What do you think?
Songs From the Violet Cafe
The experience of working for Violet Trench in her small-town cafe in the summer of 1963 shapes the lives of a group of women including Jessie Sandal, who follows Violet's influence as far as Cambodia. Fiona Kidman explores family relationships and the difficult journey to female independence.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Fiona Kidman
47 books67 followersFiona Kidman is a leading contemporary novelist, short story writer and poet. Much of her fiction is focused on how outsiders navigate their way in narrowly conformist society. She has published a large and exciting range of fiction and poetry, and has worked as a librarian, producer and critic. Kidman has won numerous awards, and she has been the recipient of fellowships, grants and other significant honours, as well as being a consistent advocate for New Zealand writers and literature. She is the President of Honour for the New Zealand Book Council, and has been awarded an OBE and a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to literature.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 15, 2016
Women working at the Violet Café and the one thing they all have in common is they are troubled either by circumstances or bad choices. They all come together and form a bond because of their pasts and the glue that holds them all together is Violet Trench. This is a great story of human endurance against all odds and that sometimes you can find support and family in places you might least expect. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
September 25, 2016
Note: A free copy of this was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A boat is burned in a ceremony of letting go of memories.
Years ago a woman named Violet rows with a little boy over a lake. She leaves without the boy letting him stay with her old friend Hugo.
Different family stories unfold and at least one of the woman in those families is working at the Violet Cafe. They are all called troubled women.
I never read a book by Fiona Kidman before and at first I wasn't sure what to think about it.
The start was rocky, switching between characters and times.
When the 1963 storyline started I felt completely lost at first. The many new characters and the time jumps in their stories were so confusing.
But once I found myself into it and accepted that this would be an overall problem for me throughout the book I managed to focus on the storyline of the beautiful developed characters.
It is a beautiful story of troubled women who are finding their way and themselves in the work at the Violet Cafe.
It is a story of love and friendship and sacrifices.
Besides cultural, religious, generational and gender conflicts this book just shows how life can be.
Because of my issues with this book I am between 3.75 and 4 stars out of 5.
For the story definitely more a 4 stars, for the writing approach more the 3.75.
A boat is burned in a ceremony of letting go of memories.
Years ago a woman named Violet rows with a little boy over a lake. She leaves without the boy letting him stay with her old friend Hugo.
Different family stories unfold and at least one of the woman in those families is working at the Violet Cafe. They are all called troubled women.
I never read a book by Fiona Kidman before and at first I wasn't sure what to think about it.
The start was rocky, switching between characters and times.
When the 1963 storyline started I felt completely lost at first. The many new characters and the time jumps in their stories were so confusing.
But once I found myself into it and accepted that this would be an overall problem for me throughout the book I managed to focus on the storyline of the beautiful developed characters.
It is a beautiful story of troubled women who are finding their way and themselves in the work at the Violet Cafe.
It is a story of love and friendship and sacrifices.
Besides cultural, religious, generational and gender conflicts this book just shows how life can be.
Because of my issues with this book I am between 3.75 and 4 stars out of 5.
For the story definitely more a 4 stars, for the writing approach more the 3.75.
April 30, 2018
The novel begins and ends with chapters set in 2002, with events that take place on the same night, near each other, in Part One, an old boat is laden with items, private notes and other paraphernalia before being set alight and pushed out on the lake, providing a spectacle for the family and their friends gathered for the occasion.
The last Part sees nearly all the characters who worked in the Violet Café during 1963-64 on the same shores of that stretch of water, Lake Rotorua in New Zealand, come together again, all these years later, to commemorate the life of their patron, Violet Trench, owner.
In Part Two, it is 1943 and a boat rows across the lake with a woman and a young child. The woman is Violet and she is bringing a young boy across to her first employer Hugo, a man whose wife she helped nurse in her last days before death. Now Hugo is married to Ming, a Chinese immigrant who also lost her husband, who has helped her raise her two sons and the one they have together.
In Part Three we meet all the girls who will come under Violet's wing, it's 1963 and we meet the girls through their mother's beginning with Jessie's, at the point where Jessie is about to turn eighteen, living in Wellington with her mother, stepfather and half-siblings, the day before she is about to leave her law studies and family behind, boarding a bus for a random northern destination, which happened to be Rotorua. Searching for food she will stumble across the café and be taken in by Violet.
We meet Sybil and her daughter Marianne, whom Jessie shares a room with at a boarding house for a while, discovering the strange relationship this pair have, the mother sabotaging her daughter's attempt to create a stable life for herself. Marianne also works at the café.
We meet Belle, a pastor's daughter, who is to be married to Wallace. He's saving for a deposit on their house and he and Belle's father decide Belle needs a job to contribute to household expenses.
There's Ruth and Hester, the daughter she had at forty-six years of age.
Part Four are the years they all work in the café, where the lives of these young women under the tutelage of Violet come together, where friendships are forged, romances flourish and temptations indulged. Their relations and futures culminate in one eventful night, which will change the trajectory for nearly all of them, their coming-of-age period reaches a climatic point, from which they each will embark on the adult lives that will claim them.
