4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Ironbark Hill, written by Jennie Linnane, is a coming of age story that includes first love, abuse, hatred, and death. After Natalie’s Aboriginal father has a terrible accident that leaves the family without him, her mother marries Alex. Alex is a sweet man who becomes an abusive alcoholic after another family tragedy. For the most part, Natalie and her full brother Joey are the ones who take his wrath, although their mother does take a few hits as well. Natalie feels it is her duty to protect both Joey and her mother from Alex and his temperaments. That is a lot of responsibility for a sixteen-year-old. That is not her only responsibility in this household; she is also required to work to help supplement the family income.
Natalie’s only comfort is through Bruce and Rosemary Glover, the couple she cleans for. Rosemary mentors Natalie to become a painter while Bruce stirs the first romantic feelings in her young life. These two characters offer a look into a life so drastic from her own that Natalie can’t help but dream of what her life could be like in the future, or even just if Alex were to die. Her thoughts take dark turns that personally remind me of the beginning of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, as she dreams of ways that Alex could die and how happy her family could be once again.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Ironbark Hill is a gripping story that holds onto its readers from the very beginning. It drew me in from page one. Natalie is the narrator of the story, but not as the story is going on. She tells it as if she were reminiscing through the year that she was sixteen. Occasionally, older Natalie inputs how she would react now that she is an adult or says she wishes sixteen-year-old her could see into the future. It is like sitting at the feet of someone who has lived a full life and listening to them recount it. It is that easy of a read with so few errors in punctuation that it does not detract from the story. My only wish is that we had more of a glimpse into Natalie’s life as an adult throughout the story and didn’t have to wait for an epilogue. When I feel like someone is telling a story about the past, I like to connect it with the life they have in the future. I wish I had more about the older Natalie throughout the plot line.
Ironbark Hill is a must read in my opinion. For those who have never been through the pain of abuse or alcoholism, it is a brief honest glimpse into how can affect both a home and the actions one may take to be rid of the pain it causes.
******
Ironbark Hill
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like ashleyfowler90's review? Post a comment saying so!
