Hello, Goodbye

by Emily Brewin

May Callaghan is seventeen years old and on her own. At least that's how it feels.

Her devoutly religious mother and her gentle but damaged father are fighting, and May's boyfriend, Sam, has left their rural hometown for Melbourne without so much as a backward glance.

When May lies to her parents and takes the train to visit Sam at his shared house in Carlton, her world opens wide in glorious complexity. She is introduced to his housemates, Clancy, an indigenous university student, and Ruby, a wild bohemian. With their liberal thinking and opposition to the war in Vietnam, they are everything that May's strict Catholic upbringing should warn her against.

May knows too well the toll that war has taken on her father, and the peace movement in the city has a profound effect on her. For a while, May's future burns bright. But then it begins to unravel, and something happens to her that will change her life forever.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2017

About the author

Emily Brewin is an author, freelance writer and learning designer. She has published two novels, Hello, Goodbye (2017) and Small Blessings (2019), both with Allen & Unwin. Her first YA novel is due for release in April 2024.

Emily has been awarded an Australian Society of Authors Emerging Writers’ and Illustrators’ mentorship for her fiction writing and has been shortlisted for two manuscript development programs. Her short stories appear in a number of anthologies.

Currently, Emily is writing her fourth novel. When she isn't hunched over her computer writing, she enjoys cycling and spending time with her lovely family and friends.

Reviews

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Hello, Goodbye is a stirring debut historical fiction title, set in Australia in the late 1960’s. It is protagonist, seventeen year old May Callaghan’s heartbreaking story, drawn from the threads of so many true life experiences of this age. Hello, Goodbye looks at how war, social convention, religious influence and policy in Australia failed to support young unmarried mothers. It is a book that I found achieved the balance between a historically informative narrative and a profoundly sincere fictional tale.

In the year 1968, May Callaghan, the daughter of a devoutly religious mother and a father who suffers from wartime PTSD, is in the final stretch of her high school education. All May cares about is Sam, her slightly older boyfriend. When Sam moves to Melbourne and is soon after conscripted to fight in the Vietnam War, May is beside herself. Without her parent’s permission, May takes the train from her small town to the big smoke of Melbourne to be with Sam. In the bright lights of the big city, May finds her eyes are opened to many different experiences. She meets Clancy, an indigenous student and Ruby, a free spirit. May discovers there is a wave of new radicalised thinking happening in Melbourne, a growing movement that is in opposition to the war in Vietnam. May finds it hard to grapple with her parent’s strict religious focussed mode of thinking, to the revolutionary movement occurring in the city. As May begins to see the merit in this peace movement away from the glare of her parents, a significant event occurs in May’s life that has far reaching implications.

Since reading the deeply moving inaugural novel from Australian author Emily Brewin, I felt compelled to read up on what events and experiences inspired this stellar novel. After reading a number of interviews with the author, I did my own spot of research. I was utterly dismayed to discover a chapter in Australia’s recent past that young unmarried mothers from the years 1950, through to the mid 1970’s, found their babies forcibly removed from their care, to be adopted. It was a cruel policy perpetuated by social conventions of the community, churches, medical workers and head policy makers. What Emily Brewin brings us is a tale that is carefully woven around these facts and experiences. May, the main protagonist of Hello, Goodbye is partially inspired by Brewin’s aunt’s experiences. It definitely gives further weight to this compelling novel.

Brewin’s depiction of the time period in which her novel is set, late 1960’s Australia, is highly credible and obviously well researched. I was reminded of just how significant the changes our nation was going through at this point in time. These changes extended to social attitudes, morality and political choices. There was a rise in movements opposed to Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and the peace movement was gaining momentum. Brewin transports her reader to this turning point in Australia’s recent history with ease. What was just as vivid to read was the shocking treatment unwed young mother’s such as May, experienced at the hands of those who were in charge of their medical care. These poor young girls, who made a mistake, were punished by those of medical authority and this also extended to the wider community. The stigma these girls were subjected to was simply unjustifiable. I was also appalled by the lack of care, compassion and barbarity the girls suffered when they were in labour. Being denied pain relief and shackled to a bed while giving birth was terrifying. Brewin delves into this horrifying experience in her novel, offering a scathing narrative account of her young protagonist May’s experiences. It is all consuming and utterly heartbreaking but readers need to stick with the story as a small glimmer of hope is issued near the conclusion of Hello, Goodbye.

