Ilsa Evans
Autor(a) de Nefarious Doings: A Nell Forrest Mystery 1
About the Author
Ilsa Evans is the author of Forbidden Fruit: A Nell Forrest Mystery which was shortlisted for a Davitt Award 2015 in the Adult Novel category. (Bowker Author Biography)
Séries
Obras por Ilsa Evans
Etiquetado
Conhecimento Comum
- Data de nascimento
- 1960
- Sexo
- female
- Nacionalidade
- Australia
- Locais de residência
- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Educação
- Monash University (BA Hons / Dip. Ed. / PhD)
- Ocupações
- author
Membros
Críticas
Prémios
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Associated Authors
Estatísticas
- Obras
- 15
- Membros
- 214
- Popularidade
- #104,033
- Avaliação
- 3.6
- Críticas
- 24
- ISBN
- 39
Upon their mother’s sudden death, the task of disseminating and disposing of Enid’s belongings is left to her daughters, Kathryn, Georgette and Annie, whom she privately thought of as The Sorter, The Settler and The Sook. Gathering at their childhood home Kat, the eldest of the three, is prepared with an agenda and colour coded stickers, plus a sensible plan for the immediate care of their brother Harry, who is unable to live independently. The youngest, Annie, immediately resents her sister taking charge and seems overly concerned about getting her share, while George just wants to get through the week without breaking down completely.
There’s plenty of emotion in Family Baggage, fuelled largely by raw grief. Fond reminiscences give way to reignited resentments, Annie in particular seems determined to find fault with her sisters, annoying Kat, and bewildering George. Evans deftly captures the complicated relationship between the women, who may be in their fifties, but tend to interact with each other as if they are still children, a regression anyone with a sibling will likely relate to.
George’s discovery of her mother’s journal introduces an element of mystery to the novel. The entries eventually expose facets of Enid’s life that shocks her daughters, who react in different ways, triggering more conflict. Learning her mother’s secrets leads George in particular to reflect on her own life, and the choices she has made as a woman, a wife, and a mother. This prompted me to ponder the narrow view I have of my own mother, and that my children, now young adults, probably have of me.
Well timed humour is used to good effect, cutting through the tension that often permeates the novel. I also delighted in the oblique references to Evans’ Majic series (which was a favourite of mine).
A moving and thought-provoking novel, Family Baggage is an engaging read.… (mais)