The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Orbital – Samantha Harvey
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
One day in the life of six astronauts in a space station, hurtling around earth 16 times. They admire and ponder life from afar, considering humanity from the Big Bang, current environmental crises through to thoughts on where humanity might end up.
The earth, from here, is like heaven. It flows with colour. A burst of hopeful colour. When we’re on that planet we look up and think heaven is elsewhere, but here is what the astronauts and cosmonauts sometimes think: maybe all of us born to it have already died and are in an afterlife. If we must go to an improbable, hard-to-believe-in place when we die, that glassy, distant orb with its beautiful lonely light shows could well be it.
● I am unsure how this author (who I am guessing has not been to space) managed to give this reader (who has also not been to space) a deep comprehension of what life on a space station is like. I somehow now feel mentally prepared should I ever get the call-up from NASA – how the hell has Samantha Harvey done this?! This book doesn’t have too much of a plot/storyline, but rather has a ‘vibe’. I can’t sustain ‘vibe’ books for very long, but Orbital was beautifully written and the perfect length. – Suzy
● Orbital is an examination of humanity, of our past, our current and our future. By placing a select few people in space, watching over Earth in all its beauty and destruction, as humans go through the steps of life, Harvey provides an ethereal observation of existence. There is not much of a plot yet there is always something happening, and what happens is profound and beautiful and thought provoking. – Rachel
Published 2023
Atlantic Monthly Press
207 pages
Held – Anne Michaels
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
Beginning with a soldier injured in the WWI trenches and observing three subsequent generations of family, Held is a kaleidoscopic narrative of memories, dreams and the supernatural. Held together by symbols, metaphors and motifs rather than a traditional linear narrative, Michaels asks the reader to surrender to a looser and more poetic structural form than we are used to in novels.
There are so many ways the dead show us they are with us. Sometimes they stay deliberately absent, in order to prove themselves by returning. Sometimes they stay close and then leave in order to prove they were with us. Sometimes they bring a stag to a graveyard, a cardinal to a fence, a song on the wireless as soon as you turn it on. Sometimes they bring a snowfall.
● There were many moments throughout Held where I was very engaged and feeling quite desperate to find out what was ahead for the characters. Increasingly though, it became hard to follow what exactly was happening and how the different chapters were meant to link with each other. This took the novel from enjoyable to frustrating for me. I don’t mind a challenging read, but this was too much for me and my brain. – Suzy
● Held is told in fragments that are sometimes pages long and sometimes only one sentence. Whatever their length they are poignant and poetic and powerful. The book starts with a man in the trenches in WWI, injured and hoping not to die. Spoiler alert, he doesn’t die and in chapter two he is photographing portraits and somehow capturing ghosts of the past. This becomes a theme of the book, which despite it’s brevity manages to encapsulate four generations of one family, their internal struggles and how each is moving through life and death. The book does have a loose structure and this did hinder the flow for me. While I thought every word was beautiful, I spent a lot of time trying to understand the novel’s meaning. – Rachel
Published 2023
McClelland & Stewart
240 pages
The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
It’s 1961 and the people of Dutch town Overijssel are adjusting to life post war. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel leads a life of routine and discipline. Much to her disgust, her brother Louis dumps his new girlfriend Eva at Isabel’s doorstep announcing she is to stay for a month. As the days go by the two women and the house all start revealing their secrets.
Isabel had never known loneliness like that, one that arrived without the promise of leaving.
● Wow, this book took some very unexpected twists and turns. Sorry to the person I sat beside on a flight from Wellington to Dunedin who casually glanced across while I was reading some of the more interesting scenes but honestly that is on you.
I was wondering what the circuit breaker was going to be for the ongoing tension between the two main characters, and once this happened things moved a lot more quickly. We talk a lot in Aotearoa about mana whenua and the sense of belonging, it was was interesting to read about how this might look in a different cultural context. – Suzy
● I have mixed feelings about The Safekeep. I think the author has a lovely writing style and has paced this book well. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the historical, post-war setting and plot, which I can’t mention further as it will provide spoilers. Societal expectations of the ’60s and constraints placed on women are also explored well.
But unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters. Isabel, Eva, Louis and Kendrik were flat and one dimensional to me, and in the beginning I didn’t have feelings for any of them. Though, later I did come to care for one character. I found several plot points far too convenient, especially the diary left behind accidentally only to be read by a crucial someone else. And I wasn’t a fan of the ending. Maybe when Suzy and I meet in person and discuss this book further I might be inclined to get off the fence one way or the other. – Rachel
Published 2024
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
272 pages
Stone Yard Devotional – Charlotte Wood
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
A grieving, unnamed narrator attends a spiritual retreat at a convent, departs and returns again with no plan of leaving. As an atheist she is committed to giving back through hard work rather than praying. Set over Covid, the narrator finds herself fighting a plague of mice and preparing for the return of a former nun’s bones.
