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The Making of Christina
Interior designer Christina Clemente is caught off guard by an intense affair with her charismatic client. Jackson Plummer quickly becomes the cure to Christina's loneliness and a surrogate father to her young daughter Bianca.
When Jackson suggests moving to a run-down farm in the mountains, Christina is uncertain about uprooting their lives in the city. She soon forgets her hesitation, absorbing herself in restoring the rambling century-old house, Bartholomews Run, and becoming obsessed with solving its mysterious history.
But while living on the isolated farm, her once effervescent child transforms into a quiet sullen teenager and Christina increasingly struggles to connect with her.
Because Bianca has a secret. And the monstrous truth threatens to destroy them all.
Poignant and thought-provoking, The Making of Christina will have you questioning how well you know the people you love, the price of truth, and how easily it could happen to you.
When Jackson suggests moving to a run-down farm in the mountains, Christina is uncertain about uprooting their lives in the city. She soon forgets her hesitation, absorbing herself in restoring the rambling century-old house, Bartholomews Run, and becoming obsessed with solving its mysterious history.
But while living on the isolated farm, her once effervescent child transforms into a quiet sullen teenager and Christina increasingly struggles to connect with her.
Because Bianca has a secret. And the monstrous truth threatens to destroy them all.
Poignant and thought-provoking, The Making of Christina will have you questioning how well you know the people you love, the price of truth, and how easily it could happen to you.
384 pages, Paperback
Published July 25, 2017
About the author
Meredith Jaffe
6 books93 followersMeredith Jaffé is the author of four novels for adults— The Tricky Art of Forgiveness (2022), The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison (2021), The Making of Christina (2017) and The Fence (2016.) Her bestselling novel, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison, was voted in the 2021 Booktopia Favourite Australian Book Award Top 50 and the 2022 Better Reading Top 100. She also writes for children.
She is the former Festival Director of StoryFest, held on the NSW South Coast, and regularly facilitates at other writers’ festivals, literary lunches and author events. In a previous life, she wrote the weekly literary column for the online women’s magazine The Hoopla. Her reviews, author interviews, feature articles and opinion pieces have appeared in The Hoopla, Australian Author, the Guardian Australia, The Huffington Post and Mamamia.
Her reviewing policy is to only post comments on books she truly enjoyed and wants to share with other readers.
She is the former Festival Director of StoryFest, held on the NSW South Coast, and regularly facilitates at other writers’ festivals, literary lunches and author events. In a previous life, she wrote the weekly literary column for the online women’s magazine The Hoopla. Her reviews, author interviews, feature articles and opinion pieces have appeared in The Hoopla, Australian Author, the Guardian Australia, The Huffington Post and Mamamia.
Her reviewing policy is to only post comments on books she truly enjoyed and wants to share with other readers.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 20, 2017
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
*4.5 stars
The Making of Christina is a powerful and gut wrenching novel that explores into the strains placed on family relations, at a time of an unthinkable crisis. Meredith Jaffe’s second novel demonstrates her flair for storytelling on the domestic front. Jaffe is readily able to expose the lives of ordinary people, faced with all too real situations that shatter their current way of life.
The Making of Christina is narrated by interior designed Christina Clemente. This single mother is taken aback when a handsome and wealthy businessmen, Jackson Plummer, enlists her professional expertise. Their business relationship quickly transforms into a full-blown love affair, taking no prisoners. Soon after, the two enter a part-time relationship, where Jackson becomes a father figure to Christina’s daughter Bianca. When Christina and Jackson’s relationship hits a rocky point, Jackson decides the best thing to do is to make a fresh start, moving them all to a farm in the mountains. While Christina becomes distracted by the opportunity to renovate old rundown farm property, a mystery connected to the property emerges. As Bianca becomes fixated on the renovations and solving the mystery, Christina’s daughter Bianca becomes increasingly withdrawn. Initially believing Bianca is simply exhibiting typical teenage behaviour, Christina doesn’t think too much about her moody teenage daughter. However, a dark secret is festering inside Bianca. When the truth is finally revealed, it will test the very core of this mother-daughter relationship and the strength of their character.