In examining the characters featured in Hello, Goodbye, May is a good starting point. I quickly developed an attachment to May Callaghan. Her naivety, as well as her passion for Sam and her steadfast attitude in risking it all earned my early sympathies. May is a character that easily reflects in the era in which she lives, a small town country girl with devoutly religious parents, who finds her eyes opened to a whole new and rapidly moving world in the big smoke. May’s journey is definitely a coming of age story, as we witness her growth from a sheltered young girl, to woman who finds there is a place for her views. May’s quick descent into motherhood is pitiful at times but later becomes bittersweet. Brewin handles the rest of her cast with a deft hand. May’s parents are excellent examples of the era. The war damaged and stoic father, matched to damaged mother who seeks solace in the confines of religion. Sam, May’s boyfriend, is the image of a typical young man of this era. Brewin captures the inner turmoil men of this time faced in balancing their duty to their country through being conscripted to join the war, to leaving their love, family, friends and comforts at home. Sam expresses the sheer terror of war and the how the threat of being killed in action was looming over him. A vividly realistic portrayal. This also extends to the smaller role characters in Hello, Goodbye. Clancy, an indigenous university student who May encounters when she is in Melbourne, is a wonderfully represented. Along with Clancy comes Ruby, a wild and spirited character that Brewin also paints with a deft hand.

Overwhelmingly, what I loved and what ultimately resonated deeply from my reading of Hello, Goodbye was May’s voice, along with her resulting heart-rending experiences in the novel. Brewin’s move to tell this imperative story to us from May’s perspective serves to extend May’s binding predicament and how this wide-eyed young girl really was not adequately equipped, nor supported to bring a precious baby into the world. Sorrow, regret and a profound sense of understanding marks my reading of Hello, Goodbye. This is a brilliantly realised historical fiction novel from a new author I feel fortunate to have discovered.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

First novel by a new melbourne based writer. Took me a little while to get into this one, but tells the tale of May who falls in love with Sam who is a little older than her. Coming from a country town May is a little naive about relationships. Living with her parents is challenging with her father suffering from PTSD and disappearing frequently, and her mother who is in denial about a lot of things and very strict with May. Sam announces that he is moving to Melbourne and staying with friends so May follows him and gets caught up with the draft dodgers who are against conscription into the Vietnam war. May finds herself pregnant and is banished from her home and moves in with Sam. What followed reminded me a little of watching Love Child and I really enjoyed the second half of this book. A promising debut novel.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always great to have a new voice in #auslit and this was an engaging and easy read. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Brewin explores an array of social and political attitudes from the time. I particularly enjoyed reading her depictions of Carlton in the 60s - the time and place of my own family's arrival. A solid debut and I look forward to reading what comes next.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this read. A powerful and sensitive storyline set in Melbourne in the 1960s - an era when life was carefree and tough in equal measure, folks lived out of wedlock, embraced rock music; a decade when social and sexual freedom increased, the conservative fifties gave way to the swinging sixties.
For seventeen year old May Callaghan life is far more serious than for her easy-going cousin, Lucy. May is reared in a strict catholic household whereas Lucy’s mothers approach to rearing children is more casual. One day when May finds herself in a predicament she leaves her rural hometown, Nurrigal and makes her way to her boyfriend, Sam's shared house in Carlton. Sam, who is awaiting draft orders makes his departure before long and ventures into unfamiliar territory.
At times it was hard to read about how the Vietnam vets and unwed mothers were treated. It left me very weepy and very sad.

But oh, that ending… that ending gave me reason to smile and to believe change is possible in all mothers when it’s essential.

This is a slow paced story but at no time was it tedious or ordinary.

I feel privileged to have won Hello Goodbye by Emily Brewin, an amazing debut by an author we seriously need to watch for, looking forward to many more reads by Emily Brewin.

