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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
World War I has ended and Quinn Walker returns to the small Australian town he ran away from so many years ago. He ran from a nightmare. Accused of murder and rape, of his own sister. Returning home to a town that wishes him dead, he hides in the hills and befriends an orphan girl.
Womersley's prose paints the perfect picture of the world inside these pages. It is fairly concise, not one of those overly descriptive tomes but the words seem to be spot on, from the light falling in his mother's room to the smells of the Australian bush.
The relationship between a grown man and a pre-pubescent girl, whilst touch at time, does give the novel a sense of unease. That the idea of child abuse is placed in your mind in the first few pages and there are constant reminders of the accusations against Quinn, makes it hard not to doubt him. The character of Sadie is quirky, strong and yet vulnerable underneath, yet I found myself unable to connect to Quinn. For the horrors he has seen both at home and in war, I would expect more raw emotion but Bereft is an oddly quiet account.
Bereft was awarded ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and Indie Award for Best Fiction Novel in 2011 and has been shortlisted for numerous other Australian prizes.
Womersley's prose paints the perfect picture of the world inside these pages. It is fairly concise, not one of those overly descriptive tomes but the words seem to be spot on, from the light falling in his mother's room to the smells of the Australian bush.
The relationship between a grown man and a pre-pubescent girl, whilst touch at time, does give the novel a sense of unease. That the idea of child abuse is placed in your mind in the first few pages and there are constant reminders of the accusations against Quinn, makes it hard not to doubt him. The character of Sadie is quirky, strong and yet vulnerable underneath, yet I found myself unable to connect to Quinn. For the horrors he has seen both at home and in war, I would expect more raw emotion but Bereft is an oddly quiet account.
Bereft was awarded ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and Indie Award for Best Fiction Novel in 2011 and has been shortlisted for numerous other Australian prizes.
trm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kcfromaustcrime's review
5.0
The frustrating thing about discussing a book like BEREFT is the reason Womersley's the author, and I'm the reader. How do you put into words something as moving, involving, immersing as BEREFT and make it intelligible? No idea, so let's go with the next best option.
"A searing gothic novel of love, longing and justice" sounds, to be frank, not my sort of thing. It's probably the juxtaposition of "gothic" and "love" that somehow or other has my befuddled brain thinking "regency" / "romance". No idea to be honest, but, regardless of why, if THE LOW ROAD hadn't been such a revelation I probably would have gone on ignoring BEREFT in MtTBR. But there was always something that had my eye wandering back to this book, and despite the ridiculous delay in getting started, this turned out to be a one sitting book. Which meant a second reading was required, as once I got to the end, albeit a somewhat rushed ending, I wasn't at all ready to leave Quinn Walker, and had to go back and start over.
BEREFT is the sort of book that crept up on this reader. Set in 1909, a young man returns to his home district after fighting at Gallipoli and then in France in the First World War. He has a history - he fled his home when discovered hunched over the bloodied and abused body of his much loved younger sister. Everyone, including his own father and uncle, assume he killed her, they also vowed to take justice into their own hands should they find him. But post WWI, in the middle of the Spanish Flu epidemic, Walker comes home, desperate to see his mother (who is now dying from the Flu). He is lost, haunted by memories of the war, a sad lonely, bereft figure. His only friend turns out to be a 12-year-old orphan living rough in the bush, hiding from Walker's uncle. Somehow his ability to protect young Sadie Fox becomes his mission, a way of saving her, and himself.
There are touches of the paranormal in BEREFT, but woven, as they are, into the narrative of a man who is struggling anyway with the past and the present, reality and his memories, it is somehow seamless, unexceptional. Perhaps that is because there is so much more to the sense of hope and direction that Sadie gives to Walker that anything that's slightly outside the expected, normal, is somehow acceptable. Anything is okay as long as it gets them through.