Much praise has been awarded to Australian writer, Meredith Jaffe author of The Fence, a book that I have sadly had languishing on my sagging bookshelves, calling out to be read. Knowing this author has been highly commended for her work on her first novel, which was focussed on life on the domestic front, I was keen to get started on my copy of The Making of Christina. I finished this book yesterday and while I am writing this review, I can still feel myself shaking from the events that occurred in the novel. The Making of Christina was one of the hardest books I have read for some time, due to the subject matter. I also suspect that this one of those books that won’t be leaving my mind for some time. Even now, my mind is questioning the events in the novel, the reactions of the characters and how I would respond if I was put in Christina’s shoes.
Jaffe’s narrative unfolds by flipping between the past and present. It is a convincing, as well as compelling style of storytelling. Jaffe sets the main events to come in the most ideal way, giving solid hints as to the earth shattering big secret Bianca holds, without giving the whole play of events away too early. It allows the reader to take an active and creative role in theorising over what might have happened to Bianca (for the record I had a pretty good idea).
Jaffe’s characterisation must be commended. Her characters are grounded in the everyday, so that it easy to relate to this set of protagonists. Each character is flawed in their own way (some more than others) but this highlights the realism of the novel. The response each character has to the situations they are faced with is relatable and authentic. I found the accompanying dialogue compelling. The strikingly real nature of Bianca’s secret hits the reader hard, especially for those who may have a teenage daughter in the same age bracket as Bianca.
A side aspect of The Making of Christina which I enjoyed very much and helped to detract from the dark and serious main subject matter, was the mystery involving the run down farm property Christina acquires. It is no secret that I adore stories centered on rambling houses and the mysteries they have to offer the reader. I appreciated the opportunity to work with Christina to uncover the secrets Bartholomews Run had to offer. It presented me with a little distraction, when the rest of the story gets a little heavy going and emotionally upsetting.
There is no doubt that Meredith Jaffe has completed her homework on the main subject matter of her story. The acknowledgements section at the close of the novel highlights this thoroughly. I applaud Jaffe for the persistence she has applied to bringing this story to her audience, it was certainly a labour of love, taking up over nine and half years of Jaffe’s life to finally come to fruition. My hope for novels such as Jaffe’s is that they work to cross difficult but highly important and topical territory. I have faith that readers whom have been impacted by situations similar to Bianca’s, will find this book gives them a sense of understanding, power and encouragement.
An emotionally arresting story, The Making of Christina was a novel that challenged me reading wise, due to the morally compromising main subject matter. It is the type of novel you will not want to read in isolation, you will want to mull over it and then discuss, reach out and share your thoughts with other readers – I know I did once I finished it. I recommend The Making of Christina to all readers as there are glimpses of us all inside this resonating tale.
*Please note that a free copy of this book was provided to me for review purposes through Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan. To read the original review on the Beauty and Lace website please visit: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
*4.5 stars
The Making of Christina is a powerful and gut wrenching novel that explores into the strains placed on family relations, at a time of an unthinkable crisis. Meredith Jaffe’s second novel demonstrates her flair for storytelling on the domestic front. Jaffe is readily able to expose the lives of ordinary people, faced with all too real situations that shatter their current way of life.
The Making of Christina is narrated by interior designed Christina Clemente. This single mother is taken aback when a handsome and wealthy businessmen, Jackson Plummer, enlists her professional expertise. Their business relationship quickly transforms into a full-blown love affair, taking no prisoners. Soon after, the two enter a part-time relationship, where Jackson becomes a father figure to Christina’s daughter Bianca. When Christina and Jackson’s relationship hits a rocky point, Jackson decides the best thing to do is to make a fresh start, moving them all to a farm in the mountains. While Christina becomes distracted by the opportunity to renovate old rundown farm property, a mystery connected to the property emerges. As Bianca becomes fixated on the renovations and solving the mystery, Christina’s daughter Bianca becomes increasingly withdrawn. Initially believing Bianca is simply exhibiting typical teenage behaviour, Christina doesn’t think too much about her moody teenage daughter. However, a dark secret is festering inside Bianca. When the truth is finally revealed, it will test the very core of this mother-daughter relationship and the strength of their character.
Much praise has been awarded to Australian writer, Meredith Jaffe author of The Fence, a book that I have sadly had languishing on my sagging bookshelves, calling out to be read. Knowing this author has been highly commended for her work on her first novel, which was focussed on life on the domestic front, I was keen to get started on my copy of The Making of Christina. I finished this book yesterday and while I am writing this review, I can still feel myself shaking from the events that occurred in the novel. The Making of Christina was one of the hardest books I have read for some time, due to the subject matter. I also suspect that this one of those books that won’t be leaving my mind for some time. Even now, my mind is questioning the events in the novel, the reactions of the characters and how I would respond if I was put in Christina’s shoes.
