Final Draft - Great Conversations

Amy Suiter Clarke is the author of Girl 11.

Del swore she’d never return.

But years after she left Bower and the Messiah Church Del finds herself drawn back into its orbit by a mysterious message from her ex Lars. Del also swore she’d never talk to Lars again after he left her for her friend Eve, but now Lars sounds contrite.

Before Del has the chance to call Lars back though she discovers he’s been killed. The press are calling it a tragic accident but Del knows better about Messiah and how they always protect their own.

Lay Your Body Down is at turns a mystery and a thriller. The reader travels alongside Del as she returns to her hometown and into the hostile arms of the extended church she fled after high school.

Within the world of the Messiah it’s all ‘nothing to see here’ and we must take Del at face value that the church is an insidious threat. At its core Messiah church and the teachings of its charismatic Pastor Rick are fairly stock standard evangelical stuff. The twist here though is a regressive sense of gendered duty that compels women in the church to go above and beyond in a doctrine they call ‘Noble Wife’.

‘Noble Wife’ compels the women of the church into extremes of purity and is spearheaded by Del’s best friend Eve. Eve has written a blog about the Noble Wife teachings that exported the smalltown doctrine around the world. The same Eve who stole Del’s boyfriend and is why Del can’t believe this is all just a simple accident.

Off-balance is one way to describe the experience of reading Lay Your Body Down.

We meet Del and she is off-balance in life. It’s a state we come to understand has been her normal since she left Bower and her entire life in Messiah.

Del’s state of personal and social vertigo follows her as she tries to investigate Lars' death. We quickly learn it’s one thing to have suspicions and another entirely to prove them (or even get others to believe they might be true).

Del’s uncertainty at the truth of her case mirrors the social unease she feels ostracized from her church. Even if she was no longer able to follow their misogynistic doctrines that doesn’t mean she knows how to exist in a world outside of the church’s oppressive embrace.

The novel is terrifically terrifying because even as we are rooting for Del to solve the mystery at the heart of Lars’ death we understand that it may just lead her to lose so much more. The spiritual death she felt when she left Messiah the first time is visited on her again and again making her constantly doubt herself.

As we follow Del on her quest we come to view in its full horror the methods and means of control exercised on all the women at Messiah. Lay Your Body Down may ostensibly be about the death of one man but it comes to reveal a much darker and deeper violence being perpetrated.  

This was a real page turner and got me as much with its social commentary as its whodunnit style.

Loved this review?

You can get more books, writing and literary culture every week on the Final Draft Great Conversations podcast. Hear interviews with authors and discover your next favourite read!

Book Club is produced and presented by Andrew Pople

Want more great conversations with Australian authors?

Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.

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The Final Draft podcast is all about books, writing and literary culture. We're dedicated to exploring Australian writing, looking into the issues that drive our storytelling to discover more from the books you love.

These are the stories that make us who we are.

Andrew is joined by Dr Tamryn Bennet, a poet and the Artistic Director of Red Room Poetry.

Launched in 2021 by Red Room Poetry, Poetry Month aims to increase access, awareness and visibility of poetry in all its forms and for all audiences.

Poetry Month features a range of accessible online events and live streams, workshops by international guest poets, writing prompts via our daily #30in30 comp, and poetic installations.

Find out more at Red Room Poetry - https://redroompoetry.org/ 

Final Draft is produced and presented by Andrew Pople

Want more great conversations with Australian authors?

Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.

Get in touch with Andrew and Final Draft. We love to hear about what you’re reading!

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A.W. Hammond has a new Auguste Duchene novel out called The Berlin Traitor so let' go back and revisit my Book Club for Auguste's first outing, The Paris Collaborator

It’s Paris. August 1944.

Auguste Duchene is renowned for his ability to find missing people. He doesn’t see race or nationality, only people who need his help.

But Duchene is about to find himself in an impossible situation; as the Allies close in on Paris Duchene must find a missing priest and a German soldier.

The set up is deceptively simple; Duchene must help the Resistance to find a missing priest with a cache of guns, whilst also help the Nazis find a missing soldier in a war full of missing people.