By Part Six it is 1980 and Jessie is in Phnom Penh working as a foreign correspondent. She has left New Zealand and is based in London, but spends most of time working in conflict zones, travelling from place to place following the scent of a story. She has left her past behind her, but will cross paths with some of those people she knew from the days at the Violet Café, learning more about what happened on that last night. The shadow of Violet still hangs over her and she find herself drawn once more into her realm, under her instruction.
It is an evocative novel, which brings that era of a small lakeside NZ town alive, showing how the young women of the time were almost stifled under the expectations of their mothers, and founda place of respite in the café run by the unorthodox matriarch Violet. For some, even that wasn't enough to rid themselves of guilt, some would leave, going far from home, far from their cultures, creating new personas to remove all trace of the past, one that despite their attempts, never really leaves them.
One puts in a bundle of letters; her sly smile and the nod of apprecition from the other women tell him that they are love letters. Another adds a calendar for what she says was a very bad year, someone else a stained quilt, another some yellowed school books. HIs wife's best frioend whispers to her son that that it's his last year's school reports and he need never see them again.
The last Part sees nearly all the characters who worked in the Violet Café during 1963-64 on the same shores of that stretch of water, Lake Rotorua in New Zealand, come together again, all these years later, to commemorate the life of their patron, Violet Trench, owner.
In Part Two, it is 1943 and a boat rows across the lake with a woman and a young child. The woman is Violet and she is bringing a young boy across to her first employer Hugo, a man whose wife she helped nurse in her last days before death. Now Hugo is married to Ming, a Chinese immigrant who also lost her husband, who has helped her raise her two sons and the one they have together.
'Tell her,' said Ming through her, 'that children are without price here. They are not for trade. ' She took the money Violet had given her earlier, and laid it on the table beside the unwashed plates.
The woman's hand flew to her mouth. 'I can't take him back.' she said.
The two little boys had thrown their arms around each other, nuzzling with tender blind-eyed butting as they shifted in their sleep.
'The boy stays,' Ming said, 'but we do not buy.'
In Part Three we meet all the girls who will come under Violet's wing, it's 1963 and we meet the girls through their mother's beginning with Jessie's, at the point where Jessie is about to turn eighteen, living in Wellington with her mother, stepfather and half-siblings, the day before she is about to leave her law studies and family behind, boarding a bus for a random northern destination, which happened to be Rotorua. Searching for food she will stumble across the café and be taken in by Violet.
Everything her mother did had a cost. Jessie didn't know why she hadn't seen this before. But now she understood in an instant that this was how it had always been, ever since her mother married Jock. If it hadn't been for her, perhaps her mother might have married better the second time around. Jock, she could see, was the price her mother paid for being alone and having a child, for not always living as a war widow.
We meet Sybil and her daughter Marianne, whom Jessie shares a room with at a boarding house for a while, discovering the strange relationship this pair have, the mother sabotaging her daughter's attempt to create a stable life for herself. Marianne also works at the café.
We meet Belle, a pastor's daughter, who is to be married to Wallace. He's saving for a deposit on their house and he and Belle's father decide Belle needs a job to contribute to household expenses.
Hal and Wallace went to see the woman who ran the café. The woman was all lip and very impudent in Hal's opinion, although Wallace rather liked her. I make the rules, she told them, and Belle will obey obey what I say when she comes to work at the Violet Café; she could worry about their rules when she went home. They waited for her to show them around but she didn't, just waiting for their answer with a take it or leave it look in her eye.
There's Ruth and Hester, the daughter she had at forty-six years of age.
A girl of quality, her mother believed. She expected her to go far. Hester would win scholarships and go to university, she too would stay clear-skinned and virginal. Instead, Hester grew more quiet and shy as one year followed another. When she was fifteen her frothy brown hair became mysteriously streaked with grey, as if she was already old.
Part Four are the years they all work in the café, where the lives of these young women under the tutelage of Violet come together, where friendships are forged, romances flourish and temptations indulged. Their relations and futures culminate in one eventful night, which will change the trajectory for nearly all of them, their coming-of-age period reaches a climatic point, from which they each will embark on the adult lives that will claim them.
Nobody called out or said goodnight or goodbye. Inside the café the phone was ringing but nobody answered it.
By Part Six it is 1980 and Jessie is in Phnom Penh working as a foreign correspondent. She has left New Zealand and is based in London, but spends most of time working in conflict zones, travelling from place to place following the scent of a story. She has left her past behind her, but will cross paths with some of those people she knew from the days at the Violet Café, learning more about what happened on that last night. The shadow of Violet still hangs over her and she find herself drawn once more into her realm, under her instruction.
It is an evocative novel, which brings that era of a small lakeside NZ town alive, showing how the young women of the time were almost stifled under the expectations of their mothers, and founda place of respite in the café run by the unorthodox matriarch Violet. For some, even that wasn't enough to rid themselves of guilt, some would leave, going far from home, far from their cultures, creating new personas to remove all trace of the past, one that despite their attempts, never really leaves them.
September 21, 2015
At some long buried time in my formative teen years I recall reading a Fiona Kidman novel/short story for school. I dimly remember it being very "real and stark" my adolescent brain felt that it was too close and at the time it seemed uncultured... like I knew what culture meant then lol.
Well that was then and this is now, Songs from the Violet Cafe is so New Zealand, the landscape, colloquialisms and food discussions are priceless. I love the reflection of ourselves in contemporary local fiction.
