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Bereft: a novel
It is 1919. The Great War has ended, but the Spanish flu epidemic is raging across Australia. Schools are closed, state borders are guarded by armed men, and train travel is severely restricted. There are rumours it is the end of the world.
In the NSW town of Flint, Quinn Walker returns to the home he fled ten years earlier when he was accused of an unspeakable crime. Aware that his father and uncle would surely hang him, Quinn hides in the hills surrounding Flint. There, he meets the orphan Sadie Fox — a mysterious young girl who seems to know more about the crime than she should.
A searing gothic novel of love, longing and justice, Bereft is about the suffering endured by those who go to war and those who are forever left behind.
175 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
45 people are currently reading
1428 people want to read
About the author
Chris Womersley
21 books90 followersChris Womersley (born 1968 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian author of crime fiction, short stories and poetry. He trained as a radio journalist and has travelled extensively to such places as India, South-East Asia, South America, North America, and West Africa.[1] He currently lives in Melbourne, VIC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
May 29, 2020
oh, i don't know...
if i had to judge this book based on "the author's ability to manipulate language in a way that pleases the reader and creates a haunting, atmospheric tale," it would get high marks.
but if i had to judge it on "the author's ability to tell a freaking story with compelling and believable characters," it would fall down hard.
australian gothic. it should be awesome, right? postwar, flu-ridden australia, where men carry guns and hanging is still an accepted practice, with justice being meted out the old-fashioned, biblical way...and yet...
these characters made no sense to me.
our hero quinn is wrongly believed to have raped and murdered his sister when she was twelve. until her death, they were crazy-inseparable, with her leading him around by the nose, encouraging him to engage in pranks and other childhood mischief because she was just so irrepressible and creative and charismatic and he was the kind of older brother who loved hanging out with a little girl. and upon finding her body, and going to her and getting all covered with her blood and grabbing the knife and going into some temporary catatonic state, he does look quite guilty when his father and uncle appear on the scene. but his response to all this, even though he knows who is really to blame is to just...flee. for TEN YEARS! which, fine, he is, again, the kind of person who lets a twelve-year-old girl boss him around - he is pretty weak-willed and afraid of a lot of things. but what kind of a person doesn't stand up at that point and say, "nahhh, this is my sister and i loved her and i want to see the guilty person punished for this."
and (true spoiler):
so ten years pass, and quinn has been through the war and seen some shit and he decides to go back home, to finally give his sister the justice he so pathetically failed to give before. why does he decide to do this? because a maybe-ghost might have told him to. sure.
so i could excuse all of that if, once he returned to his hometown, he became a true angel of death and went nuts on everyone who was to blame. but he doesn't, not for ages. what he does instead is to hide out with some teen orphan who, oddly enough, has a lot of the same characteristics of his dear departed sister. who seems to know things, in a very spooky way. who sacrifices animals and wraps their bones in human hair and behaves very witchily and seems to know everything about everybody....
spooooky.
but it doesn't. so you can't.
but i also can't completely hate a book that opens with:
so, yes, a disappointment, but a frequently beautiful one.
come to my blog!
if i had to judge this book based on "the author's ability to manipulate language in a way that pleases the reader and creates a haunting, atmospheric tale," it would get high marks.
but if i had to judge it on "the author's ability to tell a freaking story with compelling and believable characters," it would fall down hard.
australian gothic. it should be awesome, right? postwar, flu-ridden australia, where men carry guns and hanging is still an accepted practice, with justice being meted out the old-fashioned, biblical way...and yet...
these characters made no sense to me.
our hero quinn is wrongly believed to have raped and murdered his sister when she was twelve. until her death, they were crazy-inseparable, with her leading him around by the nose, encouraging him to engage in pranks and other childhood mischief because she was just so irrepressible and creative and charismatic and he was the kind of older brother who loved hanging out with a little girl. and upon finding her body, and going to her and getting all covered with her blood and grabbing the knife and going into some temporary catatonic state, he does look quite guilty when his father and uncle appear on the scene. but his response to all this, even though he knows who is really to blame is to just...flee. for TEN YEARS! which, fine, he is, again, the kind of person who lets a twelve-year-old girl boss him around - he is pretty weak-willed and afraid of a lot of things. but what kind of a person doesn't stand up at that point and say, "nahhh, this is my sister and i loved her and i want to see the guilty person punished for this."
and (true spoiler):
so ten years pass, and quinn has been through the war and seen some shit and he decides to go back home, to finally give his sister the justice he so pathetically failed to give before. why does he decide to do this? because a maybe-ghost might have told him to. sure.
so i could excuse all of that if, once he returned to his hometown, he became a true angel of death and went nuts on everyone who was to blame. but he doesn't, not for ages. what he does instead is to hide out with some teen orphan who, oddly enough, has a lot of the same characteristics of his dear departed sister. who seems to know things, in a very spooky way. who sacrifices animals and wraps their bones in human hair and behaves very witchily and seems to know everything about everybody....
spooooky.
but it doesn't. so you can't.
but i also can't completely hate a book that opens with:
On the day twelve-year-old Sarah Walker was murdered in 1909, a storm bullied its way across the western plains of New South Wales and unleashed itself on the fly-speck town of Flint. Sarah's murder became the warm, still heart of several days of frantic activity in which almost every one of the town's two hundred or so residents had a tale of chaos or loss. Trees cowered and snapped in the winds; horses bolted. Desperate to escape the river's rising waters, snakes invaded the Porteous house, forcing Mrs. Porteous and her two infant daughters to spend several hours perched atop the kitchen table with dresses hoisted about their knees until husband Reginald returned from work to save them. Jack Sully the blacksmith broke his arm trying to secure his roof, although there were well-founded rumors he was actually drunk at the time. Dead cows, swollen tight, bobbled about in the floodwaters for days. And old Mrs. Mabel Crink lost her sight, which partly accounted for the name by which the maelstrom became known: the Blinder.
so, yes, a disappointment, but a frequently beautiful one.
come to my blog!
August 7, 2022
4★ (reposting 2 years later, during Covid 19 pandemic)
“Bloody hell. Bloody hell. Still the snake unravelled. He began to shuffle backwards but his stuttering progress was stymied by a branch that snagged on the shoulder of his uniform. He felt faint. He mumbled a prayer.
Then, in an instant, a hand swooped to grasp the snake about its neck. The girl stood before him with the flailing serpent in a slender, two-fisted grip. The snake spat and writhed and looped its long body around her forearm. Grimacing with effort, she unwound it from her pale arm, stepped past Quinn and —measuring the throw several times before she released it—tossed the snake back down the gully in the direction Quinn had come. her face was flushed with fear and delight when she turned to him, as if the experience were a lark from the ‘Boy’s Own Paper’.
Quinn Walker has stumbled home to Flint in country NSW after surviving WW1, just. He is a physical and nervous wreck, suffering from having been gassed and blasted nearly deaf in the trenches of France. The girl, Sadie, leads him deeper into the bush.
“. . . he was too exhausted and too fearful to think clearly. The landscape afforded little in the way of a view. There were only the ragged regiments of trees with sheets of bark unravelling from their trunks, their oddly angled branches clutching at the air. Cockatoos screeched overhead.”
His story begins, however, in the prologue, where we meet him as a happy child, romping and cavorting around the countryside, led by his adored, spirited younger sister, Sarah. Their older brother, William, isn’t interested in their childish adventures. Life is wonderful until one day, when the kids haven’t come home yet, his father discovers him at a crime scene in a cabin in the bush.
Quinn panics, flees in terror without saying a word, disappears, and years later his parents receive a letter from the government saying he has been killed in action. That’s the first news they’d had since he’d left.
Now we see him, still a fearful man, and badly damaged by war, coming back to his hometown to hide in the bush above his family’s farm, watching his father come and go. His mother is dying of influenza, so neighbours are leaving food and his father is speaking to her through the window. Quinn wants to see her before she dies and tell her he is innocent.
The snake-wrangling girl above is another runaway. Both parents have died and she is hiding from the law, waiting for her soldier brother to return home. She is a bit of a witch, and Quinn is so haunted by memories of his sister and his war experiences that they make quite a pair.
His face is badly disfigured from a shell-burst, and with a beard he would be hard to recognise. But he’s terrified not only of ghosts and demons but also of the local constable, so he tries to stay hidden.
Along with the terrible losses from the war, thousands of people were dying from influenza then. Having “the flu” was no small matter and people treated it with quarantines, much as they did The Black Plague of the Middle Ages. I do hope the new strains moving around today’s world don’t cause that level of mortality. The 1918 H1N1 wiped out 3-5% of the world's population, mostly young adults, not the babies and elderly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_fl...
It’s a dark story with magical elements that seem believable to anyone who has spent time alone in the bush. Who’s to say what’s real? Who’s to say how afraid we would be or what we would risk or how much we would trust a child to help us stay safe?
The title comes from a conversation about losing children.
“‘There isn’t even a word for a parent who has lost a child? Strange, isn’t it? You would think, after all these centuries of war and disease and trouble, but no, there is a hole in the English language. It is unspeakable. Bereft.”
