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The Hummingbird Effect
An epic, kaleidoscopic story of four women connected across time and place by an invisible thread and their determination to shape their own stories, from the acclaimed author of The Mother Fault. One of the lucky few with a job during the Depression, Peggy’s just starting out in life. She’s a bagging girl at the Angliss meatworks, a place buzzing with life as well as death, where the gun slaughterman Jack has caught her eye – and she his. How is her life connected to Hilda’s, almost a hundred years later, locked inside during a plague, or La’s, further on again, a singer working shifts in a warehouse as her eggs are frozen and her voice is used by AI bots? Let alone Maz, far removed in time, diving for remnants of a past that must be destroyed? Is it by the river that runs through their stories, eternal yet constantly changing – or by the mysterious Hummingbird Project, and the great question of whether the march of progress can ever be reversed? Propulsive, tender and engrossing, this genre-bending novel is a feast for the heart as well as the mind and senses. For fans of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, Michelle de Kretser’s The Life to Come and Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House, it confirms Mildenhall as one of the most ambitious and dynamic writers in the country.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2023
218 people are currently reading
2548 people want to read
About the author
Kate Mildenhall
5 books202 followersKate Mildenhall is the author of Skylarking (2016) The Mother Fault (2020) and The Hummingbird Effect ((2023). She lives in Hurstbridge on Wurundjeri lands, with her partner and two children.
Skylarking was longlisted for Debut Fiction in The Indie Book Awards 2017, and the 2017 Voss Literary Award. The Mother Fault was longlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the 2021 Aurealis Science Fiction Novel of the Year. The Hummingbird Effect is due for release August 2nd 2023.
With friend and author Katherine Collette, Kate co-hosts The First Time Podcast – conversations with Australian writers – a podcast now in its sixth season.
Kate is currently undertaking her PhD in creative writing at RMIT. She can be found on Instagram at @kmildenhall and Twitter @katemildenhall.
Skylarking was longlisted for Debut Fiction in The Indie Book Awards 2017, and the 2017 Voss Literary Award. The Mother Fault was longlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the 2021 Aurealis Science Fiction Novel of the Year. The Hummingbird Effect is due for release August 2nd 2023.
With friend and author Katherine Collette, Kate co-hosts The First Time Podcast – conversations with Australian writers – a podcast now in its sixth season.
Kate is currently undertaking her PhD in creative writing at RMIT. She can be found on Instagram at @kmildenhall and Twitter @katemildenhall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
July 9, 2023
'Listen, shhhh, for what we know is back and it is forward, memory and dream'.
I opened this book and I was befuddled. I was dumbfounded; trying to understand a story that was told through four seemingly disparate storylines, across four different timelines. I persisted. How could this possibly evolve and resolve? I'm so glad I did. At the core of this story are some profound points to ponder and apply to our lives.
We follow Peggy who works at the meatworks in 1933 and it’s proposed the introduction of machines will streamline production; alternate to Hilda who resides in an old age home in 2020 and has just been put into lockdown; flick on to 2031, and La who is forced to pick up a factory job run predominantly by robots that might just be secretly trying to harvest your data, and lastly, in 2181 we learn about Maz who lives in a dystopia of environmental extremes. Each story is affected by the evolution of progress; steamrolling into the speculative possibilities of AI, 'The machine got too smart. It decided that the worst mistake was us.'
A hummingbird effect is rippling changes instigated by a new invention or idea; how it inadvertently morphs future applications and opportunities - often in unimaginable ways. 'Waiting, patient, patient to see what you all think of next'. However, while people may drive change, and stop at nothing to achieve change, the elements of life remain the same and hold infinite wisdom. Just like the river that flows past each of these four characters' lives.
This is a unique book that delves into a number of genres. It is as strange as it is compelling. It is historical fiction and it is speculative fiction. The only way to define it is: provocative.
I opened this book and I was befuddled. I was dumbfounded; trying to understand a story that was told through four seemingly disparate storylines, across four different timelines. I persisted. How could this possibly evolve and resolve? I'm so glad I did. At the core of this story are some profound points to ponder and apply to our lives.
We follow Peggy who works at the meatworks in 1933 and it’s proposed the introduction of machines will streamline production; alternate to Hilda who resides in an old age home in 2020 and has just been put into lockdown; flick on to 2031, and La who is forced to pick up a factory job run predominantly by robots that might just be secretly trying to harvest your data, and lastly, in 2181 we learn about Maz who lives in a dystopia of environmental extremes. Each story is affected by the evolution of progress; steamrolling into the speculative possibilities of AI, 'The machine got too smart. It decided that the worst mistake was us.'
A hummingbird effect is rippling changes instigated by a new invention or idea; how it inadvertently morphs future applications and opportunities - often in unimaginable ways. 'Waiting, patient, patient to see what you all think of next'. However, while people may drive change, and stop at nothing to achieve change, the elements of life remain the same and hold infinite wisdom. Just like the river that flows past each of these four characters' lives.
