mental health

Love Objects

Linda J

At a time when minimalism is so widely promoted, have you ever wondered about the value you place on objects in your home? Are there precious items you would find it hard to throw out? what if someone else threw out things you valued?

In ‘Love Objects’, 45-year-old Nic would definitely not be a fan of Marie Kondo; although she does believe that everything in her house has a purpose and meaning. However, decades of newspapers stacked in the hall do not deter her from scavenging even more leaflets and envelopes that may someday ‘be useful’.

Many other items she gathers make her ponder their past lives, as she considers their new special place in her home (as Marie might also do). It is the quantity of items she loves that provides a catastrophic turning point in her life; Nic has a fall, her hoard comes tumbling down and well-meaning family members arrive to take charge.

Family relationships can be a curious thing – especially when life hiccoughs get in the way. Nic has no children, but has always been close with her niece, Lena. Until her sister, Michelle, moved her family away, she enjoyed fun times with Lena and her brother, Will. Then, time and distance and failed relationships over the years set other securities in motion.

Emily Maguire cleverly introduces the idiosyncrasies of hoarders in the opening chapter – the way she writes, the way she voices what Nic is feeling – and sets up the chain of events to follow. It is awkward reading, but nuanced to the character of Nic.

The web woven for Lena is also cleverly set, as she follows her attraction for a fellow uni student. She is oblivious to his grooming efforts and is soon, so easily, a victim, in spite of some awareness of sexual assault issues at uni. Much of what happens to her, consumes her and looks to ruin her life ambition.

Many questions arise from reading ‘Love Objects’. What would you have done if you were Lena? her mother Michelle? Could you have done something differently, earlier, if you were Nic? an aware Lena? a different sister version of Michelle? Would it have made a difference?

Hear what Emily Maguire has to say about ‘Love Objects’ here:

After you read ‘Love Objects’, what would feature in a sequel? How would you write the future of the Mitchell family?

The Other Side of Beautiful

Linda J

Life has a way of falling apart sometimes. For Mercy, the solution has been spending 2 years as a recluse in her home. When this house burns down, she is thrown out into the world and flounders to accept the help her ex-husband offers, which can only be temporary anyway.

“This world isn’t easy when your shield shatters. When my character in The Other Side of Beautiful, a woman who hasn’t left her house for two years, watches that house burn down, Mercy Blain has no choice but to be flung into the world.” (Kim Lock discussing her main character, Mercy Blain.)

As this situation is clearly untenable, Mercy comes across a somewhat bizarre alternative. This sees her embark on a physical journey from Adelaide to Darwin, in a beat-up old vehicle with just her dog, Wasabi, as a companion.

For someone who has not left their house for 2 years, this is an amazing challenge, but one that proves to be the physical AND emotional journey she needs.

Mercy’s cautious initial steps mean that she is sparsely equipped, having lost most things in the fire. Her inner struggles also mean that she is often stretched to the limit to move beyond the many barriers she has set up over 2 years. Thus, her journey north is hesitant and full of extreme anxiety.

In Mercy’s steps, we learn about the suffocating effects of panic attacks, and we will her on as she travels north, alongside the movement of grey nomads and other travellers. The characters she meets are totally relatable, as is the Australian countryside they traverse. Those with a  careful blend of friendliness and respect for the privacy of others allow Mercy to feel somewhat comfortable to continue her travels, in spite of early misgivings.

Along the way, certain roadblocks cause anxious situations for her to rise above while forcing her to accept the help and advice of others she meets. We fear her crashing along the way (both physically and literally) – will her solo journey be the end of things, or provide a new beginning? After all, there have been tragic losses in the outback for those unprepared and unwary.

There is a lot to mull over in ‘the Other Side of Beautiful’, including the pressures of social media vs the need to stay in touch. Mercy is trying to overcome past negativity, but needs to stay in communication with the real world she is running from, in order to move forward in life. There could be severe consequences if she doesn’t, but outback travel is not the most supportive in some areas.

Will she make it to ‘the Other Side’?

Note: I loved the references to Australians’ outback travels in RVs and well-appointed vans, but would have preferred Mercy’s vehicle to have been a beat-up old Kombi (but that’s just my personal preference…).

the Definition of Us

Linda J

What are your friends like? Do they talk, act and think the same as you? Or do they have a few quirky differences in their personalities?

In ‘the Definition of Us’ it would seem that Florence, Jasper, Andrew and Wilf have little in common, except that they attend the Manor Lane Therapy Centre. Each of them has their own problems and idiosyncracies, so why would they even think to do a road trip to Wales together?

It is when their therapist, Howard, goes missing without warning that they decide to track him down. How could he leave them without notice or explanation? Especially Florence, since she is facing a critical anniversary at the time, and is in need of his support to get through the weekend.

They want answers. They want distractions. They want to get away!

Each of the quartet has their own reasons for needing therapy, and while they are an unlikely friendship group, their shared goal (to find Howard) brings them into some interesting situations. As individuals, they respond differently to the events which happen, but together they rise above the challenges they meet along the way – eventually.

At crisis times, they are even able to provide some sort of reasoned therapy for each other, in the absence of Howard!

Author, Sarah Harris, has developed a fun but thoughtful way of looking at several mental health conditions; even if events are somewhat questionable at times. YA readers should identify with many of the issues within the group and should appreciate the ideas expressed by each individual.

(Even if you don’t have such an issue yourself, there may be food for thought about how others around you feel – though they may hide their own realities.) 

