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The Beloved
'...an acute evocation of postwar Australasia. Faulkner's novel is enlivened by a strong gift for metaphor and the wisdom to use it sparingly.'
When Roberta 'Bertie' Lightfoot is struck down with polio, her world collapses. But Mama doesn't tolerate self-pity, and Bertie is nobody if not her mother's daughter - until she sets her heart on becoming an artist. Through drawing, the gifted and perceptive Bertie gives form and voice to the reality of the people and the world around her. While her father is happy enough to indulge Bertie's driving passion, her mother will not let art get in the way of the future she wishes for her only daughter.
In 1955 the family moves to post-colonial Port Moresby, a sometimes violent frontier town, where Bertie, determined to be the master of her own life canvas, rebels against her mother's strict control. In this tropical landscape, Bertie thrives amid the lush pallette of colours and abundance, secretly learning the techniques of drawing and painting under the tutelage of her mother's arch rival.
But Roberta is not the only one deceiving her family. As secrets come to light, the domestic varnish starts to crack, and jealousy and passion threaten to forever mar the relationship between mother and daughter.
Tender and witty, The Beloved is a moving debut novel which paints a vivid portrait of both the beauty and the burden of unconditional love.
WINNER OF THE NITA B KIBBLE LITERARY AWARD 2013
SHORTLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD 2013
WINNER OF THE QUEENSLAND PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD FOR AN EMERGING QUEENSLAND AUTHOR 2011
COMMENDED FOR THE FAW CHRISTINA STEAD AWARD 2012
When Roberta 'Bertie' Lightfoot is struck down with polio, her world collapses. But Mama doesn't tolerate self-pity, and Bertie is nobody if not her mother's daughter - until she sets her heart on becoming an artist. Through drawing, the gifted and perceptive Bertie gives form and voice to the reality of the people and the world around her. While her father is happy enough to indulge Bertie's driving passion, her mother will not let art get in the way of the future she wishes for her only daughter.
In 1955 the family moves to post-colonial Port Moresby, a sometimes violent frontier town, where Bertie, determined to be the master of her own life canvas, rebels against her mother's strict control. In this tropical landscape, Bertie thrives amid the lush pallette of colours and abundance, secretly learning the techniques of drawing and painting under the tutelage of her mother's arch rival.
But Roberta is not the only one deceiving her family. As secrets come to light, the domestic varnish starts to crack, and jealousy and passion threaten to forever mar the relationship between mother and daughter.
Tender and witty, The Beloved is a moving debut novel which paints a vivid portrait of both the beauty and the burden of unconditional love.
WINNER OF THE NITA B KIBBLE LITERARY AWARD 2013
SHORTLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD 2013
WINNER OF THE QUEENSLAND PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD FOR AN EMERGING QUEENSLAND AUTHOR 2011
COMMENDED FOR THE FAW CHRISTINA STEAD AWARD 2012
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 12, 2015
With a few exceptions I am not a fan of coming of age stories, which is annoying as there seems to be a lot around at present. That said, I did enjoy The Beloved. From its stunning cover this book is filled with colour. It starts with the blackness that descends when polio hits Roberta (Bertie) Lightfoot as a young child and shows the cruelty of other children and sometimes adults to her disability. It reminds us how cruel people can be and how much words can wound.
With the help of her mother Lily May Bertie recovers and learns to walk again. But Bertie’s Mama does all she can do stop Bertie pursuing the one thing she wants to do –art. I struggle to understand parents who try to mould children into their own image or preconceived ideas of what they should be and do, instead of letting them be themselves. As you might expect Bertie’s passion for art becomes a major conflict between them. So you not only have the colours of the art as Bertie paints and the coloured auras she sees around people, (another things that causes trouble,) there are also the brilliant colours of bougainvillea and other examples of a tropical landscape after the family move to New Guinea and the town of Port Moresby.
This book gave lots to think about. It is insightful about relationships, that of mother and daughter but also other relationships. It is also a novel of secrets that are uncovered and those secrets always lead to trouble.
This book won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award for emerging author. Although an emerging author, her photo shows a smiling mature woman. This is a novel written by an author, I would suggest, with lots of life experience. It reads like some of this novel could perhaps be autobiographical. At times I found the behaviour of the characters hard to understand. That is not a fault of the writing. Just that I look at things differently. I experienced sadness, laughter, anger, outrage and frustration as I read, which shows I was involved with these characters, even if didn’t always understand them. I will be very interested to read this author’s next book.
With the help of her mother Lily May Bertie recovers and learns to walk again. But Bertie’s Mama does all she can do stop Bertie pursuing the one thing she wants to do –art. I struggle to understand parents who try to mould children into their own image or preconceived ideas of what they should be and do, instead of letting them be themselves. As you might expect Bertie’s passion for art becomes a major conflict between them. So you not only have the colours of the art as Bertie paints and the coloured auras she sees around people, (another things that causes trouble,) there are also the brilliant colours of bougainvillea and other examples of a tropical landscape after the family move to New Guinea and the town of Port Moresby.
This book gave lots to think about. It is insightful about relationships, that of mother and daughter but also other relationships. It is also a novel of secrets that are uncovered and those secrets always lead to trouble.
This book won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award for emerging author. Although an emerging author, her photo shows a smiling mature woman. This is a novel written by an author, I would suggest, with lots of life experience. It reads like some of this novel could perhaps be autobiographical. At times I found the behaviour of the characters hard to understand. That is not a fault of the writing. Just that I look at things differently. I experienced sadness, laughter, anger, outrage and frustration as I read, which shows I was involved with these characters, even if didn’t always understand them. I will be very interested to read this author’s next book.
August 21, 2012
This book had everything in it - happy, sad - things that made me think/reflect. I enjoyed this book very much and I think it was a good choice for our book club read.
Sometimes I did not quite understand Roberta and some of things that she did but that was okay.
The story starts in Melbourne where Roberta (Bertie) lives with her older brother Tim and her mum Lily May (Bean) and dad, Edric. Mum is Canadian and has coffee coloured skin. I am not sure how old Bertie was when she contracted Polio but she was young. It left her with a crippled foot with one leg shorter than the other but she could walk with a special boot. The way Bertie feels about her leg almost rules her life.
In 1959 the family moves to Port Moresby for her father's job. The family settle fairly easily but Bertie is always self concious because of her limp and because of it she will not wear clothes that finish above her knees.
Bertie has discovered a love of colours and she can auras when she looks at people. The auras can tell her what the person is thinking and if they are telling the truth or lying. Her mother scoffs at this so Bertie does not talk about the colours anymore. She has discovered she can draw but her drawings are very abstract and she does not colour in inside the lines. Her father's sister Tempe is also an artist and she can see Bertie's talent.
Life goes on - her parents are not the happiest couple in the world and after Bertie and her mother come back from 9 months visiting Lily May's family in Canada all hell breaks loose as she finds out her father has fallen in love with someone else and when Bertie eventually finds out who she is furious (this is Aunt Tempe friend who Bertie had met in Sydney - Helen is also an artist).
I though of Bertie as an ususual child in that she keeps to herself and loves to draw and colour. She does not have much time or want for friends, though she does have a good freind Stefi and because of their friendships their parents are also friends. At least the mother's are but not so much the Dads. There is something about Stefi's father that Bertie does not like.
I just found so much going on in this book and Bertie went through so much. Her parents pending divorce then their deciding against it and for a further 2 years they play at happy familiies but in the end it did not work. Her brother Tim got to miss out on most of it because he had been sent to bording school in Australia when he was 13. Lily May tried to send Bertie to boarding school too but Ed would not agree to it until Bertie was in grade 10.
Lily May wanted for her daughter the life that she had given up to marry Ed (she had been in 2nd year medical school when her first husband (a doctor) had died during the war in Italy and Lily May decided then not to continue with her medical training but now regretted that decision) So here we have a mother who wants her daughter to get really good marks at school when all Bertie wanted to really do was paint. Her mother tried to take all this away from her but it did not really work.
I have just gone though a marriage breakup myself and it really had me reflecting on my own circumstances. It's all very well to stay in the marriage because of the children but children grow up and leave home to live thier own lives, though Ed decided to stay with Lily May because of the children as they were only young at the time and she had threatened to take them back to Canada, it was Helen who finished their relationship because she had become friends with Bertie (through their love of art) and could see that time was not right for them. Lucky for Ed Helen was still there there and eventually they were able to be together because they were both truly in love with each other. It came out during their fights that Lily May seemed to have never really given up her love for her first husband who she had named Roberta after - when Bertie found this out it upset her so much that she wanted to change her name.
I though it was very much a thought provoking book with lots to say. It touched on so many things. I was reading it while at the blood bank yesterday with tears over one section of the story and the nurses wanted to know if I was okay and I said "sad story" - they said it must good then and that's when I realised that yest it was
Sometimes I did not quite understand Roberta and some of things that she did but that was okay.
The story starts in Melbourne where Roberta (Bertie) lives with her older brother Tim and her mum Lily May (Bean) and dad, Edric. Mum is Canadian and has coffee coloured skin. I am not sure how old Bertie was when she contracted Polio but she was young. It left her with a crippled foot with one leg shorter than the other but she could walk with a special boot. The way Bertie feels about her leg almost rules her life.
In 1959 the family moves to Port Moresby for her father's job. The family settle fairly easily but Bertie is always self concious because of her limp and because of it she will not wear clothes that finish above her knees.
Bertie has discovered a love of colours and she can auras when she looks at people. The auras can tell her what the person is thinking and if they are telling the truth or lying. Her mother scoffs at this so Bertie does not talk about the colours anymore. She has discovered she can draw but her drawings are very abstract and she does not colour in inside the lines. Her father's sister Tempe is also an artist and she can see Bertie's talent.