This is a unique book that delves into a number of genres. It is as strange as it is compelling. It is historical fiction and it is speculative fiction. The only way to define it is: provocative.
August 3, 2023
Footscray in 1933 saw nineteen year old Peggy at work in the abattoir, the Angliss meatworks, living with an older woman who was like a second mother to her, Lil. When Peggy spotted Jack, a slaughterman, and he spotted her, sparks flew. Moving on to 2020 when Hilda was incarcerated in an aged care home with a pandemic keeping them in lockdown. The staff were falling like flies, until there were only a few people - nurses - to care for the aged and infirm.
In 2031, set mostly in a WANT warehouse, where La had her eggs frozen, and her singing voice was used by the AI bots. Then we're in 2081, with Maz and Onyx, sisters with no family except the one run in a cult like manner by a man Maz didn't trust. Post climate change, new coastlines, no memory of the past. How were these women connected? From 1933 to 2081, the distance was astronomical but the connection was there. And with Hummingbird, an AI who answered questions on the fate of the earth and how it all went wrong.
The Hummingbird Effect is the 2nd of Aussie author Kate Mildenhall's that I have read, and Skylarking is still my favourite. This one, with its broad mix of genres - speculative, historical and contemporary with some literary mixed through - I have to say I was confused, but also drawn in, especially to the days of the pandemic, and the heartbreak of what went on (and is still going on). I was saddened by the poverty and brutality of 1933 Footscray, and fascinated by Maz and Onyx's stories. Recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
In 2031, set mostly in a WANT warehouse, where La had her eggs frozen, and her singing voice was used by the AI bots. Then we're in 2081, with Maz and Onyx, sisters with no family except the one run in a cult like manner by a man Maz didn't trust. Post climate change, new coastlines, no memory of the past. How were these women connected? From 1933 to 2081, the distance was astronomical but the connection was there. And with Hummingbird, an AI who answered questions on the fate of the earth and how it all went wrong.
The Hummingbird Effect is the 2nd of Aussie author Kate Mildenhall's that I have read, and Skylarking is still my favourite. This one, with its broad mix of genres - speculative, historical and contemporary with some literary mixed through - I have to say I was confused, but also drawn in, especially to the days of the pandemic, and the heartbreak of what went on (and is still going on). I was saddened by the poverty and brutality of 1933 Footscray, and fascinated by Maz and Onyx's stories. Recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2023
Loved it! Four separate storylines: Footscray 1933, set in an abattoir as mechanisation is being introduced; an aged care home in 2020 and the pandemic; near future 2031 mostly set in the WANT warehouse (much like Amazon); and far future 2181 post climate disaster and new coastlines. Each storyline is hard to look away from particularly the endings of the 1933 and the 2020 stories. The pandemic story is particularly affecting considered what happened to the elderly in aged care homes. In between each storyline is Hummingbird, an AI being asked about humanity and where it went wrong. The connections between the stories isn’t revealed till much later but the writing and characters are so strong, I was really drawn into the stories and loved the conclusion. A compelling and impressive read.
September 11, 2023
Most conflicted I've been about a book in a while... I expected the stories to overlap eventually, or influence each other in a bigger way. I thought that was the reason it kept jumping around chapter to chapter, but no. Just messing up the flow of every story for no reason. Fantastic choice :;sarcasm:: Highly recommend just reading the chapters in chronological order, you're not missing anything or getting spoiled, and you can actually follow the threads infinitely better.
I found the 1933 chapters completely unnecessary and irritating. They only existed to establish the "march of technology" throughline, trying to compare new slaughterhouse machines to the advent of AI (so jarringly out of place given the other plotlines). And yet it takes up almost 40% of the book? WHY??
The 2020 plotline was so ridiculously paper-thin that the author had to bulk it up with HUGE chunks that were literally just transcripted lines from news reports strung together breathlessly without punctuation ("I am supposed to go to work wash your hands stay home except if you are essential sick in danger getting groceries exercising providing care to someone other than please read the entire press release I’ll get back to you on that") which ended up just being blocks of pages your eyes tumble down without processing. But it bulked up the word count, I guess.
2031 was actually a good storyline, and the 2181 plot was a fine followup (even if I did roll my eyes everytime someone in that one sincerely referred to "the beforetimes"). The book would probably have been an entire star higher if it had just been those two stories.
The writing was strong throughout, and I kept hoping there would be something to make it worthwhile sitting through the 1933/2020 slogs, but they ended up just being wastes of time in my opinion.
I found the 1933 chapters completely unnecessary and irritating. They only existed to establish the "march of technology" throughline, trying to compare new slaughterhouse machines to the advent of AI (so jarringly out of place given the other plotlines). And yet it takes up almost 40% of the book? WHY??
