Vinyl Inside

by Rachel Matthews

A quirky, bittersweet story of Elise and Sterling set in an Australian caravan park in 1980s. What happens when the daughter you never thought you would see again turns up twenty years later? Dania's arrival at Splashes Caravan Park in search of her mother forces the novel's lovable characters to face the reality of their lives and to come to terms with the nature of regret. Brimming with delicious pop-culture references this is a tale told with great warmth, humour and respect. Vinyl Inside is by turns hilarious, moving and unforgettable; a novel that allows us to feel affection for our past innocence and to ponder what has been lost and gained.

251 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Rachel Matthews is a Melbourne author and educator. She recently completed her second novel, Siren, as a PhD in creative writing at Victoria University. Her first novel, Vinyl Inside, was commended in the 2003 Australian Vogel Award and received strong reviews in the press.

Matthews has over 15 years experience as a tutor and lecturer in professional writing within a diverse range of learning environments. These include RMIT's Professional Writing and Editing programs and short courses, the VCE English department at the Distance Education Centre Victoria and writing programs at the Centre for Adult Education (CAE) in Melbourne.

She is also an experienced presenter with the Victorian Association for Teachers of English.

Reviews

[Mel Mcintyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, so many characters I could relate to.

[Ian Kloester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could almost taste the fish and chips, fresh paint and sea air of the australian summers of my youth as I read this. Chock full of local characters and cultural references, it will resonate with anyone who remembers when the days when chikko rolls were king and buns in the oven were sometimes kept secret.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read and a great way to immerse yourself in the life of everyday Australians. I also liked how each chapter started with a snippet from a women's magazine, usually from the 1950s or so.

The storyline got a bit jagged, especially toward the end of the book. Less frequent time-jumping would have made the story more coherent for me.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great story about a couple living in a caravan park. The story line flipped back and forth between various time frames and the different characters. This tactic kept the suspense going throughout the book. The only thing I found annoying was the continual over emphasis on song name dropping.

[Olwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, probably because it reminded me of my teen years and the era I grew up in. The writer clearly enjoyed her characters too. Quirky, easy to read story.