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Jumbo
Set during a pre-Christmas heatwave in Sydney's outer suburbs, JUMBO explores the fragile world of Lisa Brand, a school-leaver who can't find work. Her inability to communicate with Verity Unicombe, a teacher haunted by bad memories, further fuels Lisa's despair.
Driven to the edge of insanity by a society indifferent to her existence, 'Jumbo' kidnaps three young children for a final, macabre Christmas celebration. As her grip on reality slips, the children's lives become horribly endangered.
Driven to the edge of insanity by a society indifferent to her existence, 'Jumbo' kidnaps three young children for a final, macabre Christmas celebration. As her grip on reality slips, the children's lives become horribly endangered.
- GenresFiction
194 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
About the author
Gabrielle Lord
107 books238 followersGabrielle Craig Lord is an Australian writer who has been described as Australia's first lady of crime.
She survived being ‘razed’ by the nuns, acquired an education despite this, and after working in many different areas, sales, teaching, brick-cleaning, peach-picking and packing, and in the Public Service as an employment officer, started writing seriously aged 30.
Her first two manuscripts ended up composting the tomatoes at her market garden – another attempt to make a living – but the third one FORTRESS was picked up internationally and made into a feature film starring Rachel Ward. A later novel WHIPPING BOY was made into a telemovie starring Sigrid Thornton. The film rights money, coinciding with her daughter leaving school, allowed Gabrielle to resign and instead of getting up at 4.30am and writing for several hours before heading off for work, she could write full-time and lead a more ‘normal’ writer’s life – hanging around with scientists and detectives, badgering forensic anthropologists (she studied some Anatomy at Sydney university) and doing work experience with a busy private security business and of course, writing.
Research is everything, she says. ‘Out of my contacts with experts (who are always far too modest to describe themselves that way) I get not only the fine-tuning necessary for today’s savvy readers, but also wonderful incidents and images that enrich and enlarge my books.’
Gabrielle’s interests are very simple. ‘After a misspent youth, I don’t have many brain cells left so I enjoy walking, meditation, singing, gardening, chatting with close friends, being with my family and grandkids, feeding my goldfish and keeping up to date with bodywork and enlightened psychotherapy.’
Gabrielle has now written fourteen adult novels and a novel for young adults. Once the 12 books of Conspiracy 365 are completed, this tally will be a tad bigger! Following this mammoth endeavour she already has plans for another three adult novels and two more YAs.
2013
She survived being ‘razed’ by the nuns, acquired an education despite this, and after working in many different areas, sales, teaching, brick-cleaning, peach-picking and packing, and in the Public Service as an employment officer, started writing seriously aged 30.
Her first two manuscripts ended up composting the tomatoes at her market garden – another attempt to make a living – but the third one FORTRESS was picked up internationally and made into a feature film starring Rachel Ward. A later novel WHIPPING BOY was made into a telemovie starring Sigrid Thornton. The film rights money, coinciding with her daughter leaving school, allowed Gabrielle to resign and instead of getting up at 4.30am and writing for several hours before heading off for work, she could write full-time and lead a more ‘normal’ writer’s life – hanging around with scientists and detectives, badgering forensic anthropologists (she studied some Anatomy at Sydney university) and doing work experience with a busy private security business and of course, writing.
Research is everything, she says. ‘Out of my contacts with experts (who are always far too modest to describe themselves that way) I get not only the fine-tuning necessary for today’s savvy readers, but also wonderful incidents and images that enrich and enlarge my books.’
Gabrielle’s interests are very simple. ‘After a misspent youth, I don’t have many brain cells left so I enjoy walking, meditation, singing, gardening, chatting with close friends, being with my family and grandkids, feeding my goldfish and keeping up to date with bodywork and enlightened psychotherapy.’
Gabrielle has now written fourteen adult novels and a novel for young adults. Once the 12 books of Conspiracy 365 are completed, this tally will be a tad bigger! Following this mammoth endeavour she already has plans for another three adult novels and two more YAs.
2013
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 10, 2018
Sometimes you see the pain in the world and it breaks your heart. But what if your empathy is so great and, combined with your own sorrows, it consumes you all the way to your breaking point? This searing and heart-wrenching novel is the story of one such person: a troubled teenage girl, and the woman (her former teacher) who may or may not be able to save her. Deeply insightful and filled with humanity, this third novel by Gabrielle Lord, is not the genre crime novel that she would later be known for. Instead it pushes the boundaries of the thriller into literary territory that has likely not been matched by the author since.
(This last statement I can't say with certainty because I haven't yet read the series mystery books; people who have can argue with me.)
(This last statement I can't say with certainty because I haven't yet read the series mystery books; people who have can argue with me.)
August 21, 2016
Jumbo by Gabrielle Lord is a great little book.
Lord writes of a teenager, Lisa, who struggles to find a job and who baby sits three children.
In desperation she kidnaps the children to protect them from the reality of life.
The only person she tells of her plans is a Teacher who had shown her kindness at school many years earlier.
This teacher, Verity Unicombe, has her own sad memories to deal with.
Lisa nicknames her 'The Unicorn' after Mrs Unicombe gave her the nickname of 'Jumbo' but the Teacher does not remember doing this.
There is suspense, drama, horror and despair that is well portrayed and is quite believable.
Gabrielle Lord's former novel 'The Fortress' was made into a film that I had read, seen and enjoyed.
Lord writes of a teenager, Lisa, who struggles to find a job and who baby sits three children.
In desperation she kidnaps the children to protect them from the reality of life.
The only person she tells of her plans is a Teacher who had shown her kindness at school many years earlier.
This teacher, Verity Unicombe, has her own sad memories to deal with.
Lisa nicknames her 'The Unicorn' after Mrs Unicombe gave her the nickname of 'Jumbo' but the Teacher does not remember doing this.
There is suspense, drama, horror and despair that is well portrayed and is quite believable.
Gabrielle Lord's former novel 'The Fortress' was made into a film that I had read, seen and enjoyed.
April 8, 2022
This was an enjoyable re-read. A teacher, Verity Unicombe, receives a letter asking for help from an ex-pupil who feels a deep connection to her based on a shared classroom moment, but Verity doesn't remember her and fails to reconnect. Time passes and ex-pupil Lisa Brand is struggling to make her way in life after school - high unemployment, few job prospects, unsupportive fre-enemies, parents busy with their own survival. Following a miscommunication and despite her best efforts Verity loses the only job she has, babysitting two children after school. Hopelessness overwhelms her and she kidnaps the children planning to end it for them all after one last happy Christmas. As Verity's parents, Lisa and the police race to locate her, the fantasy of the last Christmas disintegrates under the weight of the children's homesickness and demands.
This was a quick read and fast paced. Lisa's angst and despair were well described.
This was a quick read and fast paced. Lisa's angst and despair were well described.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews