Karen Comer

Paris books – part 2

May 27, 2016 by Karen Comer Leave a Comment

Because you can never have too much Paris – here’s a few more books with brief descriptions about the city of lights. Like my earlier post about Paris books, this one is written for my friend, M, who is travelling to Paris soon with her family.

The flaneur by Edmund White – this is a non-fiction book about wandering around Paris without any particular purpose but being curious and interested in your surroundings. Lots of history.

Chic shopping Paris by Rebecca Perry Magniant – a pocket-size treasure with gorgeous photos and excellent information about all sorts of shops. This includes the name of the shop, the address, the arrondissement, closest metro stop, website and opening hours. There’s a handy list at the back, where the shops are divided into type – jewellery, bags, perfume, toys, shoes etc.

Angels of Paris, an architectural tour through the history of Paris by Rosemary Flannery – it is truly amazing how many angels there are in Paris – the stone ones, I mean, not the ones walking around disguised as the kindly waiter or tour guide! This book describes the many angels situated on the outsides of churches, museums, clocks and fountains. Beautiful photos.

If I had a mas in Provence by Lizzie Mapoli – this charming, illustrated book focuses on Provence, not Paris, but still conveys that French essence so I added it to this list. A mas is a typical house in Provence – think lavender, stone walls, a large fireplace, tiled roof, definitely an armoire, fabric with printed woodcut motifs, and of course, a kitchen garden. Need I say more?

The most beautiful walk in the world by John Baxter – this is a memoir by a literary tour guide. It’s easy to read, full of literary anecdotes, food and interesting characters. It’s making me nostalgic, just flicking through it!

Happy Paris reading, M, and happy Paris dreaming for the rest of us! Anyone else reading fiction or non-fiction around their holidays?

Interview – author Natasha Lester

May 24, 2016 by Karen Comer 12 Comments

I read Natasha Lester’s latest book, A kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, over two nights and sneaked in half a chapter here and there. Evie is a fascinating character in her own right, but when you add her culture – 1920s New York, medical school and the Ziegfeld Follies – you add another layer to her character.

Natasha is also the author of What is left over, after and If I should lose you, both contemporary novels. Natasha is a generous blogger – she blogs about her writing process and the books she’s reading, with many useful tips for writers. As a reader, I’m always interested in Natasha’s video bookclub chats to find some new stories to read and as a writer, I’m keen to learn as much as I can from Natasha’s tips. I’m grateful she has agreed to be interviewed for my blog!

KC: For any readers who haven’t heard about your book, can you tell us what it is about?

NL: A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald is about Evie, whose mother wants her to marry the handsome and wealthy boy next door. But, it’s 1922 and women are just starting to work and to live away from their families and to earn their own money. Evie thinks she might like to do this too, rather than marry immediately, and a horrific experience of helping a woman give birth in secret by a river, makes Evie determined to put her science classes to good use and to be one of the first women to go to medical school.

It’s a battle though: society and her parents are scandalised by her decision, the medical school isn’t eager to admit more women to its ranks, and Charles, the boy next door, isn’t sure he wants to marry a woman who is doing something so unconventional. So, Evie has to decide: does she follow her dream and risk losing everyone she loves, or does she become like her mother, content to spend her days on embroidery and afternoon naps?

KC: Evie is such a likeable character – she’s privileged and hardworking, ambitious and kind-hearted, naïve and later a little hardened. She’s also a Zeigfeld Follies girl and a medical student! What did you do to get to know Evie and develop her?

NL: The first thing I did was just write the first draft, to see what her story was and what kind of person she might be. Then I did a lot of research into the Ziegfeld Follies and the experiences of the first female medical students and this showed me how tough and stubborn and uncompromising she would need to be, how much of herself she would have to be willing to give up in order to chase after her dream. I re-wrote the book with this in mind, making her more determined, but also showing her courage: that she was afraid and lonely but she kept going because she wanted to help women, and she knew that there was nobody else who would do what she’d set out to do. So she evolved very organically, taking shape with each draft and with the research, which is the way I like all of my characters to emerge.

KC: The setting is almost like a character – what did you do to research New York in the 1920s?

I went to New York a couple of times—the first time I got stuck in Hurricane Sandy, which was an awful experience so I had to abandon all hopes of research. I went back a few months later and had a wonderful time in the archives of Columbia Medical School, sifting through the lecture notes from one of the first females to go through the school.

