Book Chat Issue #58
A page-turner with serious themes
Hello reading friends and a big welcome to new subscribers!
I really appreciate you giving me a space in your inbox each fortnight. It’s so delightful to be able to share my love of reading with like-minded people.
If you have any friends who would enjoy this newsletter, why not share it with them?
What I’ve been reading
This week I read The Family Doctor by Australian author Debra Oswald. A friend lent it to me ages ago, but it was languishing at the bottom of my giant pile of books. Then another friend also recommended it, so I thought I’d better get my act together and give it a whirl. I managed to move it to the top (and read it) without the whole stack toppling over, which was quite an achievement.
The Family Doctor delves into the world of domestic abuse and Oswald tackles the themes with skill and empathy.
Paula is a dedicated GP who is appalled by the murders of a friend and her children by their estranged husband. She feels guilty for not having done more to protect her friend and is still reeling from the impact of the murders when a patient comes to see her who is clearly being abused by her husband. When the husband visits Paula’s surgery, she sees an opportunity to protect the woman from further abuse. This means turning her back on her training and everything she believes in.
It’s an unlikely scenario, but you get swept along by the idea that she finally has a chance to help someone escape a violent relationship. She isn’t trying to get revenge, she just feels like she can’t stand by and see another woman’s life being gradually destroyed.
It’s a pacy thriller that pulls you through and makes you want to read ‘just one more chapter’ before you turn out the lights. It’s no coincidence that Oswald is also a screenwriter, well known in Australia for the series Offspring, and this shines through in the writing.
This book is recommended for anyone looking for a good page-turner with well-drawn female characters and a satisfying ending.
And now I can give it back to my friend (thanks Debbie) and reduce the size of my book stack. Bonus!
What I’ve been eating
I sometimes worry that I’m including recipes here that are too simple for sophisticated readers like yourselves, but then I think how much I like being reminded to eat foods that are simple and homely and I stop worrying straight away.
This idea was reinforced by the food writer Lindsay Cameron Wilson who included instructions for making soft-boiled eggs in her recent newsletter. I immediately made myself some eggs for lunch, but cooked them for slightly longer as I cannot stand runny whites. One thing I learnt recently is that eggs should always be at room temperature when you cook them, so do take them out of the fridge the night before if you are having them for breakfast.
I also thought it was amusing when she suggested serving the eggs with ‘thin strips of buttered toast’. Surely these are known universally as toast soldiers? Please let me know if I am wrong.
Book Club!
If you’re new around here, you might not know that we have a book club which is free for all subscribers. We meet every three months using the magic of the internet, and the next meeting is this week. I’m really excited.
We’ll be chatting about The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.
You don’t need to register or sign up, just click on this link at the appropriate time in your time zone. I hope you can join us.
Dates and times are below.
Sydney, Australia Fri, 16 Jun 2023 at 9:00 am AEST
Venice, Italy Fri, 16 Jun 2023 at 1:00 am CEST
Perth, Australia Fri, 16 Jun 2023 at 7:00 am AWST
Auckland, NZ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 at 11:00 am NZST
New Delhi, India Fri, 16 Jun 2023 at 4:30 am IST
Vancouver, Canada Thu, 15 Jun 2023 at 4:00 pm PDT
Tucson, USA Thu, 15 Jun 2023 at 4:00 pm MST
Albany, USA Thu, 15 Jun 2023 at 7:00 pm EDT
Austin, USA Thu, 15 Jun 2023 at 6:00 pm CDT
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Thu, 15 Jun 2023 at 8:00 pm BRT
If you can’t make it but have something to say, please leave a message in the comments.
Well that’s all for this edition. I hope see some of you soon, but if not, have a great fortnight and be kind to yourselves.
Warm wishes,
Marg xxx
I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think I knew the term "toast soldiers" when I was growing up (in Cape Town, South Africa). Where exactly I picked it up is a mystery - I'll be interested to see what others reply, because now I am wondering if it is just an Australianism, or more widely spread.
PS I won't be able to make the book club on Friday because I'll be at work. I haven't read the book yet, so I'll be interested to hear what others think of the read.
PPS Thank you for your support at last week's launch - it was very much appreciated!
I used the book Wonder with a reading class and it was a big success; it's a beautiful story. Then the kids made something inspired by the book. I made a sugar pyramid (at least my craftsman did!!) And I was sad to ditch that prop when I retired.