Long Bay by Eleanor Limprecht
From some scant archival details – and a haunting mug shot – Eleanor Limprecht has created a compelling and powerful work of historical fiction. In 1909, Sydney woman Rebecca Sinclair was convicted of manslaughter. A mother of three had sought an abortion from Sinclair, and died as a result. Sinclair, in her twenties, was sentenced…
Consider the Fork by Bee Wilson
Just like a good dinner party, Bee Wilson’s Consider the Fork: A history of how we cook and eat is entertaining, satisfying and lively.
How to be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis
There seems to be a wrinkle in the publishing zeitgeist, resulting in a spate of books about books. Which makes good marketing sense really. What do all readers have in common? An interest in books, of course. Joyce Carol Oates, in a review in the New York Times, coins the term ‘bibliomemoir’. Rarely attempted, and…
The Invisible History of the Human Race by Christine Kenneally
Lucid. Fascinating. Intriguing. Compelling. This is a book I read late into the night. Then at the breakfast table and then later in the parked car while waiting to collect the kids. I feverishly pressed copies onto friends. But what’s it all about? Essentially The Invisible History of the Human Race is a quest to…