Life goes on - her parents are not the happiest couple in the world and after Bertie and her mother come back from 9 months visiting Lily May's family in Canada all hell breaks loose as she finds out her father has fallen in love with someone else and when Bertie eventually finds out who she is furious (this is Aunt Tempe friend who Bertie had met in Sydney - Helen is also an artist).
I though of Bertie as an ususual child in that she keeps to herself and loves to draw and colour. She does not have much time or want for friends, though she does have a good freind Stefi and because of their friendships their parents are also friends. At least the mother's are but not so much the Dads. There is something about Stefi's father that Bertie does not like.
I just found so much going on in this book and Bertie went through so much. Her parents pending divorce then their deciding against it and for a further 2 years they play at happy familiies but in the end it did not work. Her brother Tim got to miss out on most of it because he had been sent to bording school in Australia when he was 13. Lily May tried to send Bertie to boarding school too but Ed would not agree to it until Bertie was in grade 10.
Lily May wanted for her daughter the life that she had given up to marry Ed (she had been in 2nd year medical school when her first husband (a doctor) had died during the war in Italy and Lily May decided then not to continue with her medical training but now regretted that decision) So here we have a mother who wants her daughter to get really good marks at school when all Bertie wanted to really do was paint. Her mother tried to take all this away from her but it did not really work.
I have just gone though a marriage breakup myself and it really had me reflecting on my own circumstances. It's all very well to stay in the marriage because of the children but children grow up and leave home to live thier own lives, though Ed decided to stay with Lily May because of the children as they were only young at the time and she had threatened to take them back to Canada, it was Helen who finished their relationship because she had become friends with Bertie (through their love of art) and could see that time was not right for them. Lucky for Ed Helen was still there there and eventually they were able to be together because they were both truly in love with each other. It came out during their fights that Lily May seemed to have never really given up her love for her first husband who she had named Roberta after - when Bertie found this out it upset her so much that she wanted to change her name.
I though it was very much a thought provoking book with lots to say. It touched on so many things. I was reading it while at the blood bank yesterday with tears over one section of the story and the nurses wanted to know if I was okay and I said "sad story" - they said it must good then and that's when I realised that yest it was
April 9, 2013
Two novels set in New Guinea on the one Miles Franklin longlist! Drusilla Modjeska’s The Mountain is a more complex work tackling more significant issues (see my review) but Annah Faulkner’s The Beloved is a satisfying debut novel from a perceptive author, and I liked its theme of the importance of being true to oneself.
The central character and first-person narrator, Roberta, is a terrific creation. Clear-eyed, ambitious, empathetic and wonderfully stubborn, she is forced to overcome physical and social disability when in 1954 she contracts polio in childhood, (not long before mass vaccination began in Australia in 1956).
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2013/04/09/th...
The central character and first-person narrator, Roberta, is a terrific creation. Clear-eyed, ambitious, empathetic and wonderfully stubborn, she is forced to overcome physical and social disability when in 1954 she contracts polio in childhood, (not long before mass vaccination began in Australia in 1956).
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2013/04/09/th...
July 13, 2012
The Beloved is the debut novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner- winner of the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award for Emerging Writer. Set in Port Moresby in the 1950’s-1960’s, this story examines family dynamics, passion and a young girl’s determination to be true to herself.
Roberta “Bertie” Lindsay Lightfoot contracts polio at the age of six and impairs her ability to walk. When she recovers from the illness, she has one ‘crippled’ leg which is deformed and Bertie is ashamed of the clunky boot she must wear each day. Her mother an independent woman with a photography career has high expectations of Bertie, to overcome her disability, to prosper in the education system and make herself a success. But Bertie’s passion is art. She can see people’s auras and paint them in a way that is both intrusive and beautiful. Her mother learns to despise Bertie’s interest for that very reason. I think this quote from the book sums up the meaning of art for Bertie quite perfectly:
“Art is the one thing that connects me to the world. When I paint someone or something I’m always amazed at how much more there is to them than I first thought and it helps me understand them. When I paint I forget what I can’t do because what I can do matters more.”
Bertie’s passion drives her to steal and lie to continue producing art and this infuriates her mother further and she bans all art materials from the house. Bertie is devastated, she feels suffocated by her mother and is prevented from doing the one thing that makes her feel good about herself. As the conflict in her family intensifies and her parent’s marriage becomes unstable, Bertie struggles to find her place in the family unit and among her peers. Ironically, the one person Bertie does develop a strong connection is with her father’s mistress Helen who is also an artist. Bertie’s only freedom being her bike, she escapes to Helen’s art shop every Wednesday for a secret art lesson. Of course, once her mother discovers her betrayal their relationship becomes further strained.
The Beloved is slow at times and I felt it lacked direction probably because the focus is on the characters and not necessarily on the plot. Bertie’s relationship with her mother is tumultuous and there were times I just wanted someone to save Bertie, while other times I could empathise with her mother. Their enmeshed relationship stems from her mother’s unresolved losses and it was a relief to see her take some responsibility for this at the end and provide Bertie with the freedom to be herself.
