The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Sorrow And Bliss – Meg Mason
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Jo
Martha has an undiagnosed mental health issue, a loving husband who says she is fine and a family who fall outside of the norms. In this book Martha examines her upbringing and her failing marriage through the lens of past and current sorrows. But it’s clear there is also much humour, joy and love injected into her life by her relationships with others and her unique take on the world.
Two things, that when you put them together in a poem, make the reader feel whatever emotion you want them to so you don’t have to expressly name it. As in, if you write slag heap it saves you the job of typing morbid existential despair.
● Reading Sorrow & Bliss made me feel like I felt like a member of this fictional family, such was the extent I felt I knew and loved all of the characters. Since finishing the book I have thought about Martha a lot, wishing I could spend more time with her. Sometimes she was awful and impossible but I couldn’t help but like her anyway – this is when I know a writer is exceptionally talented. The story was engrossing, full of humour and emotion and I’m sorry I can’t read it again for the first time. – Jo
● Sorrow & Bliss is like a modern, funny version of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. The study of mental illness from both a sorrowful point of a view and a dark humour angle makes the main character’s journey so compelling. Meg Mason has added to the joy by creating irresistible characters each with their own idiosyncrasies. Reading the book felt like being a part of this unique family. I especially loved the sister Ingrid and Martha’s relationship with her. But also the love story of Martha and her husband Patrick which is indepthly explored and raises many ideas and situations to ponder. – Rachel
● I couldn’t put this book down! I completely fell in love with all the characters who were rich in personality. Martha and her undiagnosed mental illness made for a thrilling protagonist. I never knew quite what to expect as a reader, being tossed between laughing out loud and crying – though I always felt like I was part of Martha’s rollercoaster of a life. The subject matter and Martha’s struggles were very sad but this was balanced with funny one-liners and Martha’s hilarious observations of the world. – Jodie
Martha, why did you label every single box Miscellaneous?
● Meg Mason did such a faultless job at conveying such complex situations and emotions that at times I felt nearly as broken as the character of Martha while reading Sorrow & Bliss. I was desperately grateful for the injections of humour which were somehow done in a way that didn’t belittle or degrade situations. The relief that these moments brought was palpable. I am at a loss to know how this book was deservedly shortlisted for the International Women’s Prize, but only longlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards. – Suzy
Published 2021
4th Estate
352 pages
At Certain Points We Touch – Lauren John Joseph
READ FOR BOOCKLUB
Chosen by Jodie
JJ, a representation of the author, writes an ode to her past lover Thomas John who has tragically passed away. Meandering through the New York, San Francisco and London gay scenes, JJ pursues sex and artistic freedom as she examines her loss. Queer fiction where characters do not have to justify their identities like so many queer characters of the past.
It is now ten years since we met, six years since we last spoke, four years since your death and I’m writing you this from Mexico City, under grave obligation. It is not a letter, since I know you cannot reply; maybe it’s another monologue, certainly it does not require a second voice; let’s call it plainsong then. This is the chant recalling your life, it is fiction, it is biography, it is a transfiguration.
