Diana Wilkinson The Girl in the Window Boldwood Books, December 2024.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
I was disappointed in this novel, despite some clever writing and twists.
Starting with those, the way in which the main character, Izzie, moves between watching her husband, using her column to investigate his and others’ motivations together with an attempt to unravel the truth is absorbing. The way in which Izzie demands truth and explanations from those she investigates but persists in maintaining her own silence and lies is an excellent insight into her character as well as those from whom she makes such demands. The way in which the various characters were exposed as innocent or guilty, contrary to Izzie’s assumptions (or what we think are her assumptions) is clever. However, I found Izzie quite unappealing, and none of the other characters is particularly engaging. The continual references to Izzie’s angst about her past, although that past was horrendous, dragged. Overall, the writing was not engaging enough to sustain the rather long-drawn-out narrative. See Books: Reviews for the complete review.
After the review: Gender Institute event; John Marsden – obituary and commentary on the two schools he founded; Cindy Lou eats in Canberra and Cambridge; American Cable Television suffers after the Presidential Election; Cambridge – Castle Mound; Cambridge Black Creatives Art Exhibition.
| Gender Institute Signature Event |
| ‘Taking back our stories’: Talking about Indigenous Women’s Family History Research Thursday 6 February 2025, 5-6.30pm This panel explores opportunities and barriers for Indigenous women to ‘take back’ their stories. It will consider issues of archival access; barriers to Indigenous family history; the limits of academic history practices and the importance of Indigenous family history for individuals, families, communities and nation-building. This discussion will be led by Aunty Dr Judi Wickes and Dr Kath Apma Penangke Travis, with contributions from program convenor Dr Beth Marsden, collaborator Professor Kat Ellinghaus and participants in the Research Centre for Deep History Indigenous Family History Research Residency. Register here |
Newswire – John Marsden
Legendary Australian author dies aged 74
Story by Blake Antrobus
The young adult series has been described as “the best series for Australian teens of all time”, selling millions of copies and sparking a successful movie and TV series.
Legendary Australian author dies aged 74
The Tomorrow books have become a staple of Australian libraries and young adult reading.
Businessman Simon Holmes a Court paid tribute to Mr Marsden in a touching post on X (formerly Twitter).
“He was one of the standout teachers through my schooling — in many ways similar to the character of John Keating in Dead Poets Society,” Mr Holmes a Court wrote.
“His 1st book So Much to Tell You was based on my year group — many identifiable characters. A gift to our year!
“Complex man, but I’m so glad to have crossed paths.”
Letters from the Inside by John Marsden is one of the most devastating books I have read. Of a more optimistic bent, and a fascinating read is Take Risks, reviewed in my blog of December 22, 2021. The following article is about the schools that Marsden founded and are described in Take Risks.
After ‘surviving’ negative experiences in the classroom, author John Marsden founded his own school to try to improve the system
Story by Judd Boaz and Sarah Lawrence
John Marsden was an acclaimed author who turned his talents to teaching. (ABC News: Dave May)
When interviewed by the ABC about the schools he spent the last decades of his life building, author John Marsden shared some insights into his hiring policies.
“I didn’t want teachers whose main interest in life was the colour of their next dishwasher,” he said. Marsden hoped to find staff who had lived life to the fullest and were as passionate about teaching young people as he was.
The Victorian author had dropped out of three different university courses before finding teaching, a calling he said he fell in love with almost immediately.
Marsden’s passion for education stemmed from his own difficult experiences at school.
“I got in trouble all the time,” Marsden said of his time at The King’s School in Sydney during the 1960s.
“I found it a pretty tough experience and it took all my survival skills to get through the years I had there.”
Sarah Mayor Cox is a literacy expert and long-time friend of John Marsden, and said the author’s own experiences at school drove him to provide a better environment for his students. See Further Commentary and Articles arising from Books* and continued longer articles as noted in the blog.
Cindy Lou indulges in Canberra
Oliver Brown
Oliver Brown’s chocolate drinks are a marvellous indulgence – they are generous, delicious, and a reasonable price. The cake display was tempting, but for us the drinks were enough. Our young chocolate lover was also unable to finish his hot chocolate, and some of the freshly cooked churros had to be taken away. The staff were delightful.
Ginger and Spice
This is a terrific Chinese restaurant, with lunch specials and a splendid menu. The service is pleasant, the food generous and delicious, and it is adjacent to the Gungalin tram spot. We had a lunch special of sweet and sour chicken (note that the large portion of chicken is partly hidden by the rice) and cumin beef, and from the menu the smaller portion of fried rice and some wonderful prawns with a garlic sauce, served with vegetables. One of the fortune cookies was particularly appreciated!