A thought-provoking Australian story about a young girl and her family during post-war times.
3.5 stars
Roberta “Bertie” Lindsay Lightfoot contracts polio at the age of six and impairs her ability to walk. When she recovers from the illness, she has one ‘crippled’ leg which is deformed and Bertie is ashamed of the clunky boot she must wear each day. Her mother an independent woman with a photography career has high expectations of Bertie, to overcome her disability, to prosper in the education system and make herself a success. But Bertie’s passion is art. She can see people’s auras and paint them in a way that is both intrusive and beautiful. Her mother learns to despise Bertie’s interest for that very reason. I think this quote from the book sums up the meaning of art for Bertie quite perfectly:
“Art is the one thing that connects me to the world. When I paint someone or something I’m always amazed at how much more there is to them than I first thought and it helps me understand them. When I paint I forget what I can’t do because what I can do matters more.”
Bertie’s passion drives her to steal and lie to continue producing art and this infuriates her mother further and she bans all art materials from the house. Bertie is devastated, she feels suffocated by her mother and is prevented from doing the one thing that makes her feel good about herself. As the conflict in her family intensifies and her parent’s marriage becomes unstable, Bertie struggles to find her place in the family unit and among her peers. Ironically, the one person Bertie does develop a strong connection is with her father’s mistress Helen who is also an artist. Bertie’s only freedom being her bike, she escapes to Helen’s art shop every Wednesday for a secret art lesson. Of course, once her mother discovers her betrayal their relationship becomes further strained.
The Beloved is slow at times and I felt it lacked direction probably because the focus is on the characters and not necessarily on the plot. Bertie’s relationship with her mother is tumultuous and there were times I just wanted someone to save Bertie, while other times I could empathise with her mother. Their enmeshed relationship stems from her mother’s unresolved losses and it was a relief to see her take some responsibility for this at the end and provide Bertie with the freedom to be herself.
A thought-provoking Australian story about a young girl and her family during post-war times.
3.5 stars
July 20, 2016
As I won this book here on First Reads, I would firstly like to thank Hayley for the opportunity to read and review this book - it was an absolute joy to read!
I won't re-tell the storyline, as others have already done so. I found the language used in this book to be beautiful and very descriptive. The storyline was very engaging and interesting, with plenty going on to keep it moving along at a comfortable pace.
Drawing characters is where the author really excelled. The author painted a picture of these characters as colourfully and decriptively as Bertie's paintings. I loved the character of Bertie - so strong, yet with endearing weaknesses. Lily May was less likeable, but a really vivid, believable character.
This was just a delight to read and the words and really the whole story, just captured the lushness of colours.....in paintings, in people, in nature and in emotions. Even the cover is wonderfully coloured and really gorgeous! I'm very pleased I was selected to receive this book and I intend to read it again in about 12 months time, as I believe it has more to absorb than can be taken in from just one reading. Beautiful!
I won't re-tell the storyline, as others have already done so. I found the language used in this book to be beautiful and very descriptive. The storyline was very engaging and interesting, with plenty going on to keep it moving along at a comfortable pace.
Drawing characters is where the author really excelled. The author painted a picture of these characters as colourfully and decriptively as Bertie's paintings. I loved the character of Bertie - so strong, yet with endearing weaknesses. Lily May was less likeable, but a really vivid, believable character.
This was just a delight to read and the words and really the whole story, just captured the lushness of colours.....in paintings, in people, in nature and in emotions. Even the cover is wonderfully coloured and really gorgeous! I'm very pleased I was selected to receive this book and I intend to read it again in about 12 months time, as I believe it has more to absorb than can be taken in from just one reading. Beautiful!
April 23, 2021
My rating is 2.5 stars.
On the one hand, I did enjoy the story and found it to be easy to read and follow. I liked many of the characters, and most of them felt real to me. On the other hand, there were (as other reviewers have pointed out) a great many loose ends and oddly out of place unnecessaries. And I never really believed that we were hearing the story from Bertie- particularly in the beginning, where the story was supposedly through her 6 year old eyes. It really threw me every time I was reminded of her age- just didn't sound like the voice of a child that young for me.
I would try this author again, though.
On the one hand, I did enjoy the story and found it to be easy to read and follow. I liked many of the characters, and most of them felt real to me. On the other hand, there were (as other reviewers have pointed out) a great many loose ends and oddly out of place unnecessaries. And I never really believed that we were hearing the story from Bertie- particularly in the beginning, where the story was supposedly through her 6 year old eyes. It really threw me every time I was reminded of her age- just didn't sound like the voice of a child that young for me.
I would try this author again, though.
November 14, 2015
Beautifully written story of growing up in the 1950s. Roberta is one of the unlucky ones, stricken with polio, which leaves her with a withered foot. Unable to participate in physical activities she turns to creating art which is opposed by her mother. This is a book about relationships, of children being forced into adult situations, of self realisation and acceptance, mostly set in the exotic landscape of New Guinea.