I would like to thank Allen and Unwin and Goodreads for this review copy.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the 1960s, Hello, Goodbye tells the story of May, seventeen years old, in her final year of high school, in love with her older boyfriend who has been conscripted to go to Vietnam, Catholic, and pregnant. This is historical fiction, yet very much modern history, set in an era of rapid change that still lives in the memories of many Australians today. The main topic of this novel, forced adoption, is one I find extremely interesting but difficult to fathom. Prior to reading Hello, Goodbye, it wasn’t something I knew a whole lot about, having only ever read one other novel in which it was a sub-topic and then bits and pieces of factual info over time through news stories.

Emily Brewin has done a fine job with articulating the imposed shame and the harrowing processes associated with forcing young un-wed mothers to give up their babies. Inspired by her own aunt’s experiences, what May endures and is subject to within Hello, Goodbye has a sound ring of truth to it that affected me deeply. Between 1951 and 1975 an estimated 150,000 babies were given up for adoption in Australia, and the majority of mothers who relinquished these children were young and un-married. Yet it is the circumstances surrounding these adoptions, the forced nature of them, that is most upsetting to contemplate. Young women, targeted by medical staff, labelled, bullied, drugged, denied the right to see their own babies, kept from visitors and any form of support, the promise of it all being over once they signed a pre-filled out form. It’s astonishing that it went on for so long, much less that it even was allowed to happen at all. Through May’s experiences, Emily brought this all to life in an vividly authentic manner, and the end result is an extremely important story.

It’s interesting to note when reading novels about social and cultural change, how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time. Although sometimes, it can have the reverse effect if we can see very little progress at all. I found it quite ridiculous how the entire responsibility for not falling pregnant rested on the shoulders of young women, yet they were not given instructions on how to obtain birth control and what different methods were even available to them, rather simply ordered to abstain. Yet, when they did fall pregnant, the entire responsibility for that also rested onto their shoulders. It was their shame, their problem, and they needed to bear the consequences and deal with it. Oh, to have been a young man back then! But what of the mothers of these young women? I simply cannot envisage myself disowning my daughter because she had fallen pregnant accidentally, partly on account of me not ever telling her how not to! Lucky I am not a mother in the 1960s. Surely, despite an overtly religious tendency, some mothers would have taken it upon themselves to better educate and empower their daughters privately? If not, I am saddened even more about this piece of history. What a cycle to perpetuate. Specifically with regards to Hello, Goodbye, Emily depicted May’s mother is a most authentic fashion. I was so disappointed in her for most of the novel, she seemed so ‘typical’ and fatalistic, yet she showed her true self in the end, and it gave me hope, that there were other mothers like her around back then for real, standing up for their daughters before it was too late. Sadly, I think they might have been in the minority though, given those abovementioned statistics.

In terms of the era and setting, I think Emily did particularly well at bringing to life a small rural Victorian town in the 1960s. I grew up in a small rural Victorian town in the 1980s, yet it still had a ring of familiarity to me, that way of life not so unchanged twenty years on.

I really loved May as a main character. She was young, and consequently flawed, yet she was a character on the edge, traversing that line between girl and woman, her pregnancy forcing her straight into womanhood yet the demands of society keeping her firmly in place as a girl; powerless yet burning with a need to break free. She was a young woman teetering on the brink of social change, intelligent yet unsure of her own worth, full of beliefs that challenged her to the core and unbalanced everything she had known previously. Her relationship with Sam was in many ways probably quite typical of the era but there was a simmering undercurrent of tension throughout that was magnified by their young ages, May’s pregnancy, and Sam being called up for Vietnam. Emily handled all of these threads so well, weaving a tight story with clear lines of cause and effect. It was with some skill that she merged the issue of forced adoption with opposition to the Vietnam War.

