Once upon a memory, at the far end of the Mediterranean Sea, there lay an island so beautiful and blue that the many travellers, pilgrims, crusaders and merchants who fell in love with it either wanted never to leave or tried to tow it with hemp ropes all the way back to their own countries. … Continue reading The Island of Missing Trees | Elif Shafak
The Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home sleeps deeply on this summer night. The heat trapped in its brick walls radiates outwards, through the skin of its painted facade. Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is set in an aged care home in Western Sydney. It's run by a Sri Lankan refugee, Maya and her husband, Zakhir. The … Continue reading Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens | Shankari Chandran #AWWfiction
Morris Gleitzman's Holocaust series for younger readers has already attracted much praise and many accolades. His stories carefully balance the reality of what actually happened with modern day sensibilities. Sad, bad things happen to his characters, but he doesn't describe them in gory detail. There is bleakness and injustice and cruelty, but there is also … Continue reading Maybe by Morris Gleitzman
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid has divided many readers and reviewers. (For an interesting cross section of responses try My Booking Great Read, Michael @Knowledge Lost, Rachel @Pace Amore, Libri, and Kate @Books are my Favourite and Best). I was therefore prepared for the pared back, deceptively simple writing style that has kept many reviewers at an emotional distance. … Continue reading Exit West | Mohsin Hamid
I have no idea how to adequately review Offshore: Behind the Wire on Manus and Nauru.Refugees, asylum seekers and offshore processing has polarised politics and opinion in Australia for several years now. A book like this, that attempts to provide an 'uncompromising' overview that 'gets behind the rumours and allegations to reveal what is known' … Continue reading Offshore: Behind the Wire on Manus and Nauru by Madeline Gleeson
Reflection: Remembering Those Who Serve in War by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg & Robin Cowcher has been made a CBCA Notable book for 2017.A rather big part of me sighed when I saw this book, as I'm feeling overwhelmed and inundated by war books at the moment. The trouble is, all these lovely picture books have … Continue reading Reflection by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg
In 1998 I read Philip Gourevitch's harrowing, detailed account of the 1994 Rwandan genocide of the Tutsi population called We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families.For some reason which I couldn't fathom back then, there seemed to be some doubt in some people's minds that this event was … Continue reading One Thousand Hills by James Roy and Noel Zihabamwe
Earlier on in the year I attended an author event with Thuy and read Ru. I adored it. It was beautiful, heart-felt and poetic.Last week I was in need of some beauty and picked up Thuy's latest book, Man in anticipation.Once again, Thuy explores the immigrants story. The search for self, family and belonging is … Continue reading Man by Kim Thuy
It's no secret that I have a bit of a thing for Matt Ottley's illustrations. In particular, I love Sailing Home, Parachute and Tree....and now I can add Teacup to that list.The soft, dreamy palette of the early pages grows stronger and more vibrant as we head out to sea.At this point, Ottley's oil paintings … Continue reading Teacup by Rebecca Young and Matt Ottley
I read Treasure Box months ago but I had forgotten just how moving and tender the story is.This is a tale, at first glance, about war, persecution and refugees. But hope, dignity and courage are at its heart.A library is destroyed by bombs and all the books burnt...except for the one that the narrator's father … Continue reading Treasure Box by Margaret Wild & Freya Blackwood
I've been wanting to read Olive Kitteridge for some time now. It's still sitting in my TBR pile, but it's moved up to the top now that I've finished The Burgess Boys. A tale of two brothers, a sister, a small country town in Maine and a pig's head. Relationships explored, exposed and analysed in … Continue reading The Burgess Boys | Elizabeth Strout #USfiction
I loved both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns so my hopes were high for Hosseini's latest book.I wasn't disappointed. And the Mountains Echoed is a story of loss and abandonment.Loss of family, country, face, life, health, identity, home and memory are experienced by different characters at different times.This loss informs relationships, choices … Continue reading And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Anh Do's funny/sad autobiography won this years Indie Award for non-fiction. The Happiest Refugee was very easy to read, full of self-deprecating humour and honesty. I grew up with tales of Vietnamese boat people on the news. During the 70's there was a lot of media backlash against the boat people. Racism and fear about Asian … Continue reading The Happiest Refugee | Anh Do
This is a worthy book. 'In The Sea There Are Crocodiles' is the true … Continue reading In The Sea There Are Crocodiles: The True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari | Fabio Geda
bronasbooks.com 