Wednesday 28 November 2018

The Swooping Magpie by Liza Perrat

Reviewer: Barbara Scott Emmett – author of Delirium: The Rimbaud Delusion, The Man with the Horn and other books http://barbarascottemmett.blogspot.com

What We Thought: It's 1969 and 15 year-old Lindsay Townsend is ready to fall in love. She sets her sights on Jon Halliwell, a young teacher, and does everything she can to snare him. She succeeds in capturing his attention only to discover later that she is the one who has been snared. As the Swinging Sixties slide into the sexually liberated Seventies some things are still taboo.

This is a poignant story which points up the dark underbelly of the rock 'n roll years. Opportunities are opening up and conventions being ignored but for some, the new freedoms are an illusion.

Beautifully written, as is all of Liza Perrat's work, this novel is at times graphic in its exploration of the unpleasant, and lush in its descriptions of natural beauty. The sun, sand and heat of Australia are almost tangible but grime and sordidness are not far away. A gripping and emotional rollercoaster of a novel.

You’ll Enjoy This If You Love: The Silent Kookaburra by Liza Perrat.

Avoid If You Dislike: Depictions of childbirth.

Perfect Accompaniment: A long cool drink - but avoid the gin.

Genre: Domestic Drama/General Fiction

Available on Amazon

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