Jaffe’s narrative unfolds by flipping between the past and present. It is a convincing, as well as compelling style of storytelling. Jaffe sets the main events to come in the most ideal way, giving solid hints as to the earth shattering big secret Bianca holds, without giving the whole play of events away too early. It allows the reader to take an active and creative role in theorising over what might have happened to Bianca (for the record I had a pretty good idea).
Jaffe’s characterisation must be commended. Her characters are grounded in the everyday, so that it easy to relate to this set of protagonists. Each character is flawed in their own way (some more than others) but this highlights the realism of the novel. The response each character has to the situations they are faced with is relatable and authentic. I found the accompanying dialogue compelling. The strikingly real nature of Bianca’s secret hits the reader hard, especially for those who may have a teenage daughter in the same age bracket as Bianca.
A side aspect of The Making of Christina which I enjoyed very much and helped to detract from the dark and serious main subject matter, was the mystery involving the run down farm property Christina acquires. It is no secret that I adore stories centered on rambling houses and the mysteries they have to offer the reader. I appreciated the opportunity to work with Christina to uncover the secrets Bartholomews Run had to offer. It presented me with a little distraction, when the rest of the story gets a little heavy going and emotionally upsetting.
There is no doubt that Meredith Jaffe has completed her homework on the main subject matter of her story. The acknowledgements section at the close of the novel highlights this thoroughly. I applaud Jaffe for the persistence she has applied to bringing this story to her audience, it was certainly a labour of love, taking up over nine and half years of Jaffe’s life to finally come to fruition. My hope for novels such as Jaffe’s is that they work to cross difficult but highly important and topical territory. I have faith that readers whom have been impacted by situations similar to Bianca’s, will find this book gives them a sense of understanding, power and encouragement.
An emotionally arresting story, The Making of Christina was a novel that challenged me reading wise, due to the morally compromising main subject matter. It is the type of novel you will not want to read in isolation, you will want to mull over it and then discuss, reach out and share your thoughts with other readers – I know I did once I finished it. I recommend The Making of Christina to all readers as there are glimpses of us all inside this resonating tale.
*Please note that a free copy of this book was provided to me for review purposes through Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan. To read the original review on the Beauty and Lace website please visit: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
September 6, 2017
I remember how much I absolutely loved Meredith Jaffe’s first book The Fence and how amazed I was that someone could so successfully write a novel about a neighbours dispute so captivating like she did! So was very excited to see Meredith’s second book was out – yay! And I can happily and convincingly say she did not disappoint! The Making of Christina drew me in from the first page and took me on an emotional roller coaster of a ride! This book is a lot more darker and serious than the first, but still this story grabs you in with its amazing characters and depth of details with a heartbreaking issue at its centre. Highly recommend now both of Meredith’s books – what a fantastic talented gem of a writer!
August 2, 2017
I have no words Meredith....... the making of Christina was incredible, devoured it in two days and sobbed like a baby at the end.
It was an absolute page turner and I was hooked from the first page. The best book I've read in a good while. Thank you ...... I can't wait for your next one x
It was an absolute page turner and I was hooked from the first page. The best book I've read in a good while. Thank you ...... I can't wait for your next one x
June 19, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Despite misgivings about some uneven writing (I don't want to read the line 'she loved him with every fibre of her being' outside of a Mills & Boon publication), once I hit the half way point, I did sit glued to the sofa until I had finished this book.
It seemed very well researched from a legal perspective. The central character Christina sometimes came across as almost too gutless and gullible to be believed, but sadly I think she may be true to life.
I did enjoy some of the more peripheral characters, Christina's mother Rosa especially.
I enjoyed "The Fence" as well, and will definitely look out for this author's next work.
Despite misgivings about some uneven writing (I don't want to read the line 'she loved him with every fibre of her being' outside of a Mills & Boon publication), once I hit the half way point, I did sit glued to the sofa until I had finished this book.
It seemed very well researched from a legal perspective. The central character Christina sometimes came across as almost too gutless and gullible to be believed, but sadly I think she may be true to life.
I did enjoy some of the more peripheral characters, Christina's mother Rosa especially.
I enjoyed "The Fence" as well, and will definitely look out for this author's next work.