March 13, 2016
Sympathetic characters and plausible action set at the start of the 1960s when the world was still finding its way after the upheaval of the war. The characters' lives are full of sadly thwarted passions (lovers, art and the burning desire of a child with polio to feel 'normal') set against the backdrop of Sydney, New Guinea and Canada. I LOVED this book.
July 16, 2013
A coming-of-age story with very appealing protagonist and an unusual setting. Vividly describes life in post-war Papua New Guinea, family tensions and an unfolding (and forbidden) artistic talent.
April 21, 2019
This is a beautiful coming of age story set in Australia and New Guinea in the 1950s. The characters are believable and in most cases nice people drawn very sympathetically. The central character, Bertie, is 10 years old at the beginning of the novel, lives with her family in Melbourne and contracts polio. Bertie loves to draw, but her mother, a strong-willed Canadian, considers art a waste of time and insists that Bertie study 'real' subjects so she can become a doctor or lawyer.
In fighting the effects of polio, Bertie develops quite a strong character, and fights against many of her mother's dictates. It's quite common for kids who contract serious illnesses to develop backbones of steel. I speak from direct experience.
Very early in the novel, Bertie's father, a pilot by training, accepts a position to run a trading company in Port Moresby. The family moves to New Guinea.
The remainder of the novel tells the story of conflicts with and outside the family as Bertie grows into her teens. Her ambition to become an artist also develops, as do the conflicts with her mother. The story is told against a background of Port Moresby's ex-pat community of the mid 1950s. Faulkner's descriptions of the scenery and the family's relationship with native employees are simple but effective.
The novel is well plotted and has good pace. The main characters, Bertie, her mother and father, aunt Tempe, Helen Varlier and Bertie's best friend Steffi are all developed well. There are at times a sense of foreboding in the story, and some very dramatic occurrences. The main thread of the story, however, concerns the tensions with Bertie's family (and Bertie herself), Bertie's growth as an artist and as a young but rapidly maturing teenager.
I enjoyed this book very much. It's easy to read. The plot is engrossing and it's easy to cheer on Bertie as she deals with the traumas in her life.
In fighting the effects of polio, Bertie develops quite a strong character, and fights against many of her mother's dictates. It's quite common for kids who contract serious illnesses to develop backbones of steel. I speak from direct experience.
Very early in the novel, Bertie's father, a pilot by training, accepts a position to run a trading company in Port Moresby. The family moves to New Guinea.
The remainder of the novel tells the story of conflicts with and outside the family as Bertie grows into her teens. Her ambition to become an artist also develops, as do the conflicts with her mother. The story is told against a background of Port Moresby's ex-pat community of the mid 1950s. Faulkner's descriptions of the scenery and the family's relationship with native employees are simple but effective.
The novel is well plotted and has good pace. The main characters, Bertie, her mother and father, aunt Tempe, Helen Varlier and Bertie's best friend Steffi are all developed well. There are at times a sense of foreboding in the story, and some very dramatic occurrences. The main thread of the story, however, concerns the tensions with Bertie's family (and Bertie herself), Bertie's growth as an artist and as a young but rapidly maturing teenager.
I enjoyed this book very much. It's easy to read. The plot is engrossing and it's easy to cheer on Bertie as she deals with the traumas in her life.
July 28, 2021
I really enjoyed this read and I honestly cannot pinpoint exactly why. The story was captivating, although admittedly the plot seemed to be a little all over the place. When someone asked me what the book was about, I struggled to give an accurate description. “It’s about a girl who gets polio and moves to PNG…” or “it’s a coming of age story…” or “it’s about girl, but a lot about her mother too…”.
In saying all that, I cried, more than once. The characters were so well developed and intriguing that I felt like I was there with them.
In saying all that, I cried, more than once. The characters were so well developed and intriguing that I felt like I was there with them.
May 29, 2025
This debut novel was shortlisted for the 2013 Miles Franklin, and I can see why. The author said it started out as a memoir, and I'm not sure how much of her story is in the book.
Young Roberta (Bertie) gets polio (before Australia had vaccines) and her mother works to help her rehabilitate. Along the way Bertie finds life in art but is discouraged by her mother. When the family move to Port Moresby, everyone's life changes.
The novel is about life in the 1950s and 60s, family, relationships, art and loss. Told from Bertie's point of view, it is well written and a very good read.
Young Roberta (Bertie) gets polio (before Australia had vaccines) and her mother works to help her rehabilitate. Along the way Bertie finds life in art but is discouraged by her mother. When the family move to Port Moresby, everyone's life changes.
The novel is about life in the 1950s and 60s, family, relationships, art and loss. Told from Bertie's point of view, it is well written and a very good read.
April 21, 2018
Having spent two years in Port Moresby in the seventies I loved the memories that this novel evoked. It was an extremely perceptive account of a determined girl’s coming of age in the midst of a confusing adult world and a mother who was set against her driving passion of art. It was an u expected find and am glad to have read it.