I'm not surprised by the awards and nominations. It's a strong story, well told.
“Bloody hell. Bloody hell. Still the snake unravelled. He began to shuffle backwards but his stuttering progress was stymied by a branch that snagged on the shoulder of his uniform. He felt faint. He mumbled a prayer.
Then, in an instant, a hand swooped to grasp the snake about its neck. The girl stood before him with the flailing serpent in a slender, two-fisted grip. The snake spat and writhed and looped its long body around her forearm. Grimacing with effort, she unwound it from her pale arm, stepped past Quinn and —measuring the throw several times before she released it—tossed the snake back down the gully in the direction Quinn had come. her face was flushed with fear and delight when she turned to him, as if the experience were a lark from the ‘Boy’s Own Paper’.
Quinn Walker has stumbled home to Flint in country NSW after surviving WW1, just. He is a physical and nervous wreck, suffering from having been gassed and blasted nearly deaf in the trenches of France. The girl, Sadie, leads him deeper into the bush.
“. . . he was too exhausted and too fearful to think clearly. The landscape afforded little in the way of a view. There were only the ragged regiments of trees with sheets of bark unravelling from their trunks, their oddly angled branches clutching at the air. Cockatoos screeched overhead.”
His story begins, however, in the prologue, where we meet him as a happy child, romping and cavorting around the countryside, led by his adored, spirited younger sister, Sarah. Their older brother, William, isn’t interested in their childish adventures. Life is wonderful until one day, when the kids haven’t come home yet, his father discovers him at a crime scene in a cabin in the bush.
Quinn panics, flees in terror without saying a word, disappears, and years later his parents receive a letter from the government saying he has been killed in action. That’s the first news they’d had since he’d left.
Now we see him, still a fearful man, and badly damaged by war, coming back to his hometown to hide in the bush above his family’s farm, watching his father come and go. His mother is dying of influenza, so neighbours are leaving food and his father is speaking to her through the window. Quinn wants to see her before she dies and tell her he is innocent.
The snake-wrangling girl above is another runaway. Both parents have died and she is hiding from the law, waiting for her soldier brother to return home. She is a bit of a witch, and Quinn is so haunted by memories of his sister and his war experiences that they make quite a pair.
His face is badly disfigured from a shell-burst, and with a beard he would be hard to recognise. But he’s terrified not only of ghosts and demons but also of the local constable, so he tries to stay hidden.
Along with the terrible losses from the war, thousands of people were dying from influenza then. Having “the flu” was no small matter and people treated it with quarantines, much as they did The Black Plague of the Middle Ages. I do hope the new strains moving around today’s world don’t cause that level of mortality. The 1918 H1N1 wiped out 3-5% of the world's population, mostly young adults, not the babies and elderly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_fl...
It’s a dark story with magical elements that seem believable to anyone who has spent time alone in the bush. Who’s to say what’s real? Who’s to say how afraid we would be or what we would risk or how much we would trust a child to help us stay safe?
The title comes from a conversation about losing children.
“‘There isn’t even a word for a parent who has lost a child? Strange, isn’t it? You would think, after all these centuries of war and disease and trouble, but no, there is a hole in the English language. It is unspeakable. Bereft.”
I'm not surprised by the awards and nominations. It's a strong story, well told.
December 16, 2017
BLURB
A CRIME UNSPEAKABLE: Australia, 1919. Quinn Walker returns from the Great War to the New South Wales town of Flint: the birthplace he fled ten years earlier when he was accused of a heinous act.
A LIE UNFORGIVABLE: Aware of the townsmen's vow to hang him, Quinn takes to the surrounding hills. Here, deciding upon his plan of action, and questioning just what he has returned for, he meets Sadie Fox.
A BOND UNBREAKABLE: This mysterious girl seems to know, and share, his darkest fear. And, as their bond greatens, Quinn learns what he must do to lay the ghosts of his past, and Sadie's present, to rest.
COMMENTS
I was hesitant about this book. Bleak and Beautiful, said someone on the cover.
Well, it turned out to be just that. Grim, disturbing, tragic. Yet, compelling, gripping, atmospheric, magic realism, and very well written. A crime novel among the best. Australian goth? It felt like it.
Quinn Walker carried a song from the Great War with him. He would not remember it until the twelve-year-old girl in the dense forest of New South Wales sang it again:
My favorite quote from the book:
I am glad I did not put it down. It was excellent. A fast-moving plot in which the smells, tastes, colors and every other nuance of the story nestled on the senses. Perfect length. My only gripe: the WWI suffering was over-empathized. Too much. However, the story lingers and lingers. Ingrained in memory.
A CRIME UNSPEAKABLE: Australia, 1919. Quinn Walker returns from the Great War to the New South Wales town of Flint: the birthplace he fled ten years earlier when he was accused of a heinous act.
A LIE UNFORGIVABLE: Aware of the townsmen's vow to hang him, Quinn takes to the surrounding hills. Here, deciding upon his plan of action, and questioning just what he has returned for, he meets Sadie Fox.
A BOND UNBREAKABLE: This mysterious girl seems to know, and share, his darkest fear. And, as their bond greatens, Quinn learns what he must do to lay the ghosts of his past, and Sadie's present, to rest.
COMMENTS
I was hesitant about this book. Bleak and Beautiful, said someone on the cover.
Well, it turned out to be just that. Grim, disturbing, tragic. Yet, compelling, gripping, atmospheric, magic realism, and very well written. A crime novel among the best. Australian goth? It felt like it.
Quinn Walker carried a song from the Great War with him. He would not remember it until the twelve-year-old girl in the dense forest of New South Wales sang it again:
In the sweet bye and byeWhen Margaret, the young girl with the rust-colored hair sang it during a seance in Europe, it brought a message from his beloved sister. When Sadie sang it that night, he remembered the note, and then he knew why he had to come back. Wilson's Point told more than one story, and Sarah needed him to hear them.
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
In the sweet bye and bye
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
My favorite quote from the book:
We adapt to our sorrows, I suppose, as unpleasant as they may be. One cannot weep forever. One simply runs dry of tears.
I am glad I did not put it down. It was excellent. A fast-moving plot in which the smells, tastes, colors and every other nuance of the story nestled on the senses. Perfect length. My only gripe: the WWI suffering was over-empathized. Too much. However, the story lingers and lingers. Ingrained in memory.
April 3, 2014
In 1909 twelve year old Sarah Walker is found brutally raped and murdered in a shed in a small town of Flint in New South Wales. Standing over her with the bloodied knife in his hand is her sixteen year old brother Quinn. Their father Nathaniel and uncle Robert are the first ones to discover what has just happened. Quinn immediately runs off and and no one hears from him until years later when his mother receives a telegram telling her that Quinn was killed in the war.
Ten years later Quinn returns to his hometown of Flint which is in the grip of a flu epidemic and his mother is amongst those dying from the epidemic. Carrying the physical and mental scars of the war Quinn, has returned to try and find answers and to clear his name from what happened to his sister. He hides out in the hills as he knows if someone was to recognise him his life could be in danger. Whilst hiding out he comes across a young girl named Sadie Fox. Sadie is also hiding out in the hills as she awaits the return of her brother who is returning from the war. In some ways Sadie appears to be a mystical character and Quinn sees her as the sister he was unable to protect all those years ago.
I quite enjoyed this book although I did feel the ending was a bit rushed as it seemed to be tied up neatly in the last few pages which I felt left the reader wanting just a bit more. A well written story of murder, mystery, love, loss, and survival and one in which I would recommend.
Ten years later Quinn returns to his hometown of Flint which is in the grip of a flu epidemic and his mother is amongst those dying from the epidemic. Carrying the physical and mental scars of the war Quinn, has returned to try and find answers and to clear his name from what happened to his sister. He hides out in the hills as he knows if someone was to recognise him his life could be in danger. Whilst hiding out he comes across a young girl named Sadie Fox. Sadie is also hiding out in the hills as she awaits the return of her brother who is returning from the war. In some ways Sadie appears to be a mystical character and Quinn sees her as the sister he was unable to protect all those years ago.
I quite enjoyed this book although I did feel the ending was a bit rushed as it seemed to be tied up neatly in the last few pages which I felt left the reader wanting just a bit more. A well written story of murder, mystery, love, loss, and survival and one in which I would recommend.
April 14, 2014
As Sergeant Quinn Walker contemplated the vast blue ocean surrounding him with the murmur of the other soldiers behind him, he wondered at life – wondered at his survival while many others did not. The Military Cross he had received for bravery; acts he couldn’t remember but received assurances of the lives he had saved. The bitterness was deep within him, the savagery intense as he hurled the award far into the ocean, imagining it sinking into the depths as he sometimes wished he could do. The troopship Argyllshire was returning the wounded, desolate soldiers home to Australia, home to a land which was suffering terribly from a plague of influenza.