August 1, 2017
Although the second book by Meredith Jaffe explores a completely different and confronting subject matter there is not doubting Meredith's unmistakeable talent. She has an amazing ability in normalizing her characters. They are people everyone can relate too in everyday life. This would be a great book for a Bookclub as it poses so many questions both morally and legally. She is an author I will look forward to following as each of her books are different and stands alone on their own merit.
August 19, 2017
http://jessjustreads.com
The Making of Christina is an emotionally charged exploration of family abuse. Told from a mother’s perspective, this novel switches between past and present and centres around the relationship between Christina and Jackson Plummer.
The first chapter of the book positions Jackson Plummer as an untrustworthy character. It is one month before Christmas, and we meet our protagonist Christina. She is visited by a woman named Sarah Plummer, who reveals she is dying. She’s come to talk to Christina following Jackson’s trial and how Christina should learn to forgive herself for what happened to Bianca. Sarah is Jackson’s ex-wife, who Jackson cheated on when he first met Christina. We later learn that Christina and Jackson were engaging in an affair for years before he left Sarah and their three children.
‘My children have taken this thing with their father very badly. Ashleigh’s out of control,’ Sarah begins.
‘Simon, well he’s cut from the same cloth as his father.’
Christina glares over the paddocks.
‘Oh I didn’t mean like that.’ Sarah’s hands flutter. ‘I meant hard, uncompromising, well, you know.’ Her smile is grim.
We soon start to piece the pictures together. Particularly when Sarah talks about how Jackson did the same thing to her son Josh:
Sarah continues, ‘Anyway, the point is, I assumed it had to be Ash because she was always daddy’s little girl. Because she was highly strung and unpredictable. She fitted the stereotype…all the time it was Josh….I didn’t realise until after the trial when he tried to hang himself.’
This is not a spoiler, and in fact we find all of this out within the first 6 pages of the book. It’s very clever of Meredith Jaffe. It means there’s no shocking twist or cliff-hanger later in the book. In fact, it’s one of those plots where we know more than what the protagonist does and we can see things from a different perspective.
The Making of Christina navigates between past and present. In the present, Jackson has been sentenced to prison for what he did to Bianca, and Christina is trying to move on with her life and rebuild her relationship with her daughter. Christmas is fast approaching and Christina is hoping Bianca will honour her promise to come home for the holidays.
In the past, we find out all about the relationship between Christina and Jackson Plummer. We go right back to the beginning when Christina first meets Jackson. Christina has a young daughter – Bianca – and has split from Bianca’s father. Jackson seems charming and a perfect gentleman. The two begin a heated affair, and in total are together for 13 years. But as the years pass by, we learn that things aren’t always what they seem. As Bianca hits her teenage years, they move to a rural property called Bartholomews Run. There, the family are isolated and Bianca’s life seems to deteriorate. She’s withdrawn and she’s not sleeping. Christina tries to understand what is wrong, but she can’t seem to see the signs.
“Thoughts jostled inside her head. Was it just her? Every time she tried to interact with her daughter, Bianca ran like a scalded cat. Christina had no basis of comparison, no way of knowing if this was a normal relationship to have with a teenage girl or whether she was a terrible mother.”
It is a little frustrating that Christina seems too distracted or too trusting and completely misses what I believe are major clues to what’s going on between Jackson and Bianca. But I guess that’s the point, isn’t it? This happens all the time in real life and yet family members have absolutely no idea. This book is an exploration of family abuse, but also family relations and blind love.
Meredith Jaffe is a really talented writer. The characters are constructed so well that you feel like you know everything about them, and the plot is well-paced and suspenseful. I really loved reading this book, and I thought the author has written something really marvellous.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Making of Christina is an emotionally charged exploration of family abuse. Told from a mother’s perspective, this novel switches between past and present and centres around the relationship between Christina and Jackson Plummer.
The first chapter of the book positions Jackson Plummer as an untrustworthy character. It is one month before Christmas, and we meet our protagonist Christina. She is visited by a woman named Sarah Plummer, who reveals she is dying. She’s come to talk to Christina following Jackson’s trial and how Christina should learn to forgive herself for what happened to Bianca. Sarah is Jackson’s ex-wife, who Jackson cheated on when he first met Christina. We later learn that Christina and Jackson were engaging in an affair for years before he left Sarah and their three children.
‘My children have taken this thing with their father very badly. Ashleigh’s out of control,’ Sarah begins.
‘Simon, well he’s cut from the same cloth as his father.’
Christina glares over the paddocks.
