Jenny Ackland

Little Gods is a story of a regular family. Three sisters so very different, yet bonded by blood. Thistle- the philosopher, she believes in speaking up and speaking the truth. Audra- quiet, invisible, almost ghost like very rarely seen or heard. Rue- a catastrophizing mother who believes children should be protected from life and kept away from harsh realities. They are close but also annoy each other deeply. They don’t have deep and meaningful conversations. They bottle up their emotions just like any ordinary family. What struck me is the realness of the characters. This story is not escapism; it’s a stark look at reality.

Part literary fiction, part coming-of-age, Ackland’s writing is lyrical and original. A touching story that raises the question of how much or how little should we tell our children. Does withholding a truth really protect them?

Narrated by 12 year old tomboy Olive, she knows how to manipulate her peers. She’s not scared of anything especially the Sands boys. She likes to ask questions to know the how and whys of the world. When someone mentions she once had a sister she is determined to find out the truth even if it means listening in to conversations and piecing together snippets of information to formulate her own truths.

If you grew up during the 70’s or 80’s Little Gods is a nostalgic trip through childhood from going to the local pool to buying a razz and riding your bike through the local bush, Little Gods is authentically Australian.
Little Gods is a heartfelt coming-of-age featuring a young girl who is wilful, fanciful and brave and through her Ackland has captured the essence of 1980’s Australia.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy.… (plus d'informations)

Sunday morning and the sun rose on the bleached Mallee landscape and lit the distressed greens and greys. The magpies carolled before they left their trees to feed and the farmhouse began to stir. Grace was at the back door knocking on the glass. She had been under Rue’s sprinkler and as she sat on Olive’s lap, her feathers looked like they been sewn with dozens of tiny diamonds. Drops of water, sitting in perfectly round jewels. (p.99)

Melbourne author Jenny Ackland is at her pitch-perfect best with this image of a child nursing a tame raven, and the cover design by Sandy Cull from gogoGingko is perfect too.
But don’t be fooled. That kid is merciless. Her end-of-year report describes her as intense and stubborn and I might well have written the same thing except that these days teachers aren’t allowed to write things like that in school reports.
Olive is 12 years old and adept at eavesdropping on family secrets when she discovers a photograph of her parents with a baby that has vanished from her dysfunctional family. Already pilloried in the town as the child of people who are ‘odd’ because the two Lovelock brothers of dubious showground background married two Nash sisters of impressive pioneering origins, Olive has learned the art of never giving in when she wants information about something.
She has plenty of opportunity to interrogate the family. There are frequent visits to the family farm, where her aunt Rue lives with her husband and three children, Sebastian (a bit older), Archie (a bit younger) and Mandy (irritatingly young). There is also Thistle, the eldest of the three Nash sisters, and the one who bore the brunt of her tyrannical mother’s anger. Thistle really is a bit odd, but she has good reason to be, and she is the only one that Olive can trust to answer her questions. It’s just that Thistle isn’t always clear about how things happened and why because she has her own terrible burden.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/04/11/little-gods-by-jenny-ackland-bookreview/… (plus d'informations)