I also went to the New York Public Library’s Theatre on Film and Tape division at the Lincoln Centre and pored over boxes of wage sheets, programs, letters, and photographs about the Ziegfeld Follies, which Evie joins in order to support herself through medical school.

And I walked the streets of Greenwich Village and the Upper East Side, two locations which feature heavily in the book, and where much of the architecture is the same as it would have been when my characters walked the streets in the 1920s. I studied 1920s transport maps to be sure my characters caught the right trains, a memoir of a female ambulance surgeon, and books and articles about the obstetric practices of the time.

KC: I loved how the sibling relationships between Evie and her sister Viola were mirrored by the relationship between the two Whitman brothers, Thomas and Charles. Did you set that up deliberately or did that theme emerge as you wrote the book?

NL: I’d wanted to write a book about two sisters from the outset, and I also had the idea of them living next door to two brothers, and that one of the brothers would end up with the sister nobody expected him to. The rest of it emerged out of the writing: I always find that I start out with the vaguest of ideas and, somehow, in putting words down on the page, the real story behind the idea emerges.

KC: How long did it take to write your book, and what was your process? How many drafts did you work on?

NL: It took about 2 years, not that I was working on it that whole time. When I wrote the first draft in 2013, I still had a 3 year old who wasn’t at school, as well as my 5 and 7 year olds who were. So I wrote during his nap time only and, that year, I wrote the first draft and at least 2 more redrafts. Then, the next year, my son was in Kindy two days a week and I had more time to work on it. By then, I knew I had an agent who wanted to represent the book, but I needed to do another substantial re-write on it. Once that was finished, in late 2014, it was pitched out to publishers.

KC: Did you have any difficult moments during the writing of this book? What made it difficult and what helped you to continue on?

NL: The most difficult thing was thinking it would never be published, and wondering what I would do if it was rejected, and I could no longer justify being a writer. I love writing, and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But I knew I was taking a huge risk: changing genre, which would mean changing agents and publishers and that, to pull off all 3 of those things was almost impossible. But the thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can’t let any of the self-doubts stop you from writing. You have to sit down and write anyway. So I made myself keep going, despite the fact I was so worried that moving from contemporary fiction to historical fiction might not be the most sensible thing to do! It was what I wanted to do, however, so I just had to go with my gut.

KC: What did you love most about writing this book?

NL: The actual writing. It was the most fun and joyful writing experience I’ve ever had. I loved every minute of it and couldn’t wait to get back to it everyday. I thought about the book constantly. I loved the research, loved evoking the setting of 1920s New York, loved exploring Evie’s character, loved getting the world of the Ziegfeld Follies onto the page, loved exploring the way birthing and obstetrics has changed so much in less than 100 years. And I especially loved making Evie a fighter, who did whatever she could to push against the views of society and the men in charge who thought what she did was preposterous.

KC: A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald is such a visual book – I can see it as a movie! Who would you like to see play Evie if your book became a film?

NL: This is such a hard question because I hardly ever watch films and so I’m hopeless with remembering actors’ names. If Cate Blanchett was younger, I could easily see her as Evie – although Cate Blanchett is so amazing she could probably pull of being a girl in her early twenties!

KC: How do you manage to stay present for your family and also absorb yourself in your writing? I’m looking for tips, please!

NL: I’m not always present! My family knows that I’m apt to nod my head at them with a glazed look on my face which means I’m thinking about my book and not listening to them at all! What I try to do is to carve out time, and to let them know that I’ve carved out those times. So, when I’m in the middle of a structural edit and need to work on weekends, I’ll let them know that in advance so they understand Daddy is the one in charge and that they need to ask him all their questions. I find that the more I communicate with them about what I’m doing, the prouder they are of me and my books, and so the less they mind if I need to work; they understand that I’m working for a certain amount of time and I will come and play a game with them at the time I’ve promised.

KC: I know your next book is due for release next year. Can you tell us anything about it?

NL: My next novel, due to be published in 2017, begins in England on the last day of the first world war. The main character, Leonora, suffers a huge loss which forces her to move to New York. The book is about the start of the cosmetics industry, and Leonora’s role in taking the lipsticks she used to make in her father’s chemist shop to the women of New York. At the same time, she has to change the way society thinks of cosmetics: that they shouldn’t only be worn by movie stars and ladies of the night but that they can be worn by ordinary women too. Part of the book takes place in the years 1919-1922, and then skips ahead to August 1939, in the month before the second world war.

Thank you, Natasha! Natasha has written a prequel to A kiss from Mr Fitzgerald – so if you’d like to meet Evie, it’s available as a free download here.