‘Oh I didn’t mean like that.’ Sarah’s hands flutter. ‘I meant hard, uncompromising, well, you know.’ Her smile is grim.
We soon start to piece the pictures together. Particularly when Sarah talks about how Jackson did the same thing to her son Josh:
Sarah continues, ‘Anyway, the point is, I assumed it had to be Ash because she was always daddy’s little girl. Because she was highly strung and unpredictable. She fitted the stereotype…all the time it was Josh….I didn’t realise until after the trial when he tried to hang himself.’
This is not a spoiler, and in fact we find all of this out within the first 6 pages of the book. It’s very clever of Meredith Jaffe. It means there’s no shocking twist or cliff-hanger later in the book. In fact, it’s one of those plots where we know more than what the protagonist does and we can see things from a different perspective.
The Making of Christina navigates between past and present. In the present, Jackson has been sentenced to prison for what he did to Bianca, and Christina is trying to move on with her life and rebuild her relationship with her daughter. Christmas is fast approaching and Christina is hoping Bianca will honour her promise to come home for the holidays.
In the past, we find out all about the relationship between Christina and Jackson Plummer. We go right back to the beginning when Christina first meets Jackson. Christina has a young daughter – Bianca – and has split from Bianca’s father. Jackson seems charming and a perfect gentleman. The two begin a heated affair, and in total are together for 13 years. But as the years pass by, we learn that things aren’t always what they seem. As Bianca hits her teenage years, they move to a rural property called Bartholomews Run. There, the family are isolated and Bianca’s life seems to deteriorate. She’s withdrawn and she’s not sleeping. Christina tries to understand what is wrong, but she can’t seem to see the signs.
“Thoughts jostled inside her head. Was it just her? Every time she tried to interact with her daughter, Bianca ran like a scalded cat. Christina had no basis of comparison, no way of knowing if this was a normal relationship to have with a teenage girl or whether she was a terrible mother.”
It is a little frustrating that Christina seems too distracted or too trusting and completely misses what I believe are major clues to what’s going on between Jackson and Bianca. But I guess that’s the point, isn’t it? This happens all the time in real life and yet family members have absolutely no idea. This book is an exploration of family abuse, but also family relations and blind love.
Meredith Jaffe is a really talented writer. The characters are constructed so well that you feel like you know everything about them, and the plot is well-paced and suspenseful. I really loved reading this book, and I thought the author has written something really marvellous.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2017
This book unfolds in multiple timeframes. The constant however, is the present…. in the lead-up to Christmas. Christina is staying (well, living) with her elderly mother, Rosa and fervently hoping her daughter Bianca – who’s teaching English in Costa Rica – will return home for the holidays as planned.
We quickly learn that Christina’s staying with her mother out of desperation, having lost everything following the ‘breakdown of her relationship -with ex-partner Jackson and Bianca – and messy court case.
We’re then taken back in time intermittently (regularly returning to the present as Christmas nears); over a 15 year period.
Christina’s story starts when she first meets Jackson – whose house she’s renovating. She’s obviously smitten and happily moves into a long-term affair though knows about his wife and three children. Eventually, a decade or so into their relationship Jackson’s marriage falls apart and he suggests the move to the country.
We already know things go downhill from there, but Jaffe only takes us back to incidents now and then… they’re signs for us as we know what’s happened, but also points (in retrospect) at which Christina later wonders if she failed as a mother.
We’re vaguely privy to the aftermath of the allegations and then the trial – but in a superficial way. For those worried about exposure to the subject matter, there are no details and no specific events are mentioned.
Although we’re taken back to the past it sort-of provides backstory for what is essentially about Christina’s own crisis of confidence… a loss of herself and the slow journey she’s now on to pick up the pieces. Interestingly Bianca plays a very small role in the book which all unfolds from Christina’s point of view.
I’ve possibly said a little more about the plot than I should but… one of the things that worried me about this book was the angst I was going to struggle with, while watching Bianca suffer. And, because of my work history and general cynicism, I’m pretty hard to shock. However… this book is far more about the relationships, the game-playing, the power and the manipulation than it is about the abuse itself.
This would be an excellent book club read and offer a lot of opportunities for discussion and debate.
3.5 stars
Read the full review on my site: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
We quickly learn that Christina’s staying with her mother out of desperation, having lost everything following the ‘breakdown of her relationship -with ex-partner Jackson and Bianca – and messy court case.
We’re then taken back in time intermittently (regularly returning to the present as Christmas nears); over a 15 year period.