The year was 1919 when Quinn returned to his home town of Flint in NSW – ten years since he had fled after his beloved sister, twelve-year-old Sarah had been murdered. He was unaware when he ran that he was being accused of her murder – but knew now that this was the case, and he needed to set things right. For Quinn knew who the murderer was – and he also knew he was in great danger if he showed himself to the locals.
The terrors of the plague (as people called it) had reached Flint as well – with Quinn hiding out in the bush, watching the town, watching and trying to work out what to do, he was surprised and shocked to be confronted by a young girl dressed in tattered, torn and ragged clothing, barefoot and mysterious. For Sadie Fox had been orphaned – her sanctuary was now the bush; but her wiles and canniness caused Quinn to fear her. And as time and sorrow moved slowly onward through days and weeks, could a war ravaged Quinn find peace at last? Would he see justice served – and what would happen with young Sadie?
What an amazing book! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and read it very quickly, unable to put it down. The depths of this gripping tale of tragedy, love and loss, of the deep need of one man for retribution was haunting. I have no hesitation in recommending this novel by Aussie author Chris Womersley highly. I would also like to thank my several Goodreads friends who recommended it to me.
The year was 1919 when Quinn returned to his home town of Flint in NSW – ten years since he had fled after his beloved sister, twelve-year-old Sarah had been murdered. He was unaware when he ran that he was being accused of her murder – but knew now that this was the case, and he needed to set things right. For Quinn knew who the murderer was – and he also knew he was in great danger if he showed himself to the locals.
The terrors of the plague (as people called it) had reached Flint as well – with Quinn hiding out in the bush, watching the town, watching and trying to work out what to do, he was surprised and shocked to be confronted by a young girl dressed in tattered, torn and ragged clothing, barefoot and mysterious. For Sadie Fox had been orphaned – her sanctuary was now the bush; but her wiles and canniness caused Quinn to fear her. And as time and sorrow moved slowly onward through days and weeks, could a war ravaged Quinn find peace at last? Would he see justice served – and what would happen with young Sadie?
What an amazing book! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and read it very quickly, unable to put it down. The depths of this gripping tale of tragedy, love and loss, of the deep need of one man for retribution was haunting. I have no hesitation in recommending this novel by Aussie author Chris Womersley highly. I would also like to thank my several Goodreads friends who recommended it to me.
January 16, 2015
Bereft by Chris Womersley
Its 1919 and Quinn Walker has returned from the great war, physically and mentally scarred in so many ways.
After experiencing the atrocities of war, he keenly misses his family..especially his mother..he wants to return to his home town of Flint in western New South Wales, but is unsure of the reception that awaits him if he returns there after so long...in exile.
Ten years earlier at age sixteen, Quinn suddenly fled his home and family after he was discovered by his father and uncle in a disused shed, kneeling beside the body of his much beloved twelve year old sister with a bloodied knife in his hand and blood on his clothes.
His sister had been brutally raped and stabbed to death.
Quinn was suddenly terrified at the sight of his father and his uncle Robert's appearance, he quickly fled the scene and ran, and ran until he dropped. His shock and fear were so great as to literally render him speechless, and it wasn't until much later, when he had somewhat come to his senses, that he discovered he was being blamed and hunted for his sister's murder.
He couldn't return home.
Now ten years later and, like many others returning home from the war wearing his army uniform, Quinn is on a train heading to country NSW with no idea in his mind of what he will do or find when he arrives. He wants to make amends for his running away but doesn't know if that is even possible.
On the train he is encouraged by a fellow traveller to cover his face with a mask, not so much because of the ugly and disfiguring mess of pulpy scars which show half of his jaw missing from a shrapnel wound, but because of the risk of contamination due to the Flu epidemic now sweeping the country and killing people in their thousands. The epidemic has even reached his small town of Flint.
People are afraid, suspicious and even superstitious, they don't believe its the Flu that's killing people so quickly. They believe it is something more sinister, like the plague, and conjure all manner of ways to avert or forestall it.
What awaits Quinn at his destination is the beginning of the rest of this remarkable story, which culminates in a conclusion that is both surprising and .....
This is not edge of your seat type of suspense, yet it is compelling all the same. This is a very well written story, with beautiful eloquent turns of phrase and descriptions which make it a page turner because of its ability to hold the reader captive.
A great read! I can highly recommend this book to any lover of a good book, without reservation.
4.5★s
Its 1919 and Quinn Walker has returned from the great war, physically and mentally scarred in so many ways.
After experiencing the atrocities of war, he keenly misses his family..especially his mother..he wants to return to his home town of Flint in western New South Wales, but is unsure of the reception that awaits him if he returns there after so long...in exile.
Ten years earlier at age sixteen, Quinn suddenly fled his home and family after he was discovered by his father and uncle in a disused shed, kneeling beside the body of his much beloved twelve year old sister with a bloodied knife in his hand and blood on his clothes.
His sister had been brutally raped and stabbed to death.
Quinn was suddenly terrified at the sight of his father and his uncle Robert's appearance, he quickly fled the scene and ran, and ran until he dropped. His shock and fear were so great as to literally render him speechless, and it wasn't until much later, when he had somewhat come to his senses, that he discovered he was being blamed and hunted for his sister's murder.
He couldn't return home.
Now ten years later and, like many others returning home from the war wearing his army uniform, Quinn is on a train heading to country NSW with no idea in his mind of what he will do or find when he arrives. He wants to make amends for his running away but doesn't know if that is even possible.
On the train he is encouraged by a fellow traveller to cover his face with a mask, not so much because of the ugly and disfiguring mess of pulpy scars which show half of his jaw missing from a shrapnel wound, but because of the risk of contamination due to the Flu epidemic now sweeping the country and killing people in their thousands. The epidemic has even reached his small town of Flint.
People are afraid, suspicious and even superstitious, they don't believe its the Flu that's killing people so quickly. They believe it is something more sinister, like the plague, and conjure all manner of ways to avert or forestall it.
What awaits Quinn at his destination is the beginning of the rest of this remarkable story, which culminates in a conclusion that is both surprising and .....
This is not edge of your seat type of suspense, yet it is compelling all the same. This is a very well written story, with beautiful eloquent turns of phrase and descriptions which make it a page turner because of its ability to hold the reader captive.
A great read! I can highly recommend this book to any lover of a good book, without reservation.
4.5★s
September 21, 2015
Quinn Walker has returned from WWI to the small home town that he fled 10 years earlier when he was caught red handed holding the knife that killed his 12 year old sister, Sarah. As a result his guilt has been assumed by the town and he knows he will be hung if ever caught. Now he has returned seeking justice and revenge for his sister's death. Finding the town in the grips of the 1919 flu epidemic, he hides out in the bush where he encounters a strange, mystical young girl, Sadie, recently orphaned by the flu who is also hiding from authorities. Their joint grief and loss draws them together to form a strong mutual bond.
Chris Womersley writes beautifully and has created a evocative picture of the grief that Quinn has carried for 10 years, mourning his sister's loss. The story also has a very distinctive Australian feel with atmospheric descriptions of the Australian bush. Although the characters of Quinn and Sadie were quite well developed, I would have liked a bit more character development for some of the others involved, maybe providing some insight into their behaviour. I also felt the ending was a bit rushed and could have been used to provide more answers into why Sarah was killed. However, overall it was a well written engrossing tale of love, loss and revenge.
July 20, 2022
Setting: Flint, NSW, Australia; 1919.
At the end of the First World War and with the flu epidemic ravaging the world population, Sergeant Quinn Walker returns home, to the small ex-mining town of Flint in western New South Wales - a town he fled in 1909 at the age of 16 after being found by his father with a knife, leaning over the dead body of his 12-year-old sister, Sarah. The two children were inseparable but the evidence spoke for itself and ever since Quinn has been regarded as a murderer.
A surprise then when he returns to his hometown but doesn't make his presence known other than to his mother, quarantined in her bedroom with the influenza - instead, living rough in the wooded hills surrounding the town. Here, he encounters 10-year-old Sadie Fox who is also living rough after the death of her mother in the flu epidemic - she is awaiting the return of her older brother, a pilot in the war, whilst trying to avoid the attentions of the town's constable (also Quinn's uncle).
It seems strange that Quinn should return to his hometown, bearing in mind he is likely to be accused of his sister's murder - but all is revealed as the book progresses...
Loved the characters and the authentic Australian setting of this one as the strange relationship between Quinn and Sadie develops - and Quinn tries to come to terms with the effects of the war on him - both physical and psychological. A great read which I found really hard to put down and completed in just over a day. Will certainly be looking out for more from this author, although not too easy to get hold of over here in the UK! - 9/10.
At the end of the First World War and with the flu epidemic ravaging the world population, Sergeant Quinn Walker returns home, to the small ex-mining town of Flint in western New South Wales - a town he fled in 1909 at the age of 16 after being found by his father with a knife, leaning over the dead body of his 12-year-old sister, Sarah. The two children were inseparable but the evidence spoke for itself and ever since Quinn has been regarded as a murderer.