But what BEREFT has in spades is intrigue, suspense, and a beautiful sense of love, courage and glimpses of optimism. Reading it was a wonderful experience, and reading it a second time, even knowing the ultimate outcome, just reinforced what a glorious thing it is.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/bereft-chris-womersley
"A searing gothic novel of love, longing and justice" sounds, to be frank, not my sort of thing. It's probably the juxtaposition of "gothic" and "love" that somehow or other has my befuddled brain thinking "regency" / "romance". No idea to be honest, but, regardless of why, if THE LOW ROAD hadn't been such a revelation I probably would have gone on ignoring BEREFT in MtTBR. But there was always something that had my eye wandering back to this book, and despite the ridiculous delay in getting started, this turned out to be a one sitting book. Which meant a second reading was required, as once I got to the end, albeit a somewhat rushed ending, I wasn't at all ready to leave Quinn Walker, and had to go back and start over.
BEREFT is the sort of book that crept up on this reader. Set in 1909, a young man returns to his home district after fighting at Gallipoli and then in France in the First World War. He has a history - he fled his home when discovered hunched over the bloodied and abused body of his much loved younger sister. Everyone, including his own father and uncle, assume he killed her, they also vowed to take justice into their own hands should they find him. But post WWI, in the middle of the Spanish Flu epidemic, Walker comes home, desperate to see his mother (who is now dying from the Flu). He is lost, haunted by memories of the war, a sad lonely, bereft figure. His only friend turns out to be a 12-year-old orphan living rough in the bush, hiding from Walker's uncle. Somehow his ability to protect young Sadie Fox becomes his mission, a way of saving her, and himself.
There are touches of the paranormal in BEREFT, but woven, as they are, into the narrative of a man who is struggling anyway with the past and the present, reality and his memories, it is somehow seamless, unexceptional. Perhaps that is because there is so much more to the sense of hope and direction that Sadie gives to Walker that anything that's slightly outside the expected, normal, is somehow acceptable. Anything is okay as long as it gets them through.
But what BEREFT has in spades is intrigue, suspense, and a beautiful sense of love, courage and glimpses of optimism. Reading it was a wonderful experience, and reading it a second time, even knowing the ultimate outcome, just reinforced what a glorious thing it is.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/bereft-chris-womersley
annebrooke's review
4.0
This is excellently written and a very gripping read. I loved the elements of magic realism, and the two main characters were very powerful indeed.
anne52's review
4.0
Enjoyed this story of a young man who returns from war to his hometown in NSW after fleeing years earlier, accused of a terrible crime. Interestingly, it was the time of the Spanish flu pandemic although that only plays a minor part of the story. This book reminded me of something we would have been given to read in our high school English Literature class! Another Goodreads reviewer summed it up perfectly: "Bereft is very well written, eloquent, captivating and suspenseful book that never allows the reader to fully understand what is going on, but leaves them satisfied that they have just read something incredible and wanting more."
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘On the day twelve-year-old Sarah Walker was murdered in 1909, a storm bullied its way across the western plains of New South Wales and unleashed itself on the flyspeck town of Flint.’
Who murdered Sarah Walker? Sarah’s 16 year old brother Quinn was found next to her body with a knife in his hand. He fled.
Ten years later – some three years after his mother had received a telegram stating that he is missing in France and presumed dead – Quinn is on his way home. Ex- sergeant Quinn Walker is one of the wounded Anzacs, his body damaged by gas, his face partially mangled by shrapnel. Quinn throws the medal he received overboard, but cannot so readily dismiss the Great War. He is haunted by memories of what he saw and experienced.
Once back in Australia, Quinn heads for Flint. He may be a long way from the battlefields of Europe, but the influenza pandemic is wreaking its own havoc on Australia. Quinn tries to remain hidden outside Flint, but his presence becomes known to at least two people. One of the two, Sadie Fox, is a twelve-year old orphan. Who is Sadie Fox, and how can she know as much as she does about the world around her, and about Sarah’s murder? Sadie herself is trying to hide: can Quinn protect her?
Quinn’s mother is dying of influenza. He visits her. She is unsure whether he is real, or whether her fever enables her to visualise him. She is also unsure whether he murdered Sarah, and there is some knowledge he cannot share with her. These visits are a critical part of the novel: two people suffering, each able to offer some comfort to the other.
