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Islands
Islands | Peggy Frew
7 posts | 4 read | 11 to read
There was a house on a hill in the city and it was full of us, our family, but then it began to empty. We fell out. We made a mess. We draped ourselves in blame and disappointment and lurched around, bumping into each other. Some of us wailed and shouted; some of us barely made a sound. None of us was listening, or paying attention. And in the middle of it all you, very quietly, were gone. Helen and John are too preoccupied with making a mess of their marriage to notice the quiet ways in which their daughters are suffering. Junie grows up brittle and defensive, Anna difficult and rebellious. When fifteen-year-old Anna fails to come home one night, her mother's not too worried; Anna's taken off before but always returned. Helen waits three days to report her disappearance. But this time Anna doesn't come back ... A spellbinding novel in the tradition of Helen Garner, Charlotte Wood and Georgia Blain, Islands is a riveting and brilliant portrait of a family in crisis by the breathtakingly talented author of House of Sticks and Hope Farm. 'Peggy Frew is an amazing writer...Elegant, tender and very wise.' Chris Womersley, author of Bereft on Hope Farm 'Peggy Frew's novel, Hope Farm, tells an original tale, drawing into the body of Australian literary fiction, a world between the cracks. Peggy's voice is contemporary, her observations sharp and sensitive. Hope Farm describes the cycle of loss and damage when there are no boundaries to protect us.' Sofie Laguna, author of The Eye of the Sheep, 2015 Miles Franklin Literary Award winner 'Brilliant. Peggy Frew is a superb writer, and this is a remarkably confident debut.' Clare Bowditch on House of Sticks
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CarolynM
Islands | Peggy Frew
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Dropped in to the Penguin Random House book sale in support of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. I had to buy some books, obviously.

LeeRHarry Where is this Carolyn? 4y
CarolynM @LeeRHarry In Walker Lane behind Penguin's offices in Collins Square 4y
Tamra 👏🏾 4y
See All 10 Comments
LapReader Heaven. 4y
Cinfhen How awesome 4y
TrishB Obviously 👍🏻 4y
LeeRHarry @CarolynM good to know 😊 4y
LeahBergen Of course! 4y
Aimeesue You had no choice, really. 4y
charl08 Just a few :-) v. Restrained. 4y
67 likes10 comments
review
MrsMalaprop
Islands | Peggy Frew
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Pickpick

Expectations fulfilled 😍. This Australian novel has called to me ever since @Rissreads alerted me to it some months ago. I resisted buying it in book shops many times (just because, too-many-books 📚📚📚). In the end, I couldn‘t resist.

So much of this novel resonated with me: complexities of families; the notion that there is no truth, only perspectives; the sadness and grief we carry with us based on our perspectives.

❤️😢👏 #ozfiction

CarolynM Stacked 5y
JennyM I might have to try this one again. I got halfway, put it down and never felt like picking it up again. Not sure why? (edited) 5y
MrsMalaprop @JennyM I found the beginning a bit disjointed & I kept mixing up the couples. But about halfway I really got into & loved it. Might be that I related to the plot & characters a bit too much due to some mega family dramas of my own! I really liked it 👍. 5y
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Rissreads I will move it up my reading list! 5y
Joanne1 I just so loved this book. And I felt the same as you about the first half. Then something clicked and i just couldn‘t get it out of my head. 5y
MrsMalaprop I know what you mean @Joanne1 . I loved it. ❤️ 5y
38 likes1 stack add6 comments
blurb
MrsMalaprop
Islands | Peggy Frew
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Loving this so much😍. Oh, and the book too 😁. #currentlyreading #ozfiction

Freespirit Looks lovely! 5y
Gillyreads I have stopped to pick this up in a few bookshop browsing expeditions now. I think I will have to get it. 5y
BooknerdsLife This looks delicious 😍 5y
Jeg Yummy. 5y
55 likes2 stack adds4 comments
blurb
MrsMalaprop
Islands | Peggy Frew
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In the tradition of Garner, Wood & Blain? I‘m in! #currentlyreading #ozfiction

Rissreads Fingers crossed it delivers! 💜 5y
34 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Joanne1
Islands | Peggy Frew
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Pickpick

It took me a while to warm to this novel but in the end I loved it. Frew‘s writing is exquisite and the way she plays with structure is very clever. It reminds me of a scrapbook, clues to the life lived but relying on the reader to put the pieces together. It is resolutely non-linear and told from a multitude of POVs, most of which I wanted more of. Not a book for everyone but definitely one for me

Lindy The structure sounds like a style I would like. Stacked! 5y
LiteraryinLawrence Cool! I usually like that style too and I‘d never heard of this debut! 5y
Joanne1 @LiteraryinLititz Peggy Frew has a couple of other books. The other one I read was a great book but a more traditional structure. 5y
LiteraryinLawrence @Joanne1 Ahh, I guess I got confused while reading the Litsy description. At the end when they call it a confident debut they are referring to her previous book! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
51 likes4 stack adds4 comments
blurb
Joanne1
Islands | Peggy Frew
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It‘s been a lovely, sunny winter‘s day but boy it gets cold when the sun dips low. Now it‘s time for reading in front of the fire. Even better I think I‘m the first person to get this library book, it‘s so perfect.

JennyM Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. After reaching the halfway mark I have put it aside for now. Not quite hitting the mark for me...even though it should. Not sure why. Hope you enjoy 5y
46 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
AntoinetteBuchanan
Islands | Peggy Frew
Pickpick

So many voices/Points of view! Resolved poetically, probably the only resolution for this novel. Read for an assured author playing with the form of the novel

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