Book Review: A Hibiscus Coast by Nick Mulgrew (Karavan Press) In these turbulent South African times of violence and disquiet, many conversations have turned to emigration. In that context I found A Hibiscus Coast to be an honest, compelling and soothing look at family, migration and dispossession. The author takes us to Durban North, 1997, where a suburban murder rocks…
Tag: Book Review
Book Review – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
I am sure many of you have already read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I know it was written in 2008 so I am very late to this party. Yet what a party it turns out to be. But perhaps, like me, you didn’t read it in 2008 (I suddenly remember why I didn’t. I had two…
Book Review – Death Other Happy Endings.
Way back in the olden days – Also known as Early March 2020 – when we still had Bookclub – I took out Death & Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor. It took me a while to knuckle down and read it because I didn’t feel like a death book, especially in the midst of a pandemic. I eventually decided,…
2019 – launches, festivals and fun
My last blog post was in JULY!!! What is wrong with me? Did I get writer’s block? Did I become a recluse? Did I surf too much? NOOOO, none of the above. (I don’t believe in writer’s block, I love ALL the friends and it’s impossible to surf too much.) Instead, I was carried away on the crazy wonderful roller…
Book Review – Surfing With Sartre
Surfing with Sartre by Aaron James Did you know that one of the first casualties of climate change might be surfing as we know it? Desert Point could be the first to go. Even at current sea levels it only works on a low tide. Many other breaks could follow as rising oceans swamp reefs. What greater cataclysm could befall…
Book Review – The Woolgrowers Companion by Joy Rhoades
Debut Australian author, Joy Rhoades tells the story of a young woman who finds the strength to prevail through difficult economic and emotional times. Don’t we all want to read a story like that, especially when it so beautifully written? (And the physical book is also gorgeous.) It’s 1945 in New South Wales, Australia. The farming district is crippled…
Book Review – Barbarian Days – A Surfing Life by William Finnegan
The prose in this book is sublime, pure poetry in places. William Finnegan (author of many other books and columnist at The New Yorker) is a skillful, lyrical writer and his words are a pleasure to read. He is able to take essentially indescribable experiences and bring them to life with beautiful words. He achieves this in such a way that you, as the reader,…
Melissa A Volker 