The 2020 plotline was so ridiculously paper-thin that the author had to bulk it up with HUGE chunks that were literally just transcripted lines from news reports strung together breathlessly without punctuation ("I am supposed to go to work wash your hands stay home except if you are essential sick in danger getting groceries exercising providing care to someone other than please read the entire press release I’ll get back to you on that") which ended up just being blocks of pages your eyes tumble down without processing. But it bulked up the word count, I guess.
2031 was actually a good storyline, and the 2181 plot was a fine followup (even if I did roll my eyes everytime someone in that one sincerely referred to "the beforetimes"). The book would probably have been an entire star higher if it had just been those two stories.
The writing was strong throughout, and I kept hoping there would be something to make it worthwhile sitting through the 1933/2020 slogs, but they ended up just being wastes of time in my opinion.
December 5, 2024
Book club.
I don’t usually review books I DNF’d but seeing as it’s for book club, I had better.
Some discussion quotes:
“Not as many birds as one would expect.”
“Crossing of literary tropes:” river, AI, emojis, Trade Union, covid, DV, women in tough time periods.
“Lacked sophistication. Clunky. Unfocused.”
“Meatworks - done a million times.”
“Over-worked in every respect.”
Why did I DNF? Boredom. Literary fiction isn’t for me.
Ratings: my DNF, 2, 2, 1.5, 1, average = 1.7 excl DNF.
For another perspective, check out the review by Brendon Oliver-Ewen.
I don’t usually review books I DNF’d but seeing as it’s for book club, I had better.
Some discussion quotes:
“Not as many birds as one would expect.”
“Crossing of literary tropes:” river, AI, emojis, Trade Union, covid, DV, women in tough time periods.
“Lacked sophistication. Clunky. Unfocused.”
“Meatworks - done a million times.”
“Over-worked in every respect.”
Why did I DNF? Boredom. Literary fiction isn’t for me.
Ratings: my DNF, 2, 2, 1.5, 1, average = 1.7 excl DNF.
For another perspective, check out the review by Brendon Oliver-Ewen.
September 25, 2023
The Hummingbird Effect (Simon & Schuster, 2023) is Kate Mildenhall’s third novel. Told in four separate and yet thematically interconnected time lines, Mildenhall exposes the lives of her female characters to explore the future of humanity with particular reference to violence against women, capitalism, and worker exploitation.
The novel opens in Footscray in 1933 where Peggy, employed in at the local meatworks, falls victim to the charm and coercive control of fellow worker Jack. Lil, Peggy’s landlady and friend, not only observes the escalating violence within this relationship, but also bears witness to the poverty of the Great Depression, and the impact that mechanisation and the quest for profit has on the workers and their families.
In 2020, we are introduced to Hilda, a former scientist, as she reflects on her life’s research and her foretelling of the climate crisis. Now living in an aged care facility, Hilda, and the staff, are subjected to the horrific consequences of the Covid pandemic and the outsourcing of care.
In the third timeline, 2031, we meet La and her girlfriend Cat. Although both struggle to balance their moral beliefs with the necessities of survival, it is La, working in an Amazon style warehouse, under constant surveillance, with the voice of the AI ringing in her ear piece, who is the victim of capitalist system.
Finally, in 2181, we meet sisters Onyx and Maz, survivors in our now shattered world and yet still subjected to the violence and worker exploitation of their forebears.
Woven through these four timelines is a fifth thread, the Hummingbird Project - the artificial intelligence responding to the philosophical questions posed by the human interviewer. The man who, with the help of AI, ultimately hopes to solve the apparent demise of humanity. The section of the novel which outlines Hummingbird’s long list of human innovations to be considered for “uninvention” is particularly thought provoking, especially given ‘the complex interplay of different factors’ and the necessity ‘to balance benefits and risks’. Mildenhall’s employment of the Hummingbird Effect, a metaphor for the complex theory that apparently unrelated events in one field can trigger unexpected outcomes in another, but is only evident in retrospect, is inspired.
As the novel shifts back and forth through these seemingly disparate time periods and characters, it is Mildenhall’s clever use of the key themes – violence against women and capitalism/worker exploitation - along with the Hummingbird theory, that holds the work together.
‘Listen, shhhh, for what we know is back and it is forward, memory and dream.’
Alongside of this journey through time and the experiences of these women, Mildenhall experiments with form interspersing the prose with alternative literary devices including electronic messaging and powerful sections of freeform poetry. The result is a genre defying novel, populated by fascinating and beautifully drawn characters which, despite trigger warnings for domestic violence and elder neglect, is ultimately hopeful in its celebration of the potential of humanity, if only people could, or would, work together.
I loved and admired this book.
