Book Review—The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna

Winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2015

Jimmy Flick is a child with behavioural issues with a manic energy and fascination. His mother, Paula, is deeply protective of him with a strong and special bond. Gavin, his father, is an abusive alcoholic, like his father before him. His brother, Robby, is frustrated with the life he was born into and wants to leave, but feels a sense of duty to Paula and Jimmy. As Jimmy grows we see the struggles of different members of the family to remain personally whole while trying desperately to maintain their bonds, with the very members of these bonds receiving the brunt of these conflicts.

Laguna’s writing is striking in the voice of Jimmy, giving slanted, strange, surreal descriptions to the commonplace and the domestic. For him the acts of everyday life are cause for wonder, from the pipes that fuel the machinery inside us all, to the engine of crying and the taps that control tears, to the transfer of energy from a slap to a look and the clouds of laughter that float above our heads in moments of joy. But this does not detract from the brutal passages when Gavin strikes Paula, or the poignant scene when Robby makes his difficult decision. Despite their unusual expression these thoughts and emotions are still human, the reality of the actions and consequences immediately apparent.

The Eye of the Sheep is a mesmerising, warming yet gritty look at the struggle of domestic life in a working class family.

Andreas

Book Review—Improbable Libraries by Alex Johnson

Can you put a library there? A question asked by many people looking at many spaces in many parts of the world. From train station convenience stores, to the back of elephants and camels, to red English phone booths, the book reveals some of the imaginative approaches to libraries around the globe.

It would have been great if the book could have taken a broader look at the changing nature of libraries, taking into account digital developments and creative activates that are becoming so much a part of their life force. But the local colour it does focus on is enthusing and vibrant, from the necessity of the boat library in Laos, the humanity of the deaf library in Burundi, the playfulness of the Little Free Library in New York.  But these are not simply novelty fodder for coffee tables books.  These unlikely libraries serve real people in real communities, from commuters in Madrid to remote villagers in Mongolia. Encouraging and inspiring not just for librarians but for members of communities everywhere. 

Andreas

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen

Every now and then you find a new author with an extraordinary voice and heart, who possesses the gift of putting complex ideas into simple language. Judith is 10 years old and grappling with how the world works. She lives a faith based life with her emotionally distant father and although intelligent is socially unaware and excluded. Isolated and lonely, she makes a miniature pretend world in her room and weaves stories about it. Through the power of her imagination and her faith, she causes events in her imaginary world which begin to affect the real world. But with power comes responsibility and who can she turn to for help?
Wendy