March 21, 2018
What a wonderful book! I loved the storyline and the characters. Worthy of its award!
November 6, 2021
Lovely description and great characters.
April 26, 2016
‘It came one morning with the milk, and it seemed – at first – almost as innocent.’
Roberta ‘Bertie’ Lightfoot is six when she contracts polio. Bertie recovers, but one leg is withered and she has to wear a special boot, which she hates. Although Bertie is a talented and perceptive artist, her passion for art is not part of her mother’s plan for her future. Bertie’s mother has high expectations for her, and sees Bertie’s interest in art as a waste of time, of misdirected effort.
In 1955, Bertie, her brother Tim and her parents move to Port Moresby where her father has a job. Bertie’s mother also finds a job, as a photographer. Bertie makes a friend, and life seems to be settling for her and her family. But then Bertie and her mother travel to Canada to see her grandparents. When they return, after some months, things have changed. Bertie continues to draw, and has art lessons in secret. But Bertie is not the only member of the family with secrets. Can Bertie’s relationship with her mother survive? Can her mother accept Bertie’s passion for art? And can Bertie’s mother come to terms with the losses in her own life?
I read this novel immediately after reading Ms Faulkner’s later novel, ‘Last Day in the Dynamite Factory’. Two characters (Bertie Lightfoot and Chris Bright) appear in both novels, and I was curious to follow them both from one novel to the other. While the stories are quite different, and it is not necessary to read one in order to appreciate the other, I am glad I did. Chris’s part in this novel is comparatively minor, which initially disappointed me. But Bertie? Bertie is magnificent. How many of us, who felt different for whatever reason, can relate to Bertie? And the relationship dynamics are so well presented, within a family stressed by ambitions and relationships past and present. Port Moresby in the 1950s and early 1960s was an administrative centre and port, a frontier town, when the territory of Papua and New Guinea was administered by Australia.
‘The Beloved’ was Ms Faulkner’s debut novel, and was the 2011 winner Queensland Premier's Literary Awards — Best Manuscript of an Emerging Queensland Author. ‘The Beloved’ won the 2013 Nita Kibble Literary Award, and was shortlisted for the 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award. It is a thought provoking novel, and I’m very glad I read it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Roberta ‘Bertie’ Lightfoot is six when she contracts polio. Bertie recovers, but one leg is withered and she has to wear a special boot, which she hates. Although Bertie is a talented and perceptive artist, her passion for art is not part of her mother’s plan for her future. Bertie’s mother has high expectations for her, and sees Bertie’s interest in art as a waste of time, of misdirected effort.
In 1955, Bertie, her brother Tim and her parents move to Port Moresby where her father has a job. Bertie’s mother also finds a job, as a photographer. Bertie makes a friend, and life seems to be settling for her and her family. But then Bertie and her mother travel to Canada to see her grandparents. When they return, after some months, things have changed. Bertie continues to draw, and has art lessons in secret. But Bertie is not the only member of the family with secrets. Can Bertie’s relationship with her mother survive? Can her mother accept Bertie’s passion for art? And can Bertie’s mother come to terms with the losses in her own life?
I read this novel immediately after reading Ms Faulkner’s later novel, ‘Last Day in the Dynamite Factory’. Two characters (Bertie Lightfoot and Chris Bright) appear in both novels, and I was curious to follow them both from one novel to the other. While the stories are quite different, and it is not necessary to read one in order to appreciate the other, I am glad I did. Chris’s part in this novel is comparatively minor, which initially disappointed me. But Bertie? Bertie is magnificent. How many of us, who felt different for whatever reason, can relate to Bertie? And the relationship dynamics are so well presented, within a family stressed by ambitions and relationships past and present. Port Moresby in the 1950s and early 1960s was an administrative centre and port, a frontier town, when the territory of Papua and New Guinea was administered by Australia.
‘The Beloved’ was Ms Faulkner’s debut novel, and was the 2011 winner Queensland Premier's Literary Awards — Best Manuscript of an Emerging Queensland Author. ‘The Beloved’ won the 2013 Nita Kibble Literary Award, and was shortlisted for the 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award. It is a thought provoking novel, and I’m very glad I read it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 16, 2021
I enjoyed this book, a debut novel from Queensland author Annah Faulkner. It tells the story of Bertie, starting from her life at age 6, when she is struck with polio, until her mid-teens. Bertie has a lot to deal with in her life. As well as having to cope with a withered leg as a result of the polio, she becomes stuck in the middle of her parent's disintegrating marriage.
Bertie is an engaging character, with a strong, lively voice. I felt empathy with her from the novel's opening lines. Her mother, however, was a more difficult character to deal with. Bertie's mother, Lily May, and her back story, frustrated me. As a reader, I found it Lily May's insistence that Bertie not practice art somewhat hard to swallow, particularly as Lily May had been so supportive and encouraging while helping her daughter recover from polio. The message through this early part of the story was a positive "you can do it, you can do anything", which turned out to be later in the book "you can only do what I say you can do". This didn't really work for me.