The novel opens in Footscray in 1933 where Peggy, employed in at the local meatworks, falls victim to the charm and coercive control of fellow worker Jack. Lil, Peggy’s landlady and friend, not only observes the escalating violence within this relationship, but also bears witness to the poverty of the Great Depression, and the impact that mechanisation and the quest for profit has on the workers and their families.
In 2020, we are introduced to Hilda, a former scientist, as she reflects on her life’s research and her foretelling of the climate crisis. Now living in an aged care facility, Hilda, and the staff, are subjected to the horrific consequences of the Covid pandemic and the outsourcing of care.
In the third timeline, 2031, we meet La and her girlfriend Cat. Although both struggle to balance their moral beliefs with the necessities of survival, it is La, working in an Amazon style warehouse, under constant surveillance, with the voice of the AI ringing in her ear piece, who is the victim of capitalist system.
Finally, in 2181, we meet sisters Onyx and Maz, survivors in our now shattered world and yet still subjected to the violence and worker exploitation of their forebears.
Woven through these four timelines is a fifth thread, the Hummingbird Project - the artificial intelligence responding to the philosophical questions posed by the human interviewer. The man who, with the help of AI, ultimately hopes to solve the apparent demise of humanity. The section of the novel which outlines Hummingbird’s long list of human innovations to be considered for “uninvention” is particularly thought provoking, especially given ‘the complex interplay of different factors’ and the necessity ‘to balance benefits and risks’. Mildenhall’s employment of the Hummingbird Effect, a metaphor for the complex theory that apparently unrelated events in one field can trigger unexpected outcomes in another, but is only evident in retrospect, is inspired.
As the novel shifts back and forth through these seemingly disparate time periods and characters, it is Mildenhall’s clever use of the key themes – violence against women and capitalism/worker exploitation - along with the Hummingbird theory, that holds the work together.
‘Listen, shhhh, for what we know is back and it is forward, memory and dream.’
Alongside of this journey through time and the experiences of these women, Mildenhall experiments with form interspersing the prose with alternative literary devices including electronic messaging and powerful sections of freeform poetry. The result is a genre defying novel, populated by fascinating and beautifully drawn characters which, despite trigger warnings for domestic violence and elder neglect, is ultimately hopeful in its celebration of the potential of humanity, if only people could, or would, work together.
I loved and admired this book.
September 12, 2023
Although I admired the creativity and deep thinking that went into this novel, I admit to being baffled much of the time. Mildenhall structured her “genre-bending” novel into four distinct narratives, linked by a thread that is revealed towards the conclusion. We are introduced to Peggy and Lil in Footscray 1933, Hilda in an Aged Care Home 2020 during the pandemic lockdown, La and Cat in Footscray 2031, sisters Maz and Onyx 2181, and a futuristic scenario of AI and the Hummingbird Project.
Each of the women deals with the impact of life-changing situations and their wider implications. While I understood the stories of the women I could relate to, I struggled with the distant future sections and found the author’s attention in these narratives to be “gimmicky”, having little impact on me.
Each of the women deals with the impact of life-changing situations and their wider implications. While I understood the stories of the women I could relate to, I struggled with the distant future sections and found the author’s attention in these narratives to be “gimmicky”, having little impact on me.
October 9, 2024
Book club is done. Ratings 1, 1, 2, 2, and my 1.5.
So I’m rounding up to 2 because.. no need to be cruel. Plenty of others reviews have done that! I think my summary: seems like the author was desperately trying to impress by throwing in every literary trope possible. Sportyrod will write a MUCH better review than me so read his! He has written a LOT of quotes from our Book Club.
So I’m rounding up to 2 because.. no need to be cruel. Plenty of others reviews have done that! I think my summary: seems like the author was desperately trying to impress by throwing in every literary trope possible. Sportyrod will write a MUCH better review than me so read his! He has written a LOT of quotes from our Book Club.
February 13, 2024
In pieces, each of the storylines were engrossing. I have long enjoyed Kate Mildenhall’s writing style. Yet, taken as a whole, this novel was ultimately confusing.
Part of this can be attributed to listening to it instead of reading it. It’s not a novel suited to audio, there were too many other elements to it. I ended up going back through the eBook version after I finished listening, looking for clues and connections that I might have missed in the audio version and there were diagrams and an illustration as well, all of which was not conveyed over audio.
I think I was expecting more from this novel, some stronger connections, not just between the characters but thematically. I ended up searching online for articles and reviews, because ultimately, I really just wanted someone to explain to me what the novel was about. What I had missed.
The Hummingbird Effect is a visionary, genre bending novel. I would recommend reading it above listening to it. Best suited to readers who like their fiction speculative and open to interpretation.
Part of this can be attributed to listening to it instead of reading it. It’s not a novel suited to audio, there were too many other elements to it. I ended up going back through the eBook version after I finished listening, looking for clues and connections that I might have missed in the audio version and there were diagrams and an illustration as well, all of which was not conveyed over audio.