● If you want to get out of the bubble you live in for a moment, this could be your next read. Be prepared to be thrown into a world of trans femininity, toxic relationships, graphic sex scenes, night life, grief, betrayal, poverty oh and did I mention sex scenes? This cleverly crafted novel was a great insight to what Millennial queer life is like. The author draws on personal experiences to shape the novel and as a result they have changed the face of traditional queer fiction. This novel may not be for everyone but I feel it’s worth breaking out and trying something fresh and new. – Jodie
● This book was an eye opener, for sure. The graphic sex scenes and debaucherous lifestyle of the characters made me feel like a prudish old lady! It was refreshingly devoid of gender explanations, but the homophobia peppered throughout was pretty heartbreaking. It was hard to know exactly why our protagonist loved Thomas James so much as often their relationship was not nice. But he did accept her for who she was, and had a strong desire for her. I can’t imagine recommending this book to anyone but I have to say I enjoyed reading something new to me and somewhat challenging. It made me think, and I always appreciate thought-provoking reads. – Jo
● Jodie read us this reviewer’s quote which she had found online. “A debut that lies in the gutter while looking up at the stars, with moving, if sometimes overindulgent, results.” This is an apt observation. Yes the narrative and characterisation is sometimes poignant but also sometimes overwritten. And while it does have some unpleasant, real life content, it creates a standard for queer characters and diverse identities in fiction. I think we will look back in years to come and see it has been influential. – Rachel
● This story about the loss of a lover and the looking back on encounters and conversations leading up to that death held a lot of promise. While the writing was poignant and at times moving I found the narrator’s stagnation and pontification at times hard to get through. I felt like I was watching the characters live their lives from a distance, whereas other novels seem to somehow place the reader right amongst the action. –Suzy
Published 2022
Bloomsbury
384 pages
2023 Women’s Prize
This is our first year at reading the Women’s Prize shortlist in its entirety and blogging about it, and it’s fair to say we are mightily impressed. As a collective these represent story telling at their best: engaging plot, strong characters, and a clear narrative. There is no attempt at grandiosity, where examples of cleverness are utilised to the detriment of readability.
We wondered if this a hallmark of female writers right now … Whatever the case, characters were treated with care, love, attention to detail and were easily likeable, even when flawed. The female experience was carefully investigated. Even the book without human characters had a female animal at its heart, and the book with a male protagonist gave voice and substance to its female support cast, too.
Drawing from the past to analyse our present and future was a commonality. True accounts, true people and significant moments in history were examined. These novels not only enhance historical records, they educate us, and ask what lessons we can learn and take forward with us in a generation of change and acceptance.
Fire Rush examines the migrant experience, in particular that of Jamaicans in 1980s London. The prejudice and ability of police to stop and search without cause was a key part of their trauma in the migrant experience. The police brutality in these pages is unfortunately still far too common.
Trespasses highlights the tragedies created by The Troubles in 1970s Ireland, particularly on families and young people but also on those from opposing religions seeking comfort and love. It highlights the extent to which prejudice can break and damage people and how this still occurs in modern times.
Black Butterflies is set in 1992 Sarajevo and follows one woman’s attempts to continue living as normal as possible in a city that was previously so multi-cultured and accepting but ended up being bombed by its own people. She reminds us how easily civil conflict can occur amongst even the most peaceful of people.
The Marriage Portrait examines the lives of true people, the Duke and Duchess of Ferrara, Italy in 1560. The author highlights the patriarchal systems of the past, gives a voice to the women who did not have one during their own lives and asks us to remember what injustices some women are subjected to today.
Demon Copperhead is a retelling of Dicken’s David Copperfield and studies institutional poverty. It is set in the Appalachias, a place that is often ridiculed and looked down upon. Kingsolver gives many people a voice and asks what has changed for those who are struggling since Dickens wrote Copperfield.
Pod is climate fiction highlighting how we are damaging the oceans and the affect that is having on both wildlife and humanity. She is certainly calling for change so that we can all have a future.
Nearly all of the authors lived through the experiences they wrote about: Laline Paull lives with environment damage every day, Barabara Kingsolver’s home is the Appalachias, Prisciallia Morris’s second home was Sarajevo and her grandparents were caught up in the Siege, Louise Kennedy lived through The Troubles, and Jacqueline Crooks lived through the Jamaican disapora. Though Maggie O’Farrell does not have a personal connection to the court of Ferrara, she investigated and researched and visited the locations where Lucrezia resided, was entombed and immortalised in paint, until, she says, she loved her like one of her own children.
Like the portrait in The Marriage Portrait art offers an escape and a sense of control, especially for people living in a time of conflict or fear, when all other eventualities and choices around them seem so out of control.