In the last four years I have read three of her novels, each vastly different. Whilst this novel is well written it doesn't tie together as well as the previous two (hence three not four stars), I felt Violet the main character could have been more fleshed out. It is set in Rotorua in the early 1960's, such a strange place to set a novel yet it works. There are some real and stark moments, however I now celebrate them, I understand our cringe making past for what it is. This novel encompasses much of what makes up this young brash country and when we grow up we may understand what an absolute gem this author is.
Each of the characters depict a certain time and place in our recent history, they are all a mix of how we see ourselves. Jessie who we get to know best is so typical of many folk I know. I instantly "get"her, Hester, Marriane, Belle and Evelyn also resonate but not as much. Hugo is wonderful. With John, David and Owen her intentions are not so clear but still intriguing and the not so savory chaps necessary.
After this story I feel Ms Kidman and I have a future together. I am now going to make it my mission to find and read all her works. I suspect my English teacher knew a thing or two back then and I did not!
Well that was then and this is now, Songs from the Violet Cafe is so New Zealand, the landscape, colloquialisms and food discussions are priceless. I love the reflection of ourselves in contemporary local fiction.
In the last four years I have read three of her novels, each vastly different. Whilst this novel is well written it doesn't tie together as well as the previous two (hence three not four stars), I felt Violet the main character could have been more fleshed out. It is set in Rotorua in the early 1960's, such a strange place to set a novel yet it works. There are some real and stark moments, however I now celebrate them, I understand our cringe making past for what it is. This novel encompasses much of what makes up this young brash country and when we grow up we may understand what an absolute gem this author is.
Each of the characters depict a certain time and place in our recent history, they are all a mix of how we see ourselves. Jessie who we get to know best is so typical of many folk I know. I instantly "get"her, Hester, Marriane, Belle and Evelyn also resonate but not as much. Hugo is wonderful. With John, David and Owen her intentions are not so clear but still intriguing and the not so savory chaps necessary.
After this story I feel Ms Kidman and I have a future together. I am now going to make it my mission to find and read all her works. I suspect my English teacher knew a thing or two back then and I did not!
October 3, 2016
The setting with New Zealand is unique. The period covered is a long one - sixty years so it covers a whole gamut of styles as well, from hair to food to conversation and way of life.
The Violet Cafe is at the centre of the story and it is an unusual cafe for the time. French themed food and a madam who acted just like one, fairly autocratic for a rural area who only employed "troubled" girls. The theme worked and each girl was a fairly strong character in their own right, developing the story as it went. The men were on the periphery as it were and though they did contribute to the story, the women were the main thing.
Each woman's life taken separately and then together, how they meshed and how Violet influenced each one in turn, despite her in turns being liked or disliked by her employees was told very well.
It was my first foray into reading Kidman's books but it certainly will not be my last. Enjoyed this story very much.
The Violet Cafe is at the centre of the story and it is an unusual cafe for the time. French themed food and a madam who acted just like one, fairly autocratic for a rural area who only employed "troubled" girls. The theme worked and each girl was a fairly strong character in their own right, developing the story as it went. The men were on the periphery as it were and though they did contribute to the story, the women were the main thing.
Each woman's life taken separately and then together, how they meshed and how Violet influenced each one in turn, despite her in turns being liked or disliked by her employees was told very well.
It was my first foray into reading Kidman's books but it certainly will not be my last. Enjoyed this story very much.
April 23, 2021
A remarkable and memorable read about a French-themed cafe and the lives of the people who used to work there in their youth. The story arc takes us through Cambodia and various international issues as well before heading back for something like a full circle.
There is wonderful world-building, a murder mystery, a deep exploration of complicated human relationships, the beauty and ugliness that sometimes comes with family ties, and the effect of mentoring as well.
There is wonderful world-building, a murder mystery, a deep exploration of complicated human relationships, the beauty and ugliness that sometimes comes with family ties, and the effect of mentoring as well.
December 9, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It's a story of mothers, daughters, relationships, family.
This is a beautifully written book, set in New Zealand, which tells the stories of the girls who work in the Violet Cafe and how they came to be there working for the owner of the cafe, Violet Tench. Violet is an older woman and is a major influence on the girls who work for her. She is strict but fair and helps the girls find their way in the world.
The girls are considered to be “troubled” (or perhaps they were just a bit different and didn't quite conform to what was expected of a young woman at that time).
The book spans 60 years and starts with friends burning an old boat on the lake in 2002. We are then taken to 1943 when a woman with a young boy goes across the lake in a boat but returns without him.
There is a bit of a jump then to 1963-64 when we meet the girls who work for Violet:
Jessie who decided, on her 18th birthday, to leave the home where she lived with her mother, step-father and half-siblings. There didn't seem to be any compelling reason – she just left the next day;
Marianne who hadn't had contact with her mother since returning home unexpectedly one day and catching her boyfriend and her mother in bed;
Belle, the daughter of a preacher, who is engaged to Wallace a young, part-time preacher who had given her a ring on the day before her fifteenth birthday. It was agreed she could work at the Violet Cafe, washing dishes, until she was married but is now being pressured by Wallace to give up work;
Hester, the only child of widow Ruth who owns a bookshop. Hester had been engaged for five years to Owen but Ruth is not happy about Hester's engagement; and
Evelyn, the daughter of Freda Messenger and who is filling in at the Violet Cafe until she goes to university.
