A wide variation of stories by an equally diverse set of authors.
If I am honest, the winning story–the first in the book–was not my favourite.
The wonderful thing about reading an anthology is that if you don’t particularly like a story, it does not last long. The limit on word count for entries is not more than 5000 words. If you are the type of reader that feels obligated to finish every book you start, you won’t waste too much time reading what you don’t enjoy. Anthologies are an excellent way to explore new authors and different themes.
The range of author styles and themes explored here is quite varied, so each story is not an indication of the next. There is only one overarching theme: each entry is set in a landscape that is quintessentially Australian. Stories are set in rural towns, at the beach or in a beachside town, in the city, in the desert, and of course in the bush. Sports we follow such as surfing and rugby are included.
The best part in short story volumes is the ability to get a taste of what an author’s style is, and if you want more, there is a reference section at the end to see if they have any other books or publications. It is very pleasing to see the stories that came in second and third place (winners of the ‘Highly Commended’ Furphy Award) were written by South Australians.
Although both by South Australian authors, these stories are very different. Holden by Adelaide’s Michelle Prak is about a young teenage girl living with a disinterested and neglectful mother, whereas South Australian Andrew Roff’s No Good Deed is about a middle-aged woman performing random acts of kindness. Uniquely, though, she doesn’t remember them.
A well-structured anthology with a nice hard book cover featuring gemstones, this is a great one for the coffee table and perfect for those areas, such as in a clinic waiting room, where you just want a quick flick.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not necessarily of Glam Adelaide.
Distributed by: Hardie Grant Media
Released: December 2021
RRP: $35.00
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