Art and self-expression feature strongly in every shortlisted book. Painting, drawing, reading, music and the study of language symbolise a gateway to escape, individuality, freedom and redemption.
● I felt so invigorated by the books on this shortlist – they were all phenomenally well written and I felt like I learned so much from each of them. A real win-win. As I read each book I thought yes, this is my favourite only for it to be overtaken by the next book.
I finished with Demon Copperhead, but that’s not the reason it was my favourite! I was so moved by this book, and I felt a level of absorption in the storytelling that reminded me of reading when I was in my teens and there was no distraction from social media, phones, multiple streaming services etc. Of course the subject matter was at times grim, but the reading of the story was absolutely joyful for me. I cared so deeply for the characters that I felt a sense of loss when I finished it.
I feel like Barbara Kingsolver is unmatched with her storytelling. She is my pick for the Women’s Prize winner, and I wonder whether (along with the Pulitzer) she will take out the trifecta with the Booker Prize later in the year. – Suzy
● The Women’s Prize shortlist was one of the best, if not the best, shortlist of any awards programme I have read. I LOVED this collection of books. I had some minor gripes along the way, but every book has stayed with me and improved over time as I have pondered them further. And I consider lasting impact a noteworthy trait.
So I have a four-way tie for first! Demon Copperhead, Black Butterflies, The Marriage Portrait and Fire Rush. Trespasses and Pod are very close behind. But I think Demon Copperhead will be the most timeless in years to come, so I’m backing Barbara Kingsolver for the win. But I do highly recommend all of these books to every avid reader. – Rachel
Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE
Demon Copperhead is a book about institutional poverty and is a modern retelling of Dickens’ David Copperfield. Set in the Appalachias it tells the story of a young boy caught up in the system, for whom life is a mountain to climb but who never loses his sense of humour and adventure.
● Damon Fields (known as Demon) grows up in a trailer with his drug addicted mother and ends up in the foster care system where he is neglected, used for child labour and always hungry. He is surrounded by an enthralling cast of people with great nicknames, like Maggot, Fast-Forward, U-Haul, Hammer and Baggy Eyes. It sounds like a grim premise and yes it does cover off tragedies like poverty, addiction and loneliness, but it does so with wit, dry humour and a page turning plot.
Demon is tuned into life and the consequences of human nature, and via the author makes many astute observations. It’s these poignant commentaries on life and poverty and survival that really highlight that Kingsolver is a master of her craft.
I found the first half of the book absolutely riveting, the language, the pace, the relevance and the characterisation is astounding, and Demon’s life experiences are varied and fascinating. There was a time in the second half that I thought became a bit repetitive but this is a minor gripe, and perhaps simply an indication of how uncomfortable the truth can be.
I read Demon Copperhead before the shortlist was announced and I have thought about it a lot since. It’s a book that highlights generational issues both in America and in our current times, and will no doubt be a sign-of-the-times classic just like David Copperfield is. – Rachel
I put my face to the window so nobody would see if I tore up. Was this me now, for life? Taking up space where people wished I wasn’t? Once upon a time I was something, and then I turned, like sour milk. The dead junkie’s kid. A rotten little piece of American pie that everybody wishes could just be, you know. Removed.
● I had such a deep concern for Demon I was almost obsessed with the outcome of his life’s story.
The setting of Southern Appalachia was written so devastatingly perfectly I felt like I was being guided along as some kind of worried entity observing Demon’s life unfolding and I’m not sure whether I have ever cared so much for a fictional character.
Barbara Kingsolver has so deftly showed us this community’s culture and the battles they are facing. We know of course that Demon is fictional, but I am sure there are lots and lots of other young people in this area with similar stories.
One of my new all-time favourite reads. – Suzy
Published 2022
Harper
546 pages
Black Butterflies – Priscilla Morris
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE
A true account of life for citizens during the Seige of Sarajevo told via the main character Zora, a 55 year old artist and teacher. When tensions flare she sends her family to safety never thinking things will become what they do.