Despite my annoyance with the mother, Bertie's story kept me engaged and turning the pages. I was invested in Bertie's life and how she managed the obstacles set before her. The Beloved has its flaws but it's a well-written novel with a great heart, and I look forward to reading more from this author as she develops. Recommended.
Bertie is an engaging character, with a strong, lively voice. I felt empathy with her from the novel's opening lines. Her mother, however, was a more difficult character to deal with. Bertie's mother, Lily May, and her back story, frustrated me. As a reader, I found it Lily May's insistence that Bertie not practice art somewhat hard to swallow, particularly as Lily May had been so supportive and encouraging while helping her daughter recover from polio. The message through this early part of the story was a positive "you can do it, you can do anything", which turned out to be later in the book "you can only do what I say you can do". This didn't really work for me.
Despite my annoyance with the mother, Bertie's story kept me engaged and turning the pages. I was invested in Bertie's life and how she managed the obstacles set before her. The Beloved has its flaws but it's a well-written novel with a great heart, and I look forward to reading more from this author as she develops. Recommended.
June 8, 2013
2.5-3 stars. I don't like writing this kind of review, but I was really frustrated by this book.
I just didn't buy it. The notion that Bertie's mother would be so vehemently opposed to her daughter being an artist when her sister seemed perfectly happy as one. The great pains that Bertie went to to think about asking for her paints, but never actually just coming out and saying it.
The writing is solid, though the voice seems old, especially when Bertie is a little girl, and the way her parents interact with her, which seems to change on a whim. There are inconsistencies in these relationships that make it difficult to feel much sympathy or empathy for anyone. The time-frame is also interesting: it's set in the 60s, but there is really very little about the narrative that positions it there besides the planes and boats.
I just didn't buy it. The notion that Bertie's mother would be so vehemently opposed to her daughter being an artist when her sister seemed perfectly happy as one. The great pains that Bertie went to to think about asking for her paints, but never actually just coming out and saying it.
The writing is solid, though the voice seems old, especially when Bertie is a little girl, and the way her parents interact with her, which seems to change on a whim. There are inconsistencies in these relationships that make it difficult to feel much sympathy or empathy for anyone. The time-frame is also interesting: it's set in the 60s, but there is really very little about the narrative that positions it there besides the planes and boats.
April 29, 2016
This was a vibrant, beautifully written coming of age story with compelling characters.
The language was a pleasure to read, filled with brilliantly evocative and colourful imagery, not only of Papua New Guinea's natural wonders but also of people (even minor characters) and seemingly mundane settings. I sometimes find some authors' use of imagery to be excessive and distracting, but in this case the imagery was beautifully integrated into the narrative.
The characters were wonderfully drawn, particularly the narrator Bertie and her mother Lily May. Both characters evolve throughout the novel, and their changing relationship as they both test their boundaries is central to the story. Many of the supporting female characters are similarly compelling, especially Tempe and Helen. It is interesting to watch how Bertie's perception of these characters changes as she matures.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just as I enjoyed 'Last Day in the Dynamite Factory'. I'm looking forward to reading any future works by this author.
The language was a pleasure to read, filled with brilliantly evocative and colourful imagery, not only of Papua New Guinea's natural wonders but also of people (even minor characters) and seemingly mundane settings. I sometimes find some authors' use of imagery to be excessive and distracting, but in this case the imagery was beautifully integrated into the narrative.
The characters were wonderfully drawn, particularly the narrator Bertie and her mother Lily May. Both characters evolve throughout the novel, and their changing relationship as they both test their boundaries is central to the story. Many of the supporting female characters are similarly compelling, especially Tempe and Helen. It is interesting to watch how Bertie's perception of these characters changes as she matures.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just as I enjoyed 'Last Day in the Dynamite Factory'. I'm looking forward to reading any future works by this author.
January 30, 2014
This beautifully written first book deserved to win the Queensland Premier's Literary Award for Emerging Author, and a place on the Miles Franklin Award short list. Against a backdrop of life in the 1950s in Port Moresby, with excursions to Melbourne, Sydney and Canada, The Beloved is the story of the protagonist's (Bertie's) somewhat stormy childhood in a family fraught with problems. The conflict between mother and daughter draws the story along at a page-turning pace, ensuring an easy read. Bertie's deception and secrecy as she pursues her art against her mother's wishes is at the heart of the novel, but that is not the only deception. Among much to admire in this novel, the thing that impresses me most is the use of the voice of a child to tell this story in first person as she develops from a small girl to a thirteen-year old. The voice matures as the girl matures and becomes more cognisant of what is happening around her.