Christina’s story starts when she first meets Jackson – whose house she’s renovating. She’s obviously smitten and happily moves into a long-term affair though knows about his wife and three children. Eventually, a decade or so into their relationship Jackson’s marriage falls apart and he suggests the move to the country.
We already know things go downhill from there, but Jaffe only takes us back to incidents now and then… they’re signs for us as we know what’s happened, but also points (in retrospect) at which Christina later wonders if she failed as a mother.
We’re vaguely privy to the aftermath of the allegations and then the trial – but in a superficial way. For those worried about exposure to the subject matter, there are no details and no specific events are mentioned.
Although we’re taken back to the past it sort-of provides backstory for what is essentially about Christina’s own crisis of confidence… a loss of herself and the slow journey she’s now on to pick up the pieces. Interestingly Bianca plays a very small role in the book which all unfolds from Christina’s point of view.
I’ve possibly said a little more about the plot than I should but… one of the things that worried me about this book was the angst I was going to struggle with, while watching Bianca suffer. And, because of my work history and general cynicism, I’m pretty hard to shock. However… this book is far more about the relationships, the game-playing, the power and the manipulation than it is about the abuse itself.
This would be an excellent book club read and offer a lot of opportunities for discussion and debate.
3.5 stars
Read the full review on my site: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
September 23, 2017
Brilliant...I need more stars 😕
August 31, 2017
4.5 -
Wow......the content is disturbing and tough to read although Jaffe leaves a lot to your imagination.
I loved The Fence but this book is different.
I work from home and I had to give the book to my husband to take to work as I suspect I wouldn't have had the discipline not to read it all day.
Get writing Ms Meredith I need your next book to devour!
Wow......the content is disturbing and tough to read although Jaffe leaves a lot to your imagination.
I loved The Fence but this book is different.
I work from home and I had to give the book to my husband to take to work as I suspect I wouldn't have had the discipline not to read it all day.
Get writing Ms Meredith I need your next book to devour!
November 17, 2017
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan Australia for the book to read.
Many thanks to Meredith Jaffe for creating a story that we don’t really want to admit happens.
The Making of Christina is a book about love, lies, betrayal, deception and heartbreak but it’s also so much more than that.
Here is a story that could be a real story in anyone’s life. It’s so relevant and not really something that you think you want to read about but it’s written in a way that brings a life and a softness to it all.
Meredith doesn’t hide the reality or the truth but encases it all in a story that strange to say becomes a must read that you will enjoy.
It begins with Christina standing on the verandah of her mother’s house four days before Christmas wondering if her daughter Bianca is coming home for Christmas.
The story then takes us back to Christina a single mum with a daughter Bianca who occasionally sees her father Jamie.
We travel through the story of how Christina meets Jackson through her work and how they form a relationship. This is an interesting and enjoyable story that plays out well through the book.
There will be a chapter every now and then that brings us back to today and the way the journey has impacted on how the lives of Christina and those around her have traveled.
What starts out as a romantic love story turns into something so much more powerful and horrific than you could ever think.
Every parent wants to protect their child but this story shows that sometimes love just ain’t enough and things could be happening right under your nose.
This is such an amazing, powerful ‘real’ story that you must read.
Many thanks to Meredith Jaffe for creating a story that we don’t really want to admit happens.
The Making of Christina is a book about love, lies, betrayal, deception and heartbreak but it’s also so much more than that.
Here is a story that could be a real story in anyone’s life. It’s so relevant and not really something that you think you want to read about but it’s written in a way that brings a life and a softness to it all.
Meredith doesn’t hide the reality or the truth but encases it all in a story that strange to say becomes a must read that you will enjoy.
It begins with Christina standing on the verandah of her mother’s house four days before Christmas wondering if her daughter Bianca is coming home for Christmas.
The story then takes us back to Christina a single mum with a daughter Bianca who occasionally sees her father Jamie.
We travel through the story of how Christina meets Jackson through her work and how they form a relationship. This is an interesting and enjoyable story that plays out well through the book.
There will be a chapter every now and then that brings us back to today and the way the journey has impacted on how the lives of Christina and those around her have traveled.
What starts out as a romantic love story turns into something so much more powerful and horrific than you could ever think.
Every parent wants to protect their child but this story shows that sometimes love just ain’t enough and things could be happening right under your nose.
This is such an amazing, powerful ‘real’ story that you must read.
