Olga Lorenzo (1959–2021)

The Light on the Water by Olga Lorenzo is a thoughtful novel exploring a myriad of the themes, most notably motherhood, grief, guilt and love.

Two long years after her young autistic daughter disappeared during an overnight hike, Anne Baxter is on the precipice of being charged with Aida's murder. Shunned by her neighbours and vilified by the media, Anne waits...and hopes.

This is a story that focuses on character rather than action. Anne is a hugely sympathetic character, trapped in a hellish kind of limbo. The main figures of The Light on the Water are complex, and Lorenzo avoids many of the typical stereotypes of the genre, even with the dysfunction that plagues the members of Anne's family.

Of particular note is the manner in which Lorenzo explores the response of the wider community to Anne's plight. From almost the moment Aida is reported missing, Anne must endure the suspicion of strangers, all too ready to condemn her for any real, perceived, or even imagined action that has led to her daughter's disappearance. No matter the truth of Aida's fate, Anne is judged to be at fault.

The Light on the Water is a quietly compelling story. Simply written, it nevertheless evokes a wealth of emotion. The tension builds nicely as the story unfolds at a measured pace, though I felt the subplot involving the refuge was an unnecessary distraction.… (plus d'informations)

Aida, 6 years old and autistic, runs ahead of her mother on an overnight camping trip and bushwalk to Wilsons Promontory and disappears. Anne has already questioned her own wisdom in taking Aida for this walk, and when Aida cannot be found, others question it too. Hours turn into days, weeks, and months and there is no news about what has happened to Aida. Media attention ensures that Anne is unable to appear in public without people recognising her face and often saying dreadful things. A FaceBook page she sets up turns nasty. Friends turn away when they see her.

Eventually it becomes obvious that the police are considering charging Anne with negligence or worse.

A very thought provoking read, probably on the outer rim of crime fiction.… (plus d'informations)

Olga Lorenzo is a Cuban-Australian writer, author of The Rooms in My Mother's House (1996) which was shortlisted for the IMPAC award amongst others. The Light on the Water is her first novel for 20 years.

It is a beautifully crafted book. Not easy reading, because of its subject matter, but it's thoughtful and wise without being judgemental.

The Light on the Water is a meditation on the Azaria Chamberlain story. A child, Aida, goes missing in the bush, the search is fruitless, and before long the mother, Anne Forster, becomes the butt of innuendo, accusations and hostility from a public that in truth knows nothing about the situation. And the power of the media campaign is such that the police eventually charge this mother with murdering her own child. The case against her is so absurdly flimsy that it sounds ridiculous - no professional police force would have pursued it - and yet as we know from the Chamberlain case, that is exactly what happened here in Australia: Lindy Chamberlain was tried for murder and spent three years in prison.

Lorenzo's novel explores a mother's perspective, and what I admired most about the characterisation is that it never loses sight of the loss. When everything is falling to pieces around her and she faces going to prison, Anne Forster does not need to remind herself that nothing that could happen to her could ever be as terrible as losing her beloved Aida.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/10/06/the-light-on-the-water-by-olga-lorenzo/… (plus d'informations)