They all come from very different backgrounds and experiences but they are all connected through being employed by Violet Trench.
The writing is is very, very good. and although I have no experience of New Zealand in the 1960s, I felt as if I were there and could easily picture the people and places.
Then in 1965 everything changes following a devastating incident and the story jumps to 1980 and we're taken to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. At first I thought this was a very big jump forward in time but the story is so well written it all makes sense.
The book ends where it started - in 2002. I liked the way everything linked together and characters connected.
To be honest, I hadn't heard of this New Zealand author although I realise now that she is a highly acclaimed writer.
[Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book].
This is a beautifully written book, set in New Zealand, which tells the stories of the girls who work in the Violet Cafe and how they came to be there working for the owner of the cafe, Violet Tench. Violet is an older woman and is a major influence on the girls who work for her. She is strict but fair and helps the girls find their way in the world.
The girls are considered to be “troubled” (or perhaps they were just a bit different and didn't quite conform to what was expected of a young woman at that time).
The book spans 60 years and starts with friends burning an old boat on the lake in 2002. We are then taken to 1943 when a woman with a young boy goes across the lake in a boat but returns without him.
There is a bit of a jump then to 1963-64 when we meet the girls who work for Violet:
Jessie who decided, on her 18th birthday, to leave the home where she lived with her mother, step-father and half-siblings. There didn't seem to be any compelling reason – she just left the next day;
Marianne who hadn't had contact with her mother since returning home unexpectedly one day and catching her boyfriend and her mother in bed;
Belle, the daughter of a preacher, who is engaged to Wallace a young, part-time preacher who had given her a ring on the day before her fifteenth birthday. It was agreed she could work at the Violet Cafe, washing dishes, until she was married but is now being pressured by Wallace to give up work;
Hester, the only child of widow Ruth who owns a bookshop. Hester had been engaged for five years to Owen but Ruth is not happy about Hester's engagement; and
Evelyn, the daughter of Freda Messenger and who is filling in at the Violet Cafe until she goes to university.
They all come from very different backgrounds and experiences but they are all connected through being employed by Violet Trench.
The writing is is very, very good. and although I have no experience of New Zealand in the 1960s, I felt as if I were there and could easily picture the people and places.
Then in 1965 everything changes following a devastating incident and the story jumps to 1980 and we're taken to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. At first I thought this was a very big jump forward in time but the story is so well written it all makes sense.
The book ends where it started - in 2002. I liked the way everything linked together and characters connected.
To be honest, I hadn't heard of this New Zealand author although I realise now that she is a highly acclaimed writer.
[Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book].
February 8, 2017
A stunning book
First impressions after reading the first three chapters: Each chapter seems to be moving at a different pace, written as it is in a different tone. The transition between chapters felt like an emotional roller coaster. The text surprises me with the depth and courage of some of its implications. The first chapter reads like an mise en abime, a sort of mythological-like tale that is nonetheless set amongst mortals, a story full of mystery and longings that are unexpressed, or just hinted at. The every day, recent history, and the stuff of legends in the form of a Chinese woman's story of endurance, a man's above-average-altruism, and a girl's insistence to blaze her own trail in the world meet in the second chapter, while the third presents a perspective on New Zealand (any?) society that left me gasping.
I finished reading the novel in three days and my only complaint was that it does end. I hope that the writer will consider writing a sequel.
It's an amazing book, written with precision and clarity. It held me on the edge of the chair till the last sentence. It cuts through the soul of its characters with the sharpness of a diamond cutting on crystal. And yet it appears to be doing nothing of the kind. The novel seems to be so taken with narrating the story that there's little room for anything else. It seems that no psychological or ethical depths are explored. And yet there is plenty of that, visible to the perceptive eye, shimmering just below the surface. Loved it so much and was so reluctant to let it go that I read even the acknowledgments. Highly recommended.
First impressions after reading the first three chapters: Each chapter seems to be moving at a different pace, written as it is in a different tone. The transition between chapters felt like an emotional roller coaster. The text surprises me with the depth and courage of some of its implications. The first chapter reads like an mise en abime, a sort of mythological-like tale that is nonetheless set amongst mortals, a story full of mystery and longings that are unexpressed, or just hinted at. The every day, recent history, and the stuff of legends in the form of a Chinese woman's story of endurance, a man's above-average-altruism, and a girl's insistence to blaze her own trail in the world meet in the second chapter, while the third presents a perspective on New Zealand (any?) society that left me gasping.
I finished reading the novel in three days and my only complaint was that it does end. I hope that the writer will consider writing a sequel.
It's an amazing book, written with precision and clarity. It held me on the edge of the chair till the last sentence. It cuts through the soul of its characters with the sharpness of a diamond cutting on crystal. And yet it appears to be doing nothing of the kind. The novel seems to be so taken with narrating the story that there's little room for anything else. It seems that no psychological or ethical depths are explored. And yet there is plenty of that, visible to the perceptive eye, shimmering just below the surface. Loved it so much and was so reluctant to let it go that I read even the acknowledgments. Highly recommended.
August 9, 2025
Really enjoyed this one. Found it hard to get into at first but then it was quite gripping. An interesting story about friendship, “love” (“” because most of the love was a bit fucked) and also history (an amalgamation of all). Really enjoyed
February 10, 2020
I loved this. Slow start introduced a lot of characters, but then it took off.
