Australian Television Premiere: Monday 7 May, 8.30pm
For the Love of Books hosts Cheryl Akle, Michael Campbell and Lachlan Jobbins discussed The New Republic by Lionel Shriver, Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell and Ben Robertson’s Hear me Roar.
The New Republic – Lionel Shriver
A disgruntled New York corporate lawyer, Edgar Kellogg, is more than ready to leave his lucrative career for the excitement and uncertainty of journalism. When he′s offered the post of foreign correspondent in a Portuguese backwater that has sprouted a homegrown terrorist movement, Edgar recognises the disappeared larger-than-life reporter he′s been sent to replace, Barrington Saddler, is exactly the outsized character he longs to emulate. Yet all is not as it appears. ′The Daring Soldiers of Barba′ (the SOB) have been blowing up the rest of the world for years in order to win independence for a province so dismal, backward and windblown that you couldn′t give the rat hole away. So why, with Barrington missing, do terrorist incidents claimed by the SOB suddenly dry up?
Secrets of the Tides – Hannah Richell
Every family has its secrets. Some are small, like telling a white lie or snooping through a private drawer. Others are more serious, like infidelity and betrayal. And some secrets are so terrible they must be hidden away in a deep, dark place, for if they ever came to light, they would surely tear a family apart. The Tides are a family full of secrets. Returning to Clifftops, the rambling family house perched high on the Dorset coastline, youngest daughter Dora hopes for a fresh start, for herself and the new life she carries. But can long-held secrets ever really be forgiven? And even if you can forgive, can you ever really learn to love again? (Hannah Richell will be presenting at the Sydney Writers Festival)
Hear me Roar – Ben Robertson
Ben Robertson was a successful journalist when he and his wife decided to have children. In a life-changing move, Ben enthusiastically volunteered for the role of Mr Mum while his wife became the main breadwinner. Written with an engaging mix of humour and brutal honesty, Ben’s story covers the raising of his two sons over five years. As a stay-at-home dad Ben is pushed to the depths of tiredness, frustration and despair, moments shared equally with the heights of great joy and energy. What emerges is a unique understanding of the price many women pay when they stay at home to look after the children. Hear Me Roar offers insight into the deeper emotional territory of the effects of children on relationships and the changing role of men in families.