If he fails in either mission his daughter will be killed. If either side finds out about the other, Duchene's own life is forfeit. 

Into this intriguing setting Hammond crafts a story about loyalty in a time of extremes. 

I was first drawn to The Paris Collaborator as a flight of pure escapism. Rightly or wrongly stories of war time heroism can offer a means of simplifying the world. In Duchene though I found something more than simply a white hat on his way to riding off into the sunset.

The Paris Collaborator pits polarised ideologies, both equally willing to brutalise and kill and both equally assured of their righteousness. From the distance of history we might say there was only one way, but as we walk the streets of a war torn city with Duchene we are shown the difficulty of individual clarity. 

and believes that this is enough to survive the war. 

And so we come to the heart of The Paris Collaborator, because even though we do not find ourselves fighting on the streets of Sydney we are equally thrown into ideological battles that seem to give no quarter.

As Duchene races to complete his mission the Allies approach Paris and its ultimate liberation. The question becomes as much will Duchene prevail, as how will his actions be viewed in the aftermath.

Hammond has drawn an immensely satisfying historical novel with beautifully realised scenes at the ground level. Drawing on archives and photographs of the time, the writing makes you feel as if you are walking the cobbled streets.

In mixing genres we also find ourselves shifting between war, crime and espionage wrought in sepia, noir tones. I could almost see Bogart playing Duchene (only he’d destroy the accent).

The Paris Collaborator is a tremendous read with some important ideas. Before you get online and destroy someone anonymously you might want to think about how pitted ideologies actually serve us as a community. As this novel shows us when we see only stereotypes everyday kindness is destroyed and that tends only to help the powerful at all our expense. 

The Final Draft podcast is all about books, writing and literary culture. We're dedicated to exploring Australian writing, looking into the issues that drive our storytelling to discover more from the books you love.

These are the stories that make us who we are.

Dale has a secret that’s eating away at him. He saw something, guys he knows from school, at a party, with a girl. She didn’t look like she was awake. They didn’t look like they were asking.

Dale was drunk. He didn’t do anything and now he doesn’t know what he saw or what it means.

Dale’s really wrapped up in what this means for him, when maybe he should be thinking about what it meant for Chloe.

Join Andrew and Robyn as they discuss Blind Spot

Content Warning - This episode contains discussion of sexual assault

Final Draft is produced and presented by Andrew Pople

Want more great conversations with Australian authors?

Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.

Get in touch with Andrew and Final Draft. We love to hear about what you’re reading!

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Ok book lovers, strap in I’ve got a wild one for you this week.

New York City Glow is the debut  novel from award winning portrait artist Rachel Coad. Just in case it doesn’t come up later, Rachel’s paintings are amazing and yuo should check them out on her website… https://www.rachelcoad.com.au/ 

New York City Glow’s synopsis is just about the most fun I’ve ever had summarizing a text…

An octopus named Strawberry and a snake named Ray road trip across the continental USA in the late seventies landing in New York in time to save the city from the forces of darkness and secure the future of music forever!

So this is a graphic novel. Rachel’s art blends sepia, photorealistic cityscapes with the cartoonish reptiles and an almost horror movie-like quality to her protagonists tentacles. The overall effect is a kind of phantasmagoric period piece set in 1970’s America.

The story is something of a hero’s quest. Strawberry is a bioluminescent octopus (look it up) whose perennial glow keeps getting her in trouble. She’s got an ex-con with an FBI record but all she really wants is to make music.

During her last prison stint Strawberry was subjected to horrific experiments and on the day she’s released she meets Ray who drives them cross country to New York.

Strawberry seeks fame and stardom in the Big Apple but all she finds in rejection. Finally she winds up as the janitor at CBGB’s and is there front and center to see The Ramones play live on the infamous night in 1977 when the entirety of New York is thrown into chaos as the city blacks out (look it up).

The book is an absolute riot for the senses as Coad goes out of her way to engage her reader on every level.

The story is minimalist but that does not mean it’s lacking (it’s so wild you’d be overrun  if anything more happened). Marry this with the gorgeous visuals that offer the reader a world in every panel. To top it all off Coad has a suggested playlist; each page is matched to a song and the whole thing is collected in its own Spotify playlist so you can sing along.