I think I was expecting more from this novel, some stronger connections, not just between the characters but thematically. I ended up searching online for articles and reviews, because ultimately, I really just wanted someone to explain to me what the novel was about. What I had missed.
The Hummingbird Effect is a visionary, genre bending novel. I would recommend reading it above listening to it. Best suited to readers who like their fiction speculative and open to interpretation.
October 26, 2023
I don't know what was going on here. As in, I didn't understand the point of it. I kept on waiting for the storylines to be woven into an interesting tapestry with a worthy pay off, but that's not what I got.
September 10, 2023
I enjoyed reading the story set in 1933. I found it difficult to read the other stories.
July 27, 2023
This book will make you wish you could stay for a minute longer, or more, in the lives of those throughout the 248 years that it covers. Fierce women, climate change, human’s ability to destroy everything they have that is beautiful. AI, unions, viruses. A desperation to exist, to continue to exist. Hope.
This is a book to press into hands of others.
This is a book to press into hands of others.
January 29, 2024
I haven’t read Kate Mildenhall before and while I enjoyed The Hummingbird Effect, it’s a book I would have loved to have seen go beyond its 300 pages to allow each of the 4 character arcs to maybe arc a little bit more. Maybe more importantly more scope could have been given to the titular Effect, which is basically that there is no way of knowing the impact of something that happens over THERE might be over HERE. Frankly, that through-line made very little difference to me. If each of the Hummingbird sequences were removed, not sure if anything would have felt much different.
The four women woven together appear to have a familial connection of some sort.
Peggy (1933) is the mother of Hilda (2020). Cat & La 2031) are the parents many times removed of Maz & Oryx (2181). I either couldn’t figure or completely missed any connection then between Hilda, who appears to have no children, but does have nephews and nieces, and Cat/La. There’s also no obvious (to me, at least) reveal of who Hilda’s sibling is.
Is any of that important? I can’t tell. But why create a familial chain if it’s not? If someone can tell me where I’ve dropped those stitches, by all means let me know.
All four stories are connected by monumental social disruption and personal rebellion.
Peggy is living in a time where female agency is starting to ascend, and where increased mechanisation threatens the livelihoods, and for some the manhood, of manual labour. Peggy’s personal rebellion is forged as she strains against the limited horizons of her time and gender.
Her child, Hilda, now in her final years, is trapped in the COVID pandemic’s tragic impact on elder care. Coming to the end of a long, successful life, Hilda’s rebellion is both inner and outer as she travels further into dementia, refusing to let her memories be washed away.
La & Cat are cast in a near future where robotics, AI and other technology are changing how we live, work, identify and protect our humanity. La’s pretty normal (for its time) domestic life feels like a very light counter-weight to her choice to engage in geurilla rebellion against the machine of mass production, but it lands just on the good side of believable.
Maz & Oryx are in a dystopian future where the rise of tech, coupled with our own putrification of the planet, has reduced the remnants of humankind to more basic, tribal, and superstitious circumstances. Their choice to rebel is urgent, born from both natural curiosity and the instinct to survive.
As for the Effect? It interjects occasionally, but for me felt lacking in impact on my own understanding of the narrative.
This is clearly a well-written, carefully constructed book, and I could probably have happily read a full novel of any of the four major component parts.
Liked it a lot without loving it, but that’s maybe my failing to see some of the connective tissue.
The four women woven together appear to have a familial connection of some sort.
Peggy (1933) is the mother of Hilda (2020). Cat & La 2031) are the parents many times removed of Maz & Oryx (2181). I either couldn’t figure or completely missed any connection then between Hilda, who appears to have no children, but does have nephews and nieces, and Cat/La. There’s also no obvious (to me, at least) reveal of who Hilda’s sibling is.
Is any of that important? I can’t tell. But why create a familial chain if it’s not? If someone can tell me where I’ve dropped those stitches, by all means let me know.
All four stories are connected by monumental social disruption and personal rebellion.
Peggy is living in a time where female agency is starting to ascend, and where increased mechanisation threatens the livelihoods, and for some the manhood, of manual labour. Peggy’s personal rebellion is forged as she strains against the limited horizons of her time and gender.
Her child, Hilda, now in her final years, is trapped in the COVID pandemic’s tragic impact on elder care. Coming to the end of a long, successful life, Hilda’s rebellion is both inner and outer as she travels further into dementia, refusing to let her memories be washed away.
La & Cat are cast in a near future where robotics, AI and other technology are changing how we live, work, identify and protect our humanity. La’s pretty normal (for its time) domestic life feels like a very light counter-weight to her choice to engage in geurilla rebellion against the machine of mass production, but it lands just on the good side of believable.
Maz & Oryx are in a dystopian future where the rise of tech, coupled with our own putrification of the planet, has reduced the remnants of humankind to more basic, tribal, and superstitious circumstances. Their choice to rebel is urgent, born from both natural curiosity and the instinct to survive.