Paris books – part 1

May 20, 2016 by Karen Comer 6 Comments

This post is for my friend, M, who is travelling to Paris and other European cities with her family soon. I stayed in Paris for three weeks a couple of years ago – to celebrate my 40th birthday, do a writing course, take some art classes and shop, of course – alone! It was magical.

I wrote my heart out around Paris with Darla Worden’s Left Bank Writers’ Retreat – six days of tracing Ernest Hemingway’s footsteps, writing in gardens, lunching at literary restaurants, looking at art. I am so glad I am still connected with the other fabulously creative American writers I met there.

I took a few art classes with Pauline Fraisse, who helped me to improve my sketching in Monet’s garden, Jardin des Plantes and cafes.

M, here are a few books you might find useful – a gorgeously photographed book, a chic style and shopping book and a thoughtful, well-researched non-fiction book on fascinating French women. I’ll be dropping them on your doorstep later today!

Paris, a guide to the city’s creative heart by Janelle McCulloch – this book is so beautiful that you could frame every one of its pages. It’s divided into two sections – the first is divided down further by arrondissement so it’s easy to know what to look out for if you’re in the 11th or 18th arrondissement. The second half has different sections for design, style and flavour. I found this book so helpful for directing me to paper stores, tea salons, perfume shops, etc. Miss 9 still has the tricolour (red, white and blue) hair ribbons I bought for her in an old, rambling store where apparently Jean-Paul Gaultier buys his ribbons. C’est bon!

Parisian chic, a style guide by Ines de la Fressange with Sophie Gachet – you just know you are going to receive wonderful fashion advice from someone called Ines de la Fressange! This book has more amateur-style photos and lots of bullet points. There are four sections – Dress like a Parisian with photos of Ines’ gorgeous-looking daughter, places to shop and tips to look like a Parisian fashionista. The second section is Belle of the ball with beauty and make-up tips. Third section is called Chez moi – lists of places to shop for homewares and the fourth section is Ines’ Paris with her favourite places for families, accommodation and restaurants. So if you would like to dress, shop and look nonchalantly Parisian, this book is for you. Ooh la la!

True pleasures, a memoir of women in Paris by Lucinda Holdforth – this book weaves Lucinda’s own story in with her visit to Paris and her research on many interesting women, such as Hortense Mancini, Colette and Josephine, Napoleon’s wife. It’s an interesting read, and brings past and present together seamlessly, along with highlighting all of Paris’ charms. C’est magnifique!

Any other Paris tips or books for my friend? Places to shop? Cafes and restaurants? Museums and gardens?

Australian autumn literary quotes

May 13, 2016 by Karen Comer 7 Comments

It is autumn in Melbourne, and to celebrate this beautiful, colourful season I have found ten autumnal quotes from Australian books. My post of summer quotes used books that were published a while ago – this collection of autumn quotes are from recently published books. I’ve put the title, author and publication date at the bottom of the post in case you want to guess where the quotes came from. My favourite is the seventh one!

The school assembly hall was on the second floor of the building and had a huge balcony that ran all the way along the side with big glass sliding doors that revealed a glorious view out to sea. Today all the glass doors were slid open, allowing the crisp autumn air to flow through. (The hall did get a bit stuffy when all the doors were closed, with all the farting children, perfumed Blonde Bobs and their lavishly cologned husbands.)
Autumn skips quickly into winter; the change is faster than any they’ve known before and it seems that there are only two seasons here instead of four: just hot and dry or cold and wet.
One autumn afternoon, when the days were beginning to mellow, dusk starting to drift into the garden earlier, filling the air like smoke and making the green of the grass and the glossy, thick hydrangea leaves more intense, Heloise grew fretful in her mother’s absence.
It was getting dark and there was still rain close by; she could smell it. Gusts of wind pushed papers in the gutter into a whirl. Dead leaves clogged the drains. The beach and the surf and the golden days of summer seemed a long way away.
An early autumn sun, warm for the season, shone over the footy oval while a light breeze skipped here and there – meaning that there’d be no wind advantage for either side.
But now the bright autumn afternoon is closing over right in front of us. The blue has all but gone, leaving the air dank and grey. Colours take on an unnatural, almost spooky, intensity in that dim light.
In fact, I bet everyone feels that goodbye feeling in autumn, especially. Autumn is the sad season, but once there’s a true sadness within you, autumn will sing it soft and slow in your heart. It’s because of the turning. In that last blaze of red, in the biting air and the slow drift and fall of leaves, you see the slight farewell that life is always repeating. You know you can’t hold it still. You watch it go.
Beyond the stable were an orchard and a vegetable patch. The apple trees were laden with fruit. Rose climbed into the lower branches and picked a large, juicy apple, sinking her teeth into it. Maybe I could fetch my new book, and read it here, under the tree in the autumn sunshine, she thought.
Within days of the funeral, within hours, Ettie was back in the garden. That autumn she extended up the gully on the other side of the pool meeting native gorse with stands of azaleas.
Every year, without fail, the robins disappeared for several weeks at the end of autumn, though she still didn’t know where to, or why.

