections, however there was still a long way to go before equality with men would be possible. This book also provides an insight into the dedicated work of doctors, nurses and VADs in treating the injured with limited resources.

Many thanks to Better Reading and HQ Books for a preview copy of this book.

Additional information:

The Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont - Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Royaumont Abbey - Wikipedia 

Australian Women Doctors in World War I  - Australian Women at War

Remarkable Women - Janet Gaff

Books about Nurses during First World War in this blog.

Wild Dogs

Gabe Ahern earns a living trapping dingoes and other wild dogs in Western Australia. He is grieving the loss of his partner, Valerie, and feels responsible for her death. Gabe is an experienced trapper but in order to make a living he occasionally uses unorthodox methods to increase his haul. He is also not permitted to trap dogs on Aboriginal reserves.

One day while checking traps he is aware of a disturbance nearby and when he investigates he witnesses a man being shot and a second man about to receive the same fate. He intervenes which  is where he meets Amin who has arrived in Australia from Afghanistan aboard a people smuggling boat. His wife and child arrived on another boat and Amin wants to find them. Gabe becomes involved in the attempt to rescue Amins's family. A young Aboriginal man and the local nurse also  inadvertently become involved in the chase.

In this fast paced, tension filled Australian thriller we encounter the crimes perpetrated by people smugglers and those who assist them in Australia. The novel also reveals how people can gradually understand  and accept people of different races and beliefs. Despite the violence this is a story of compassion as a group of individuals with their own challenges strive to assist those whose lives are in danger.  Wild Dogs by Michael Trant is the first book in the Gabe Ahern series.

That Island Feeling

Pearl Island is a special location where Lily and Harry spent their honeymoon many years ago. They often spoke about the island to their daughter Andie so when Andie was looking for a location to take her friend, Taylor, who was recovering from a marriage break-up, Pearl Island was her first choice. Consequently Andie, Taylor and two of their friends set out for a girls week on Pearl Island. Arriving on the island Andie was not aware of the changes that were about to occur in her life.

That Holiday Feeling by Karina May explores the special relationship that develops between Andie and Jack Cooper who lives on the island. Is this just a holiday fling or will it develop into a lasting relationship. Gradually we learn more about the traumas faced by Andie and Jack and their attempts to overcome challenges to lead life as they each want to.

Part of the novel deals with grief and how people cope with the loss of friends and loved ones. Jack is also struggling as he blames himself for an incident that caused danger to one of the island's main industries. However, as the holiday progresses Andie strives to find the island feeling that her mother had loved on her visit. 

Her father now has dementia and is in a home and when Andie isn't teaching young children she visits her father each day and looks after him. On the island she feels guilty as she has left her young brother with the responsibility of looking after their father.

But is is the island that is the star of the book providing many opportunities for Andie and Jack to spend time together and get to know each other. Readers are invited to enjoy this island location when reading That Island Feeling and learn to appreciate life and love. 

Blood and Gold

What better way to spend the first day of autumn than sitting on the back verandah reading an Australian crime novel. I began reading Blood and Gold by Michael Trant last night and just had to spend today reading to finish the book. Blood and Gold is the third book in the Gabe Ahern series.

Terry Drage had wanted to fossick for gold and had asked Gabe advice for good locations. Gabe had suggested the old mining community of Cue, approximately 600 km from Perth. Then Gabe learned that Terry had disappeared. Gabe assured Terry's daughter that he would travel to Cue to look for Terry. His friend, Amin, went with him.

In Cue, Gabe and Amin learn that Terry is not the only prospector to have gone missing in the area recently. This makes them more determined to not only discover what happened to Terry but also the fate of the other prospectors. 

The novel has strong characters, especially, Gabe, Amin and Antonio, and as the story develops there is a strong feeling of friendship and responsibility to help others. As the story progresses we also learn about what happened in Cue when Gabe previously lived there.

Blood and Gold is definitely a fast-paced thriller that made me want to keep reading to discover what would happen next. I will now have to read the first two books in the series.

Aussie Towns - Cue, Western Australia

The Bogan Book Club

James Larwood is employed by his brother, Larry as James works as a cleaner in a factory. James has several university degrees including a PhD but is unable to find another job because he spent a short time in prison. Working at the factory James meets a group of people with a variety of backgrounds and problems. Larry organises a variety of out of work activities for his staff. When James arrives he is asked to start a book club for anyone who is interested to attend.

In The Bogan Book Club John Larkin has written about a group of people who generally look out for each other. They also have a sense of humour as they also try to better their position in life. James soon realises that his fellow workers are not bogans.