● I read this in one sitting and the encroachment of the war on the life of Zora was challenging to absorb. As I sat in my warm cozy home with an apple pie being cooked in the oven, I had a strong sense of gratitude, but also guilt, for the life I have.
The author convincingly showed the reader the almost gentle, incremental changes to life for Sarajevo residents, interspersed with more horrifying impactful events. It is hard at times when watching events on the television news to get a true sense of the life in a war zone as often it’s conveyed to us in a very broad way.
This novel very successfully showed us the life of just one individual and how she was affected. This helped me connect and understand this conflict in Sarajevo that I had previously been unable to do. – Suzy
‘These have been falling all over the city for days now, as far out as the airport and Ilidža. Do you know what people are calling them?’
‘No.’
‘Black butterflies,’ he says softly. He peers at the scorched page as if trying to read it, then carefully places it in his breast pocket. ‘Burnt fragments of poetry and art catching in people’s hair.’
● If you’d asked me about Sarajevo before last week I would have had to admit I knew nothing about the early 90s conflict. However, after reading Black Butterflies I feel informed and emotionally connected to the Siege of Sarajevo.
This book details one woman’s determination to stay in her home city, to go to work, to cook dinner, to paint, to chat with her neighbours despite bombs blowing off sides of her apartment block, dismembered body parts being snatched by starving dogs in the street, and young men with guns demanding to know if she is Serb, Muslim or Croat.
The story is compelling and effective, told from one person’s experience, which it turns out is based on true accounts of this time and place. At first, when Zora is trying to persuade squatters to leave her mother’s uninhabited apartment, I thought the prose was too basic, not layered and nuanced enough, but actually the style is gritty and softly poignant and that suits the brutal honesty of war. And besides, who has the capacity for pomp and fluff when they are trying to catch a pigeon to break days of starvation and dehydration.
I read the book quickly, and when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about Zora and worrying about her. A book that many people would enjoy. Highly recommended. – Rachel
Published 2022
Duckworth Books
271 pages
Fire Rush – Jacqueline Crooks
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE
Yamaye is a young Jamaican woman living in 1980s London. She dances at an underground dub reggae club and suffers daily from her lack of familial ties. Like her friends she does her best to avoid the harassment of Babylon (the police) but sometimes there is no escaping their brutality.
● The strong linear plot of Fire Rush has a beautiful rhythm, like the music of the Crypt where the characters dance freely night after night. The language and the pacing is hypnotic and I felt like I more than reading this book, I was living it. I was invested in Yamaye’s life almost immediately and as each new character was introduced I connected with them also.
The narrative was truthful and redemptive and I appreciated that, as well as the conclusions that weren’t out of place. Fire Rush is haunting, rhythmic and addictive and I would highly recommend it. – Rachel
One o’clock in the morning. Hotfoot, all three of us. Stepping where we had no business. Tombstone Estate gyals – Caribbean, Irish. No one expects better. We ain’t IT. But we sure ain’t shit. All we need is a likkle bit of riddim. So we go inna it, deep, into the dance-hall Crypt.
● As well as a beautifully winding storyline and believable, fallible characters it was Jacqueline Crooks’ ability to bring us so completely into the various settings that was the standout quality for me. She did a phenomenal job of placing us right there with Yamaye and I felt either uplifted or almost claustrophobic depending on where she was.
I quickly settled in to dialogue of the 1980s Jamaican migrant community and this language also contributed greatly to the authenticity and events of the novel. I loved Yamaye and Fire Rush and believe it’s a strong contender for the big prize. – Suzy
Published 2023
Viking
352 pages
Convenience Store Woman – Sayaka Murata
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Suzy
Keiko is a young Japanese convenience store woman who enjoys the repetitive nature of her job, often referring to the store manual to act and respond to requests appropriately. Her simplistic life is ridiculed by friends and family for whom marriage is the true measure of success. Keiko attempts to counter these putdowns in an unusual manner in order to find acceptance. A commentary on Japanese societal expectations of women.
I wished I was back in the convenience store where I was valued as a working member of staff and things weren’t as complicated as this. Once we donned our uniforms, we were all equals regardless of gender, age, or nationality— all simply store workers.
● It feels a bit twee to describe a novel as delightful, but that feels like the most apt word for Convenience Store Woman. However, a lot of the humour in the novel was tinged with feelings of discomfort and wanting to look away as we gradually learned about the effort required by Keiko to exist in the world and be accepted by her family and peers. Sayaka Murata cleverly reflects significant issues in Japan within the character of Keiko, and due to the novel’s incredible success has hopefully taken a step towards normalising the less acceptable parts of the culture there.– Suzy
● As a fan of Japanese literature I was hooked on this book from the first page. It is told simply but with passion and a dry humour. I came to love the convenience store too and was astounded how interesting I found details of shelves being stocked in the correct way. The underlying premise of being accepted for being ‘normal’ but unhappy over being ‘abnormal’ but happy was thought-provoking and made me consider many aspects of society. I read this short, punchy book in one sitting and absolutely loved it. – Rachel
● I felt a sense of injustice at the way Keiko was treated by her friends and family. They were pedantic about their opinions that she should be married and have a better job than working in a convenience store, even if it made her unhappy. This is a sad reflection on Japanese culture, and we discovered the author actually endured the same criticisms from her family for her job as a convenience store worker. It was an unusual and well told story which I enjoyed. I was heavily invested in Keiko, her convenience store job and the decisions she was making for her own happiness. – Jo
Published in Japanese 2016
Translated into English by Ginny Tapley Takemori 2018
Portobello Books
163 pages
Trespasses – Louise Kennedy
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE
Cushla is a 24-year-old Irish school teacher by day and custodian of the family pub with her brother in the evenings. It is in the pub she meets an older married man and they begin an affair. Set amongst The Troubles conflict of the 1970s.
● I had initially thought that this novel was a gentle exploration of the challenges of a romance between a Catholic woman and a Protestant man during The Troubles, however three-quarters of the way through things took a decidedly different turn and we moved from gentle to actually-pretty-bloody-intense.
I’m not sure if the previous gentle pace had engendered enough commitment from me to be completely invested in the outcomes for the characters, but this was still a great read and a showed the very personal impact of this Irish conflict. – Suzy
Booby trap. Incendiary device. Gelignite. Nitroglycerine. Petrol bomb. Rubber bullets. Saracen. Internment. The Special Powers Act. Vanguard. The vocabulary of a seven-year-old child now.
● The Troubles of 1970s Ireland provided a vivid and impactful setting for Trespasses, but I wasn’t moved by the love affair. Michael was a recidivist philanderer and in my opinion, taking advantage of someone half his age. However, I did appreciate its representation of the time, when unhealthy attraction can grow from societal conflict and how any kind of interaction between a Catholic and a Protestant must be kept secret.
There were other interesting sub plots such as Cushla’s relationship with her mother and the plight of one of her students, Davey, and his family. Also this book has a real banger of an ending! – Rachel
Published 2023
Bloomsbury Publishing
304 pages
The Marriage Portrait – Maggie O’Farrell
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE
● The Marriage Portrait begins as such:
In 1560, fifteen-year-old Lucrezia di Cosimo de Medici left Florence to begin her married life with Alfonso II d’Este, Duke of Ferrara. Less than a year later, she would be dead. The official cause of her death was given as ‘putrid fever’ but it was rumoured that she had been murdered by her husband.
Now, I’m not often a fan of historical fiction set in royal contexts. There is usually a complex and vast array of characters to remember; stylised language to suit the era, which is clunky if you are not familiar with it; and narratives of which authors often expect the reader to have prior knowledge of.
