ROBYN CADWALLADER The Fire and the Rose. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Robyn Cadwallader’s third novel is set against the anti-Semitism of the thirteenth century and England’s expulsion of the Jews. ‘What you doing there, girl? Why stand and shiver when the sun shines? You must’ve heard the story of Little Hugh before. They recite it...
AW HAMMOND The Berlin Traitor. Reviewed by Karen Chisholm
It’s July 1945, and the war in Europe is finally over. Auguste Duchene has survived, but the past will not let go. The second novel featuring Duchene, The Berlin Traitor closely follows the first, The Paris Collaborator, which was set in and around occupied Paris....
VIET THANH NGUYEN A Man of Two Faces: A memoir, a history, a memorial. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
The Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer reflects on his life and what it means to be a Vietnamese refugee in America. In 2015 Viet Thanh Nguyen published The Sympathizer, a novel that explored the Viet Nam war, particularly the involvement of America,...
JENNIFER MACKENZIE DUNBAR Missing Pieces. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Jennifer Mackenzie Dunbar’s new novel is inspired by the real-life discovery of a hoard of priceless chess pieces on a remote Scottish island. Directly in front of her, the queen held her hand against her cheek, as if aghast. ‘What have you seen?’ Marianne whispered,...
CHRISTOS TSIOLKAS The In-Between. Reviewed by Jessica Stewart
The new novel from the award-winning author of The Slap and Damascus is a story of starting over. The In-Between is a story of two men, older and scarred by life, who know that they still have much to offer. They are looking to share the second half of their lives...
JESSICA ZHAN MEI YU But The Girl. Reviewed by Ann Skea
The protagonist of Jessica Zhan Mei Yu’s debut novel is meant to be writing about Sylvia Plath and race, but finds herself in Scotland with writer’s block. I was meant to be writing a postcolonial novel. It had been an immigrant novel first but I learned the word...
TRENT DALTON Lola in the Mirror. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Homelessness, a mother and daughter on the lam – Trent Dalton’s third novel sprinkles magic dust on Brisbane’s grim underbelly. I was bothered by Lola in the Mirror. I enjoyed Trent Dalton’s earlier novels Boy Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies, and Lola...
LAVIE TIDHAR Adama. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
Lavie Tidhar’s new novel spans generations and embodies the ideals, contradictions and brutality within the establishment of the State of Israel. Lavie Tidhar is both incredibly prolific and remarkably eclectic. In the last couple of years alone he has released a...
NRB readers’ favourite reviews of 2023
Which of our reviews did you enjoy the most in 2023? We’ve checked the stats and the results are in: here are our top 10 reviews of the year. Is your favourite among them? Or one of your favourite books? Or just a few things you’d like to add to your TBR...
ADRIAN HYLAND The Wiregrass. Reviewed by Karen Chisholm
In Adrian Hyland’s latest crime novel, Jesse Redpath is back, stationed in a new town during a time of stormy weather. The much anticipated follow-up to Canticle Creek, The Wiregrass is set in the temperate rainforest area of Victoria in the fictional town of...
SIMON BUTT Judicial Dysfunction in Indonesia. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Simon Butt reveals how and why corruption remains a problem at the highest levels of the Indonesian legal system. Simon Butt is a Sydney University law academic who has devoted much of his career to researching and writing on the operation of the Indonesian legal...
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