Florence is particularly likeable, with her love for words emitting strong emotions, and her observations seemingly narrating the story. However other characters, like Andrew, also have a lot to say:

“It’s not funny. You think I’m just one big joke. You call me names and put me down but I’m not a robot. I do care. I spend a lot of time trying to understad people because I want them to like me… Why does no-one ever try to understand me?” (Andrew, p. 101, found after he ran away from the group on the freeway)

‘The Definition of Us’ pries into the hidden lives of Florence, Jasper, Andrew and Wilf to make us question what is really ‘normal’ – and make us think about how we treat others and ourselves.

* Do you always have to conform to the expectations of others?

** How can we know our true selves? and the true selves of others?

*** What is ‘normal’ anyway?

Available as ebook.

Dumplings, anyone?

Linda J

When I first began reading ‘the Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling’ it made me recall ‘Front Desk’ by Kelly Yang (reviewed here). Both stories deal with families of Asian heritage, and their struggles to assimilate in a Western culture and daughters battling with their parents’ expectations of their school achievements. However, as a novel for an older reader, SPOAGD has more layers and detail.

As the eldest sibling, Anna has a lot of responsibility – especially since there are times when her mother won’t get out of bed for weeks on end. Her father seems more focussed on the operation of the family restaurant, and even spends overnights there since it is some distance from home. Thus, Anna, Lily (her younger, smart sister) and Michael (her kindergarten brother) are left to cope as best they can.

Though they recognise that their mother’s behaviour is not ‘normal’, the children are unable, or unwilling to seek help – family pride – and their father appears too weak to act.

Family struggles arise. Michael’s teacher wishes to see his mother. Anna’s teachers push her to lift her game, as she nears the senior years of school. Previously-loyal employees leave the restaurant for better opportunities. Their father spends even more time away from home, seemingly ignoring his wife’s health issues and their impact on the family.

When she goes to help out at the restaurant in the school holidays, Anna meets Rory, who begins work as their delivery boy. Slowly, a vital friendship grows, and Anna is confronted by the struggles that others around her also face.

Dealing with mental illness, SPOAGD highlights how hard it is to take action and get help. In the layers of the story, bullying, suicide, stress and depression are carefully exposed. As a reader, you anticipate some of the key characters opening up to each other, as they identify with similar problems.

But, credit to author, Wai Chim, there is no easy path for Anna, Rory, or others like school acquaintance, Wei. However new friendships and old loyalties form a comforting base for Anna and Rory, as they work through their individual struggles.

The story subtly points out some of the tiny ways in which different cultures critique and antagonise one another – sometimes without even understanding their impact. At the same time, it shows that the nuances of each family’s cultural background is important.

As Wai Chim states, the power of own voice stories is important, and books like ‘the Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling’ provide some interesting insights into different cultures, without lecturing. It’s a coming of age story, with lots of ups and downs to keep you emotionally connected to the very end.

Recommended 13+

# Other books by Wai Chim include ‘Freedom Swimmer’, ‘Shaozhen’ (a CBCA Notable book for Younger Readers for 2018, set in China) and a number of picture books in the Chook Chook series.

# How important is it that authors represent or write about their own culture?

## As someone who now lives in Australia, born in the USA, does Wai have the credentials to write Chinese ‘own voice stories?

Wearing Paper Dresses (with feeling)

Linda J

Wearing Paper Dresses is a story you can feel. In its pages, even a city-slicker can begin to understand the stresses and strains of rural life – and to anticipate the troubles to come.

In this debut novel, Anne Brinsden introduces us to a family dealing not only with the struggles of drought but also the struggles of adapting to a ‘foreign’ lifestyle. For indeed that is what it is like for Elise, who marries Bill while he is working in the city (where she belongs). In the city, they start to build their family life.

When Bill’s father (known as Pa) calls him back to help on the family farm in the Mallee region of Victoria, Elise and their daughters must follow. Her urban background offers little to support her in her new environment (a working farm planted in tough conditions), and her own upbringing stands her apart from the community into which she must now try to blend.

“But Elise wasn’t from the Mallee, and she knew nothing of its ways.”

The Mallee, its weather and even their farmhouse are alive and important in this story. Each of these elements has emotions and thoughts, as they ‘watch’ events unfold. Through them, you are forewarned of looming difficulties. You really feel ominous tremors as you read.

Mallee scrubland

Subtle changes in Elise arise as she tries to adapt to rural life. Unfortunately, Bill is either too busy, or reluctant, or unable to see these changes. While Pa and others try to point these out, their daughters Ruby and Marjorie run wild. They also bear the brunt of Elise’s difficulties and take on many of her family responsibilities.

Thus the girls spend their time ‘on eggshells’ – anticipating the next time Elise will do something strange or moody or threatening. Her attempts to become part of the rural community fail, as she is viewed as too glamorous for the country. Her cooking skills are too fussy (especially for the shearers who want plain country tucker). Some local women find her pretentious and show-offy in her Paris-inspired home-sewn creations. Even her musical talents don’t seem to impress – at least that is what she begins to think.

Indeed, much of the difficulty comes as Elise begins to doubt herself, and as she fails to understand how to adapt to her country home. Lacking emotional support, Elise suffers several breakdowns – which youngest daughter Marjorie identifies as the ‘glimmer’ beginning.

Wearing Paper Dresses speaks to the heart of the many struggles faced by those on the land, even though it focusses on the mental health of an outsider unable to cope, rather than the fraught farmer. But does Bill’s inability to act for Elise simply show a different coping mechanism? and a danger to his family?

At this time of drought, as Australian farmers struggle to survive, this is a challenging story which reminds us of the harshness of our beautiful land. It honours the resilience of many rural communities while illustrating the fragility of some personalities who may live there. It recognises the impact of things out of our control. Ultimately, it reveals the strength of human spirit and the optimism which ties people to the land, which we should aspire to and wholeheartedly applaud.

Recommended for 15+ / adult audience.