“Few books dig beneath your skin to lodge within mind and heart, Where The Birds Call Her Name is one that managed to seep deep in my thoughts.”
We loved Claire’s debut novel, The Secrets Of The Huon Wren but this, her second novel, is a strong, precise and sharp delivery of tale and travel.
Told in two-time spaces that blend seamlessly, each chapter lays the foundation for the next that follows.
Greta in 1968 and Saskia of 2023 weave a tight narrative. Set in the north western Tasmanian town of Stanley, history must be amended and hope must win in the face of a coercive, cruel, dominant father.
A beautiful, intimate characterization of mother and daughter, Fay and Greta share a love of the wetland native birds of the area – Fay as a taxidermist and young Greta as an ornithologist artist with conservation at their heart. It’s their bond in the face of control and manipulation that shapes their vulnerable weaknesses into powerful echoes and a bold bid for freedom.
Across the generations, Greta gifts new life and bold freedoms to her daughter Saskia and grandaughter Anouk. Greta’s ultimate gift (in her will) is her quirky retro caravan and treasured journal. But it’s not until Saskia embarks on her journey from Broome, Western Australia to Tasmania, that she begins to understand the costs her mother paid for freedom. Greta’s journal comes to life and Saskia rediscovers a fresh understanding of Greta and a new peace in her own life – one she wasn’t aware she was seeking.
At the start of each chapter there’s an art work depicting one of the Tasmanian wetland birds and the descriptions provide complimentary metaphors that shape the unfolding story. A clever addition to a thoughtful and heartfelt tale.
Highly recommended.
Sue Reid
Read By Reid NZ
Penguin Publishers Australia
ISBN 9781761349508