I’m 90% recommending this book because it’s just so much fun. Maybe I don’t emphasize this enough, but these book club reviews are all about books I’ve personally enjoyed and this is one I’ve already read twice.

New York City Glow is not without its themes though and in Ray and Strawberry’s journey in search of meaning I found a little of the existential crisis we all go through as we try to find our way in life. 

Sure none of us are glow-in-the-dark cephalopods (and more power to you if you are) but that doesn’t mean Strawberry’s tale won’t resonate. Go and check out New York City Glow and don’t forget to turn it up to eleven! 

The Final Draft podcast is all about books, writing and literary culture. We're dedicated to exploring Australian writing, looking into the issues that drive our storytelling to discover more from the books you love.

These are the stories that make us who we are.

Sarah Hutchison arrives at Ngangahook adrift. She has floated from her boarding school days in England, through continental Europe to arrive on the bush property outside Geelong.

At Ngangahook Sarah is surrounded by nature and soon begins to infuse her world. In her poetry and through her music, played on a posthumanist piano modified with elements plucked from the world around her, Sarah finds a sense of self not as apart from nature but as a piece in its whole.

Sarah and her Uncle Fernny fashion Ngangahook as their own paradise, but could it also be a bastion against the fast encroaching modern world?

Join Andrew and discover Gregory Day's The Bell of the World

Final Draft is produced and presented by Andrew Pople

Want more great conversations with Australian authors?

Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.

Get in touch with Andrew and Final Draft. We love to hear about what you’re reading!

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Today I’ve brought you a book that goes to the heart of our country. 

It’s called The Voice to Parliament Handbook and it has been written by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien.

Thomas Mayo is a Larrakia man who has written extensively about the Uluru Statement including Finding the Heart of the Nation, and Finding Our Heart, a book for young readers with illustrations by Blak Douglas.

Kerry O’Brien is an award winning journalist whose is known for his work on 7.30, Lateline and Four Corners.

Now this is not our usual fare of Australian Literature that I have each week for book club. But I wanted to bring this particular book in because the discussion around The Voice is so very important and this book offers a straightforward exploration of what is ‘The Voice’, how we got here and what it means to have this opportunity to vote in a referendum.

Each week when I present Final Draft on Saturday mornings, I talk about how these stories we read, that they are the stories that make us who we are. Stories have the power to reflect our world and in reading them; in taking them to heart or roundly rejecting them we in turn shape our world.

The Voice to Parliament Handbook doesn’t deal in abstractions though. It very clearly lays out the history, the movement to the voice and the issues that impact us as we prepare for a vote later this year. In a very real sense this book is part of a story that will shape who all of us are. So don’t we owe to ourselves to do the work, to read the information and make sure when we vote, we vote with as much information as possible.

The Voice to Parliament Handbook is a slim volume, clocking in at just under a hundred pages. It’s inexpensive too (I saw it online for just twelve dollars). The goal seemingly to make this information as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. With all the shouting and political arguments, not to mention the seemingly contradictory misinformation out there this is a wonderful opportunity to get information from respected writers.

Each chapter of the book opens up a facet of the history, journey and future of The Voice. 

The book begins with a transcript of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This powerful document is a must hear for all. The book takes us on a journey through the history of the struggle for First Nations peoples to have an effective voice and to ensure it is heard.

Later chapters describe for readers ‘what is a referendum?’ The purpose and mechanics of the vote. Many of the frequently asked, or accused questions are laid out to debunk myths and misinformation. We are also treated to eminent scholars including Professor Fiona Stanley and Professor Marcia Langton discussing the practical implications of the Voice for supporting communities and closing the gap.

This book is an invitation to everyone out there who is wondering about the voice or is perhaps feeling like they need more information to give to their loved ones. As we listen to opponents of the voice run a scare campaign behind the slogan “If you don’t know, vote no”, this book claps back with “If you don’t know, take the time to educate yourself”.

I’ve got my copy and I’m going to pass it along to whoever wants to find out more. Many people will do the same and I’d challenge all you booklovers, you lovers of knowledge and those of you who want to find out, go and get a copy of The Voice to Parliament Handbook by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien. When history is made later this year it will help you to understand why this is such an important step forward for all of us.