As for the Effect? It interjects occasionally, but for me felt lacking in impact on my own understanding of the narrative.
This is clearly a well-written, carefully constructed book, and I could probably have happily read a full novel of any of the four major component parts.
Liked it a lot without loving it, but that’s maybe my failing to see some of the connective tissue.
September 4, 2023
I tend not to read too much Australian fiction. Don't know why. Kate Mildenhall has, however, given me the impetus to ensure that situation changes now with this stunning novel. It's hard to call a book that is only 330 pages an 'epic', yet the scope of the writer's vision is such that The Hummingbird Effect effortlessly and succinctly encapsulates many of the ways in which humanity has failed to cope with change over time.
From Jack's symbolically futile attempt to halt the inexorable march of mechanisation, to the terrifying way COVID swept through our nursing homes, leaving the defenceless neglected when at their most vulnerable (a systemic flaw, no fault of the care workers), to the ethical questions concerning what it actually means to have children in an already overpopulated world, to what the planet will be like when seas have risen and it is too hot to go outside during the day time, to dealing with AI - it's all addressed with insight and empathy, and I do Mildenhall a disservice because each section deals with so much more than the overarching issues I have listed, and I'm sure that I missed many links between the sections (motherhood being an important one) along the way. But that is what a second reading is for!
To encapsulate my love for this novel, the following passage, which demonstrates that our most basic assumptions may be the most fundamentally flawed, left me in awe of what I feel is Kate Mildenhall 's prescience:
‘There is a story in the archive of a person who created a machine to try to save the world before the Collapse.’ ‘How?’ ‘They invented a code.’ ‘A code?’ ‘A code to program a machine smarter than a human who might be able to turn back time and undo our worst mistake.’ ‘Did it work?’ ‘No.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘The machine got too smart. It decided the worst mistake was us.’ Maz and Onyx look at each other. ‘It was meant to kill all the humans?’ Onyx asks. Hera nods. ‘That is the story.’ ‘But,’ says Maz, ‘we are still here.’ ‘Yes,’ Hera continues. ‘It destroyed itself rather than do what it was meant to do.’
A wonderful, confronting and thought-provoking novel that has opened the door to the literary library of a country that I have inexcusably shunned.
From Jack's symbolically futile attempt to halt the inexorable march of mechanisation, to the terrifying way COVID swept through our nursing homes, leaving the defenceless neglected when at their most vulnerable (a systemic flaw, no fault of the care workers), to the ethical questions concerning what it actually means to have children in an already overpopulated world, to what the planet will be like when seas have risen and it is too hot to go outside during the day time, to dealing with AI - it's all addressed with insight and empathy, and I do Mildenhall a disservice because each section deals with so much more than the overarching issues I have listed, and I'm sure that I missed many links between the sections (motherhood being an important one) along the way. But that is what a second reading is for!
To encapsulate my love for this novel, the following passage, which demonstrates that our most basic assumptions may be the most fundamentally flawed, left me in awe of what I feel is Kate Mildenhall 's prescience:
‘There is a story in the archive of a person who created a machine to try to save the world before the Collapse.’ ‘How?’ ‘They invented a code.’ ‘A code?’ ‘A code to program a machine smarter than a human who might be able to turn back time and undo our worst mistake.’ ‘Did it work?’ ‘No.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘The machine got too smart. It decided the worst mistake was us.’ Maz and Onyx look at each other. ‘It was meant to kill all the humans?’ Onyx asks. Hera nods. ‘That is the story.’ ‘But,’ says Maz, ‘we are still here.’ ‘Yes,’ Hera continues. ‘It destroyed itself rather than do what it was meant to do.’
A wonderful, confronting and thought-provoking novel that has opened the door to the literary library of a country that I have inexcusably shunned.
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October 25, 2023I didn't think Kate Mildenhall could top The Mother Fault but how wrong I was. This book is truly remarkable. An important book for our times...and it made me weep. Guh! Gutted me. Too frighteningly prescient. Highly recommend.
March 31, 2024
Wow! Loved this!
October 17, 2023
Kate Mildenhall is one of the few writers who can set parts of her content in the future and not put me off. This book covers a wide range of time periods, each meticulously researched and/or imagined.
The 1933 Footscray setting was most interesting to me as I know the area well; it will absolutely satisfy any Melbourne history buffs.
The near-future setting was similarly amazing, although way too close to home with its AI imaginings – I am a technical writer and there are plenty of folks who think AI will mark the end of that type of job (I very much beg to differ!).