A surprise then when he returns to his hometown but doesn't make his presence known other than to his mother, quarantined in her bedroom with the influenza - instead, living rough in the wooded hills surrounding the town. Here, he encounters 10-year-old Sadie Fox who is also living rough after the death of her mother in the flu epidemic - she is awaiting the return of her older brother, a pilot in the war, whilst trying to avoid the attentions of the town's constable (also Quinn's uncle).
It seems strange that Quinn should return to his hometown, bearing in mind he is likely to be accused of his sister's murder - but all is revealed as the book progresses...
Loved the characters and the authentic Australian setting of this one as the strange relationship between Quinn and Sadie develops - and Quinn tries to come to terms with the effects of the war on him - both physical and psychological. A great read which I found really hard to put down and completed in just over a day. Will certainly be looking out for more from this author, although not too easy to get hold of over here in the UK! - 9/10.
March 28, 2014
I liked parts of this book - I liked the first 200 pages, or thereabouts. I found the story interesting, I felt sorry for Quinn and was curious about the young orphan girl he meets, Sadie. But I felt it all went pear-shaped around 200 pages in (with a few hints of the way it was heading earlier in the book - but I was hoping I was wrong!) and I just found it all very strange. Once the witchcraft started in earnest, this book was a lost cause as far as I was concerned.
October 14, 2011
The blurb of BEREFT describes it as a gothic novel – dark and brooding. And after looking in my dictionary I discovered that the word ‘bereft’ is a verb of the word bereaves which means to deprive and make desolate as a result of death. Sure sums up the basis of this very well written novel. So well written in fact, that it is hard to do justice to it in a review, but I will do my best, I don’t have the mastery for writing that Chris Womersley undoubtable has.
Opening in 1909 Quinn Walker is assumed to have killed his younger sister when he is found hunched over her body with a bloody knife in his hand in the middle of a storm. His guilt is confirmed in the eyes of the community because he ran off into the night after the discovery and has not been seen since by anyone, and his father and uncle vow to string Quinn up from the nearest tree if they do see him.
Quinn spends a few years wandering around finding odd jobs to do until he ends up in the Army fighting on the frontline in Gallipoli and then France. On his return to Australia, now a decorated soldier, Quinn is drawn back to his home town and hides out in the hills near the family property.
Quinn is definitely suffering from shell shock. Haunted by terrible memories of battle, the suffocating stench of gas, injured men calling for help that will never come and other atrocities, he is barely keeping it together mentally – often suffering from flashbacks. At this point he meets up with a 12-year-old orphan called Sadie Fox. She is also hiding in the hills above the town; hiding from Robert Dalton, Quinn’s uncle who she believes wants to do unspeakable things to her. She rescues Quinn from discovery by his uncle, who is now the policeman of Flint. Being befriended and looked after by Sadie gives Quinn the chance to protect, and rescue her from violent harm, as he had not been able to do with his sister. In turn, Sadie nags, provokes, Quinn to right some past wrongs and get his life of misery back on track.
BEREFT is very well written, eloquent, captivating and suspenseful book that never allows the reader to fully understand what is going on, but leaves them satisfied that they have just read something incredible and wanting more.
Opening in 1909 Quinn Walker is assumed to have killed his younger sister when he is found hunched over her body with a bloody knife in his hand in the middle of a storm. His guilt is confirmed in the eyes of the community because he ran off into the night after the discovery and has not been seen since by anyone, and his father and uncle vow to string Quinn up from the nearest tree if they do see him.
Quinn spends a few years wandering around finding odd jobs to do until he ends up in the Army fighting on the frontline in Gallipoli and then France. On his return to Australia, now a decorated soldier, Quinn is drawn back to his home town and hides out in the hills near the family property.
Quinn is definitely suffering from shell shock. Haunted by terrible memories of battle, the suffocating stench of gas, injured men calling for help that will never come and other atrocities, he is barely keeping it together mentally – often suffering from flashbacks. At this point he meets up with a 12-year-old orphan called Sadie Fox. She is also hiding in the hills above the town; hiding from Robert Dalton, Quinn’s uncle who she believes wants to do unspeakable things to her. She rescues Quinn from discovery by his uncle, who is now the policeman of Flint. Being befriended and looked after by Sadie gives Quinn the chance to protect, and rescue her from violent harm, as he had not been able to do with his sister. In turn, Sadie nags, provokes, Quinn to right some past wrongs and get his life of misery back on track.
BEREFT is very well written, eloquent, captivating and suspenseful book that never allows the reader to fully understand what is going on, but leaves them satisfied that they have just read something incredible and wanting more.
January 19, 2016
Bereft is a fascinating novel for fans of the gothic. There is a crime, but the interest in this story is nothing to do with whodunnit. That’s obvious from early on; it’s the story of a man coming-to-terms with his own life that makes it such a compelling tale. The characterisation is memorable, and Womersley’s prose and imagery is so vivid that I found myself stopping to savour it often. My reading journal is full of superb quotations and images that I copied out by hand as examples of a writer in full control of his craft.
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
September 5, 2012
There is only so much one can read about little girls murdered by big bad men. I know it makes for an easy plot, but, dear writers, give me a break!
And it is such a shame, because Chris Womersley knows how to write. As in he can produce beautiful sentences. He can create great atmosphere – there is Australia, First World War and epidemic. There could be a way better story cooked with those ingredients but Womersley goes for the cliché. I’m yet to read a book where the big bad child murderer/pedophile is actually a character rather than a cardboard cut-out. You could swap all the big bad men around all those books and no one would notice.
It’s easy to write a story out a big drama like that and it’s easy to forgo any nuances in the characters’ personalities. I wish there was as much TLC given to the description of them as there was given to portraying the landscape. Also, building up the tension is a fairly simple task. It’s delivering the resolution afterwards that really measures the writer’s talent. And I can’t say that Womersley knocked my socks off with the ending. The two main characters - Quinn, the older brother of the murdered girl, and Sadie - an orphan he meets in the bushes upon his return to his home town. The two of them are ghostlike carrying on on the fringe of the 'real life', and as cliche as it would've been, a clear sixth-sense sort of ending might've saved this book for me.
What’s more, I listened to this book on my ipod read by Dan Wyllie, who has got a very low, husky voice (and a sexy Australian accent), which is all great, as long as he doesn’t have to do a twelve-year old girl, which sadly he does as she one of the main characters. It definitely added creepiness to this book (fairly creepy already).
Chris Womersley is lucky I’m a sucker for beautiful writing, so I gave Bereft three stars, because in all honesty Jodi Picoult writes this book so much better.
And it is such a shame, because Chris Womersley knows how to write. As in he can produce beautiful sentences. He can create great atmosphere – there is Australia, First World War and epidemic. There could be a way better story cooked with those ingredients but Womersley goes for the cliché. I’m yet to read a book where the big bad child murderer/pedophile is actually a character rather than a cardboard cut-out. You could swap all the big bad men around all those books and no one would notice.
It’s easy to write a story out a big drama like that and it’s easy to forgo any nuances in the characters’ personalities. I wish there was as much TLC given to the description of them as there was given to portraying the landscape. Also, building up the tension is a fairly simple task. It’s delivering the resolution afterwards that really measures the writer’s talent. And I can’t say that Womersley knocked my socks off with the ending. The two main characters - Quinn, the older brother of the murdered girl, and Sadie - an orphan he meets in the bushes upon his return to his home town. The two of them are ghostlike carrying on on the fringe of the 'real life', and as cliche as it would've been, a clear sixth-sense sort of ending might've saved this book for me.
What’s more, I listened to this book on my ipod read by Dan Wyllie, who has got a very low, husky voice (and a sexy Australian accent), which is all great, as long as he doesn’t have to do a twelve-year old girl, which sadly he does as she one of the main characters. It definitely added creepiness to this book (fairly creepy already).
Chris Womersley is lucky I’m a sucker for beautiful writing, so I gave Bereft three stars, because in all honesty Jodi Picoult writes this book so much better.
December 29, 2016
This review isn't going to be nearly as good as the first two lines in the most popular review by karen. If you choose not to go to her review, she basically says the writing is pretty darned good, but the execution of the story line and characterization is pretty darned awful. And then she goes into a lot more detail than I have the energy to devote to this one.
It's a quick read for even this slow reader simply because the prose carries you easily along. Although this isn't necessarily the prose I'd choose for a steady diet, there is not anything specific I can point to that would turn me away. Instead, the author has a good premise from which to work and then fails utterly. He has one up on me: I can put sentences together, but I have no story ideas. I'm right in his camp when it comes to writing characterizations - I can't do it, and, if this is any example, neither can he.
Even if I had 50 years of reading in front of me, which I don't, I'd probably not bother again with this author. This sits on that line between 2- and 3-stars. I must be feeling generous today.
It's a quick read for even this slow reader simply because the prose carries you easily along. Although this isn't necessarily the prose I'd choose for a steady diet, there is not anything specific I can point to that would turn me away. Instead, the author has a good premise from which to work and then fails utterly. He has one up on me: I can put sentences together, but I have no story ideas. I'm right in his camp when it comes to writing characterizations - I can't do it, and, if this is any example, neither can he.