July 20, 2017
I loved Meredith Jaffe's first book The Fence so my expectations for her second novel were high. She did not disappoint! The Making of Christina drew me in from the first page and did not let go.
Although the subject matter is very different from The Fence (much darker and more serious) Meredith's trademark attention to domestic detail and her wry character observations are recognisable and give the novel depth.
It's a story that will resonate with all of us - how blinded we can be by love, how difficult it can be to parent a secretive teenager, how easy it is to see only the things we want to see in our loved ones. I think that's what made this novel so gripping, the characters and situations were so relatable, although I would be devastated if I had to suffer the emotional consequences that Christina and her daughter faced.
This is one of those 'unputdownable' books you'll read in a weekend and keep thinking about for weeks afterwards. It's definitely a good pick for a book club too.
Highly recommended.
Although the subject matter is very different from The Fence (much darker and more serious) Meredith's trademark attention to domestic detail and her wry character observations are recognisable and give the novel depth.
It's a story that will resonate with all of us - how blinded we can be by love, how difficult it can be to parent a secretive teenager, how easy it is to see only the things we want to see in our loved ones. I think that's what made this novel so gripping, the characters and situations were so relatable, although I would be devastated if I had to suffer the emotional consequences that Christina and her daughter faced.
This is one of those 'unputdownable' books you'll read in a weekend and keep thinking about for weeks afterwards. It's definitely a good pick for a book club too.
Highly recommended.
June 4, 2018
A solo mother, a young daughter and a rich older man. This book is very well-written but the subject matter stops me from saying I enjoyed reading it. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could.
August 29, 2017
The Making of Christina by Meredith Jaffe was for me a deeply disturbing book. You are put into both the past and the present as the book progresses with the story.
Christina Clemente is an interior designer and single mum of one, Bianca. Christina’s world is busy and revolves around her work and her daughter. Christina, being lonely after her divorce from her husband and living far from her parents leans heavily on her friends and soon becomes involved in an affair with client, Jackson Plummer.
Jackson is wealthy, charismatic and MARRIED with 3 children. Their affair continues for many years before Jackson suggests moving to an isolated part of the country – supposedly so that his ex-wife and children will leave himself, Christina and Bianca in peace but Jackson’s motives are much more sinister.
Whilst Christina is busy with the renovations of the house and gardens, Bianca becomes more and more withdrawn so that the once close relationship that mother and daughter shared becomes shattered. Christina is just glad that Jackson seems to have a rapport with her daughter. Little does she realise it is not all as it seems.
I would like to thank Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read The Making of Christina, a book of which I am still of two minds about
Christina Clemente is an interior designer and single mum of one, Bianca. Christina’s world is busy and revolves around her work and her daughter. Christina, being lonely after her divorce from her husband and living far from her parents leans heavily on her friends and soon becomes involved in an affair with client, Jackson Plummer.
Jackson is wealthy, charismatic and MARRIED with 3 children. Their affair continues for many years before Jackson suggests moving to an isolated part of the country – supposedly so that his ex-wife and children will leave himself, Christina and Bianca in peace but Jackson’s motives are much more sinister.
Whilst Christina is busy with the renovations of the house and gardens, Bianca becomes more and more withdrawn so that the once close relationship that mother and daughter shared becomes shattered. Christina is just glad that Jackson seems to have a rapport with her daughter. Little does she realise it is not all as it seems.
I would like to thank Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read The Making of Christina, a book of which I am still of two minds about
June 24, 2018
After reading ‘The Fence’ I ordered Meredith’s second book. I didn’t read any synopsis about this book, I was happy to pick it up and enjoy the read.
There were certainly some twists in this book that I didn’t expect. Christina was looking for love, hope and a happy family and in return her world was turned upside down as her daughter was abused and she became trapped by a man she thought she understood and loved.
Thankyou Meredith for this story. As you mention in your acknowledgements at the back of the book, it took a while to write, but it was a story worth telling.
There were certainly some twists in this book that I didn’t expect. Christina was looking for love, hope and a happy family and in return her world was turned upside down as her daughter was abused and she became trapped by a man she thought she understood and loved.
Thankyou Meredith for this story. As you mention in your acknowledgements at the back of the book, it took a while to write, but it was a story worth telling.
