Temperance

by Carol Lefevre

December, 1963: widowed cafe owner Stella Madigan, with her two young children Fran and Theo, and the free-spirited artist Mardi Rose, embark on a road trip to Byron Bay. But a night spent in the tiny outback town of Temperance will alter all their lives, and ignite a chain of events the children will struggle to both conceal and resolve, long into adulthood.

Genres: Fiction, Australia

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, what a stunning novel!
Review scheduled for April 30th at anzlitlovers.com

[Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story. The writing is beautiful and the pages are infused with the hazy days of Summer all golden and shimmering heat. It is set in an Adelaide beach town and introduces us to the Madigan family. Mum Stella owns the beach cafe and is raising her three children alone after her husband's death. The story starts in 1963 and the children are young so the experiences told from their perspective may not be realistic. I was born in 1963 so I relished these early chapters. On an road trip the family endure a traumatic event though the kids don't know what that is, only that their mother is forever changed. The chapters take through the decades until their story turns back to what happened in the 60s. The ending was a shock and totally unexpected but it is lovely knowing the family survived their youth and their future looks good. The author has become one of my favourites with this book so I look forward to reading her other ones.

[kalvid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly picked this book from my local library and immediately fall in love with it. I love the way Carol narrates everything - characters' vioces, places. Nothing "extravagant" about this book, but it's in the "simplicity" of the characters' everyday lives that makes this book feel so intimate and familiar to me. It tells lives of Fran and her siblings growing up in a cafe by the beach in South Australia. Later, as adults, they go on a journey to discover something that's been at the back of their minds since childhood.

I then looked up more about Carol and found out her other books - The Tower, Blooming. She's now my new favorite author and I've followed her now on Instagram, liking her posts; her delightful garden, insights and routines as an old woman.

Thank you, Carol, for this book. 💜

[Meredith Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

So touching to read a book set in locations with which I am so familiar. Most days, I walk past the heritage cafe where the story is set, and I imagine the events described here in former times. Apart from the rare pleasure of reading a book set in a familiar location, I enjoyed this book for its vivid descriptions. In her character descriptions the author notices details that I would normally miss, and I found myself creating vivid imagery in my mind as I read, more vivid than had I watched this story as a film. It's a compelling plot, and the reader will resent any interruptions when the pace quickens as the story progresses.

[Gay Harding · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story is centred around a family during various times in their lives. A mysterious happening which occurred during a camping trip and the aim to investigate the reality became the focus of the story toward the later part of the book…which was very disappointing. Very character driven, the writing was good but a bit too descriptive. Could have been a lot shorter.

[Anne Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating step back in time for those like me who know the setting of this novel and the cultural vibe of growing up in suburban Adelaide in the sixties. The mystery of what it is that causes the dramatic upheaval in the family's lives keeps you in suspense until the end.

[Gavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* rounded up to 3*. Slow. An interesting story line, but the writing style was plain and there was too much description of events and not enough character insight. Felt quite remote and distant despite the emotional themes.