But this opening page had me intrigued. So I dove in, and I am very pleased I did. I loved this book so much. The characters are real (obviously fictionally re-imagined, with important alterations to fact noted in the back), they are portrayed richly and each and every one is memorable, not lost in a cast of excess. The language is careful, seems realistic, and is easy to read. The plot is well paced and enticing. The descriptions are so vivid that I can still see the passageways and rooms of the villas and palazzo in my mind. I can imagine the fashions, the hairstyles and the paintings which are also vividly described.
The narrative is not just about the Duchess’ married life, but her life as a bold child, and as a young women who maintains her spark while quashed with the expectations of life married to an older Duke. Lucrezia deals with her organised marriage with astuteness and practicality without her character appearing over written or fake. The entire book is like a feast, it is rich and delicious with much attention to detail. I would widely recommend it. – Rachel
● At the risk of sounding like a boomer shaking my fist at the young ones of today, it was so nice reading a book that was just storytelling at its absolute best. There was nothing fan dangled about The Marriage Portrait, although that’s not to say it wasn’t immensely clever. Maggie O’Farrell’s evocation of 16th century Italy was so well done I was right there wandering the palazzo with Lucrezia.
And I know I have banged on about this a few times in my reviews now, but I am always so happy to see historical fiction imagining the life of women as a move towards some slight rebalancing of the utterly male dominated history books. I loved this book and feel like I could unreservedly recommend it to pretty much all readers and it would be thoroughly enjoyed. – Suzy
Published 2022
Knopf Publishing Group
355 pages
Pod – Laline Paull
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE
Ea is a spinner dolphin who is deaf and cannot spin properly. When catastrophe befalls her family, Ea feels partly to blame and decides to leave the pod, meeting a vast array of other sea life. Climate fiction with talking animals and a strong message to humans.
● This was a beautifully written book, however I had an absolute love-hate relationship with it. I was completely enthralled with the story of Ea, a Longi dolphin, and her interactions with many other sea creatures. It was no great leap to go to a story with talking dolphins when we have already read The Axeman’s Carnival with a talking magpie this year, although Pod is a much richer exploration.
I wanted so badly for everything to go well for Ea and it was learning her fate that kept me turning the pages. I struggled with many aspects of this book in terms of the outcomes and experiences of many of the characters, a lot of which were truly horrible. If the author’s intent was to get us thinking a lot more about the human impact on the ocean environment then she has definitely achieved her goal.
I feel like my life is now divided between Before Pod and After Pod and I really wish I was back to the Before Pod time because Laline Paull has shredded my brain. A strong contender for my book of the year as well as my worst. – Suzy
… Exodus was the Longi people’s kinetic prayer of thanks to the ocean for the survival of their pod. All calves learned the story of how the Longi had been forced out of their beautiful original homewater by the invasion of the cruel barbaric Tursiops tribe. The passage across the ocean from that moment was perilous and marked with many losses.
● At its most basic this is a book about animals trying to exist in a world that humans are mistreating. The narrative begins with Ea, an adolescent spinner dolphin who is deaf and in turmoil about being unable to spin.
However, each subsequent chapter moves to the point of view of another speaking mammal or fish and I felt disengaged for many chapters. There were too many plot diversions and too many voices (though the shit-eating remora was my favourite!) Two thirds in, the focus returned to Ea as well as a former character, Google, a military trained dolphin. It was only then that I engaged fully with the plot and began to feel invested in the characters.
It’s an interesting premise that Paull has tackled and commendation must be given for that. In fiction featuring animals we are used to anthropomorphisation but in this case we are exposed to more of a no holds barred script for a David Attenborough documentary, complete with tribal warfare, animal to animal cruelty and rape, with the mammals’ clicks, beeps and sonar bounces interpreted into English. I began reading into everything wondering if it was all a giant metaphor for colonisation. I’m still not sure.
At this point in time I feel like this book’s premise is a bit of a stretch for me. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if in 20 years time we acknowledge this book as the turning stone for a completely new genre of fiction. – Rachel
——
Published 2022
Corsair
261 pages
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