August 25, 2017
Songs from the Violet Cafe is and interesting story, which follows Violet’s life from 1943 and Jessie’s life from 1963.
At the beginning of the book, I was somewhat confused. The first chapter is about a party at the lakeside; they found an old boat and decide to burn it as an offering including some small things from themselves. Next is a letter from a young girl, where she writes to her father’s old friend, offering her services as caregiver to help him with his ailing wife. Then there is an old man, living with his family at the lakeside and they get a visitor, who brings with her a small boy. The man’s family – wife and two sons – are Asian and so is the small boy.
And then we are in 1963, when Jessie leaves her parents on her eighteenth birthday. She drops out from university, she has no money, but she cannot stay there, she just has to leave. One by one, we are introduced to the other girls, who work in Violet’s Café and to their mothers or fathers.
Chapter after chapter the foundation was built to launch the main event that changed all their lives. This was something that no one could have seen coming and it was nobody’s fault, but everybody was part of it. When the storm is over, they pick up the pieces and everybody goes on their way.
The story keeps following Jessie, who will become war reporter and another turning point in her life will be in Cambodia, where blast from past and one impulse buy changes everything.
There will be just one more reunion for all the survivors in 1963 storm, to talk about what happened, what their lives had become and to admit, that without Violet’s Café their lives would have been very different.
So the confusing beginning builds into an fascinating story. True, the story is jumpy, but our memories about our lives are jumpy, since we do not remember every minute of it, we remember the most important moments.
It is an wonderful view into lives of two strong women.
At the beginning of the book, I was somewhat confused. The first chapter is about a party at the lakeside; they found an old boat and decide to burn it as an offering including some small things from themselves. Next is a letter from a young girl, where she writes to her father’s old friend, offering her services as caregiver to help him with his ailing wife. Then there is an old man, living with his family at the lakeside and they get a visitor, who brings with her a small boy. The man’s family – wife and two sons – are Asian and so is the small boy.
And then we are in 1963, when Jessie leaves her parents on her eighteenth birthday. She drops out from university, she has no money, but she cannot stay there, she just has to leave. One by one, we are introduced to the other girls, who work in Violet’s Café and to their mothers or fathers.
Chapter after chapter the foundation was built to launch the main event that changed all their lives. This was something that no one could have seen coming and it was nobody’s fault, but everybody was part of it. When the storm is over, they pick up the pieces and everybody goes on their way.
The story keeps following Jessie, who will become war reporter and another turning point in her life will be in Cambodia, where blast from past and one impulse buy changes everything.
There will be just one more reunion for all the survivors in 1963 storm, to talk about what happened, what their lives had become and to admit, that without Violet’s Café their lives would have been very different.
So the confusing beginning builds into an fascinating story. True, the story is jumpy, but our memories about our lives are jumpy, since we do not remember every minute of it, we remember the most important moments.
It is an wonderful view into lives of two strong women.
October 30, 2016
The novel centres around a group of people who all come into the orbit of Violet Trench, who runs a café in the small town of Rotorua, New Zealand. Violet is a charismatic figure and nobody who meets her ever manages to forget her. There is a mystery in Violet’s life, but all the characters have their secrets and evasions and it is the gradual reveal of these that keep the reader’s interest. However, there are a lot of subplots and it’s sometime difficult to keep track of everyone, especially as the novel jumps around in time and place. The lives of all the characters continue to intersect over the years as though Violet’s influence continues to draw them back to each other. As a narrative device this works very well on the whole, but I feel it would have been a tighter, more coherent novel with fewer stories to tell. Nevertheless, it’s an often moving and sometimes gripping tale of love, friendship, family and loss, vividly evocative of the New Zealand landscape, and overall an enjoyable read.
January 6, 2017
Ballad of a sad cafe?
This book was originally published in 2003. What the thinking is behind republishing and remarketing it I am not sure. But it did mean I could secure a second-hand copy at a reasonable price instead of having to endure it as an e-book which I loathe!! Fiona Kidman is a celebrated New Zealand author who I have not encountered before.
Firstly, I enjoyed it very much. The title alone conjured up a multitude of past ‘Cafe’ experiences that I hold dear - Bagdad Cafe, Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe and The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. (In fact, another Carson McCullers novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was also brought to mind by some of the descriptions and action within the Violet Cafe itself.)
And so, with a certain frisson of anticipation I settled into this book relatively easily and happily. The action takes place mostly in New Zealand but also reaches into the heart of Cambodia. Sitting here in leafy England I sometimes forget that Asia is almost no distance relatively from the Antipodes and I had to keep reminding myself of that to keep a perspective on the narrative.
Violet Trench is one of the main protagonists and obviously where the book and the cafe attain their title. She is a strong, autocratic woman and runs the cafe with a rod of iron. She employs several individuals, mostly women, who all have their own story. The cafe is the cement that binds them all together despite it crumbling in places. I guess their stories are the ‘songs’ of the title although there is some discordance among the melodic.