Which quote was your favourite?

1. Big little lies, Liane Moriarty, 2014

2. The other side of the world, Stephanie Bishop, 2015

3. The strays, Emily Bitto, 2014

4. The war bride, Pamela Hart, 2016

5. Footy dreaming, Michael Hyde, 2015

6. The convent, Maureen McCarthy, 2012

7. How to make a bird, Martine Murray, 2003

8. Meet Rose, Sherryl Clark, 2011

9. The orchard, Drusilla Modjeska, 1994

10. Nest, Inga Simpson, 2014

Publication in Stringybark’s latest anthology!

May 6, 2016 by Karen Comer 12 Comments

I’m happy to share with you that one of my short stories for adults has been accepted for publication in Stringybark’s latest anthology! I entered this competition earlier in the year, and found out this week that my story was highly commended.

The anthology is called Standing by, and is available as an e-book here for the princely sum of $4.00, and will be available as a print book in mid-June for $14.95. You can preorder a copy here – preordering does help with print runs.

My story is called Naming, and I wrote it about two years ago. I was completing an online short story course through Writers Victoria and had submitted a couple of short stories, around the theme of adult fairy tales. I’m interested in these classic tales, the idea of journeys and trials and tribulations, the changes the hero/heroine has to go through to reach their goal, good versus evil, and I love all the imagery in fairy tales – keys, the number three, woods, names, mirrors and so on.

I woke up early one morning and in a half-dream, almost wrote half of this Naming story in my head. When I realised I had half a story, I quickly got out of bed and typed it up before anyone else woke up. Thank goodness for sweetly-sleeping children that morning!

I worked on the second half of the story, and edited the whole story a few times before I sent it into my tutor. She gave me some positive feedback, and I then sent it out to a few competitions, with no success until now!

This is the first time I’ve ever had such a complete idea for a story. Usually I have an idea, then something else latches on to that idea, then I explore it a bit, then I think about the main character some more, then I start writing. But this story felt like a gift.

I used the fairy tale Rumplestiltskin as inspiration, but it’s a contemporary story, told from the viewpoint of a twelve-year-old boy who is somewhere on the autistic spectrum.

Thank you to everyone who has left lovely comments on Facebook or forwarded my tweet on Twitter – I’m so grateful for your support – it’s made my week!

I’m reading my way through the other stories in the anthology, and I’m honoured to be published in such a talented group of writers.

May writing

May 3, 2016 by Karen Comer 3 Comments

Every year, May means Mother’s Day, three family birthdays, gorgeous autumn leaves everywhere. This year, I also want it to mean:

Book 1 – I want to complete another draft of my first children’s book. I am now part of a writers’ group, and my group gave me so much excellent feedback that I want to weave it into this draft. They have helped me to see both the big picture and the small details that need some fine-tuning, and I want to incorporate this into the whole manuscript.

Book 2 – I’m working my way through my notes from Kate Forsyth’s class, writing a pitch, synopsis, outline and character sketches, using my first draft as a base, but knowing it will continue to change. It’s satisfying to see that all this planning is starting to shape this book for the better.

Book 3 – I want to spend the next six months planning this book, so I can write a decent first draft in NaNoWriMo this year. So now I have made myself accountable to you publicly! This is my chance to really try out a new way to plan my writing. Last year, I gave myself a month to plan, and it wasn’t enough. Here’s hoping six months is better timing. I have bought myself a beautiful new notebook to plan out Lana’s story. My new notebook – same as the photo above – has the complete story of Anne of Green Gables in tiny font, as the lines you write on. So I am writing notes for my story in between the lines of L. M. Montgomery’s book! And I love the quote on the front – Miss 9 would definitely agree! Lana is Calvin’s twin brother, the protagonist from Book 2. She plays basketball and netball, is extremely bossy and organised, plays the drums and loves Anne of Green Gables. That’s all I know about her at this stage but I’m looking forward to finding out more!