Written in first person present tense, there were many profound moments that gave me reason to pause and swallow down tears, particularly as May was so young. Emily articulated her youthfulness so well, but hand in hand with this went an understanding that May was not necessarily ‘seeing’ everything she should. Emily demonstrated such a moment towards the end of the novel, when May was answering questions about Sam, the father of her baby, to the social worker who was pressuring her to give her baby up. Drugged, yet answering honestly without artifice, May caught sight of the woman in the hospital bed beside her, who had clearly been able to hear every word exchanged between May and the social worker.

“The woman in the bed next door peers through the curtain at me. Her face is flushed. I watch her, my eyelids heavy, and wonder what’s making her so sad.”

The youthful naivety of May shone through here in the most purely heartbreaking way. I knew what was making that woman so sad, and it gutted me, as it did that woman. There were many instances throughout Hello, Goodbye where Emily showed just how well first person present tense can work in when delivered from the right hands.

Sometimes, when reading a novel I particularly appreciate, I am left with a favourite line (and often many more than one) and this case, I have one from Hello, Goodbye. When Sister Teresa found out that May was pregnant, this line jumped out at me and stayed with me until the end:

“She moves towards the door, and it’s as if she’s cut me adrift and left me at the mercy of an angry ocean.”

The point at which May knew her life was about to completely change. I love the visualisation of that line.

So I loved Hello, Goodbye, without a doubt. It’s a powerful debut and an important story about a slice of Australian modern history. I recommend it highly, to readers of all ages, so we can remember and work towards ensuring that as a nation we don’t ever move backwards instead of forwards, particularly in the areas of social welfare within our country.

Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of Hello, Goodbye for review.

Hello, Goodbye is book 38 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.

[Steff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello Goodbye is about the journey of a young country girl, May Callaghan and how her life is changed when a sudden turn of events turn her life upside down and she finds herself moving from her small town of Nurrigul to the big city of Melbourne. The story is set within the backdrop of the Vietnam War in 1968.

MAY CALLAGHAN WASN’T FRIGHTENED OF A CHALLENGE. BUT SHE’D NEVER EXPECTED TO FACE THIS.

May’s life is about going to school and being taught by Catholic nuns, hanging out with her cousin Lucy and recently with her boyfriend Sam.

Life isn’t bad but it isn’t easy either; a family tragedy makes her mother turn to religion and her dad disappears every now and then, of which May doesn’t understand why.

When her boyfriend Sam suddenly moves to Melbourne, May decides to follow. Here she finds Sam living with Clancy, a young indigenous man who is part of the stolen generation and Ruby, a bohemian.

She finds herself far removed from her home life, her Catholic upbringing and totally out of her comfort zone. But she finds herself being immersed into this life and learns to love it. It opens her up to new things, like music, freedom but also the hard truth of war. She also learns to understand her father.

I picked this book out of a small selection of books I wanted to read one day at my local bookshop. I decided on this book as I enjoy reading books that are about Australia, especially of the past.

The book is written as told by May and I found that Emily’s writing helps you to see what it is like being a young girl of the 60’s, the expectations on young girls of this time and their lack of freedom and choices. You also find out how hard it is to be a young unwedded mother. The attitude of the time is just horrible and cruel.

Not knowing much about the Vietnam War, I found this book gave you a small glance into the psyche of the country at that time, without being bogged down with historical data. When Sam is called up for duty, the turmoil he goes through and the ultimate choice he makes is an interesting part of the story.

I did find the book had a slowish beginning, but after a few chapters, I found that I could not put it down. The way that Emily (through May) writes about all the characters is vibrant and clear. You feel that you actually know all these characters and you learn to love them and cheer them on in the end. You also feel their pain and sadness as well.

You find out what it is like to live in a small country town and a big city. What the differences are; the country vs city feel. May feels so out of place at first but she is open to new things and through her you learn what Melbourne is like during this time, what the people are like, how they think etc.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I will say that it isn’t a heavy read, but isn’t a light read either. Emily does a wonderful job in taking you on a journey and making you feel as if you are in Melbourne in the 60’s. You also feel the heat of the dry country town and it’s slow pace of living.

If you want a small glimpse of this period of history, I would highly recommend this book.