Throughout the book are references to books being discussed by the group as well as other titles of books they may have read - or seen the film. We learn more about the characters at each book club meeting. There is a lot of humour in the book along with the discussion of serious issues. Towards the end of the book the members of the book club also find themselves solving a crime.

On the cover of the book, beneath the title, is the expression Don't judge a bogan by its cover. This proves to be sound advice.

The Bee Sting

The Bee Sting by Irish author, Paul Murray, is a study of generations of a dysfunctional family - the Barnes family, particularly Dickie and Imelda plus their teenagers Cass and PJ. The first four sections of the book deal with each of these characters individually as well as collectively providing background information in this long and complicated family saga. The author then reveals more recent events in the family's story.

When we meet them, the Barnes family owns two car dealerships and are well off financially. However over time the family business begins to go downhill and is almost destroyed during a recession. Much of the novel involves how family members deal with these changes. We also learn that some of the stories told about the family are not true. There has been much bad luck, as well as some stupidity, which has resulted in the current spiral of misfortune. Towards the end of the novel the characters begin to consider how to improve relationships but is it too late to undo the damage?

The Bee Sting was on the shortlist for the 2023 Booker Prize.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - The Guardian 

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - Turner Stories 

Papyrus: the invention of books in the Ancient World

Spanish Author, Irene Vallejo, has written a detailed account of the importance of reading over thousands of years in the ancient world. Although the book is divided primarily into the study of the importance of books in the Greek and Roman empires it also covers the importance of reading to other communities.

Papyrus: the invention of books in the ancient world looks at the development of libraries whether the collections consisted of clay tablets, papyrus or vellum documents. One of the first libraries was the Library of Alexandria.

During the work the author also discusses the importance of some of the early writers and their works, some of which remain today. Some of the authors discussed include Homer, Socrates and Euripides. She also looks at the small amount that has survived of works written by women at that time as well as works such as Medea by Euripides which feature women. 

This is an informative work about the development and importance of literature and libraries in our history - something we take for granted in our country today.

The Hidden Hand

The Hidden Hand is a fast paced spy thriller by the former head of MI5, Stella Rimington. It is the second book in the Manon Tyler series.

Li Min is a Chinese student studying at Harvard University in America. Before she completes the course she is instructed to transfer to Oxford University in England. Li Min is reluctant to relocate but it is made clear that she has no choice. While at Harvard she had been collecting and passing on information to a Chinese official. In England the Chinese want Li Min to use her experience in AI to make a film they can use for blackmail.

In Oxford Li Min befriends a fellow student, Sally, who agrees to be part of her academic project. CIA agent, Manon Tyler, who is working under a different name, works to gain Li Min's trust with the assistance of Charles Abbott. Assistance is also readily available from London as every effort is made to protect the women and also avoid a diplomatic disaster.

Juice

Juice by Tim Winton is set in a future drastically altered by climate change. People can no longer live in the tropics and during the summer families in part of Western Australia (and probably other areas in Australia) need to retreat below ground in order to survive. They can live and work above ground in the winter but need to work to gather enough supplies to allow them to survive isolation during the hot season.

An unnamed narrator recounts the story of the cause of this climatic destruction to a man he meets when he and a young girl are looking for a new location where they may possibly survive. His story describes the destruction of past lifestyles to the current disaster. The narrator also tells of his life story leading to his present predicament.

Tim Winton is known for his concerns about the environment and the effects of climate change. One of his other works is a book for young teenagers, Blueback. He has also featured in a number of television programs about the environment and threats to nature. 

Juice is a long book - 513 pages - but once I became used to the writing style I wanted to keep reading. Books like Juice encourage readers to think more carefully about how our lifestyle affects the environment in which we live. Dystopian books like Juice will hopefully encourage the reader to think about how the way we currently live may affect and / or destroy life for future generations living in our country. The novel also touches on the possibility of the creation of AI people or simulations in the future.

Juice by Tim Winton - life after the apocalypse - The Guardian  

Schooled in doubleness - Australian Book Review 

Haunted by our legacy - QUT Guild

The Bookover's Library

One of the advantages of reading novels is often discovering aspects of history. On visits to  England we had been aware of Boots the Chemist stores. However, through reading The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin, I know now that Boots the Chemist also housed circulating libraries in their shops from the late 1800s. This historical fiction novel also provides information about living in England during the Second World War. 

Emma Taylor lives in Nottingham. She is a widow with a young daughter and is trying to find a job to help pay the bills. However this is a time when women were required to leave work when they married. Emma's luck changes when she is employed at the Booklover's Library at the local Boots the Chemist store on the condition that people do not know that she is married. 