I’m also teaching a writing workshop at my children’s school this month. I love being around so many engaged and creative kids – they come up with the best ideas and their enthusiasm for writing stories is inspiring for me.

I hope May is an inspiring and productive month for you, too!

Fairy tales – part 2

May 1, 2016 by Karen Comer Leave a Comment

Fairytale motifs are not like cabinetry handles or splashbacks – they don’t date! Images like mirrors, woods, keys, glass slippers, kisses are classic symbols that have endured the test of time and are still full of meaning today. A couple of months ago I posted about some modern versions of fairy tales – today I have a beautiful collection of fairy tales to share. I think it’s important that kids grow up with an appreciation for classic fairy tales – not just the Disney cartoon type. Give them the classics first, then show them the spin-offs!

The fairytale princess, seven classic stories from the enchanted forest, retold by Wendy Jones and illustrated by Su Blackwell would make a beautiful book for any kid. I have to admit, Miss 9 loves this book more than her brothers do – it does have the word ‘princess’ in it. The stories are simply told, and you can easily read one or two before bedtime. The language isn’t too convoluted or formal but still has the beauty and elegance of stories from long ago. Perfect for three to ninety-three year-olds.

But it is the illustrations that make this book amazing. I don’t usually post too many photos but this book needs to be shown and shared! The illustrations are made from the pages of old books, cut and torn and twisted and pleated and wrapped to make gorgeous sculptures and collage. One day, I am going to do a course to learn how to do this.

You can listen to Su Blackwell reading Cinderella and see the illustrations at this little video here.

Quirky picture books about mums

April 29, 2016 by Karen Comer 1 Comment

Nearly Mother’s Day, and there are a few whispered conversations at our place. The kids have given me quite a few books for Mother’s Day over the years – some adult novels and some picture books about mums. I’m not a fan of the sweetly sentimental picture books but I do love the quirky ones. Here’s a list of five of my favourites:

My Mum has x-ray vision, written by Angela McAllister and illustrated by Alex T. Smith. This book begins with: Milo’s Mum was like all the other mums. She had ordinary hair, ordinary clothes and a nice smile. Milo’s Mum was just like all the other mums … except she could see through things. Milo was pretty sure she had x-ray vision.

Except Milo works out that she doesn’t have x-ray vision, even though the pictures tell a different story. The illustrations are fun and comical, especially the two double page spreads which you need to turn around to see properly.

Funny book for kinder kids. My kids still quote from this book, especially when I remind them about the no-devices-in-bedrooms rule. ‘But how did you know, Mum?’ they say, as they pull out the device from under their t-shirt. ‘X-ray vision!’

No room for a mouse, written by Kyle Mewburn and illustrated by Freya Blackwood. Christopher’s Mum is extraordinarily busy, with a to-do list that grows every day. When Christopher invites an array of people to live in his house, his mother doesn’t even notice. But when Christopher and his pet mouse go missing, his Mum notices then and adjusts her to-do list.

Interesting book for 3-6 year-olds. Gorgeous, watercolour illustrations.

Kiss the cow, written by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Mama May had so many children she couldn’t count them all. But every day, Mama May manages to milk the cow twice a day to give milk and cheese to her many children. It is Annalisa, her most stubborn and curious child, that causes the problem in this book. The story is about Annalisa and Luella, the cow, but I like Mama May’s constant presence and firm questioning.

Fabulous book for 3-6 year-olds. A funny ‘ugh’ moment.

Time for bed, Isobel, written by David Bedford, illustrated by Leonie Worthington. The panda mother in this story deserves a medal for her patience! “I don’t want to go to bed,” said Isobel. “I want to be with you.” Forget that this is a kids’ story – if you have ever spent three hours putting a toddler to bed, this book is for you!

Perfect for toddlers who don’t want to go to bed.

My Mum, written and illustrated by Anthony Browne. This is a classic and has been around for over ten years now. There is also a corresponding Dad book. The story is told from the child’s perspective, about his mum who can sing like an angel, and roar like a lion. She’s really, really nice, my mum. It’s full of contradictions – She’s as soft as a kitten, and as tough as a rhino. The illustrations show the same floral material from Mum’s dressing gown on every page.

All babies should be given this as soon as possible, and all mums should read this frequently! Wonderful first Mother’s Day present.

So, if you’re a mum, what sort of mum are you? Do you have eyes in the back of your head or are you as tough as a rhino? Do you feed your children milk and cheese? Are you as patient as Isobel’s mum, or as busy as Christopher’s mum? Think I can identify with all these storybook mothers!