Whilst I really did enjoy the book I did find it a little disjointed. There was much switching between time frames and characters. I frequently had to refer back to remind myself who was who and when was when. (Another plus for reading the physical book. What a drag it is trying to do that with an ebook?!) It struck me several times that it was very much like reading several short stories with the cafe being the link between the characters whose stories were told. I think Ms. Kidman is very comfortable with the short story format as she has had several volumes published. And maybe I am making that sound like a criticism? Forgive me, I don’t mean to.
The writing is accomplished, economic without being sparse. There is no overload of description but all that needs to be conveyed is done so with eloquence. The characters are a troubled bunch overall; some are difficult to warm to but I found myself engaged with them and keen to follow their histories. Violet herself seems to place everyone at arm’s length including the reader and in contrast Jessie draws us towards her.
This isn’t merely a discourse on the lives of a cafe owner and her employees, the net is cast wider than that with some food for thought of what happens to a country in conflict with itself and people in conflict with themselves.
I’m seeing it as a four-star read because for me the disjointedness did grate a little but there is far better about this book than bad. It will be interesting to see if republication propels the novel into a wider realm.
Whizz
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
This book was originally published in 2003. What the thinking is behind republishing and remarketing it I am not sure. But it did mean I could secure a second-hand copy at a reasonable price instead of having to endure it as an e-book which I loathe!! Fiona Kidman is a celebrated New Zealand author who I have not encountered before.
Firstly, I enjoyed it very much. The title alone conjured up a multitude of past ‘Cafe’ experiences that I hold dear - Bagdad Cafe, Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe and The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. (In fact, another Carson McCullers novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was also brought to mind by some of the descriptions and action within the Violet Cafe itself.)
And so, with a certain frisson of anticipation I settled into this book relatively easily and happily. The action takes place mostly in New Zealand but also reaches into the heart of Cambodia. Sitting here in leafy England I sometimes forget that Asia is almost no distance relatively from the Antipodes and I had to keep reminding myself of that to keep a perspective on the narrative.
Violet Trench is one of the main protagonists and obviously where the book and the cafe attain their title. She is a strong, autocratic woman and runs the cafe with a rod of iron. She employs several individuals, mostly women, who all have their own story. The cafe is the cement that binds them all together despite it crumbling in places. I guess their stories are the ‘songs’ of the title although there is some discordance among the melodic.
Whilst I really did enjoy the book I did find it a little disjointed. There was much switching between time frames and characters. I frequently had to refer back to remind myself who was who and when was when. (Another plus for reading the physical book. What a drag it is trying to do that with an ebook?!) It struck me several times that it was very much like reading several short stories with the cafe being the link between the characters whose stories were told. I think Ms. Kidman is very comfortable with the short story format as she has had several volumes published. And maybe I am making that sound like a criticism? Forgive me, I don’t mean to.
The writing is accomplished, economic without being sparse. There is no overload of description but all that needs to be conveyed is done so with eloquence. The characters are a troubled bunch overall; some are difficult to warm to but I found myself engaged with them and keen to follow their histories. Violet herself seems to place everyone at arm’s length including the reader and in contrast Jessie draws us towards her.
This isn’t merely a discourse on the lives of a cafe owner and her employees, the net is cast wider than that with some food for thought of what happens to a country in conflict with itself and people in conflict with themselves.
I’m seeing it as a four-star read because for me the disjointedness did grate a little but there is far better about this book than bad. It will be interesting to see if republication propels the novel into a wider realm.
Whizz
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
May 25, 2017
This is the most perfect tale I have ever read.
Violet Trench runs a Cafe, one which is named after her and one that is busy with all walks of life.
Set in different times but mainly in the 60's, and although New Zealand is prominent, Cambodia is important to knowing Violet and her life.
I got really involved with the lives of each character, their heartbreaks, the scandal and how they were connected to each other. Violet is an important figure to all those who meet her, and although she runs the Violet Cafe with an iron rule she is, deep down, kind, sincere and a good judge of character. I absolutely adored her and along with Jessie, this for me was quite a poignant read. I identified with most of the 'misfits' and the ending was truly mesmerizing.
I must admit you do have to concentrate, else you will easily get lost, but Songs from the Violet Cafe is a beautiful and elegant read.
It is one for 'grown-ups', and along with historical fact it is quite simply a book you remember and I think it is one that I will re-read again and again.
Violet Trench runs a Cafe, one which is named after her and one that is busy with all walks of life.
Set in different times but mainly in the 60's, and although New Zealand is prominent, Cambodia is important to knowing Violet and her life.
I got really involved with the lives of each character, their heartbreaks, the scandal and how they were connected to each other. Violet is an important figure to all those who meet her, and although she runs the Violet Cafe with an iron rule she is, deep down, kind, sincere and a good judge of character. I absolutely adored her and along with Jessie, this for me was quite a poignant read. I identified with most of the 'misfits' and the ending was truly mesmerizing.
I must admit you do have to concentrate, else you will easily get lost, but Songs from the Violet Cafe is a beautiful and elegant read.
It is one for 'grown-ups', and along with historical fact it is quite simply a book you remember and I think it is one that I will re-read again and again.
May 21, 2019
I selected this book because of it's unusual title - I found the Contents page quite interesting (lots of headings to look at) but decided to go ahead and read the book.
I am so glad I did - it covered all the people from the contents page and a number of interesting places.