I used to think there was a ‘before’ and ‘after’ most things that happen to a person; that a fence of time and space could separate even quite catastrophic experience from the ordinary whole of life. But now I know that with a great devastation of some kind, there is no before or after. Even when the commotion of crisis has settled, it’s still there, like that dam water, insisting, seeping, across the past and the future.
● This is quite a philosophical book, examining existence and religion and humanity and womanhood, and running all these ideas into one cohesive story without them challenging each other for air. The idea of an atheist living at a convent shows how goodness comes in many forms and that another’s perspective of community can be different but just as important as your own. The inclusion of Covid as a timeline is a reminder that faith and working for the greater good pertain to more than just religion. It is a slow burn of a read, mimicking the crawling pace of grief, of the Covid years, of hard work and of the ageing nuns. I liked it and am glad it was shortlisted. – Rachel
● If I was asked to summarise what Stoneyard Devotional was about I would say “not much really”, yet it somehow completely drew me in. I loved the petty interactions at the convent and the deep wonderings of the main character that, while revealing, often lead to nothing in particular. Fear not, there was still enough of a plot to keep a plot-driven reader engaged – even if at times it involved far too many mice. – Suzy
Published 2023
Allen & Unwin
320 pages
James – Percival Everett
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
A re-imagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but told from the point of view of the slave, Jim, or James as he prefers to be called in this book. James escapes his owner when he hears he is to be sold, and Huck runs from his violent father. The two meet up and sail away together down the Mississippi River, trying to dodge harm but getting caught up in sorts of situations along the way.
I had never seen a white man filled with such fear. The remarkable truth, however, was that it was not the pistol, but my language, the fact that I didn’t conform to his expectations, that I could read, that had so disturbed and frightened him.
● Some books gently carry the reader through a story. They softly guide us into heartfelt revelations and moments of joy. Be assured that James is no such book. The visceral fear and utter sadness I felt while reading this book kept me awake at night and as the book came closer towards its conclusion the adrenaline surge was almost overwhelming.
There was one particular moment near the start of the book where I just thought god damn Percival Everett you are actually a genius. I don’t know if this book is one where I would say I ‘enjoyed’ it, but I did love it. A very strong start to my Booker shortlist reading. – Suzy
● In the original, Jim was a caricature, existing only to make Huckleberry Finn look good when he treated the slave with kindness. What Percival Everett has done is give James dimension and a clear voice. As such, James is an astute, clever and good man who puts on an act when white folk are within cooee in order to let them feel superior. Beneath the bravado and dry humour, James lives in a constant state of fear. The stress he has for his safety, and that of his friends and family is immense and it creates a more meaningful read than either Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn.
It was an honour to hear the story from James’ side. Percival Everett is a genius for writing this. I felt for James as though he was a real person and I wanted to cry and/or rejoice at his day to day outcomes. This is an important book, and a riveting read and I’m sure it will join the classic lists in time. – Rachel
Published 2024
Knopf Doubleday
303 pages
Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Suzy
Set in the 1580s, this book is about Shakespeare and the events that led to him writing the play Hamlet. It is told not from his point of view, but from that of his wife, who is left in Warwickshire to raise three children, one of whom is Hamnet/Hamlet, and battle various illnesses and plagues. A story of motherhood, marriage and grief.
What is given may be taken away, at any time. Cruelty and devastation wait for you around corners, inside coffers, behind doors: they can leap out at you at any time, like a thief or brigand. The trick is never to let down your guard. Never think you are safe. Never take for granted that your children’s hearts beat, that they sup milk, that they draw breath, that they walk and speak and smile and argue and play. Never for a moment forget they may be gone, snatched from you, in the blink of an eye, borne away from you like thistledown.”
● I loved the shift from the famous playwright to the important person who he married – Agnes Hathaway. The domestic focus was long overdue and done in such a comprehensive and rich way that I wasn’t particularly interested in knowing more about the man who is otherwise revered. The depiction of grief was both gripping and devastating. – Suzy
● I was drawn in and captivated by this well-researched work of historical fiction based primarily around Shakespeare’s wife and the tragic loss of their 11-year-old son Hamnet. The novel was easy and uncomplicated to follow, full of beautifully written descriptive passages. A very emotional and heart-rending novel with a great ending that left me with chills.– Jodie
● This opened my eyes to another side of life for Shakespeare, seeing life through his wife and family’s outlook. I was made to think about the harsh reality of normal life at this time where losing a child in particular was common place. The descent into grief was heartbreaking and seemed realistic (having never myself, thank god, experienced such awfulness). A little bit of seeing into the future and a few ghosts rounded out the story nicely. I would recommend this book. – Jo
● As with all her books, Maggie O’Farrell has an unparalleled style of writing. It is breathtaking, especially when dealing with grief and anguish. My only ‘but’ is that sometimes the descriptions get a little wordy, but I am being overly critical here because her work is of such a high standard and I will always read anything new she writes. Hamnet is an incredibly moving book. I appreciated the story of a famous man being told from the point of view of his wife, detailing all that she went through to allow him to achieve greatness. – Rachel
Published 2020
Tinder Press
372 pages
Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead – Olga Tokarczuk
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Jo
Janina lives alone in a desolate, snowy part of Poland near the Czech border. She studies astrology, over analyses everything and has a fiercely protective nature for the animals of the region. She becomes concerned when the police don’t seem to be properly investigating the suspicious deaths of her neighbours.
