Recommended by Dunsborough Book Chat Club
A very sad and lonely tale set in a southwest town in WA. This story highlights the lives of selected low socioeconomic families and sadly illustrates the repeated patterns of behaviours surrounding suicide, poverty, domestic violence, alcohol, drug abuse, and gender identity.
The year is 2022 and Hannah, a young girl, decides to return home to help her mum following surgery. When she returns, she is haunted by the ghosts of her past, namely her dad who committed suicide when she was about 10, and the disappearance of her best friend Alice when she was 16. Her sudden return is scrutinised as she has not been particularly caring for her mother since she left.
After following up on all the people who were in Alice’s life, Hannah discovers that what she thought happened to Alice was partially imagined and many events were blocked out by her saddened thoughts and feelings regarding her father’s suicide.
Although heart wrenching in many ways, this book is well researched and well written. It illustrates the cycle of poverty and the relationship to mental health disorders associated with drug and alcohol abuse that can be repeated amongst family members. I read it very quickly as I was very keen to reveal the mystery surrounding how Alice disappeared.
4/5 Stars