The story was amazing and I enjoyed it immensely. As I neared the end of the book I just didn't want the story to finish - I wanted it to go on as I had been captivated by so many of the characters. Characters who were so well written that I could 'see' them and what they were doing.
A beautiful book, so well written, sometimes I shed a tear, other times it made me laugh out loud but the main thing was that I loved the story and the way it was told.
Thank you Fiona Kidman
Kind regards, Heather
I am so glad I did - it covered all the people from the contents page and a number of interesting places.
The story was amazing and I enjoyed it immensely. As I neared the end of the book I just didn't want the story to finish - I wanted it to go on as I had been captivated by so many of the characters. Characters who were so well written that I could 'see' them and what they were doing.
A beautiful book, so well written, sometimes I shed a tear, other times it made me laugh out loud but the main thing was that I loved the story and the way it was told.
Thank you Fiona Kidman
Kind regards, Heather
March 16, 2025
I appreciate books where you learn something through the story. This one takes you to New Zealand and Cambodia for the most part.
The connection between Part 1 did not come through until Part 7, which is the end of the novel.
It is helpful that there is an index of characters at the front of the book. I had returned to this several times while reading.
The story depicts the influences that the characters, especially Violet and Marianne, have on each other. Violet's story slowly unrolls throughout. The characters are brought together at the Violet Cafe. Violet is a challenging boss who pushed her staff. A tragic incident occurs that breaks up the group. At that time, the reader starts to follow the path of Jesse, who was one of the staff. At points it is difficult to track timelines...but keep on going.
The connection between Part 1 did not come through until Part 7, which is the end of the novel.
It is helpful that there is an index of characters at the front of the book. I had returned to this several times while reading.
The story depicts the influences that the characters, especially Violet and Marianne, have on each other. Violet's story slowly unrolls throughout. The characters are brought together at the Violet Cafe. Violet is a challenging boss who pushed her staff. A tragic incident occurs that breaks up the group. At that time, the reader starts to follow the path of Jesse, who was one of the staff. At points it is difficult to track timelines...but keep on going.
October 4, 2021
Why have I never read any of Fiona Kidman's books? In fact, why have I never heard of her before?Definitely a serious oversight. This book was engaging and easily read. It was also true to the times in NZ in which it was set. I would have liked a bit more back story on some of the characters and perhaps a better understanding of motivation for some of the actions but that didn't detract too much from my enjoyment. (Purchased at Libraria Follas Novas in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.)
February 3, 2025
I read half way through.
After reading the back of the book I thought it would be more related with Cambodia. I read half way though the book and she could easily be from any other country. During that part of the book only 5% talks about what is described. It keeps introducing more and more character and you just want to be able to focus on something. I think it should improve in some organisation or orden in the stories.
After reading the back of the book I thought it would be more related with Cambodia. I read half way though the book and she could easily be from any other country. During that part of the book only 5% talks about what is described. It keeps introducing more and more character and you just want to be able to focus on something. I think it should improve in some organisation or orden in the stories.
May 4, 2019
The story of a group of young women, all from troubled families, who come under the wing of Violet Trench, who employs them at the Violet Cafe in Post-War New Zealand for a while before tragedy strikes and the survivors are scattered across the world.
November 30, 2019
What a delightful book! I loved it, especially Violet. I don’t know whether the author set out to make her my favourite, as she was not the narrator. What a tangled world we live in. Hope to read more from this author, and have asked my local library to purchase more of her books.
May 30, 2018
there’s way too many characters to keep track of who’s who and some of the scenes are just awkwardly written. not a fan :(
March 14, 2019
I enjoyed this one more then "A night at the Movies" which seems to be the first story with a title that had little to do with the story. Mystery and a story that takes a surprising turn.
February 5, 2020
This book ranges between 2 and 4 stars.
It comes in 7 parts but this is no epic that spans the years over 1000 pages. There is little thread, the few characters are just tossed together randomly across the years. Much like real life I suppose.
The section where all the characters in the Violet cafe are introduced is probably the best, although pretty confusing.
The bookends around this section are pretty boring and irrelevant.
It comes in 7 parts but this is no epic that spans the years over 1000 pages. There is little thread, the few characters are just tossed together randomly across the years. Much like real life I suppose.
The section where all the characters in the Violet cafe are introduced is probably the best, although pretty confusing.
The bookends around this section are pretty boring and irrelevant.
May 5, 2025
Loved it, a great read. Loved the era.
October 25, 2016
I have just recently read Dame Fiona's latest novel 'All Day at the Movies'. Loved it, loved it, loved it. It would seem that it had its roots in this novel, published 15 years earlier. Jessie Sandler is a major character in the earlier novel, not so much in the latter, although her presence is there, lingering in the background. An integral part without integral action.
In this novel, Jessie is in her teens, running away from home - her mother, stepfather and three step/half siblings. The family structure is slightly different in the later novel, but it has no bearing on Jessie's life or how either novel pans out. How clever is that - I wonder if 15 years ago the author knew this character would be resurrected into a slightly different form.
