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Sally Piper

Författare till Grace's Table

3 verk 52 medlemmar 7 recensioner

Verk av Sally Piper

Grace's Table (2014) 26 exemplar
The Geography of Friendship (2018) 22 exemplar
Bone Memories (2022) 4 exemplar

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Allmänna fakta

Kön
female

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TRIGGER WARNING: Coercive control; child death; medical trauma; blood; abortion

First of all, let me just say, I really dig the cover on this book. It's simple, but elegant; pictures of dinner paraphernalia set against a blue backdrop evoking images of family dinners at Nannas. I love that the blurb is set within the image of the cookie jar, working with the design instead of dominating it. My complements to Allison Colpoys, who is responsible for the design.

The cover sets the tone for the book. Grace's Table is a literary gem that skilfully weaves a narrative around the complexities of grief, anger, blame, redemption, and family. Piper’s voice is almost poetic, providing vivid descriptions that contrast the beauty of Grace's memories with the starkness and immediacy of her present reality. Transitions between past and present are fluid, creating an engaging and immersive journey into Grace's life.

This is very much a character-driven novel, with Susan’s hero worship of her father and strained relationship with Grace paralleling Grace’s fond memories of her own father and the troubled relationship she had with her mother. The exploration of family dynamics is powerful. Piper draws us into Grace’s life with such ease, she feels like a friend by the end of the book.

The thematic exploration of food adds another layer to the narrative, highlighting how much of our lives and memories are intertwined with it. Piper uses food to evoke strong emotions, both positive and negative, forming a poignant connection to the past, and displaying the wide array of personalities among Grace’s friends and families.

I won’t discuss the ending in detail because, spoilers. I will say that it is powerful and highly emotional, though it did feel slightly rushed after such a long build-up. The slow start might deter some readers, but I encourage you to persevere; you will surely be rewarded with a rich and immersive story that leaves a lasting impression, turning the ordinary act of sharing a meal into a profound exploration of the complexities of life, love, loss, and family.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
DelDevours | Dec 23, 2023 |
Slowly moving story about a mother who is obsessed by the death of her daughter and can't understand why everyone else in the world doesn't feel the same. The plot elements felt somewhat contrived to me and I didn't feel much sympathy for or understanding of the grieving angry mother. The son's epilogue location wasn't well integrated and seemed more it belonged in the acknowledgements or as a justification for the author's overseas trip. Those issues aside, the relationships within the family seemed to be well explored.… (mer)
 
Flaggad
oldblack | 1 annan recension | Dec 9, 2023 |
I think that The Geography of Friendship suits readers that are interested in reading a book that deals with female relationships, past experiences, reflections over what went wrong in life. If you like me are more interested in thrillers, nerve-racking and heart racing ones that leave you almost breathless, well then this is not the book to pick.

Lisa, Samantha, and Nicole experiences something that would define their lives for the next two decades. Through flashbacks do we get to know what happened and why they stopped being friends. The book is wordy, lots of reminiscing about the past, growing up not to mention their lives after they split. There is a brief event towards the end when we learn what happened and that's the only real action-filled moment. What makes it worth the while for me is that the writing is good. I was just engrossed in the story and I'm not sure if I would have finished the book if it had been longer.

So, if you are interested in reflecting books, about friendship, growing up and looking back. Then, why not go for this book. 

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
MaraBlaise | 3 andra recensioner | Jul 23, 2022 |
It seems almost axiomatic now that people should be allowed to grieve in their own way and at their own pace so Sally Piper's latest novel is a timely reminder that it's not as simple as that...

We've all seen those roadside memorials and wondered about the story behind them. From time to time we see media about councils wanting to tidy them up, and the distraught relatives who want them left there. We see conflict-laden stories about the memorialisation of places where significant tragedies have occurred, such as the Twin Towers site, and closer to home the Sari Club. It's not just the commercial value of these sites, it's also that a new generation comes along who may be respectful but they want to move on.

Some memorials are bled into our consciousness without any visible signs. I can never drive over the Westgate Bridge without thinking of the last moments of Darcey Freeman.

In Piper's story, however, it's proximity to the site where Billie's daughter Jess was murdered. Every day she visits the bushland and lovingly cleans the small plaque that records her loss. She has a deep attachment to the bush, and believes that her daughter's presence is there. Sixteen years after the murder, it defines Billie and her life. And when she loses her job at a garden centre she has more time to brood and obsess over her sacred place.

Her grandson, Daniel, however, who witnessed the murder as a toddler but remembers nothing of it, is ready to move on. He is a gentle, kind and thoughtful boy, but like his younger stepsister Scout, he doesn't want to be defined as a victim.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/05/31/bone-memories-by-sally-piper/
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
anzlitlovers | 1 annan recension | Jun 2, 2022 |

Listor

Priser

Statistik

Verk
3
Medlemmar
52
Popularitet
#307,430
Betyg
½ 3.3
Recensioner
7
ISBN
17

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