December 8, 2017
In her debut novel The Fence, Meredith Jaffé crafted a domestic drama about two feuding neighbours and a story that could have featured on a nightly current affairs show. Her second novel, The Making of Christina is also a family-based drama. But here, she ups the ante and explores some darker themes like abuse. Jaffé should be commended for writing a novel that is grounded in gritty realism but also handles the more delicate subject matter with a sensitive touch, something which is no mean feat.
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November 4, 2017
I did not like the main character, she was weak
September 23, 2018
I gave this author's first book "The Fence" a rare five stars, so I eagerly anticipated his one. The Making of Christina gets four stars, but it's unfortunate that I can't give a 4.5 rating, because it was better than 4, but not quite 5.
This is a gripping and shocking story about a controlling and abusive relationship, where circumstances are "groomed" by the perpetrator to achieve a goal. What happens is obvious, but its the emotional circumstances and how they unfurls that feature. It's a story of angst, regret and moving on that examines various people caught up in a shocking crime.
I wanted to drop half a star because I found the final few chapters a bit tedious, when the story could have been wrapped up a lot faster. There is only so much angst a reader can endure before they want it all to end.
Overall, outstanding Australian writing, with excellent characters, location and storyline.
This is a gripping and shocking story about a controlling and abusive relationship, where circumstances are "groomed" by the perpetrator to achieve a goal. What happens is obvious, but its the emotional circumstances and how they unfurls that feature. It's a story of angst, regret and moving on that examines various people caught up in a shocking crime.
I wanted to drop half a star because I found the final few chapters a bit tedious, when the story could have been wrapped up a lot faster. There is only so much angst a reader can endure before they want it all to end.
Overall, outstanding Australian writing, with excellent characters, location and storyline.
September 1, 2019
Christina, a single mother to Bianca, becomes involved with a very wealthy married man. The novel is written in both the present and past and because of this it's easy to see that the man, Jackson, is really interested in Christina's young daughter.
Although I know this is a work of fiction I found myself stuck on details that proved really annoying and detracted from the story line. Little details like how Christina's friends are coming to visit arriving over two days and one's husband may have to work and will come later. Really? They live in Sydney and Christina is living in Tasmania with the ferry only operating once a week. Just like slipping down to the Blue Mountains??
Anyway, pedantic as it may be, I like my fiction to be more believable than this.
Although I know this is a work of fiction I found myself stuck on details that proved really annoying and detracted from the story line. Little details like how Christina's friends are coming to visit arriving over two days and one's husband may have to work and will come later. Really? They live in Sydney and Christina is living in Tasmania with the ferry only operating once a week. Just like slipping down to the Blue Mountains??
Anyway, pedantic as it may be, I like my fiction to be more believable than this.
June 18, 2020
I agree with other reviewers about it taking about half the book to really get into it. It was evident that something sinister was going on and I hated to think what it was knowing that all would be revealed eventually. A great story about whether we really know everything about who we're with or who we love as secret lives ultimately destroy trust. Cleverly written with the two different time frames working alongside each other and eventually merging into one. I was eager to read the backstory so that the present made sense. Very well written and moved along at an excellent pace, especially in the second part of the book which I devoured in a day to finish it!
July 30, 2026
It took me some time to feel vested in the story being told about Christina, Bianca and Rosa. But in the end, I clicked with them. Maybe some tighter editing would have moved it along quicker. Rosa especially was the stalwart who held the family together. Maybe it would have been a different story if Christina had known her mother's complete history. I did get quite exasperated with Christina's blind love of Jackson, leaving friends and employment to hide away in the bush. She certainly was difficult to like....
May 27, 2021
Well done to Meredith Jaffe for tackling such a tricky topic. Through flash backs we piece together what has happened in the past to Christina's daughter and Christina's part in the story. The grooming of a vulnerable woman, the exploitation of the child and the subsequent fall out are handled sensitively and well. I loved the character of Rosa as well. A book to ponder.
May 5, 2024
I enjoyed this book, despite the awful subject matter that it's written about.
The book is well written and I enjoyed the way the the flip from past to present further revealed the details of the awful truth....
The book is well written and I enjoyed the way the the flip from past to present further revealed the details of the awful truth....
May 8, 2019
Sad sad sad
September 9, 2020
DNR too much, SOOO tired of this current obsession with flip-flopping timelines. Couldn't be bothered, but read the ending..
October 10, 2022
Not for the faint hearted
Read
July 22, 2018Given that the blurb indicates the MCs start an "intense affair" I actually found this entire book lacking intensity. Well, the chapters I read. This was slow, plodding, and the characters were static. It was a DNF for me.
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