Colder weather calls for leisure time in a cosy nook with a good book. These are some of the books we’ve read recently.
The Measure, Nikki Erlick
Would you want to know how many years you had left before you die?
All over the world, people aged 22 years or older, wake up to discover a wooden box sitting on their doorstep. Inside the box is their name and a piece of string. After much research and speculation, it soon becomes clear that the length of the string indicates how long the recipient has to live.
Everyone faces the same shocking choice – do they want to open the box and find out how long they have to live? And once they know, what will they do with that knowledge?
Initially fear unites everyone then it starts to tear many people apart.
People start discriminating against the ‘Short Stringers’ – most of them lose their jobs, health insurance and rights. Then mandates are imposed on everyone’s freedom of privacy and freedom of choice.
Parallels to anything we’ve all gone through recently?
Eight main characters whose decisions and fates link with each other – there are pen pals who find refuge in the unknown; a doctor who cannot save himself; a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.
In spite of the loss of some of the ‘short stringers’, it was interesting to read how each character and their loved ones dealt with this extraordinary event.
Definitely a memorable novel!
Detachment Theory, Richard Woolley
In this novel, Joy Manville is a New Zealand journalist married to Stephen, an older Englishman who teaches film studies at Auckland University. Joy writes a column about ‘Detachment Theory’ – a psychological theory that describes how individuals can detach from negative emotions and feelings in order to achieve a more positive and peaceful state of mind – partly based on her husband’s experiences at an English boarding school.
As a child, being sent off to boarding school ‘for your own good’ and learning how to survive and make sense of what must have felt like total parental abandonment is questioned. Why the insistence on sending them there? Because it’s expected amongst the elite crowd? Snobbery? Or the belief that it will help build character?
Often these children had to work out a way of detaching themselves emotionally from their family.
Once Joy’s article is published, she starts receiving malicious tweets that escalate into accusing Stephen of murder. Initially to defend him, Joy starts to investigate and starts questioning her husband’s past which he has always chosen to shrug off. He’s also estranged from his only remaining brother.
Her investigation starts in New Zealand and moves on to Stephen’s childhood home and the Brokebadderly Boarding School in England and as Joy investigates, things turn deadly.
Detachment Theory is a well-written drama with good characterisation and a compelling storyline. I do feel that it could have been edited down a bit as it was a bit drawn out, especially towards the end.
Overall though, it’s a great weekend read.
The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner, Grace Tame
When Grace Tame was 15 years old, she was groomed and sexually abused by her 58-year-old maths teacher who was jailed twice, once for the abuse, and again when he boasted about his actions on Facebook.
Through the Grace Tame Foundation, Grace has successfully campaigned for an end to the victim gag laws which silenced her and prevented her from telling her story, launching the #LetHerSpeak campaign and the March4Justice.
In The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner, Grace chronicles her journey from a victim of sexual abuse to a survivor and advocate for victims’ rights. She writes of her close knit family, her parent’s divorce, her fight with anorexia, her neurodiversity and her time spent living in the United States.
It’s a compelling memoir about a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Grace gives a raw and honest account of her experiences and describes in detail the long-term effects of the abuse on her life, including the shame and self-blame she felt and the struggles she faced in seeking justice.
This memoir is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the impact of sexual abuse on survivors and the importance of speaking out against this pervasive issue.
Importantly, she writes how she found her voice and began to speak out against sexual abuse. Grace was named Australian of the Year in 2021 for her advocacy work for survivors of sexual assault.
Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries by Kate Mosse
A fascinating and inspiring book that celebrates the achievements of women throughout history who have challenged gender stereotypes and fought for equality.
The book is well-researched and tells the stories of a diverse range of women from different cultures and time periods. It’s divided into chapters that focus on different aspects of women’s lives, including education, politics, science, and the arts, as well as the barriers that women faced in each of these areas and the innovative ways in which they overcame them.
The author’s writing is engaging and accessible, and she has a talent for bringing these historical figures to life and making their struggles and triumphs relatable to modern readers. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the history of women’s rights and the fight for equality, and for those seeking inspiration from the stories of courageous women who have challenged the status quo and fought for a better future.