Review by dyane_foltz -- Ironbark Hill by Jennie Linnane
-
dyane_foltz
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 17 Jul 2020, 07:33
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 4
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dyane-foltz.html
- Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Review by dyane_foltz -- Ironbark Hill by Jennie Linnane
[Following is a volunteer review of "Ironbark Hill" by Jennie Linnane.]
I would describe Ironbark Hill by Jennie Linnane as a coming of age story with some additional twists. In this novel, readers follow Natalie Chapman for one year, beginning with her 16th birthday. Living in impoverished circumstances in Australia in 1952 due to an alcoholic and abusive step-father, Natalie lives in a simple home with her mother Irma, step-father Alex, brother Joey, two half-sisters, and her grandfather. Natalie has an especially close bond with her mother as well as with her grandfather, who owns the land on which they live. In contrast, Natalie has a combative relationship with her step-father. This forces Natalie to make certain decisions throughout the novel. The family history is full of tragedy, ranging from the death of Natalie’s biological father to the death of Irma and Alex’s toddler son Davey.
Natalie works as a housekeeper for prominent couple, Bruce and Rosemary Glover. Rosemary, an artist who takes a liking to Natalie, begins to mentor Natalie, eventually helping Natalie to gain the confidence and skill to enter a piece of her own artwork into a selective competition. Natalie strongly admires Rosemary for her independent personality. While her mother appears to let herself be pushed around by her step-father, Rosemary in Natalie’s eyes is a stronger woman because she is outspoken and acts independently of her husband. At the same time, Natalie is also receiving attention from Bruce Glover, which Natalie initially naively believes is love. The already tumultuous relationship between Natalie and her step-father is worsened through his discovery of events that take place in the novel.
The entire novel is told through Natalie’s point of view, as she looks back on her 16th year. With Australia as the backdrop, the weather and terrain add to the fiery nature of the relationships that occur in this novel. While this book is written with richly detailed text, there is something a bit too simplistic about it. For this reason I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. However, simplistic may have been purposeful because it was particularly skillful when the author was describing delicate subject matter. The book also felt a bit rushed near the end; I would have liked to have even more details of how the story played out for the characters other than just Natalie. Having the novel be told from other characters’ points of view would have also allowed the reader to have more interesting insights.
Overall, there is very little profanity in this novel and there are sexual encounters that are handled with care. The author should be praised for being able to create the scenes of anger, violence, and rape without the use of profane language. In my opinion, this book is fast paced and Natalie’s relationships with so many various types of characters makes this book perfect for those who enjoy young adult fiction. Adults may see the symbolism more easily than young adults but young adults would certainly be able to pick out the symbolism as well.
One of the elements I enjoyed the most about this book were the scenes the author was able to create. Her description of the love between two secondary characters in the novel, Barney the gardener, and widow O’Rourke was so beautifully described it took me a moment to take it all in. Likewise, some of the memories that the author created for Natalie using the description of smells, took me back to my own childhood. I also very much enjoyed the ending of the book as it allows the reader to feel that Natalie was able to enjoy some level of redemption.
******
Ironbark Hill
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I would describe Ironbark Hill by Jennie Linnane as a coming of age story with some additional twists. In this novel, readers follow Natalie Chapman for one year, beginning with her 16th birthday. Living in impoverished circumstances in Australia in 1952 due to an alcoholic and abusive step-father, Natalie lives in a simple home with her mother Irma, step-father Alex, brother Joey, two half-sisters, and her grandfather. Natalie has an especially close bond with her mother as well as with her grandfather, who owns the land on which they live. In contrast, Natalie has a combative relationship with her step-father. This forces Natalie to make certain decisions throughout the novel. The family history is full of tragedy, ranging from the death of Natalie’s biological father to the death of Irma and Alex’s toddler son Davey.
Natalie works as a housekeeper for prominent couple, Bruce and Rosemary Glover. Rosemary, an artist who takes a liking to Natalie, begins to mentor Natalie, eventually helping Natalie to gain the confidence and skill to enter a piece of her own artwork into a selective competition. Natalie strongly admires Rosemary for her independent personality. While her mother appears to let herself be pushed around by her step-father, Rosemary in Natalie’s eyes is a stronger woman because she is outspoken and acts independently of her husband. At the same time, Natalie is also receiving attention from Bruce Glover, which Natalie initially naively believes is love. The already tumultuous relationship between Natalie and her step-father is worsened through his discovery of events that take place in the novel.
The entire novel is told through Natalie’s point of view, as she looks back on her 16th year. With Australia as the backdrop, the weather and terrain add to the fiery nature of the relationships that occur in this novel. While this book is written with richly detailed text, there is something a bit too simplistic about it. For this reason I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. However, simplistic may have been purposeful because it was particularly skillful when the author was describing delicate subject matter. The book also felt a bit rushed near the end; I would have liked to have even more details of how the story played out for the characters other than just Natalie. Having the novel be told from other characters’ points of view would have also allowed the reader to have more interesting insights.
Overall, there is very little profanity in this novel and there are sexual encounters that are handled with care. The author should be praised for being able to create the scenes of anger, violence, and rape without the use of profane language. In my opinion, this book is fast paced and Natalie’s relationships with so many various types of characters makes this book perfect for those who enjoy young adult fiction. Adults may see the symbolism more easily than young adults but young adults would certainly be able to pick out the symbolism as well.
One of the elements I enjoyed the most about this book were the scenes the author was able to create. Her description of the love between two secondary characters in the novel, Barney the gardener, and widow O’Rourke was so beautifully described it took me a moment to take it all in. Likewise, some of the memories that the author created for Natalie using the description of smells, took me back to my own childhood. I also very much enjoyed the ending of the book as it allows the reader to feel that Natalie was able to enjoy some level of redemption.
******
Ironbark Hill
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
