Tag Archives: Book Club Kit

This House of Grief

Posted on by

this-house-of-grief

This house of grief – Helen Garner

About the Book

Anyone can see the place where the children died. You take the Princes Highway past Geelong, and keep going west in the direction of Colac. Late in August 2006, soon after I had watched a magistrate commit Robert Farquharson to stand trial before a jury on three charges of murder, I headed out that way on a Sunday morning, across the great volcanic plain. On the evening of 4 September 2005, Father’s Day, Robert Farquharson, a separated husband, was driving his three sons home to their mother, Cindy, when his car left the road and plunged into a dam. The boys, aged ten, seven and two, drowned. Was this an act of revenge or a tragic accident? The court case became Helen Garner‘s obsession. She followed it on its protracted course until the final verdict. In this utterly compelling book, Helen Garner tells the story of a man and his broken life. She presents the theatre of the courtroom with its actors and audience, all gathered for the purpose of bearing witness to the truth, players in the extraordinary and unpredictable drama of the quest for justice. This House of Grief is a heartbreaking and unputdownable book by one of Australia’s most admired writers.

Comments Continue reading →

Big Little Lies

Posted on by

big little lies

Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty

Summary

Pirriwee Publics annual school Trivia Night has ended in a shocking riot. One parent is dead. The school principal is horrified. As police investigate what appears to have been a tragic accident, signs begin to indicate that this devastating death might have been cold-blooded murder. This book deftly explores the reality of parenting and playground politics, ex-husbands and ex-wives, and fractured families. This book also shows us the truth about what really goes on behind closed suburban doors.

Comments

A hugely enjoyable and easy read. The characters are well developed, believable and likeable. Although it was an easy read, it showcased some serious and confronting issues. It reminded us that although we all appear fine on the surface, a number of us are secretly fighting our own battles. The book also demonstrated the playground politics often found in schools and we all admitted to comparing the characters to some of the parents at our schools! The book at times felt like a screenplay and we questioned whether that was necessary. There is a great, unexpected twist at the end which had us all talking. Overall a fantastic book and a must read for kindergarten parents!

Rating – an impressive 9.5/10

Read By Cultcha Club