The Final Draft podcast is all about books, writing and literary culture. We're dedicated to exploring Australian writing, looking into the issues that drive our storytelling to discover more from the books you love.

These are the stories that make us who we are.

Robbie Egan is the CEO of Book People, formerly the Australian Booksellers Association. Book People are a not-for-profit advocacy group for booksellers.

Robbie joins Andrew today to discuss the ‘Importance of Imagination’ study, a report commissioned by Book People that looks into how Australians build their imaginations and the role reading plays in that process.

Final Draft is produced and presented by Andrew Pople

Want more great conversations with Australian authors?

Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.

Get in touch with Andrew and Final Draft. We love to hear about what you’re reading!

Twitter - https://twitter.com/finaldraft2ser 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/finaldraft2ser/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/finaldraft2ser/ 

The Final Draft podcast is all about books, writing and literary culture. We're dedicated to exploring Australian writing, looking into the issues that drive our storytelling to discover more from the books you love.

These are the stories that make us who we are.

Stella is an organisation that celebrates and promotes books by Australian women and non-binary writers. They support greater participation in the world of literature, and in doing so create a more equitable and vibrant national culture.

The 2023 Stella Prize has been won by Sarah Holland-Batt's The Jaguar.

Sarah joins Andrew on the show to talk poetry, life, death and her win.

Final Draft is produced and presented by Andrew Pople

Want more great conversations with Australian authors?

Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.

Get in touch with Andrew and Final Draft. We love to hear about what you’re reading!

Twitter - https://twitter.com/finaldraft2ser 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/finaldraft2ser/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/finaldraft2ser/ 

Monica Vuu is a Tasmanian based writer from Langley, British Columbia. When One Of Us Hurts is her first book.

In the coastal town of Port Brighton the locals look after each other. When two deaths occur too close together the town is on edge.

Port Brighton has always been wary of outsiders so suspicion naturally falls on the drowned boy Sebastian’s best friend Johnny and his mother Marie. 

When a reporter descends on the town seeking to unearth the truth of the events all anyone knows is that they have to protect their own, because in Port Brighton when one town member hurts, they all hurt.

…

When One of Us Hurts is an absolutely wild ride through a dark pastoral landscape where small town values are viewed through the prism of a funhouse mirror.

Monica Vuu draws the reader into the township of Port Brighton and its xenophobic tourist policy through the eyes of Livvy and Marie. Marie is an outsider. Although she has lived with her son Johnny in Port Brighton for years, the residents still view them as foreign and untrustworthy. Livvy is an insider. When her father moves in with Marie she inherits Johnny as her step brother.

Livvy and Marie don’t agree on much but they are both fiercely loyal to Johnny. When suspicion falls on him following the discovery of two bodies both will do whatever they can to protect Johnny and the town.

…

It’s tangled web of loyalties that ties together the narrative of When One of Us Hurts.  The bucolic pastoral idyll of small town life is magnified to horrific proportions as we see a town attempting to deal with the twin blows of death and notoriety. 

Livvy sits on her favorite seat in the local cafe watching as towns folk come and go talking of the recent terrible events. The cafe is a hub for all in the area and the perfect place to gather information.

It’s almost as if Vuu is challenging the reader along with Livvy to unpick the strange occurrences before the nosy reporter unearths something he shouldn’t.

Marie sits in her room at Lacey House. Working through her memories of arriving in town, the death of her partner and Livvy and her father joining their family she seems to be seeking some clue as to how it all came to this.

Monica Vuu’s characterisation of the residents of port Brighton is a chill to behold. She slowly draws out the mystery even as she draws us deeper into the fold of Port Brighton’s windswept streets.

There’s a mystery barely acknowledged in this review but one that grips you as you work your way into the story. It’s a testament to the storytelling that the darkness that grips this novel is so cleverly hidden as to elicit a genuine shock as it comes to the surface.

Too often we talk about summer reads and beach books but When One of Us Hurts is the perfect companion to curling up by the fire on these cold windswept nights!