Even if I had 50 years of reading in front of me, which I don't, I'd probably not bother again with this author. This sits on that line between 2- and 3-stars. I must be feeling generous today.
September 29, 2011
This is the second novel by Australian author Chris Womersley and is set in the fictitious outback NSW town of Flint before, during and directly after World War I.
Quinn Walker is the 'bereft' character who from the age of 16 has endured a life of abject misery. Accused of murdering his beloved younger sister, fleeing the scene and then surviving WWI at the frontline in Gallipoli and France as a decorated soldier, Quinn sneaks back to his hometown some 10 years later. There he finds his mother dying from influenza, a drunken, downtrodden father and a township that would gladly string him from the nearest tree if they discovered his true identity.
With his tragic life lurching from one inescapable hell to the next, Quinn's saviour is an unlikely 12 year old orphan girl Sadie Fox, who Quinn discovers hiding-out in the hills that surround Flint. Sadie has also suffered intolerable loss during her 12 years, but unlike Quinn, is optimistic and hopeful of her future. She also has some paranormal skills that gives her an insight into Quinn's past. With their bond forged, Sadie gives Quinn the courage and conviction to eventually right some past wrongs and get his life of misery back on track.
A very well written, intriguing and suspenseful book. I really enjoyed Chris Womersley's style and descriptions. In fact, the vast majority of the book was a brilliant, well-paced 5 star read. My only point of contention was the ending. To me it felt rushed, with all the loose ends tied up in the space of a few pages. Without spoiling the finale, I wanted some public humiliation and name-clearing. Perhaps a greater sense of revenge than I felt. I wanted the bad guys to suffer intolerably like Quinn had, and I was left wanting more - possibly the author's intention.
This aside, Chris Womersley has written a brilliant novel. I am so glad to have discovered another incredibly talented Australian author. His first book The Low Road has been added to my 'TBR' list and I eagerly await his future offerings.
Quinn Walker is the 'bereft' character who from the age of 16 has endured a life of abject misery. Accused of murdering his beloved younger sister, fleeing the scene and then surviving WWI at the frontline in Gallipoli and France as a decorated soldier, Quinn sneaks back to his hometown some 10 years later. There he finds his mother dying from influenza, a drunken, downtrodden father and a township that would gladly string him from the nearest tree if they discovered his true identity.
With his tragic life lurching from one inescapable hell to the next, Quinn's saviour is an unlikely 12 year old orphan girl Sadie Fox, who Quinn discovers hiding-out in the hills that surround Flint. Sadie has also suffered intolerable loss during her 12 years, but unlike Quinn, is optimistic and hopeful of her future. She also has some paranormal skills that gives her an insight into Quinn's past. With their bond forged, Sadie gives Quinn the courage and conviction to eventually right some past wrongs and get his life of misery back on track.
A very well written, intriguing and suspenseful book. I really enjoyed Chris Womersley's style and descriptions. In fact, the vast majority of the book was a brilliant, well-paced 5 star read. My only point of contention was the ending. To me it felt rushed, with all the loose ends tied up in the space of a few pages. Without spoiling the finale, I wanted some public humiliation and name-clearing. Perhaps a greater sense of revenge than I felt. I wanted the bad guys to suffer intolerably like Quinn had, and I was left wanting more - possibly the author's intention.
This aside, Chris Womersley has written a brilliant novel. I am so glad to have discovered another incredibly talented Australian author. His first book The Low Road has been added to my 'TBR' list and I eagerly await his future offerings.
February 25, 2017
This novel has been on my tbr list for a really long time, when I finally got to reading it I did so without re-reading the blurb, I just launched into it. That was probably a really good thing as I had thought I'd had my fill of war survivor stories for a while, but this one was very different to those I've read this year. The setting of small Australian town and it's surrounds was beautifully drawn by the author, I loved the descriptions of the shimmering heat and the suffering of the people of the town, their attitudes and how badly they suffered in the influenza outbreak after the war. Sergeant Quinn Walker has been absent for a really long time, he ran away after his sister was murdered when he was a kid, but something draws him back to his hometown when the war is over. He needs to try and make things right and to tell the truth about who really killed his beloved sister.
This book has a touch of mystical realism which I often find isn't my cup of tea, but here it works well. The young girl he meets in the bush is a wonderful invention. Her air of magic is engaging and I found myself enjoying her part in the story a lot. On the surface this is a simple story, but the writing is gorgeous and lush and draws you into Quinn as his suspicious nature and his hurt are gradually soothed by Sadie and her skills. There are some great scenes in the book, scenes to make you smile as you are with Quinn dealing with his enormous losses. If you like Australian historical stories this is a great one.
This book has a touch of mystical realism which I often find isn't my cup of tea, but here it works well. The young girl he meets in the bush is a wonderful invention. Her air of magic is engaging and I found myself enjoying her part in the story a lot. On the surface this is a simple story, but the writing is gorgeous and lush and draws you into Quinn as his suspicious nature and his hurt are gradually soothed by Sadie and her skills. There are some great scenes in the book, scenes to make you smile as you are with Quinn dealing with his enormous losses. If you like Australian historical stories this is a great one.
May 15, 2012
This is a touching and beautifully written book. Set in 1900 in a small town of Flint NSW. Quinn, a 15year old boy, has been accused of murdering his younger sister Sarah. His father and uncle wants Quinn caught and punished for this horrendous crime. Young Quinn who is frightened, panics and flees the crime scene. He later joins the army only to survive WW2 with severe facial injuries, breathing difficulties from exposure of poisonous gas, and is mentally distressed by the death of his sister and the effects of war. He returns to his home town 10 years later to seek revenge for his sisters death, and to convince his mother of his innocence, but to his despair he discovers his mother is suffering from influenza and is on her death bed.
This is a crime novel and was terribly shocking at the start. But I didn’t get that edge of your seat, suspenseful feeling when I read this. I was more moved by the immense grief and suffering one gets from losing a loved one. Combine this with the Authors description of our harsh Australian landscape and you get one haunting novel. It is definitely a book worth reading.
August 23, 2016
A soldier returns from the Gt War to the small town of Flint (Australia).
Not really a crime thriller in the normal sense. Much deeper.
Gave me an insight into the effect of WW1 on returning soldiers and the families of those who didn't return. Also the dehabilitating effects of the flu epidemic. Bad times
Not really a crime thriller in the normal sense. Much deeper.
Gave me an insight into the effect of WW1 on returning soldiers and the families of those who didn't return. Also the dehabilitating effects of the flu epidemic. Bad times
January 17, 2023
A compelling, sometimes tense, drama filled novel set in the blue mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in 1919. Quinn Walker, a war veteran, in his early 20s, comes back to his home in a small country town. He had left ten years before, after witnessing the murder of his sister. His father saw Quinn pulling a knife out of Quinn’s sister. Quinn disappeared, never contacting his family. He was suspected of murdering his sister. After doing a number of jobs in various places in Australia, Quinn enlisted in the Australian army. Quinn’s family received notification in 1917 that Quinn had been killed. Quinn had been badly wounded in France.
An interesting novel with very good plot momentum.
This book was shortlisted for the 2011 Miles Franklin award.
An interesting novel with very good plot momentum.
This book was shortlisted for the 2011 Miles Franklin award.
October 15, 2012
A touching if rather bleak look at the unlikely friendship which develops between a 1st world war veteran and a young orphan during the flu epidemic of 1919 in Australia.
Quinn left his home town of Flint at the age of 16 under a cloud after a terrible event which leaves a lasting mark on him. He has since seen sights in the trenches which no young man could experience without being deeply affected.
It is in this fragile state of mind that he returns to his childhood home seeking peace of mind and possible justice for a crime which left him grieving for a lost little girl, his beloved sister Sarah just 12 years old when tragedy ripped them apart.
Just 26, wounded, shellshocked and suffering the after effects of gassing he revisits the haunts of his childhood and it is here that he first encounters Sadie a ragged urchin with seemingly mystical insights and mysteries from her own past the two form a halting friendship which develops into a dependence on each other for survival.
The authors style of writing and choice of words is prosaic and elegant, it's short and to the point and was for me a very quick read.
At times hints of magic and suggestions of a possible supernatural element put me in mind of the snow child The Snow Child but this is far more gritty and realistic.
I was a little disappointed that the ending left me wondering what happened later and I was left feeling somewhat bereft myself as I could happily have read a great deal more about the 2 unusual characters.
Quinn left his home town of Flint at the age of 16 under a cloud after a terrible event which leaves a lasting mark on him. He has since seen sights in the trenches which no young man could experience without being deeply affected.
It is in this fragile state of mind that he returns to his childhood home seeking peace of mind and possible justice for a crime which left him grieving for a lost little girl, his beloved sister Sarah just 12 years old when tragedy ripped them apart.
Just 26, wounded, shellshocked and suffering the after effects of gassing he revisits the haunts of his childhood and it is here that he first encounters Sadie a ragged urchin with seemingly mystical insights and mysteries from her own past the two form a halting friendship which develops into a dependence on each other for survival.