[Noelene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. It is a first novel by an Australian author. easy read. brings together interesting themes that were present in Vietnam era. e.g PTSD, relationships, role of women and unwed mothers, lack of tolerance, indigenous affairs. Some themes are lightly touched upon they add some more depth about Australian society at this time

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coming-of-age story that shows the judgemental morality of the 1960s and the callous way unwed mothers were treated. It's set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.
If you've been brought up Catholic, as I was, you will totally relate to this book!

[Loretta Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, which I won through Goodreads. Had some good characters, with some plot twists, which I like. Really brought to life, what it must have been like to live through the Vietnam war. Would definitely recommend it.

[Sandy Bottoms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this very readable book. Set in a time I remember well, I found I could relate to the setting and characters. I will be looking for more books from this author.

[Mair Skelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light hearted story with a mix of peace movements, liberal thinking and Vietnam war. A young girl from a strict Catholic upbringing growing up within a small town based in Australia. Challenges we face at 17 can change our lives.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventeen year old May lives in a Victorian country town. Her mother is devoutly religious and her father gets lost in his war years. May's boyfriend moves to Melbourne and on a weekend visit, May is exposed to new ideas and people. From that point on, it all changes for May.

May's journey is all too believable for the time, and Emily Brewin has captured the feel of the late 1960's superbly. I could not put this book down and read it in a couple of days (I still had to work otherwise I would have finished it in one!).

Many thanks to Allen & Unwin and Goodreads for the advance copy to review.

[Talking Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful, thought provoking read. The portrayal of May's character was stunning. Set in an era that was contentious, uncertain and undeniably controversial. Hello, Goodbye by author Emily Brewin was enthralling reading that I could not tear myself away from. So many sad moments in the story that affected May's character that as the reader, could not help but feel the effects. The conclusion had me elated, in that something finally went some kind of right for the protagonist. My heart was pounding and my gut was churning throughout and by the story's conclusion, I was left breathless. The author's depiction of events and the character challenges, collectively, made for some stunning reading. A book for the fave reads list to be sure.
Review copy received from Allen & Unwin

[Melissa Kirkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't too heavy but it gave an insight into how young unwed mothers were treated in the 60's. It was a bit of a shock to me to be honest. Definitely worth a read!

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, Goodbye by Emily Brewin looks like a deceptively simple coming of age story but it packs an extra punch. It reveals Australian attitudes to war, young mothers and Aboriginal people in the late 1960s. Fortunately we’ve made some progress since then. This was an interesting story where the pages just flew by. Emily Brewin’s debut is assured, heartfelt and very Australian.

Hello, Goodbye is told from the point of view of May, a teenager in the small Victorian town of Nurrigul. There isn’t too much to do in town besides hang out with cousin Lucy and boyfriend Sam. May’s home life isn’t easy. After a family tragedy, her mother turned to religion and her dad disappears for long periods, trying to come to terms with his experiences in World War II. When Sam announces he’s moving to Melbourne, May is devastated but open to the challenge of sneaking down to visit him. In Melbourne, May’s eyes are opened to another world – meeting an Aboriginal person for the first time (Clancy, a uni student and member of the Stolen Generation), new music and new ways of thinking. Sam and his new friends are opposed to the war in Vietnam and openly discuss it which is novel to May. Back in Nurrigul, May’s teacher Miss Berry tries to open her mind to new ways of thinking but that is cut short as May’s circumstances change. Can May make her own way in the world or will she let others make the decisions for her?

The story is from a time in Australia we haven’t heard much of to date, although the 1960s were a tumultuous time for change. Hello, Goodbye captures that flow of new ideas and how they jangle against the old ways. It was amazing to see how in the pre-internet and computer days how Melbourne and Nurrigul could be so different in their way of thinking and acceptability. Is it a country/city thing or a lack of connection that today we take for granted? May’s cousin Lucy stands out in the small town – she’s wild with her dress (short skirts!), she smokes, drinks and has a casual relationships. All these things kind of put her on the outer, especially with her mum displaying some ‘hippie’ (aka forward thinking) tendencies. Lucy was my favourite character – she’s blunt and happy go lucky but hides a good heart. But when something serious happens, Lucy’s quirks are put aside as May is the one who is ostracised.