Cindy Lou Eats in Cambridge
Namaste Village
A new find in Castle Street, Namaste Village, is an excellent Indian vegetarian restaurant. The street food in particular was excellent – generous, delicious and delightfully different.
Stir
Stir is a lively coffee place on Chesterton Road. It has indoor and outdoor seating, pleasant service and a range of breakfast and brunch items, as well as pastries and coffee. It can be quite noisy, but the outdoor tables when the weather is fine, are usually available – some people must like the noise inside.
The poached eggs were nicely cooked, the beans (to a special recipe) delicious, and the chili jam a hit.
American Cable Television suffers after the Presidential Election
This is an interesting report on the cable television programs that, until the American Presidential election I watched. Clearly, I am not alone.
The idea that MSNBC is being arrogant, and incorrect, with its suggestion that viewers will return is at odds with the comment in the article that 2016 saw the same result after Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump. Certainly, viewers have expressed their disdain for Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski visiting Trump. Others have defended them, one stating ‘We are traumatized by the loss’ (of the Presidential Election to Donald Trump). These discussions have raised a debate about whether people such as Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough (they are joined by others on the show, some presenting, and others as MSNBC analysts of law, policy and business matters) are journalists or ‘just’ presenters…or commentators? I shall be interested to see whether there is some analysis of why viewers have left the shows, and the debate about journalists/presenters.
Morning Joe Hits Record Low Ratings, But MSNBC Thinks Viewers Will Be Back
MSNBC and its flagship shows Morning Joe and The Rachel Maddow Show are struggling through record. low ratings, but MSNBC thinks viewers will be back after Trump’s inauguration – Sarah Jones & Jason Eastley, December 18.
MSNBC And Morning Joe’s Woes Continue
There has been a change in the political media landscape since Election Day 2024. Viewers have fled MSNBC and CNN, and so far, they have not come back. The hosts of Morning Joe made the situation even worse by going to Mar-a-Lago and making nice with Donald Trump.
This act was viewed as a betrayal by many MSNBC viewers who have expressed themselves by not watching the morning show.
The result has been record-low ratings for the morning show.
MSNBC’s other flagship brand, The Rachel Maddow Show, has also experienced its own record-low ratings. Some Maddow viewers have expressed on social media that they can’t stomach Maddow’s tendency toward negativity in her storytelling.
If anyone thought that this experience would teach MSNBC and other corporate media not to take their audiences for granted, the network does not seem to be getting the message.
At the same time, MSNBC executives feel that the network’s loyal viewers will return after the sting of Kamala Harris’ loss fades away and Democratic anger over Trump’s policies grows. This happened in 2016 when MSNBC’s audience fell by 41 percent immediately after Hillary Clinton’s loss, only for the channel to experience a sustained “resistance” surge in 2017 after Trump took office.
“A post-election dip in viewership was always projected and internal thinking is that it will pick up in the New Year, post-inauguration,” a network source told The Independent.
See also Raw Story <newsletter@m.rawstory.com> for coverage of American politics.
Cambridge
The last part of our trip was spent having a lovely break in Cambridge where we caught up with family and friends. Having lived in Cambridge for over 6 months, and returning there on each trip to the UK, it is a joy to walk into the city, visit familiar cafes, and find new ones, have a sandwich at John Lewis (and recharge our phones at their convenient stations) and visit art galleries. On this occasion we visited Kettle’s Yard on Castle Street, and I was thrilled to be at a private viewing of a project for experienced artists and aspiring artists. This was held at a very familiar spot, near Garden Walk, in which I canvassed for the British Labour Party for several years while in the UK.
A walk up Castle Mound
This is a lovely walk, and only possible because two Labour Councillors, the late Claire Richards and Jocelynne Scutt fought to save it from a misguided attempt to sell it. Unfortunately, the County Council chambers in the distance were not saved. Cambridge is in the far distance.
Nov 15, 2019 · Labour County Councillors Jocelynne Scutt and Claire Richards have stepped up their campaign to have Castle Mound registered as a town green and save it for future generations of local residents and visitors to the city.
Private Viewing – Cambridge Black Creatives
This “unique arts group [supports] black creative people in Cambridge. We are creating a transformational space for art making and honest discussion on racial issues.” Reclaiming Narrative pamphlet.
Below, in the top row: Sandra Scott- Untitled, Fabric painting, quilting and applique; Selena Scott – Bajan Man, German’s Boy and The Thinker.
http://www.cambridgeblackcreatives.co.uk
More on Cambridge next week – another art gallery and another lovely, but not so politically important, walk around this lovely city.
Robin's Room 