5 tips for writing about setting

April 26, 2016 by Karen Comer 10 Comments

My second children’s novel is set around the Yarra River in Richmond, Melbourne. Yesterday, we all went for a walk/cycle/scooter ride around the Yarra, and while I made sure the kids didn’t fall into the river, I took photos and notes on my phone.

This is what I was looking for:

The season – what season/season is your novel set in? Think about the weather, the clothes your characters are wearing, the light at different times of the day, the colour of the trees, the balance between inside and outside living, the food they will eat. If your characters are experiencing the harshest winter of all times, they are hardly likely to be having an earth-shattering conversation with the antagonist on the beach with the glaring sun on their bare shoulders.
The five senses – touch, taste, sight, sound, smell. Are your characters appreciating the different colours of the changing autumn leaves or are they smelling roast chicken and an apple pie in the kitchen? Are they eating hot chips at the footy or are they smelling the jasmine in spring? Can they touch the wet grass in winter or are they pulling up handfuls of freshly-mown grass in spring? Can they hear a street protest from their city apartment or can they hear kids playing from a nearby school?
Is your setting quiet or loud? Is your protagonist surrounded by lots of people constantly? Does she work in a noisy environment? Does he live by himself or with others? Does she like to do things by herself or with others? Does your protagonist live in a city or rural area? Is your protoganist surrounded by music or silence?
View the setting through your character’s eyes, not your eyes. My 12 year-old protagonist is not going to notice the same sorts of things that I will. He’s a street artist so on his river walk he’s looking at the graffiti as much as he’s looking at the river. He’s going to notice other kids’ bikes and shoes, not anything to do with adults.
Use the setting to add details to your plot. My protagonist is going to have conversations while cycling on the river track, so he might have to call back over his shoulder to his friend behind him. There are office buildings and apartment blocks and restaurants looming over the river – there are characters who live or work in those buildings who will interact with my protagonist.

C. S. Lakin in The twelve key pillars of novel construction writes, ‘The more you have the setting of each scene affect and impact your characters in some way, the more real and personal your story will feel.’

It’s hard to imagine Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights being so mysterious and brooding without the backdrop of the moors. Barbara Kingsolver’s The poisonwood bible is set predominantly in the Belgian Congo – the place is almost a character it is so important. The remoteness of the lighthouse off the Western Australian coast in M. L. Stedman’s The light between oceans means that the characters make decisions based on their isolated living there.

The settings in our lives are important. Bet you can remember something particular about your grandparents’s house – I remember the coloured aluminium cups with silver bases, lined up neatly on top of my grandparents’ fridge. The table you eat at every night, your favourite restaurant and the view from one particular corner in it, a favourite beach, the street corner where you meet your children after school … these shape our lives and our daily interactions with others.

Which books evoke the strongest sense of setting for you? Is it an amazing international location or is it the local and familiar?

One minute’s silence – book review

April 22, 2016 by Karen Comer 2 Comments

Very happy to have a long weekend for ANZAC day – half the sport commitments and an extra day with my family – love it! Mr 6 has been talking about ANZAC day – the war, the fighting, the dying, the remembering. I read him One minute’s silence, written by David Metzenthen and illustrated by Michael Camilleri. (Miss 9 and Mr 12 read it, too – one of those books that grows with the reader each year. The illustrations are contemporary and sophisticated, the language is emotive so appropriate for a wide range of kids.)

This one is particularly moving because:

every sentence begins with something like – In one minute’s silence you can imagine …
the use of evocative Australian images – wild colonial boys … a dairy farmer’s dawn … blokes from the big smoke … bare-knuckled bushmen
the Turkish viewpoint – the strangers wading through the shallows, intent on streaming into the homeland of the Turkish people … what the Turkish fighters felt when they knew they could hold the high ground
the crosshatch illustrations – black and white, maybe a touch of sepia
how the illustrations tell a story on top of the words – the book begins with a picture of some older kids in a classroom setting. The same kids are present in every illustrations, part of the war action – they mirror the horror and shock that we, as readers, feel.
the inclusion of the truce day, where the Australians and the Turkish met without weapons, sharing cigarettes and shovels as they buried their dead in the cool Turkish earth
the simple, yet evocative language – In one minute’s silence, you can imagine the great crop of crosses the Anzacs left behind … and the promises given to never forget the boys who would not wake to the hushed footsteps or the whispered farewells.

Lest we forget.