3 out of 4 stars
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Set in 1950s Australia, Ironbark Hill is a coming-of-age story about the year Natalie Chapman is 16. Her aboriginal father died years ago, and she lives with her white mother, grandfather, intellectually disabled brother, two half sisters and an abusive, alcoholic stepfather. She has a housekeeping job and develops a clandestine relationship with her male employer, while her female employer fosters her passion for art.
As the description suggests, Ironbark Hill describes the various events in a significant year of Natalie's life rather than following one large story arc. This gives the book an episodic feel reminiscent of classic children's books such as Little Women and Anne of Green Gables, albeit with some more adult storylines. Despite the lack of build-up that a big story arc would provide, there is still plenty of drama and humor to keep readers interested in Natalie’s life, as well as a satisfyingly dramatic ending.
At times, I did feel that the book was overwritten. While some of the descriptions are beautiful and evocative, there is a tendency to give everything an adjective which gets a little overwhelming. There is also quite a lot of dialogue that gets very specific about how the character is talking (such as "Ga-a-wd") which I personally find distracting as it forces me to work out exactly how the author intends it to sound instead of just letting my imagination do the work.
The book is told from the perspective of a middle-aged Natalie looking back. For the most part, this works really well for this coming-of-age story as the narrator is able to add the perspective of time and reflect on the significance of these events on her life. However, there are also times where it is jarring to read about a sixteen-year-old girl from a first person perspective when there are phrases like “flanked by tutorial optimism and maternal prayer.” It would be nice if middle-aged Natalie spoke in a less formal voice in order to better capture the essence of her younger self.
Overall, I rate Ironbark Hill 3 out of 4 stars because while it is not perfect and not the most gripping read, it has a particular charm to it that is rare in contemporary writing. The protagonist is a unique character in a unique situation that makes for an interesting story, while still going through the challenges of growing up that we can all relate to.
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Ironbark Hill
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