Most jarring, however, was the 2020 setting. Mildenhall launches into these passages that are basically a run-on sentence of the language of covid-times. I heard all of them in Dan Andrews’ voice; I didn’t think reading the phrase, “Everybody right to go?” would make me feel emotional but these passages of the book are really affecting, especially for those of us who went through Melbourne’s interminable (but necessary) lockdowns. These passages were also a real insight into our relatively new vernacular relating to Covid-19. It’s so interesting to see fiction coming out directly relating to that experience, and Mildenhall deals with it very much from the Melbourne experience perspective. I loved it for that, even though it was also somewhat upsetting.
Mildenhall is a fascinating writer. Literary, futuristic, convention-busting – it’s tremendously engaging.
Please shop at your local independent bookstore. Follow me at www.instagram.com/avrbookstuff and www.instagram.com/averilrobertson_writer
The 1933 Footscray setting was most interesting to me as I know the area well; it will absolutely satisfy any Melbourne history buffs.
The near-future setting was similarly amazing, although way too close to home with its AI imaginings – I am a technical writer and there are plenty of folks who think AI will mark the end of that type of job (I very much beg to differ!).
Most jarring, however, was the 2020 setting. Mildenhall launches into these passages that are basically a run-on sentence of the language of covid-times. I heard all of them in Dan Andrews’ voice; I didn’t think reading the phrase, “Everybody right to go?” would make me feel emotional but these passages of the book are really affecting, especially for those of us who went through Melbourne’s interminable (but necessary) lockdowns. These passages were also a real insight into our relatively new vernacular relating to Covid-19. It’s so interesting to see fiction coming out directly relating to that experience, and Mildenhall deals with it very much from the Melbourne experience perspective. I loved it for that, even though it was also somewhat upsetting.
Mildenhall is a fascinating writer. Literary, futuristic, convention-busting – it’s tremendously engaging.
Please shop at your local independent bookstore. Follow me at www.instagram.com/avrbookstuff and www.instagram.com/averilrobertson_writer
January 21, 2025
Really interesting book exploring four storylines set in different times between 1933 and 2133. Very well paced.
The writing style used for storyline set in 2020 threw me straight back into the covid pandemic and was an insane reminder of everything that I had forgotten about that time period, written with the chaos of the emotions felt at the time.
The writing style used for storyline set in 2020 threw me straight back into the covid pandemic and was an insane reminder of everything that I had forgotten about that time period, written with the chaos of the emotions felt at the time.
December 13, 2023
It took me a while to get into this book, but around 1/3 of the way in, I started to enjoy it a lot more. However, I was disappointed that the various timelines didn't come together as much as I had hoped they would in the end. Their connection was rather vague - it would have been more satisfying if there was a stronger link between them (besides some characters being related and the theme of technology). They essentially felt like standalone stories, making the alternating chapters unnecessary. I also did not enjoy reading the enormous chunks of run-on text in the 2020 section. Overall, it was a decent read and quite creative, but it left me feeling like something was missing.
March 12, 2024
Three inter-connected stories across generations. In my opinion, the author didn't manage to convince me of the value of these stories as connected pieces of work. The stories in their own right are interesting (but perhaps none of which I would pick up for their own merit) but the author failed to convince me these are the right stories to be used to demonstrate the buttterfly effect.
Banal is a term that comes to mind when thinking of thrse stories but perhaps a little harsh.
The story I enjoyed the most is the one set in the early 20th century around the meatworks. This would have been a good historical fiction in its own right.
Banal is a term that comes to mind when thinking of thrse stories but perhaps a little harsh.
The story I enjoyed the most is the one set in the early 20th century around the meatworks. This would have been a good historical fiction in its own right.
September 1, 2023
Interesting time split chapters but couldn't get into it (read 50%)
November 26, 2023
I didn’t like the structure of this novel, it did interest me enough to finish but it was not worth the effort.
July 26, 2025
2.5 stars. this book was so boring but i also kinda liked it but i’m also really confused because half the plots i didn’t understand
January 4, 2024
Absolutely adored this multi genre whirlwind of a book. The writing is sublime and as Pip Williams says it remembers our past, honours our present and imagines our future in a bild astonishing way.
August 18, 2024
.....📚 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 📚.....
The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall is a genre-defying epic that spans from 1933 to 2181 and explores the future of humanity through the lives of four women.
Footscray, 1933- Peggy is one of the lucky few with a job as a bagging girl at Angliss Meatworks during the Depression, where she has caught the eye of slaughterman Jack King. Their romance is fraught with the tensions of capitalism and progress as his role is replaced by machinery, and his frustration is taken out on Peggy.
Sanctuary Gardens Aged Care, 2020- Hilda is losing her memories. To make matters worse, a plague has meant she is a prisoner in her aged care facility as the world around her disappears. No longer able to see her family or even the staff she has come to know, can she hold on to who she once was.
Footscray, 2031- La has always been an artist, her voice her instrument, but when she can no longer sing, she is forced into taking up a job at the local WANT warehouse. Controlled by excessive consumerism and automated processes, beholden to the company who is facilitating her fertility treatment, and hearing her own voice from the AI used around her, La is bound to reach breaking point.