The authors style of writing and choice of words is prosaic and elegant, it's short and to the point and was for me a very quick read.
At times hints of magic and suggestions of a possible supernatural element put me in mind of the snow child The Snow Child but this is far more gritty and realistic.
I was a little disappointed that the ending left me wondering what happened later and I was left feeling somewhat bereft myself as I could happily have read a great deal more about the 2 unusual characters.
October 6, 2014
Definitely one of my favourite reads ever, and one book I recommend to almost everyone, this is a haunting Australian story which stayed with me long after I read it.
Descriptively beautiful, the sense of place evoked by the author is painfully bleak, instantly recognisable and simply put, stunning. The writing is subtle and draws you ever so gently into the story until you are thoroughly in its grip. This is a dark and brooding book, although not without hope and joy in parts. A disfigured man returns to his childhood home after the Great War as the Spanish Flu epidemic rages throughout Australia. Having fled his childhood home 10 years earlier after being accused of an unspeakable crime he hides in the hills surrounding the town and meets a young woman named Sadie, who seems to know more than she should of those events, and encourages him to seek justice.
Haunting and exquisitely written with gothic overtones, this is a compelling read. The language gets under your skin – the paragraph about oranges had me craving them for days afterwards. The landscapes, both inner and outer, are vivid and startling, the characters truly alive in this world the author creates for us. The story is slow-burning but intense, as we follow the main characters journey from fear to courage and maturity.
This is a book to savour, a story you cannot help but see through to the end and one which will linger long after you put it down.
Justine
Reader Development Librarian
Descriptively beautiful, the sense of place evoked by the author is painfully bleak, instantly recognisable and simply put, stunning. The writing is subtle and draws you ever so gently into the story until you are thoroughly in its grip. This is a dark and brooding book, although not without hope and joy in parts. A disfigured man returns to his childhood home after the Great War as the Spanish Flu epidemic rages throughout Australia. Having fled his childhood home 10 years earlier after being accused of an unspeakable crime he hides in the hills surrounding the town and meets a young woman named Sadie, who seems to know more than she should of those events, and encourages him to seek justice.
Haunting and exquisitely written with gothic overtones, this is a compelling read. The language gets under your skin – the paragraph about oranges had me craving them for days afterwards. The landscapes, both inner and outer, are vivid and startling, the characters truly alive in this world the author creates for us. The story is slow-burning but intense, as we follow the main characters journey from fear to courage and maturity.
This is a book to savour, a story you cannot help but see through to the end and one which will linger long after you put it down.
Justine
Reader Development Librarian
October 4, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Bereft is a historical fiction novel that takes the reader back to a timeless age, the year 1919, highlighting the close of the Great War and the height of the Spanish Flu epidemic. Gently following the heartbreaking tale of a returned solider, Bereft encompasses themes of justice, longing, broken spirits, blame, grief, loyalty, trust and retribution. With sparse but affective prose, Bereft is a moving set piece.
Bereft travels to the small town of Flint, where a soldier of the Great War makes his long return home. This is a difficult homecoming, as the soldier in question, Quinn Walker, escaped from the town over a decade earlier following the murder of his sister. Hampered by the Spanish Flu inferno that is engulfing the whole of Australia, Quinn faces further trouble trying to get home. When he finally sets foot on his old family home, Quinn decides to stay away from both his father and uncle, who are hell bent on charging him for the crime of murdering his sister. But Quinn is there to keep a watchful eye on his mother, who is now slowly dying of the Spanish Flu. A strange young girl named Sadie enters Quinn’s life while he is visiting his mother and this flighty young girl urges Quinn to take justice into his own hands. Bereft is a tale that considers bereavement, dispossession, disconnection, atonement, restitution and the impact of trauma. It is a meditative piece of fiction.
Bereft is a striking literary fiction tale by Chris Womersley that follows the aftermath of the Great War and the impact of the Spanish Flu epidemic in Australia. Haunting, heartbreaking, incisive and reflective, Bereft provided me a comprehensive picture of the toll of the Great War on a returned Australian soldier.
Considered a piece of Australian gothic fiction, a crime, mystery and historical tale all rolled into the one literary fiction jacket, Bereft is a concise narrative that packs an emotional punch. Upon opening Bereft, I was struck by the condensed but powerful prose evident in this novel. Womersley’s writing has significant impact, despite the reduced length of this tale. Each word and sentence conveys sentiment and feeling. There is an element of strength to the writing that really helps the reader to understand this bygone era. I gained so much from Bereft in terms of the Spanish Flu epidemic in Australia and the feelings of returned soldiers at this time. I am grateful to Womersley for illuminating an important era for readers to learn more about in an engaging fictional format.
The characterisation in this novel is strong, with Quinn and his family members clearly outlined on the pages of Bereft. The lives, stories and battle wounds of Womersley’s progressionists were haunting. Each character is portrayed decisively by the author’s experienced hand. I felt very drawn to Quinn and his odd companion Sadie. Sadie is a speculative figure, bathed in an air of uncertainty and the supernatural. I enjoyed this intriguing aspect of the novel.
The crime and mystery element of Bereft helps to move this smoldering story along. I appreciated getting to the heart of this family crime mystery and uncovering the truth behind the tragic death of Quinn’s sister. Womersley ekes out this aspect of the novel with guided precision. I was keen to reach the resolution of this tale as the desperation and despair of the characters flourished.
I am glad I finally plucked Bereft off my bookshelves, I think it was the perfect way to journey back to a century ago, a time we should not forget. There are plenty of life lessons in Bereft, reminding us of the strength of love, longing, integrity, truth, strength and belief in the face of adversity.
Bereft is a historical fiction novel that takes the reader back to a timeless age, the year 1919, highlighting the close of the Great War and the height of the Spanish Flu epidemic. Gently following the heartbreaking tale of a returned solider, Bereft encompasses themes of justice, longing, broken spirits, blame, grief, loyalty, trust and retribution. With sparse but affective prose, Bereft is a moving set piece.
Bereft travels to the small town of Flint, where a soldier of the Great War makes his long return home. This is a difficult homecoming, as the soldier in question, Quinn Walker, escaped from the town over a decade earlier following the murder of his sister. Hampered by the Spanish Flu inferno that is engulfing the whole of Australia, Quinn faces further trouble trying to get home. When he finally sets foot on his old family home, Quinn decides to stay away from both his father and uncle, who are hell bent on charging him for the crime of murdering his sister. But Quinn is there to keep a watchful eye on his mother, who is now slowly dying of the Spanish Flu. A strange young girl named Sadie enters Quinn’s life while he is visiting his mother and this flighty young girl urges Quinn to take justice into his own hands. Bereft is a tale that considers bereavement, dispossession, disconnection, atonement, restitution and the impact of trauma. It is a meditative piece of fiction.
Bereft is a striking literary fiction tale by Chris Womersley that follows the aftermath of the Great War and the impact of the Spanish Flu epidemic in Australia. Haunting, heartbreaking, incisive and reflective, Bereft provided me a comprehensive picture of the toll of the Great War on a returned Australian soldier.
Considered a piece of Australian gothic fiction, a crime, mystery and historical tale all rolled into the one literary fiction jacket, Bereft is a concise narrative that packs an emotional punch. Upon opening Bereft, I was struck by the condensed but powerful prose evident in this novel. Womersley’s writing has significant impact, despite the reduced length of this tale. Each word and sentence conveys sentiment and feeling. There is an element of strength to the writing that really helps the reader to understand this bygone era. I gained so much from Bereft in terms of the Spanish Flu epidemic in Australia and the feelings of returned soldiers at this time. I am grateful to Womersley for illuminating an important era for readers to learn more about in an engaging fictional format.
The characterisation in this novel is strong, with Quinn and his family members clearly outlined on the pages of Bereft. The lives, stories and battle wounds of Womersley’s progressionists were haunting. Each character is portrayed decisively by the author’s experienced hand. I felt very drawn to Quinn and his odd companion Sadie. Sadie is a speculative figure, bathed in an air of uncertainty and the supernatural. I enjoyed this intriguing aspect of the novel.
The crime and mystery element of Bereft helps to move this smoldering story along. I appreciated getting to the heart of this family crime mystery and uncovering the truth behind the tragic death of Quinn’s sister. Womersley ekes out this aspect of the novel with guided precision. I was keen to reach the resolution of this tale as the desperation and despair of the characters flourished.
I am glad I finally plucked Bereft off my bookshelves, I think it was the perfect way to journey back to a century ago, a time we should not forget. There are plenty of life lessons in Bereft, reminding us of the strength of love, longing, integrity, truth, strength and belief in the face of adversity.
April 21, 2012
This short, but very intense novel, takes place in Australia, in the second decade of the twentieth century, in the years just preceding the war to end all wars, World War I, and the years just afterwards. It is a murder mystery, infused with the supernatural. There are séances with visionaries, magic spells, amulets and spirits.
