I loved the sense of community that author Liz Byrski created at Benson’s Reach; what a perfect work environment it would be to work in. I have spent time in Margaret River in Western Australia and felt comfortable in the setting. IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS is a complex story where the plot is interwoven with back stories of family relationships, friendship, love, betrayal and loss. It follows a few different characters who have all come from various backgrounds and age groups and are mostly strangers to each other when the story opens. Of the characters I was least drawn to Lesley who I felt needed a good shaking and very upset at Paula’s storyline, why did the author not see any salvageable qualities in her life. Still in real life people don’t always get on, and often we don’t try and understand the reasons behind the behaviour of people we come across, so an unlikable character is not out of the question. One aspect I really this Byrski did well was how the shameful story of the UK Child Migrant Scheme is interwoven into the story. Never in your face, or even the main focus, yet has it subtly affected the story from start to finish. ( )

In this engaging character driven novel, author Liz Byrski draws together a group of very different people after the death of Catherine Benson, the proprietress of a lavender farm and holiday park, Benson's Reach. A complex web of old and new connections are examined to reveal an intricate tangle of friendship, love, betrayal and loss amongst strangers, friends and family.

Estranged from Catherine for years, Ruby is stunned to be left controlling interest in Benson's Reach and reluctantly returns to Margaret River, Western Australia, after a forty year absence, intent on tying up loose ends quickly and returning to her life in England.
Wrestling with his guilt over neglecting Catherine in her final months, anxious about Ruby's arrival and struggling to remain sober, Catherine's nephew, Declan, is overwhelmed by the responsibility of being made a partner in his late aunt's business.
Declan's offer of a job and a place to stay at Benson's Reach is a source of relief for Alice who has her freedom after serving five years in prison but does not know how to move on with her life.
Frustrated by her confused feelings about her thirty six year long marriage Lesley decides to spend two weeks alone at Benson's Reach in the hopes of working out what she wants from her life.
Each weighed down by their pasts and uncertain about their future, this disparate group of strangers must also contend with Catherine's legacies including a lonely teenage boy, an abrasive cleaner, and the practicalities of reinvigorating Benson's Reach.

While some of the characters in In The Company of Strangers are difficult to like, they are all intriguing individuals. Initial impressions are challenged as the author reveals their past tragedies and disappointments as well as their present hopes and desires. I especially liked how Catherine was revealed to be deeply flawed after she is initially presented as an almost saint like figure. Liz Byrski is one of the few Australian writers whose books feature mature age women, Ruby is in her early seventies and Alice and Lesley are only ten years younger. I think it is wonderful to see these women realistically represented in fiction, defying the age bias so prevalent in society.

While the story focuses on character, one of the interesting elements of the novel is Byrski's references to the UK Child Migrant Scheme during World War II. The program saw thousands of young children sent to Australia, some, like Ruby, were lied to and told their parents were dead, others were relinquished by parents convinced Australia offered their children grand opportunities in the sunshine, while many others, like Cat, were orphans. Shamefully many of the children were subject to exploitation and abuse by the religious institutions charged with their care. Provided with only very basic care, regularly humiliated and beaten for minor transgressions, Ruby and Cat were deeply affected by their experiences and forged a close bond to survive the adversity. It is a touching moment when Ruby witness the public government apology and is finally able to let go of some of her anger and bitterness over her lost childhood.

Heartfelt, poignant and perceptive In the Company of Strangers is a wonderful novel. Though I have enjoyed her previous books, this is perhaps my favourite by Liz Byrski and I look forward to the next. ( )