I find this division of people into three groups—skiers, allergy sufferers and drivers—very convincing. It is a good, straightforward typology. Skiers are hedonists. They are carried down the slopes. Whereas drivers prefer to take their fate in their hands, although their spines often suffer as a result; we all know life is hard. Whereas the allergy sufferers are always at war. I must surely be an allergy sufferer.
● While reading Drive Your Plow I felt the cold, I could see the setting and the characters became very real, quite quickly. It was darkly humorous in places with some great stand out funny scenes. I enjoyed the murder whodunnit story but did find myself becoming bored with all of the astrology detail. Overall, quite an enjoyable book. – Jo
● The aspect I enjoyed most about this novel was the construction of the main character Janina, a middle aged, eccentric woman. Janina makes hilarious observations about the people within her remote community, giving them funny nicknames that reflect their personalities. I enjoyed the style and pace of the book and thought the author was very creative in how she addressed the issues Poland has with women’s rights and animal protection. It’s a cleverly written novel that is well worth a read. – Jodie
● It concerns me that I increasingly feel a connection with these slightly weird and rebellious characters we’re coming across, but it is what it is. This novel felt almost dreamlike with the setting of heavy snow and I therefore felt a wee bit of a disconnect, but overall I loved the animal rights storyline and enjoyed being transported to this unsettling and strange Polish village. – Suzy
● I love an unreliable narrator and dark themes and this was rewarding with both. Janina is a well constructed character and I loved her nosiness, her misguided morals and her outspokenness. Shout out to the translator who has created excellent atmosphere and intrigue which we can only presume is reminiscent of the original book. This is a literary thriller that will find favour with many readers. – Rachel
Published in Polish 2009
Translated into English by Antonia Lloyd-Jones 2018
Fitzcarraldo Editions
288 pages
All Fours – Miranda July
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Rachel
A 45 year old artist plans a roadie from LA to New York. Twenty minutes into the drive, she exits the freeway, rents a motel room, and undertakes a transformation of the room and herself, leading her on a journey other than what she imagined. A multi-genre, boundary pushing work that encompasses themes of quest/adventure, family, intimacy, self discovery & comedy.
For me lying created just the right amount of problems and what you saw was just one of my four or five faces- each real, each with different needs. The only dangerous lie was one that asked me to compress myself down into a single convenient entity that one person could understand. I was a kaleidoscope, each glittering piece of glass changing as I turned.
● All Fours is fabulous and hilarious. It has a fast moving and never predictable plot and convincing characters who live modern lives that challenge traditional societal beliefs. The main character has a dry sense of humour, sees people and the world with a great sarcastic wit and seeks new and exciting experiences that sometimes shock, sometimes resonate but always entertain. She behaves in new ways to what I am used to in fiction and in life, but in doing so she empowers perimenopausal women to freely examine intimacy and all forms of expression. All Fours turns the mid-life narrative on its head to positively reinforce menopause, a time when women are becoming their own woman. If I read another book where a woman’s powerful, mid-life transformation is referred to as a “mid life crisis” or a “breakdown”, I will lose my shit (in a positive, transformative way). I highly recommend this book. – Rachel
● All Fours was a wild ride for sure! It perfectly captured the weird soul-searching that we seem to end up doing during middle-age or, more accurately, peri-menopause. Miranda July is out there living her best life and is not afraid to be vulnerable or do things unconventionally, and that is putting it mildly. I feel so positively influenced by her energy and I feel like this book is one to be absolutely cherished. – Suzy
All of the hormones that made me want to seem approachable so I could breed are gone and replaced by hormones that are fiercely protective of my autonomy and freedom.
