Review of Ironbark Hill
Moderator: Official Reviewer Representatives
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
-
VictoriaR
- Posts: 28
- Joined: 12 Oct 2015, 00:00
- Currently Reading: Thrones, Dominations
- Bookshelf Size: 5
Review of Ironbark Hill
[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Ironbark Hill.]
I read Ironbark Hill, by Jennie Linnane, because I am interested in life in Australia, about which I know very little. This is a story of the heroine’s sixteenth year. For Natalie Chapman, it is a year of major changes and challenges. She lives with her mother; brother Joey who is 15, developmentally delayed, and drawn to starting fires; her little sisters Robyn, 5, and Shirley, 12; her abusive stepfather Alex; and her kind Grandpa. Natalie’s birthfather, Johnny Chapman, was half-aboriginal, and was killed in a horse-riding accident.
The story begins on Natalie’s 16th birthday, and with some flashbacks, ends just before her 17th. It tells of her brutal treatment at the hands of her stepfather, who beats her with a belt, her efforts to support her mother, who is guilt-ridden over the death of her toddler son, and her efforts to care for the cow that she helped birth. She also deals with discrimination due to her part-aboriginal heritage. It also tells of her employment at Riverview for Rosemary and Bruce Glover, an upper-class couple who try to help her improve herself, and of her growing infatuation for Bruce Glover which leads to an affair. Her goal in life, aside from supporting her family, is to become a landscape artist, and Mrs. Glover encourages her painting.
The writing style is awkward in places, and there are a few misspellings and occasional punctuation errors. The author uses a great deal of flowery language when simpler words would suffice, which I found took me out of the tale. But the descriptions of Australian rural life and landscapes are enjoyable, as well as the occasional references to roos, kookaburras and other native animals and plants. The characters are well rounded and interesting, each of them having flaws and good traits as well, even the brutish stepfather. I found the mother, Irma, a sad example of an abused wife, who has put up with watching her husband beat her children on more than one occasion. She does attempt to stand up to him at one point and nearly succeeds in forcing him to leave, but he apologizes and manages to stay in the home. It’s a classic portrayal of domestic abuse.
The parts I enjoyed most were the conversations between Natalie and her Grandpa as she learned of her past. The conversations were well written and realistic. The part I enjoyed least was the “love affair” between Natalie and Bruce. As she is 16 and he in his mid-thirties, it should more accurately be described as predatory behavior leading to statutory rape, no matter how thrilled she was at his attentions. It also seemed inappropriate since Bruce’s wife was the one instrumental in helping Natalie start her career in art.
While the story was interesting and held my attention, I found it sad in the end. We grow to identify with Natalie, but she is bent on revenge and consumed by her infatuation with Bruce Glover. She eventually rejects her faith in God for no real reason, which I found sad. She learns to be assertive and to follow her dreams, but those dreams diminish in the end to very little. I give this book 3 and a half stars, which I will round up to 4 out of 5 because of the interesting Australian land.
I read Ironbark Hill, by Jennie Linnane, because I am interested in life in Australia, about which I know very little. This is a story of the heroine’s sixteenth year. For Natalie Chapman, it is a year of major changes and challenges. She lives with her mother; brother Joey who is 15, developmentally delayed, and drawn to starting fires; her little sisters Robyn, 5, and Shirley, 12; her abusive stepfather Alex; and her kind Grandpa. Natalie’s birthfather, Johnny Chapman, was half-aboriginal, and was killed in a horse-riding accident.
The story begins on Natalie’s 16th birthday, and with some flashbacks, ends just before her 17th. It tells of her brutal treatment at the hands of her stepfather, who beats her with a belt, her efforts to support her mother, who is guilt-ridden over the death of her toddler son, and her efforts to care for the cow that she helped birth. She also deals with discrimination due to her part-aboriginal heritage. It also tells of her employment at Riverview for Rosemary and Bruce Glover, an upper-class couple who try to help her improve herself, and of her growing infatuation for Bruce Glover which leads to an affair. Her goal in life, aside from supporting her family, is to become a landscape artist, and Mrs. Glover encourages her painting.
The writing style is awkward in places, and there are a few misspellings and occasional punctuation errors. The author uses a great deal of flowery language when simpler words would suffice, which I found took me out of the tale. But the descriptions of Australian rural life and landscapes are enjoyable, as well as the occasional references to roos, kookaburras and other native animals and plants. The characters are well rounded and interesting, each of them having flaws and good traits as well, even the brutish stepfather. I found the mother, Irma, a sad example of an abused wife, who has put up with watching her husband beat her children on more than one occasion. She does attempt to stand up to him at one point and nearly succeeds in forcing him to leave, but he apologizes and manages to stay in the home. It’s a classic portrayal of domestic abuse.
The parts I enjoyed most were the conversations between Natalie and her Grandpa as she learned of her past. The conversations were well written and realistic. The part I enjoyed least was the “love affair” between Natalie and Bruce. As she is 16 and he in his mid-thirties, it should more accurately be described as predatory behavior leading to statutory rape, no matter how thrilled she was at his attentions. It also seemed inappropriate since Bruce’s wife was the one instrumental in helping Natalie start her career in art.
While the story was interesting and held my attention, I found it sad in the end. We grow to identify with Natalie, but she is bent on revenge and consumed by her infatuation with Bruce Glover. She eventually rejects her faith in God for no real reason, which I found sad. She learns to be assertive and to follow her dreams, but those dreams diminish in the end to very little. I give this book 3 and a half stars, which I will round up to 4 out of 5 because of the interesting Australian land.