Mixing work with being a mother is not easy and Emma faces many challenges but is assisted by a friendly landlady who offers to look after Olivia after school. But then World War Two arrives with the threat of German air attacks and Emma realises that Olivia would be safer living with a family in the country.

This is a story about community, understanding difficult people and, of course, the value of books and reading in providing support to individuals. The knack of choosing the right book for a person is a special skill that Emma has. It is also a book about the effects of the Second World War on families and the efforts of communities to work together. It is also about how danger and challenges can create opportunities for people to work together and sometimes form new friendships and relationships.

Book-lovers Library - Gold Star Guides

Death at the Sign of the Rook

A painting is stolen from a home in a Yorkshire village. Former detective Jackson Brodie visited the home and learned that the painting belonged to an elderly lady who recently died. After her death the painting and the woman who was looking after her both disappeared. He then heard of the theft of another painting at Burton Makepeace. A staff member also disappeared from the house at the same time that the painting disappeared.

Part of the Burton Makepeace manor had been turned into a hotel, Rook Hall, and a Murder Mystery Weekend had been organised for paying guests. A prisoner had also escaped from the local gaol. It was the middle of winter and the guests were snowed in. Jackson Brodie and DC Reggie Chase found themselves at the manor attempting to solve the case.

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson is an amusing crime novel that pays homage to the crime novels of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. The story does meander from chapter to chapter and there are lots of characters to keep track of, however I found it a light, entertaining book to read.

Unfinished Business

In Unfinished Business Shankari Chandran has written a tension packed novel based on events occurring during the final years of the civil war in Sri Lanka that commenced in 1983 and ended in 2009. This work of historical fiction recounts two visits to Sri Lanka in 2005 and 2009 by CIA agent, Dr Ellie Harper. 

Ellie returned to Colombo when ordered to by the CIA. The civil war was nearing its end but the American government wanted more input in how American money was to be spent. China was an influential power in the country and American interests needed to be promoted. 

Ellie also received a communication from a Sri Lankan friend, Sathyan Navaratnam, and felt she owed it to him to return. At the same time she learned of the death of Ameena Fernando, an influential journalist who was killed after releasing articles the government did not want published. Ellie was determined to find out who killed Ameena and what additional information she planned to publish.

Thousands and thousands of people died during the conflict and also in the tsunami that struck Sri Lanka in 2004. During her covet investigations Ellie found that information about events became increasingly complicated and finding the truth was extremely difficult. Who could she really trust?

Sri Lankan Civil War - Harvard International Review

The Protected

Hannah is struggling with life. At fifteen she has had to live with extreme bullying for a protracted time at school and then her older sister died in a car crash. Hannah's father was seriously injured and her mother rarely leaves her room since her elder daughter died. After Katie's death the bullying stopped but Hannah constantly feels isolated and insecure. 

Her father cannot remember what happened when the car collided with a truck and one year on the police are still trying to put together what happened. An investigation is to be held and Hannah's testimony will be crucial to the case. A school councillor works with Hannah to help her come to grips with the changes and challenges in her life. Hannah also has to cope with the growing tension between her parents at home.

When she meets Josh, a new student at her school, Hannah is reluctant to accept his attempts at friendship however, over time, she realises that she needs to learn to trust people.

The Protected by Claire Zorn has many themes. A major one is the complicated relationship that existed between the two very different sisters, Katie and Hannah. It is also a story about grief and how family members cope, or don't cope, in extremely difficult situations. Hannah's grandparents and the next door neighbour, Mrs Van, try to help the family, especially as the anniversary of the accident approaches but people react to grief in different ways. Another theme is the effect of school yard bullying, not just on the main victim but the pressure on former friends to join the dominant group.

The story is revealed in different time frames. As well as life in the present we learn of life before the accident. At times in present situations Hannah is aware of her sister's voice commenting in the background. It is only towards the end of the book that we learn what happened on the day of the accident and the grief and guilt that followed. It takes time for the family to realise that life goes on and they need to gradually move on though they will never forget what happened on that fateful day.

The Protected is a novel being studied this year in year 10 at the school my grand-daughter attends. The novel contains many opportunities for discussion.

The Protected won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Older Readers in 2015. It also won the 2015 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Young Adult Fiction, 2015 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Young Adult Fiction Prize and was shortlisted in the 2015 Inky Awards. 

Online reviews:

BookReview by Lisa Fleetwood 

Book review by The Hermit Librarian 

TeachersNotes – University of Queensland Press 

 Liz McShane review

 Children’sBooks Daily

Good Reads reviews