Candelo

by Georgia Blain

Ursula's childhood is marked by a summer holiday in Candelo, a sleepy south coast town. It's the 1970s and Ursula's mother takes a foster son named Mitchell away with them. Charismatic, charming, and troubled, Mitchell finds his way into their lives and his brief time with them alters who they are forever. Years later, when she hears of Mitchell's death, Ursula is forced to confront heartbreaking truths about herself and her family, and to realize the strength and sadness of family ties stretched to their limit.

Genres: Fiction, Australia

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Georgia Blain has published novels for adults and young adults, essays, short stories, and a memoir. Her first novel was the bestselling Closed for Winter, which was made into a feature film. She was shortlisted for numerous awards including the NSW and SA Premiers' Literary Awards, and the Nita B. Kibble Award for her memoir Births Deaths Marriages. Georgia's works include The Secret Lives of Men, Too Close to Home, and the YA novel Darkwater. In 2016, in addition to Between a Wolf and a Dog, Georgia also published the YA novel Special. She lived in Sydney, where she worked full-time as a writer.

Reviews

[notgettingenough · Rating 3 out of 5]

None of the characters are likable, and I don't blame those who think it's too slow and repetitive: it's definitely that. To make matters worse, the denouement is very obvious from early on. But despite that, I always wanted to keep going. Maybe part of the point of the book is that human beings are repetitive, set in our ways, never really changing. That applies even to the mother who starts off married to a male lawyer and ends up in a relationship with another female. That woman wants to change her, but fat chance says the daughter who knows better.


The bottom line is that I've already bought a couple more Blains to read and I hope they get better not worse.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candelo was wonderful. The first person narration has a powerful immediacy with a sense of broody introspection throughout the novel, which focuses on the dilemma of parents taking on important roles at the expense of the relationships they have with their children. Gillian Slovo explores this same territory in Every Secret Thing: My Family, My Country, (1997) about her famous parents, Ruth First and Joe Slovo, who were activists in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. Their activism fractured normal family relationships, culminating in the murder of Ruth First by security forces in 1982. No less powerful for being less dramatic, in Candelo, Blain shows the damage done by a mother’s perpetual involvement in morally uplifting causes, because it makes her blind to the domestic situation around her.
To read the rest of my review visit http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200...

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

My highschool librarian recommended this to me with the comment, "good, but unlikable characters". It stuck. I didn't particularly like most of the characters (I think because of the atrocious things they did), but it is well written - really rich in that regard.
I used this for my English Studies case-study. Themes of regret & the effect of parents on children were very strong and it was a great resource.

[Rachel Buteaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful reflection on the complexities of family life told through the beautifully described dynamics of a mother so engrossed in her larger political life she pays only lip-service to her children, siblings struggling for recognition and the recent arrival of a foster child. We more or less know what’s coming but the gentle rocking back and forth from past to present unveils the antecedents and aftermath in perfect pacing.
I have loved every Georgia Blain book I’ve read and this is no exception. I have to ration her novels out as I read them so quickly and love them so much, but tragically there will be no more. Highly recommend.

[Millicent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the way Georgia Blain writes (wrote). This was, in a way, a simple story of a sad life. Through the beautiful use of language I could feel the searing summer heat of the narratives backdrop as well as the isolation and the stagnation of the characters lives, stunted by tragedy and trauma. However, the story felt easy to stay on the outside of. It did not pull me in, I did not feel that I was able to reach the characters or get to know them. There was a distance and disconnect between each character within the story that extended to the reader. And in that way it was less impactful - lacking the drama that the story deserved.

[Alisha Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was honestly pretty good. It surprised me! It took me a minute to get into it, but then I was kind of hooked. Great story, didn’t overtell, and the characters were quite nuanced and believable. It loses stars for not really having much to say, but it’s an interesting exploration of how good people make mistakes (or not).

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children unnecessarily carrying the burden of guilt into adulthood, all due to the neglect and selfishness of their parents.

[Diane Tait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, maybe should be 4 stars but there were no satisfactory outcomes for any of the characters in this book which is a bit of a downer.

[Sue Mcgrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book. Coming of age story and so tragic because of family secrets. So sad that this author died so young so many more words for her to write.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too predictable and repetitive. Lots of flashing back and forwards without much substance. Frankly boring

[Lexi Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it in a sitting. There's something about Blain's settings and characters that feel raw and real. Fantastic.

[Winston Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monstrous time changes made it difficult. Good book.