The author’s prose will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next. His descriptions of murder, the horrors of war and the ravages of disease, are gripping, but in a quiet rather than sensational way. His precise and careful choice of vocabulary makes each word and every sentence important and easily expands the stories development. It is never overbearing, and is by no means boring!
In 1909, 16 year old Quinn Walker is discovered with a knife in his hand, beside his 12 year old sister Sarah’s bloodied and abused body. When he runs, disappearing into the night, it is assumed by all, that he has murdered her. It was the general consensus, even of his father Nathaniel, and his uncle Robert Dalton, that their relationship was an unnaturally close one, which would not come to a good end. The town wants vengeance, but he does not return. It is assumed that he has been eaten by animals or fallen into the wrong hands. Did Quinn murder his sister?
In 1916, his mother, Mary, who had already assumed he was dead these past 7 years, receives a letter stating he is missing in action and presumed dead; she mourns his loss anew. She now knows he had escaped and had not been dead all these years. Her only other son had moved away, unable to stay where the tragedy had struck his family and left its indelible mark.
About three years later, during the great influenza epidemic, she is stricken and seriously ill. She is in quarantine. It is at this time, that Quinn reappears at her bedside. He has returned from the war with a facial disfigurement. Still, she recognizes him with shock, but wonders if he is real. Is he? He confesses to her that he did not kill his sister but does not tell her who did. Does she believe him? She says no one else will. Time has moved on and with it the story of the murder has grown and taken on a life of its own.
Quinn makes an unlikely friendship with a young girl, Sadie Fox, about 12 years old, who appears out of nowhere and saves his life. Sadie lives alone in a squalid cabin, hidden in the woods. Her father left, her mom has died and her brother has not returned from the war. Together, they form a family, filling in the gaps in each of their lives. Is he her missing brother and she his sister returned? Is Sarah’s spirit in Sadie or is Sadie simply her spirit returned to life? Is she a ghost? Is Sadie real or a figment of his imagination? Quinn is prone to nightmares and hallucinations. Are they both conjured up by each other because of their deep losses and loneliness? As the mystery resolves itself, the plot will twist and turn, always leaving you wondering.
The author’s prose will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next. His descriptions of murder, the horrors of war and the ravages of disease, are gripping, but in a quiet rather than sensational way. His precise and careful choice of vocabulary makes each word and every sentence important and easily expands the stories development. It is never overbearing, and is by no means boring!
In 1909, 16 year old Quinn Walker is discovered with a knife in his hand, beside his 12 year old sister Sarah’s bloodied and abused body. When he runs, disappearing into the night, it is assumed by all, that he has murdered her. It was the general consensus, even of his father Nathaniel, and his uncle Robert Dalton, that their relationship was an unnaturally close one, which would not come to a good end. The town wants vengeance, but he does not return. It is assumed that he has been eaten by animals or fallen into the wrong hands. Did Quinn murder his sister?
In 1916, his mother, Mary, who had already assumed he was dead these past 7 years, receives a letter stating he is missing in action and presumed dead; she mourns his loss anew. She now knows he had escaped and had not been dead all these years. Her only other son had moved away, unable to stay where the tragedy had struck his family and left its indelible mark.
About three years later, during the great influenza epidemic, she is stricken and seriously ill. She is in quarantine. It is at this time, that Quinn reappears at her bedside. He has returned from the war with a facial disfigurement. Still, she recognizes him with shock, but wonders if he is real. Is he? He confesses to her that he did not kill his sister but does not tell her who did. Does she believe him? She says no one else will. Time has moved on and with it the story of the murder has grown and taken on a life of its own.
Quinn makes an unlikely friendship with a young girl, Sadie Fox, about 12 years old, who appears out of nowhere and saves his life. Sadie lives alone in a squalid cabin, hidden in the woods. Her father left, her mom has died and her brother has not returned from the war. Together, they form a family, filling in the gaps in each of their lives. Is he her missing brother and she his sister returned? Is Sarah’s spirit in Sadie or is Sadie simply her spirit returned to life? Is she a ghost? Is Sadie real or a figment of his imagination? Quinn is prone to nightmares and hallucinations. Are they both conjured up by each other because of their deep losses and loneliness? As the mystery resolves itself, the plot will twist and turn, always leaving you wondering.
June 30, 2015
‘On the day twelve-year-old Sarah Walker was murdered in 1909, a storm bullied its way across the western plains of New South Wales and unleashed itself on the flyspeck town of Flint.’
Who murdered Sarah Walker? Sarah’s 16 year old brother Quinn was found next to her body with a knife in his hand. He fled.
Ten years later – some three years after his mother had received a telegram stating that he is missing in France and presumed dead – Quinn is on his way home. Ex- sergeant Quinn Walker is one of the wounded Anzacs, his body damaged by gas, his face partially mangled by shrapnel. Quinn throws the medal he received overboard, but cannot so readily dismiss the Great War. He is haunted by memories of what he saw and experienced.
Once back in Australia, Quinn heads for Flint. He may be a long way from the battlefields of Europe, but the influenza pandemic is wreaking its own havoc on Australia. Quinn tries to remain hidden outside Flint, but his presence becomes known to at least two people. One of the two, Sadie Fox, is a twelve-year old orphan. Who is Sadie Fox, and how can she know as much as she does about the world around her, and about Sarah’s murder? Sadie herself is trying to hide: can Quinn protect her?
Quinn’s mother is dying of influenza. He visits her. She is unsure whether he is real, or whether her fever enables her to visualise him. She is also unsure whether he murdered Sarah, and there is some knowledge he cannot share with her. These visits are a critical part of the novel: two people suffering, each able to offer some comfort to the other.
‘Do you know, Quinn, there isn’t a word for a parent who has lost a child … There is a hole in the English language. It is unspeakable. Bereft.’
I found this novel haunting. While some elements did not work for me as well as others, the tragedy of Quinn held my attention and my sympathy. And as the story unfolded, and more information became available about Sarah’s death, I found myself thinking about the various ways in which one can become bereft. And Quinn? What chance does he have?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Who murdered Sarah Walker? Sarah’s 16 year old brother Quinn was found next to her body with a knife in his hand. He fled.
Ten years later – some three years after his mother had received a telegram stating that he is missing in France and presumed dead – Quinn is on his way home. Ex- sergeant Quinn Walker is one of the wounded Anzacs, his body damaged by gas, his face partially mangled by shrapnel. Quinn throws the medal he received overboard, but cannot so readily dismiss the Great War. He is haunted by memories of what he saw and experienced.
Once back in Australia, Quinn heads for Flint. He may be a long way from the battlefields of Europe, but the influenza pandemic is wreaking its own havoc on Australia. Quinn tries to remain hidden outside Flint, but his presence becomes known to at least two people. One of the two, Sadie Fox, is a twelve-year old orphan. Who is Sadie Fox, and how can she know as much as she does about the world around her, and about Sarah’s murder? Sadie herself is trying to hide: can Quinn protect her?
Quinn’s mother is dying of influenza. He visits her. She is unsure whether he is real, or whether her fever enables her to visualise him. She is also unsure whether he murdered Sarah, and there is some knowledge he cannot share with her. These visits are a critical part of the novel: two people suffering, each able to offer some comfort to the other.
‘Do you know, Quinn, there isn’t a word for a parent who has lost a child … There is a hole in the English language. It is unspeakable. Bereft.’
I found this novel haunting. While some elements did not work for me as well as others, the tragedy of Quinn held my attention and my sympathy. And as the story unfolded, and more information became available about Sarah’s death, I found myself thinking about the various ways in which one can become bereft. And Quinn? What chance does he have?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
October 25, 2011
OK, would like to give this 4 and a half. I loved reading this book. It is so visual - the landcsape - Western NSW is like a character in the novel which is set just after WW1 in the horror of returning soldiers, the Spanish flu and a horrible small town rape-murder. It is described in many reviews as 'gothic' - which meant that I went and did some reserach about this term. This useful site listed a number of key ingredients: http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm. These included:
-atmosphere of mystery and suspense, -omens, portents, visiosn, - an ancient prophecy, -high or overwrought emotion, - a woman in distress or threatened by a tyrannical male, - supernatural or inexplicable events.
Some reviewers described this book as 'rural gothic' which seemed to fit well. In speaking about the book, Peter Mares, who was interviewing the writer said:
"So the landscape itself is bereft, like the title of the book, so you are deliberately using the landscape there.
Chris Womersley: Yes, that's exactly right...a portion of the reading, you know, this sort of broken machinery and stuff, and that sort of ties up with some of the images that he remembers of his war experiences with broken cars and so forth littering the battlefields. Very much one of the themes of Bereft is this idea that Quinn cannot only escape the murder of his beloved sister from years earlier but he can't escape the war experience, and there is a line in there where he almost hears artillery in the background even when he is back in Australia, as if the war were at work inside his skull.
Peter Mares: So just as the landscape is shocked and scarred, so is Quinn himself."