The Future 2181- Maz and her sister Onyx spend their days diving for remnants of a past they do not understand, that they are tasked with destroying.
All these narratives are interweaved with excerpts from a philosophical conversation between a human interviewer and an AI program named the Hummingbird Project, that the human hopes will solve the problems of humanity.
This one was such an unusual and sublime read that covers so many genres, from historical, to contemporary, to speculative fiction and more. Zeroing in on capitalism, artificial intelligence, and power and control, this book makes you think about the political and ethical in all the advancements humanity makes. This is one that I'll be thinking about for a while. Definitely recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5).
The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall is a genre-defying epic that spans from 1933 to 2181 and explores the future of humanity through the lives of four women.
Footscray, 1933- Peggy is one of the lucky few with a job as a bagging girl at Angliss Meatworks during the Depression, where she has caught the eye of slaughterman Jack King. Their romance is fraught with the tensions of capitalism and progress as his role is replaced by machinery, and his frustration is taken out on Peggy.
Sanctuary Gardens Aged Care, 2020- Hilda is losing her memories. To make matters worse, a plague has meant she is a prisoner in her aged care facility as the world around her disappears. No longer able to see her family or even the staff she has come to know, can she hold on to who she once was.
Footscray, 2031- La has always been an artist, her voice her instrument, but when she can no longer sing, she is forced into taking up a job at the local WANT warehouse. Controlled by excessive consumerism and automated processes, beholden to the company who is facilitating her fertility treatment, and hearing her own voice from the AI used around her, La is bound to reach breaking point.
The Future 2181- Maz and her sister Onyx spend their days diving for remnants of a past they do not understand, that they are tasked with destroying.
All these narratives are interweaved with excerpts from a philosophical conversation between a human interviewer and an AI program named the Hummingbird Project, that the human hopes will solve the problems of humanity.
This one was such an unusual and sublime read that covers so many genres, from historical, to contemporary, to speculative fiction and more. Zeroing in on capitalism, artificial intelligence, and power and control, this book makes you think about the political and ethical in all the advancements humanity makes. This is one that I'll be thinking about for a while. Definitely recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5).
May 10, 2024
A frustrating read. Beautifully written, but honestly it was unclear how the stories linked, although they were, or what the point of any of it really was. No resolutions, just questions. It could have been great, but it seemed more like a warning than any actual wisdom. Not that it has to be a tale that clearly outlines what we need to learn from, but it seemed to me to be all these closely tied threads that just never really made anything. Disappointing, because it had enormous promise.
February 6, 2025
This book wasn’t for me. There were four stories, none of which I enjoyed the conclusion to (in fact, I didn’t feel they concluded properly aside from one), there were graphic sex scenes that didn’t add to the story in my opinion, there were graphic scenes of animal slaughter that also didn’t contribute much, and all around I felt the book was trying too hard to be literary instead of falling into it naturally. With the graphic content that I described above, it’s not a book I’d easily recommend to just anyone.
November 27, 2023
Loved the writing and the separate but connected storylines and really wanted to love the whole thing, but it felt unfinished
January 30, 2024
This book is cleverly written and the four very different stories are linked by the Hummingbird Effect and the evocatively described river that punctuates the novel. I didn't enjoy the section with too many text messages but I can see that this was a good way to quickly progress the plot and maintain the interest of some readers. The environmental message that we are destroying the planet was brilliantly conveyed. The fact that the computers were tasked with identifying what activities were destroying the planet and then removing them resulted in the destruction of man as man was the cause of so much damage. Fortunately a remnant survives. I did not enjoy the homosexual relationship that featured in one story.
November 27, 2025
a thought provoking read that i thoroughly enjoyed!
the beginning however was confusing to start with, and it took me a while to get used to the style of writing and prose. the ending was also unsatisfying - the stories were not wrapped up, but i suppose that was the purpose and it’s meant to make you think.
a beautiful story about four women, so far apart in time, but relating to various themes: which in my opinion, were desire and want, the advancement of technology/its impact on the world, and an undercurrent of climate change.
it was really interesting to read the sections on 2020, with the full chunks of writing about the pandemic confusing and overwhelming, just like living through the pandemic in Victoria was.
overall a beautiful book.
the beginning however was confusing to start with, and it took me a while to get used to the style of writing and prose. the ending was also unsatisfying - the stories were not wrapped up, but i suppose that was the purpose and it’s meant to make you think.
a beautiful story about four women, so far apart in time, but relating to various themes: which in my opinion, were desire and want, the advancement of technology/its impact on the world, and an undercurrent of climate change.
it was really interesting to read the sections on 2020, with the full chunks of writing about the pandemic confusing and overwhelming, just like living through the pandemic in Victoria was.
overall a beautiful book.
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