‘Do you know, Quinn, there isn’t a word for a parent who has lost a child … There is a hole in the English language. It is unspeakable. Bereft.’
I found this novel haunting. While some elements did not work for me as well as others, the tragedy of Quinn held my attention and my sympathy. And as the story unfolded, and more information became available about Sarah’s death, I found myself thinking about the various ways in which one can become bereft. And Quinn? What chance does he have?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Who murdered Sarah Walker? Sarah’s 16 year old brother Quinn was found next to her body with a knife in his hand. He fled.
Ten years later – some three years after his mother had received a telegram stating that he is missing in France and presumed dead – Quinn is on his way home. Ex- sergeant Quinn Walker is one of the wounded Anzacs, his body damaged by gas, his face partially mangled by shrapnel. Quinn throws the medal he received overboard, but cannot so readily dismiss the Great War. He is haunted by memories of what he saw and experienced.
Once back in Australia, Quinn heads for Flint. He may be a long way from the battlefields of Europe, but the influenza pandemic is wreaking its own havoc on Australia. Quinn tries to remain hidden outside Flint, but his presence becomes known to at least two people. One of the two, Sadie Fox, is a twelve-year old orphan. Who is Sadie Fox, and how can she know as much as she does about the world around her, and about Sarah’s murder? Sadie herself is trying to hide: can Quinn protect her?
Quinn’s mother is dying of influenza. He visits her. She is unsure whether he is real, or whether her fever enables her to visualise him. She is also unsure whether he murdered Sarah, and there is some knowledge he cannot share with her. These visits are a critical part of the novel: two people suffering, each able to offer some comfort to the other.
‘Do you know, Quinn, there isn’t a word for a parent who has lost a child … There is a hole in the English language. It is unspeakable. Bereft.’
I found this novel haunting. While some elements did not work for me as well as others, the tragedy of Quinn held my attention and my sympathy. And as the story unfolded, and more information became available about Sarah’s death, I found myself thinking about the various ways in which one can become bereft. And Quinn? What chance does he have?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
busyreading's review
4.0
In 1909 twelve year old Sarah Walker is found brutally raped and murdered in a shed in a small town of Flint in New South Wales. Standing over her with the bloodied knife in his hand is her sixteen year old brother Quinn. Their father Nathaniel and uncle Robert are the first ones to discover what has just happened. Quinn immediately runs off and and no one hears from him until years later when his mother receives a telegram telling her that Quinn was killed in the war.
Ten years later Quinn returns to his hometown of Flint which is in the grip of a flu epidemic and his mother is amongst those dying from the epidemic. Carrying the physical and mental scars of the war Quinn, has returned to try and find answers and to clear his name from what happened to his sister. He hides out in the hills as he knows if someone was to recognise him his life could be in danger. Whilst hiding out he comes across a young girl named Sadie Fox. Sadie is also hiding out in the hills as she awaits the return of her brother who is returning from the war. In some ways Sadie appears to be a mystical character and Quinn sees her as the sister he was unable to protect all those years ago.
I quite enjoyed this book although I did feel the ending was a bit rushed as it seemed to be tied up neatly in the last few pages which I felt left the reader wanting just a bit more. A well written story of murder, mystery, love, loss, and survival and one in which I would recommend.
Ten years later Quinn returns to his hometown of Flint which is in the grip of a flu epidemic and his mother is amongst those dying from the epidemic. Carrying the physical and mental scars of the war Quinn, has returned to try and find answers and to clear his name from what happened to his sister. He hides out in the hills as he knows if someone was to recognise him his life could be in danger. Whilst hiding out he comes across a young girl named Sadie Fox. Sadie is also hiding out in the hills as she awaits the return of her brother who is returning from the war. In some ways Sadie appears to be a mystical character and Quinn sees her as the sister he was unable to protect all those years ago.
I quite enjoyed this book although I did feel the ending was a bit rushed as it seemed to be tied up neatly in the last few pages which I felt left the reader wanting just a bit more. A well written story of murder, mystery, love, loss, and survival and one in which I would recommend.
shannoneryan's review
4.0
Loved this book. Beautifully written. Stayed with me for weeks afterwards.