It is a gripping read - I felt like I was watching events unfold from one of the hills surrounding the small town of Flint where it is set. Some reviewers also compared the writing with that of Cormac McCarthy - that comparison will give a good sense of what the novel is like.
-atmosphere of mystery and suspense, -omens, portents, visiosn, - an ancient prophecy, -high or overwrought emotion, - a woman in distress or threatened by a tyrannical male, - supernatural or inexplicable events.
Some reviewers described this book as 'rural gothic' which seemed to fit well. In speaking about the book, Peter Mares, who was interviewing the writer said:
"So the landscape itself is bereft, like the title of the book, so you are deliberately using the landscape there.
Chris Womersley: Yes, that's exactly right...a portion of the reading, you know, this sort of broken machinery and stuff, and that sort of ties up with some of the images that he remembers of his war experiences with broken cars and so forth littering the battlefields. Very much one of the themes of Bereft is this idea that Quinn cannot only escape the murder of his beloved sister from years earlier but he can't escape the war experience, and there is a line in there where he almost hears artillery in the background even when he is back in Australia, as if the war were at work inside his skull.
Peter Mares: So just as the landscape is shocked and scarred, so is Quinn himself."
It is a gripping read - I felt like I was watching events unfold from one of the hills surrounding the small town of Flint where it is set. Some reviewers also compared the writing with that of Cormac McCarthy - that comparison will give a good sense of what the novel is like.
October 5, 2011
Being given a book for your birthday that you normally wouldn’t chose, is like being taken the movies by your parents when you don’t know what film you’re going to see. You have to work through your instinctive apathy to enjoy the experience. Thus it was for me with Bereft. I’d have never chosen this book and on the surface it seems typical of the miserable books the friend who gave it to me reads. (I’m always teasing him about his wrist-slitting bookshelves) A soldier returns from the First World War to influenza ravaged Australia to confront the terrible abuse and death of his little sister that he witnessed in his youth – a war, disease, child abuse trifecta. It is undoubtedly a grim read and I did have to work through my annoyance, but there’s a pleasing element of gothic mystery that kept going through the rather turgid scenes where he secretly visits his mother on her sick bed. The supernatural hints suggest more is going on, but in reality it isn’t (probably). However this doesn’t spoil the novel, by the build up to the climax I was completely gripped and turning the pages furiously. The slower start does mean the tension builds up nicely. The prose is wonderfully spare, with some quite poetic but apt descriptions. I found myself engrossed in the filth and violence the narrator and girl inhabit outside the country town. You get a real sense of how mysteries and legends might evolve from real people. So in the end the forced trip to my friend's miserable bookcase was definitely worth it. Although in reading the author’s thank you, he thanks his editor ‘without whom the book would have been twice as long and half as good.’ I’d like to thank that editor too.
October 13, 2011
In 1909 at the age of 16, Quinn Walker is accused of killing his 12 year old sister, Sarah, and flees the small rural community of Flint in fear of retribution. Ten years later at the end of World War I, he returns to the town a designated war hero, befriends a mysterious orphan girl by the name of Sadie Frost, and together they seek refuge in the hills and scrub surrounding the township. The unlikely duo set about righting the wrongs that continue to be committed against the vulnerable and innocent in Flint, crimes that stretch back more than a decade.
Bereft is one of those novels that is so gripping that it is almost impossible to put down. The characters are fascinating: The damaged, the wronged, the misled, and the downright evil. At around 250 pages in length the story unfolds perfectly from start to finish, the author effortlessly bringing together the past and present, the living and the dead.
Bereft is an intriguing novel filled with murder, mystery, magic and revenge, with a wonderfully Australian gothic feel.
Highly recommended.
**I won this novel in 2010 via a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Bereft is one of those novels that is so gripping that it is almost impossible to put down. The characters are fascinating: The damaged, the wronged, the misled, and the downright evil. At around 250 pages in length the story unfolds perfectly from start to finish, the author effortlessly bringing together the past and present, the living and the dead.
Bereft is an intriguing novel filled with murder, mystery, magic and revenge, with a wonderfully Australian gothic feel.
Highly recommended.
**I won this novel in 2010 via a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 10, 2012
This was a breath-taking historical novel that takes place in the small town of Flint, Australia in the year 1909. Twelve year old Sarah Walker is raped and murdered. Her brother sixteen year old Quinn is discovered over the body with a knife. He runs away and is never seen again. Later, his parents receive a telegram that he died in action during the war. Quinn, now physically scared returns to Flint to seek answers and clear his name. Womersley spun a wonderful tale, with complex characters that kept me captivated from page one.
July 3, 2016
A dark, bleak book, at times strange and otherworldly. It goes to some very unsettling and disturbing places. The writing was deeply evocative; Quinn's pain and anguish was very well depicted. What has stayed with me the most is the devastating effect of WWI, not just on the men who fought (if they survived, were never the same again) but also on the communities from which they came. Although it was quite a different book, this was, for me, also the deepest impact of 'The light between oceans'.
June 12, 2020
This story had potential with an interesting and uncommon setting (Australia after WWI, with influenza sweeping the country), Furthermore the mystery of a murdered young girl promised an atmospheric and suspenseful read.
The author writes well, but the characters lacked depth and weren’t convincing. The protagonist, Quinn, seems pretty immature for his age, more so considering he’s just returned from a war, besides his actions often didn’t make sense. There are a few inconsistencies and slip-ups, . I didn’t like the paranormal element so all in all, it was only an OK read for me.
The author writes well, but the characters lacked depth and weren’t convincing. The protagonist, Quinn, seems pretty immature for his age, more so considering he’s just returned from a war, besides his actions often didn’t make sense. There are a few inconsistencies and slip-ups, . I didn’t like the paranormal element so all in all, it was only an OK read for me.
March 5, 2012
In 1909 in Flint a small town in New South Wales Australia twelve year old Sarah Walker was brutally raped and murdered, she was discovered in a shed at Wilson’s Point by her father Nathaniel and her uncle Robert. Bloodied and holding the knife that killed her was her sixteen year old brother Quinn. Upon being found Quinn disappeared never to be seen again, of course the gossip mill was ripe and the rumors flying about how their relationship was a bit closer than should be.
Ten years later battered by war, by guilt and by a need for retribution Quinn returns to Flint to prove his innocence and to make sure the guilty party pays for what they did to him, his sister Sarah and his family. He arrives to find his mother on death’s door by the epidemic that has taken thousands of lives so far and to find that the bounty on his innocent head is still there. Quinn discovers and befriends a strange young girl the same age as his Sarah was when she was taken from him. She is also being pursued by the same monster that took Sarah. Quinn doesn’t know why but he is determined to protect her at any and all costs as together they search for the way back from madness.
Chris Womersley has given us a most important piece of historical literary fiction, with an economy of words he spins his tale of heartbreak, war, plague and healing. He uses a narrative that is beautiful in it’s descriptions of horrible events. And he gives this contemporary reader a realistic look at a time in history that rarely crossed my mind. His expertise as a writer comes across with his prose like dialogue and took me on a journey through the eyes of a man ravaged by his past and his part in battle by emphasizing the post traumatic stress syndrome that this WWI vet suffered while he battled the demons from a childhood event that never should have happened and at the same time showed me the world ravaged by a virus that we treat with a shot. His characters are all wonderfully depicted from Quinn and Sadie to Mary all the way down to our villain.
It’s a novel that I would recommend to any lover of fiction, historical or otherwise, it’s a read that will find itself on your keep shelf to be revisited time and again and will find itself in wrapping paper for gift giving as well.
Thank you Mr. Womersley for the best novel I’ve read in the genre for a long while.
Ten years later battered by war, by guilt and by a need for retribution Quinn returns to Flint to prove his innocence and to make sure the guilty party pays for what they did to him, his sister Sarah and his family. He arrives to find his mother on death’s door by the epidemic that has taken thousands of lives so far and to find that the bounty on his innocent head is still there. Quinn discovers and befriends a strange young girl the same age as his Sarah was when she was taken from him. She is also being pursued by the same monster that took Sarah. Quinn doesn’t know why but he is determined to protect her at any and all costs as together they search for the way back from madness.
Chris Womersley has given us a most important piece of historical literary fiction, with an economy of words he spins his tale of heartbreak, war, plague and healing. He uses a narrative that is beautiful in it’s descriptions of horrible events. And he gives this contemporary reader a realistic look at a time in history that rarely crossed my mind. His expertise as a writer comes across with his prose like dialogue and took me on a journey through the eyes of a man ravaged by his past and his part in battle by emphasizing the post traumatic stress syndrome that this WWI vet suffered while he battled the demons from a childhood event that never should have happened and at the same time showed me the world ravaged by a virus that we treat with a shot. His characters are all wonderfully depicted from Quinn and Sadie to Mary all the way down to our villain.
It’s a novel that I would recommend to any lover of fiction, historical or otherwise, it’s a read that will find itself on your keep shelf to be revisited time and again and will find itself in wrapping paper for gift giving as well.
Thank you Mr. Womersley for the best novel I’ve read in the genre for a long while.
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