Likewise in Nurrigul, the war in Vietnam is talked about in positive terms, despite the presence of James, a Vietnam vet and May’s father, who both have PTSD. May’s concerns against war are only spoken about with her Melbourne friends or her teacher. When Sam is called up for national service, his fear and hatred against war versus doing his duty make a decision difficult. Conscientiously object, go on the run or go to war? This is the time where demonstrations against the war were only just beginning and it’s a big choice to make.

Without trying to spoil one of the main parts of the plot, how young, single mothers are treated at this time are absolutely disgusting. A single mother had virtually no rights, with medical and nursing staff openly stating their distaste for the woman’s situation. She was treated as someone with no rights or feelings. The constant pressure to adopt the child was relentless and cold. This was one of the most emotional parts of the book for me, shocking in its cruelty. I really felt for the characters involved – even the most determined could give up under that kind of mistreatment.

Overall, Hello, Goodbye is a powerful debut that will both capture your heart and make you ponder the worth of Australia’s past decisions.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Allen & Unwin for the ARC. Hello, Goodbye tells the story of 17 year old May Callaghan, and where her love for local boy Sam Hunter leads her. The main strength of this novel is the portrait it paints of Australia in the 1960s - the cultural clash between the young and old, the latter living in the shadow of WWII and Korea, the former stepping into Vietnam. Brewin's characters have real inner strength, and even those in the supporting cast grow as the story progresses. Dealing with racism, forced adoptions and child removal, activism and the tragedies of war, Brewin doesn't shy away from the big social issues of the time. As all good historical fiction does, Hello, Goodbye includes a message for the present too, about not judging people by their outward circumstances and the importance of showing kindness. A promising new Australian voice.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I certainly wasn't expecting to enjoy this little gem as much as I did. The beginning didn't grab me too much but I'm so glad I kept on as I found myself looking forward to picking it up again. It is hard not to feel for May and the predicament she found herself in, as well as those who returned from the Vietnam War. Even though it was barely touched on, the words about what James suffered through have stuck in my mind. What a horrible time. Definitely worth a read. Thank you to goodreads and Allen & Unwin for this copy.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book about slow to begin with but about 1/3 into it it changed and became a political snapshot of the times this book was set in. this author was Australian and that even though her novel touched on the political hot pot of the 60's it was given a white wash ending. Easy to read and mildly interesting and opened my eyes to a time in Australian history that I was ignorant of. It only showed a small part of life in those times.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really nice easy read. It was set in a time I did not know too much about. Very interesting learning about how the Vietnam vets in Australia were treated. The prejudice against the soldiers from Vietnam, the aborigines and the unwed mothers was quite shocking. I really liked the characters too. Lovely little read

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. It was ok. Predictable in a lot of ways. I always love stories set in Melbourne but this one seemed to rely on stereotypes a bit too much. It would be a great read for the beach as it’s easy to digest and you don’t have to really think whilst reading.

[Nikky Cassidy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like romances so i was never going to love this. it was a good read but i dont feel much happened and not much character development. they both seemed...not very bright. but it was interesting to see how they lived in these times especially how awful people were treated if they didnt fit the "perfect family". No wonder some kids turn out bad/sad etc when their parents are like hers. :(

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

How May (main character) kept her sense of humour is beyond me. This book kept me reading - mostly because I really felt for May and all of the issues she faced, - mostly alone. I found the end quite triggering and disturbing. Overall a good book

[Maxine Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Hayley Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow start but the end had me in suspense. The shock in Mays care had be agitated, but a good ending regardless

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant novel. I especially loved the sensitive way it dealt with parental mental illness.

[Rania T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel that explores an era that some want to remember, and some want to forget; conscription era Melbourne. Recommended.

[Kylie Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it but the ending left me with so many questions

[Barbara Whitehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives me a little insight into being young in the Vietnam era of social change in Australia.

[Jill Shortt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, set in Melbourne during Vietnam war protests.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read. Set in small town Australia when a new generation questions the war in Vietnam. The dreadful impact of war on families is well portrayed.