Scan barcode
rosannajhunt's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A beautiful portrait of place, community and a moment in time. Loved the blend of Finnish culture with the West Australian setting.
esshgee's review
3.0
3 1/2 stars. The highlight was definitely the location descriptions, especially Little Rat Island. I also liked the relationship depicted between Hilda and Latvian Igor. But I must admit, I didn't find it an easy breezy read
henrymarlene's review
4.0
Emily Brugman delivers a lovely generational tale - almost a collection of short vignettes - centred mostly around Onni, Alva and Hilda in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia near Geraldton in the 1960s. She intertwines the Finnish ancestry of these main characters into the stories of their Australian lives, living in their tin huts under the hot burning sun.
Its saga-like feel was reminiscent of Jane Smiley's 'The Greenlanders'; a folkloric reality of true to life moments, places and time. The stories and tales are of ordinary life, life and loss, birth and death, regrets, fights and friendships. They want for nothing, and find happiness in the smallest pleasures. All of this backlit by the Finnish culture of these characters who migrated to Australia to keep a small crayfishing industry alive. We are introduced to their food, their poems and songs and their disconnection from the Australian community in Geraldton. They were so weary of anyone who was different. the 1960s, so many struggles in their migrant lives and moments where they felt that they did not belong, and felt as if they would never fit in.
Brugman has a lot of compassion for this community and is very careful to demonstrate their strengths as much as the moments where they feel lost and alone. Such sweetness and light in this book.
What was the last book that made you reflect on the things that matter most?
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for the gifted copy.
Its saga-like feel was reminiscent of Jane Smiley's 'The Greenlanders'; a folkloric reality of true to life moments, places and time. The stories and tales are of ordinary life, life and loss, birth and death, regrets, fights and friendships. They want for nothing, and find happiness in the smallest pleasures. All of this backlit by the Finnish culture of these characters who migrated to Australia to keep a small crayfishing industry alive. We are introduced to their food, their poems and songs and their disconnection from the Australian community in Geraldton. They were so weary of anyone who was different. the 1960s, so many struggles in their migrant lives and moments where they felt that they did not belong, and felt as if they would never fit in.
Brugman has a lot of compassion for this community and is very careful to demonstrate their strengths as much as the moments where they feel lost and alone. Such sweetness and light in this book.
What was the last book that made you reflect on the things that matter most?
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for the gifted copy.
nina_reads_books's review
3.0
If you are a lover of a sweeping family saga told over several generations, then I think you should consider picking up a copy of newly released historical fiction The Islands. This is the debut novel by Australian writer Emily Brugman and is inspired by her Finnish family.
Starting in the 1950’s the story begins on a tiny island known as Little Rat which is part of the Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Western Australia. A group of Finnish immigrants has set up in rustic isolated camps to hunt for crayfish. This is where we meet Onni Saari and his wife Alvi and where their story of finding their place in Australia begins.
The story drifts between the current day and their life on Little Rat amongst the Finnish community and flashback to their past lives in Finland. It then moves forward over time with their daughter Hilda being born and then growing and the family eventually moving away to the South Coast of NSW. Hilda gives birth to a daughter and then Omni and Alvi grow older. It was such a joy watching this small family as their lives ebb and flow from the 1950s through to roughly the 1990s.
I found the writing to be beautiful, warm and captivating. The descriptions of the landscape were particularly wonderful especially on the islands where the natural elements were just so vivid. The other really engaging aspect of the novel was the layers of Finnish culture that the author brought to so much of the novel. From the stories of Onni and Alvi’s lives back in Finland, to the traditions they bring to Australia like Midsummer and to the use of Finnish language in much of the dialogue - what rich characterisation!
My only wish was that I got more. The chapters jumped forward a number of years at a time and focussed on one character before moving forward again and shifting to another. This meant that it felt like something was missing and I wished I got more from the characters at each time period.
Overall this is an original and wonderfully drawn story of family and the search for a place to call home. Congratulations on your debut novel @embrugman!
Thanks so much to @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
Starting in the 1950’s the story begins on a tiny island known as Little Rat which is part of the Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Western Australia. A group of Finnish immigrants has set up in rustic isolated camps to hunt for crayfish. This is where we meet Onni Saari and his wife Alvi and where their story of finding their place in Australia begins.
The story drifts between the current day and their life on Little Rat amongst the Finnish community and flashback to their past lives in Finland. It then moves forward over time with their daughter Hilda being born and then growing and the family eventually moving away to the South Coast of NSW. Hilda gives birth to a daughter and then Omni and Alvi grow older. It was such a joy watching this small family as their lives ebb and flow from the 1950s through to roughly the 1990s.
I found the writing to be beautiful, warm and captivating. The descriptions of the landscape were particularly wonderful especially on the islands where the natural elements were just so vivid. The other really engaging aspect of the novel was the layers of Finnish culture that the author brought to so much of the novel. From the stories of Onni and Alvi’s lives back in Finland, to the traditions they bring to Australia like Midsummer and to the use of Finnish language in much of the dialogue - what rich characterisation!
My only wish was that I got more. The chapters jumped forward a number of years at a time and focussed on one character before moving forward again and shifting to another. This meant that it felt like something was missing and I wished I got more from the characters at each time period.
Overall this is an original and wonderfully drawn story of family and the search for a place to call home. Congratulations on your debut novel @embrugman!
Thanks so much to @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
mikefloydau's review
3.0
Relaxing and non-strenuous read with a nice rhythm to it. Learned a bit about crayfishing and the immigrant experience in WA
cooloolat's review
5.0
Beautifully written, unique and captivating, totally enjoyable. I look forward to reading the future literature of Emily Brugman. Thanks A&U for the copy.
bundy23's review
DNF. 14%. I've tried to push through twice with this one but it's not clicking with me. It's just too generic. Cliche characters, cliche dialogue, cliche plot.