SHEPHERD :: Catherine Jinks

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

Catherine Jinks's Shepherd takes place over several days in 1840 New South Wales, and the gritty cat-and-mouse thriller evokes emotions that linger. Tom Clay was 12 years old when he was nabbed for poaching and shipped to Australia to serve his sentence working for Mr. Barrett. Tom is reliable despite his age, and Barrett sends him to a remote shepherds' hut to help guard the flock.

A boy among rough and violent men, Tom has been failed by most everyone in his life. Trained to silence by his father, Tom keeps his own counsel, sharing himself only with his beloved dogs and fiercely tending the sheep he has named. Menace lurks in the form of Dan Carver, a former shepherd and "black-hearted villain" whose motto is "No witnesses." When Carver returns for vengeance, Tom goes on the run with Rowdy Cavanagh, a handsome no-hoper with the gift of gab that Tom wants nothing to do with.

Tom comes from the best poachers in Suffolk County, and his and Rowdy's lives now depend on his wit and skill. To beat Carver, he'll also need to share his burdens and trust others. Multiple award-winner Jinks (Evil Genius) steps out of her middle-grade norm and crafts a breathtaking pursuit novel full of brutality and tenderness. Painting the reality of the frontier colony, where "the blacks" were feared but the true treachery lay elsewhere, Jinks highlights a world of unfair punishment, where one must endure it, but the weight is lighter with a friend to share it.

STREET SENSE: In the fashion of True Grit, a boy and his unwanted companion navigate harsh territory to outwit a vicious man trying to kill them.I loved this book. It was a great "in peril on the run" story with tons of grit and heart. Picked it because of the Aussie author, will definitely go back for more of Jinks's work.

COVER NERD SAYS:  This rustic look with a highlighted pitchfork (which I can never view as a tool of innocent farming work) was a no-brainer for me. Still not a fan of cover blurbs, but at least this one, while lengthy, is tucked away somewhat unobtrusively. The layout is pleasing and the various font sizing and placement is also great on the eyes. But if I'm honest it had me at pitchfork.

AXIOMATIC :: Maria Tumarkin

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

When Australian literary legend Helen Garner says, "No one can write like Maria Tumarkin," one sits up and pays attention. Cultural historian Tumarkin teaches creative writing at the University of Melbourne while writing novels and essays. Axiomatic testifies to Tumarkin's captivation by and insight into sociology; these five extended essays explore themes that stir intriguing communal reaction and response.

In "Time Heals All Wounds," several youth suicides rock a school community. Students grieve through English papers, "submitting their heartbeats as assignments." Tumarkin delves into the cultural reaction to suicide. The school's administration tries to comfort, but Tumarkin signals the particular difficulties with suicide by deftly contrasting the handling of multiple student deaths in a car accident.

Perceptions of historical trauma and the inadequacy of children's courts are depicted in "Those Who Forget the Past Are Condemned to Re--." A Polish couple abducts their grandson and hides him in a Melbourne "dungeon." Discounting the grandmother's argued protection of the boy as a misapplication of her own trauma (hiding from Nazis to survive the Holocaust), authorities prosecute her and send the boy "home" to unfit parents.

Tumarkin's writing is often hauntingly beautiful, but the exploration of the generational influences of trauma, addiction and suicide always feels journalistically balanced. The past marks us, but is only one element on the road to "junkie or philanthropist," businesswoman of the decade or abject failure. There are no Hollywood endings, just a fascinating reflection of life in the tarred trenches.

STREET SENSE: Tumarkin is a cultural historian with a knack for exploring how communities and bureaucracies handle various traumas and crimes, as well as the generational impact on those affected.

A FAVORITE PASSAGE:  Nothing is more human than the experience of feeling trapped. And everything's a trap, your past, family, genes, addictions, loneliness, that feeling that pretty much everyone else is galloping gaily ahead while you are crawling backwards like a lobster or lopsided baby.

COVER NERD SAYS:  Covers for a collection of essays feels like they would be more difficult than a straight story or non-fiction arc. That leaves me grading this cover with a less heavy hand. It's a fine cover, but I have no clue what these essays are about, or even that it's a collection of essays. But I knew this was an Australian author writing about Australian things, so I didn't really need to be sucked in by the cover. Had that need been there, I can't say this cover would have attracted me. (Though the Helen Garner quote would have, crimping my "blurbs are the worst" theory.)