● All Fours tells the story of a woman’s journey through perimenopause and her sexual awakening. Although our protagonist was often unrelatable to me with her odd behaviour and excessive focus on sex, I ultimately enjoyed her disregard for societal expectations and her pursuit of an alternative marriage. It was easy to read and frequently hilarious, and certainly thought provoking. Not my favourite, but still enjoyable. – Jo
● There are not many books I have put down after finishing and thought “what was that?” but this was one of them. It took me out of my comfort level and opened my eyes on many topics, challenging my perspective on parenthood, sexuality, monogamy and menopause. July has a no holds barred approach to her writing which resulted in a novel that was epic, vulnerable and honest. I thought it was brilliant in the way it could make me laugh and cringe at the same time. – Jodie
Published 2024
Riverhead Books
336 pages
The Whalebone Theatre – Joanna Quinn
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Jodie
The story of Cristabel Seagrave from orphaned girl to WWIII spy. It is told in five acts, each portraying a different slice of her life and the stories of all the people in it. One Act is about the establishment of a stage in a whale’s bones, introducing a life of storytelling. Via each part of her life, Cristabel becomes a stronger, more resilient and capable young woman, culminating in her war experience.
Every route through the lightless city is now an unpredictable one. It is a shadowy moonscape and the bombs change its shape every night. Landmarks evaporate, streets are roped off, and dust falls over everything.
● I feel a lot of readers will enjoy this work of historical fiction. It is well written and researched, has colourful characters and some really descriptive narrative scenes. But, in my opinion, it could easily have been half the length and delved deeper into the characters’ lives and plot. It wasn’t unenjoyable, it just lacked a bit of punch. – Jodie
● Following the Seagrave children’s lives from early childhood through to post-WWII, this story was rich with detail about an extraordinary time in history. I’d never read about the activities of secret agents before and it was eye opening. All the characters were brought to life well, but interestingly there were few villains which flattened the emotional highs for me. There was potential for unlikeable characters such as Digby’s mother, among others, to bring more angst to the story and make it a really powerful read. But it didn’t happen which meant there were very few peaks to the story and I felt a bit let down. – Jo
● This was pleasant enough, but in this genre I have read books that are far more engaging than The Whalebone Theatre. There were certainly sparks of interest but they were far and few between. The main character, Christa, often heard about very interesting and exciting things that were happening for other people and I couldn’t help but wonder why the author wanted us to read about the action from afar. – Suzy
● The Whalebone Theatre is clearly well researched and written. There are five acts covering different times and events in Cristabel’s life and each is as thorough as a stand alone novella. However there was no real climax or pivotal event. Even the makeshift theatre inside a whale carcass doesn’t get as much air time as the title suggests. The characters are well developed but each is confined to the expectations of its role (orphaned girl, Nazi officer, stepmother etc). It seems silly to say but I always felt like I was reading a book, whereas many other authors are able to make me feel as though I lived the experience they are writing about. – Rachel
Published 2022
Knopf
588 pages
Bunny – Mona Awad
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Suzy
Samantha Heather Mackey is a loner in her fiction writing class at Warren University. When she is befriended by a group of girls known as the bunnies she can’t help but be attracted to their Smut Salon clique, despite the horrific rites they are performing on animals and young men. Important topics examined in a surreal/absurdist/horror mash up with an unreliable narrator.
The truth is, if you go to Warren, no matter what is going on in your personal life—hair trouble, existential malaise, ax murder—you do the reading.
● This book seemed to completely take over my life as I was reading it. Why did I want to robotically answer ‘Yes, Bunny’ to everyone who spoke to me? Why was there a spooky taxidermied rabbit in the window of my regular Saturday morning cafe that I had never noticed before? I agree with Margaret Atwood in calling Mona Awad a genius. This book is so layered, so deep, so brilliant. – Suzy
● Trying to figure out what the hell was going on in Bunny was a little frustrating but the unexpected twists and turns and the hypnotic weirdness of Samantha’s reality meant the narrative was captivating rather than annoying. There were many amazing phrases, with emotional content expertly conveyed in a brilliant writing style. After discussing the book’s complexities at book club, we re-read the ending and discovered the punch of a brilliant finish that otherwise could have meandered off into nothingness. I feel like a complete re-read would reveal so many clever details missed on the first read. – Jo
● Bunny is a complex book. By that I don’t mean it’s difficult to read or understand, but it has so many layers, nuances, twists and turns and genre influences it is the kind of book that can keep you pondering for days. Re-reading a single page or paragraph would make me second guess my prior thoughts as there seemed to be several ways to interpret a single event. I love an unreliable narrator and having to guess at the truth of the matter so this was right up my alley. I’d describe it as a mash up of Alice In Wonderland, The Heathers and The Secret History. Adding to the intrigue surrounding this book was the fact that all bookclub members had an unexpected encounter with a bunny within days of bookclub! – Rachel
● Wow! What a crazy, strange journey this novel took me on. I was left thinking what just happened?! It was tricky to decipher what was real and what wasn’t, so in the end I had to give up trying to work it all out and just roll with the chaos. I know this book will have a lasting impression on me and will be one I’ll never forget. I’m sure other readers will feel the same way. But, be warned, you will never be able to look at a bunny in the same light again! Go on, give it a go! – Jodie
Published 2019
Penguin Books
305 pages
We're
currently
reading
The Free-Range Bookclub 
Recent Comments