July 2, 2016
This is an honest and pleasing novel, written in part based on the author's experience of growing up in Papua New Guinea around the time of independence. The main character (and narrator) - Roberta (Bertie) - has a crippled foot as a result of polio but her determination and energy that more than make up for any physical limitations. Bertie has artistic talents and wants to be a painter but her mother (whose own ambitions were thwarted by marriage) wants 'better' things for her daughter.
There are a number of meanings of the title - Bertie is much loved by her mother but in a way that does not recognise her individuality; art is desperately loved and needed by Bertie, who engages in dangerous subterfuges to fulfil her desires; and Helen, an artist, becomes the 'beloved' of Bertie's father. The relationships in the novel are complex and well handled. I enjoyed the characters (especially Bertie) and the historically interesting setting in PNG.
There are a number of meanings of the title - Bertie is much loved by her mother but in a way that does not recognise her individuality; art is desperately loved and needed by Bertie, who engages in dangerous subterfuges to fulfil her desires; and Helen, an artist, becomes the 'beloved' of Bertie's father. The relationships in the novel are complex and well handled. I enjoyed the characters (especially Bertie) and the historically interesting setting in PNG.
October 9, 2016
A very beautifully written story of Bertie's coming of age, set in New Guinea. The story begins in Melbourne when Bertie is very young, then moves between Sydney, New Guinea, and Canada. Bertie's mother is one of those parents who fascinate me by trying to control the lives of their children. I can't begin to imagine the motivation or 'kick' that any adult gets from manipulating a child. Bertie learns strategies to manage this situation and the whole relationship dynamics are realistic and really well explored. The characters are richly drawn. I love aunt Tempe in Sydney who exemplifies how I see my own character, and also the dad - even when initially he seemed a bit of a pushover (and later proved himself to be quite the oposite).
This story was most engaging and flowed so beautifully that I read it in a day. Definitely worthy and demanding of a thoughtful re-read.
This story was most engaging and flowed so beautifully that I read it in a day. Definitely worthy and demanding of a thoughtful re-read.
Read
November 11, 2014She was a guest at the recent Writers Festival sessions here in Katoomba, and liking the sound of her conversation I bought the book. It’s set in New Guinea, mostly in Moresby, and the story comes to us through the consciousness of Bertie, a young girl who is early struck down by polio. Bertie sees auras round people, sees colours where most of us see nothing – the condition known as synesthesia. Conflicts arise between mother and daughter when Bertie finds that art is what she is drawn to. I loved this book, the story, the prose style, that curiously indefinable something that a writer can give a reader: a window to look through, perhaps.
Alison
Alison
November 14, 2014
Winner of the Queensland premier's Literary award for emerging author - and a well-deserved win. I really enjoyed this book. The voice is not quite the voice of a young girl, so that is something that could be improved - but the story is a great read, quite a page turner. It is a real coming of age story and one felt for the young girl, Bertie, never coming to terms with her withered leg and being different from the other kids. In some ways it reminded me of My name is Asher Lev, as it also dealth with a young person trying to assert themselves through their art, in opposition to their family.It also evoked the period of the 1950s well and the backdrop of Papua New Guinea was fascinating.
July 6, 2013
A brilliant novel, worthy of winning the Queensland Premier's Literary Award. It's a gentle and engaging story of a family who move from Melbourne to Port Moresby in the 1950s and the different forms that love relationships can take. Central to the story is a mother a daughter relationship, but it also includes characters experiencing the good and the bad in all types of love relationships. The exotic location promotes another level of love as the backdrop to the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
October 7, 2012
With a life long love of PNG I eagerly read this book & was not disappointed. The story to me captured a time & place; Melbourne, Sydney, PNG & Canada post WW2.
The relationship between mother & daughter and the expectations that we place on our children was the main theme. The theme was explored & made for compelling reading. I particularly enjoyed the characters love of art.
I really enjoyed this book & have recommended for my Book Club.
November 17, 2013
The Beloved set in PNG, vibrant, colorful, disturbing. My forage into books set in this country and climate dwell in my psych. There is a passion and a tension within the stories and the landscape. Bertie the character was a sweetie, but her mother's disturbing ways were almost sinister. The poor girl seemed to have to fend for herself most of the time. Interesting take on growing up, dreams and the idea of following your heart.
May 31, 2013
Two strong female characters, a young daughter stricken with polio at a young age is at odds with her mother over her wish to persue her passion to become an artist. Interesting setting of 1950's Port Moresby. Also shows what a devastating effect an infedility can have from the young girl's perspective. Well written and very readable.
September 12, 2013
This is the first novel I have read which is set in PNG which I enjoyed. The theme of the mother/daughter relationship was very powerful. A mother with requited ambitions superimposing them onto her daughter was well played out throughout the story. Could have been edited a bit as some sections were superfluous. But a good one all the same!
August 25, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down and when I find a book like this I want to tell more people about it!
An excellent read, great character development and clear descriptive imagery.
Well written and thoroughly enjoyed.
Go read it!!
An excellent read, great character development and clear descriptive imagery.
Well written and thoroughly enjoyed.
Go read it!!
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