Digressing..... The Violet Cafe is run by Violet Trench, a middle aged woman with a hidden shadowy past. It is the early 1960s, the cafe helmed with steely hands by Violet, is on the shores of Lake Rotorua, or an anonymous town remarkably similar. It would seem her cafe is very popular, a 'pot of tea' being a most popular drink of choice in these hard to come by liquor serving establishments! Violet's employees are young people she has taken under her wing, not necessarily damaged young people, but we do know that attractive young employees attract the most desirable customer base. On running away from her home in Wellington, Jessie turns up at the cafe, promptly taken in by Violet, and so drawn into the lives of those who work there. Violet certainly has her work cut out for her, managing the young women and men who are in her employ. And then there are her patrons, also a diverse and interesting bunch, the small town nature of the community making many of these connections very fraught and ticking time bombs.
Violet is the pivotal character in this novel, right from the very start when some 20 years earlier, in 1943, she rows across the lake said town is sited on, a small Chinese child with her, that she leaves with Hugo, an old family friend and his Chinese wife. Is the child Violet's? Or is it Hugo's? There is something unsettling about this arrival, this transfer of the child, and sudden departure of Violet into the mists of the lake. And ultimately it is this one event that down the years, brings us to the slow rumbling volcano about to blow one night in the cafe.
In a story within the main story, Jessie's story continues with her now a journalist working in Communist controlled Phnom Penh, living in a tiny room at the Foreign Correspondents' Club, seeking out stories, helping refugees, risking her life every day. What happened in 1964 continues to haunt her, and unexpected meetings with some of those from that time, plus her decision to adopt an orphaned girl, force her to make some very tough decisions, and revisit that time in her life.
This is a great read, evenly paced, never slackens. All the characters are interesting, well drawn and multi dimensional, and believable. All of the characters are introduced very early in the story, and all at once, all with a bit of back story, which does mean there is a lot to take in over the first 70 pages. Small town New Zealand of the 1960s is captured beautifully, although I think this story, with these characters and events could actually be set anywhere, with a few tweaks for advancements in communication and possibly medical technology. Which means that it is a novel primarily about people and their relationships with each other, rather than its historical or physical location.
In this novel, Jessie is in her teens, running away from home - her mother, stepfather and three step/half siblings. The family structure is slightly different in the later novel, but it has no bearing on Jessie's life or how either novel pans out. How clever is that - I wonder if 15 years ago the author knew this character would be resurrected into a slightly different form.
Digressing..... The Violet Cafe is run by Violet Trench, a middle aged woman with a hidden shadowy past. It is the early 1960s, the cafe helmed with steely hands by Violet, is on the shores of Lake Rotorua, or an anonymous town remarkably similar. It would seem her cafe is very popular, a 'pot of tea' being a most popular drink of choice in these hard to come by liquor serving establishments! Violet's employees are young people she has taken under her wing, not necessarily damaged young people, but we do know that attractive young employees attract the most desirable customer base. On running away from her home in Wellington, Jessie turns up at the cafe, promptly taken in by Violet, and so drawn into the lives of those who work there. Violet certainly has her work cut out for her, managing the young women and men who are in her employ. And then there are her patrons, also a diverse and interesting bunch, the small town nature of the community making many of these connections very fraught and ticking time bombs.
Violet is the pivotal character in this novel, right from the very start when some 20 years earlier, in 1943, she rows across the lake said town is sited on, a small Chinese child with her, that she leaves with Hugo, an old family friend and his Chinese wife. Is the child Violet's? Or is it Hugo's? There is something unsettling about this arrival, this transfer of the child, and sudden departure of Violet into the mists of the lake. And ultimately it is this one event that down the years, brings us to the slow rumbling volcano about to blow one night in the cafe.
In a story within the main story, Jessie's story continues with her now a journalist working in Communist controlled Phnom Penh, living in a tiny room at the Foreign Correspondents' Club, seeking out stories, helping refugees, risking her life every day. What happened in 1964 continues to haunt her, and unexpected meetings with some of those from that time, plus her decision to adopt an orphaned girl, force her to make some very tough decisions, and revisit that time in her life.
This is a great read, evenly paced, never slackens. All the characters are interesting, well drawn and multi dimensional, and believable. All of the characters are introduced very early in the story, and all at once, all with a bit of back story, which does mean there is a lot to take in over the first 70 pages. Small town New Zealand of the 1960s is captured beautifully, although I think this story, with these characters and events could actually be set anywhere, with a few tweaks for advancements in communication and possibly medical technology. Which means that it is a novel primarily about people and their relationships with each other, rather than its historical or physical location.
September 26, 2016
I think the book was originally published in 2003, but through Netgalley and Aardvark Bureau, I was given the chance to read a forthcoming UK edition in exchange for an honest review.
Whilst I liked this book, I was also confused by it in places. There are so many characters to get to grips with. I found it hard to follow at times. Hence the three star rating.
The settings of Rotorua and Cambodia are beautifully described and provide both a sense of geographical location and a place in history. I liked this a lot.
On balance the disjointed feeling which I had at the start, never fully went as this book progressed.
However, although this isn't Fiona Kidman's best book in my opinion, I will certainly still look out for other books she has written.
Whilst I liked this book, I was also confused by it in places. There are so many characters to get to grips with. I found it hard to follow at times. Hence the three star rating.
The settings of Rotorua and Cambodia are beautifully described and provide both a sense of geographical location and a place in history. I liked this a lot.
On balance the disjointed feeling which I had at the start, never fully went as this book progressed.
However, although this isn't Fiona Kidman's best book in my opinion, I will certainly still look out for other books she has written.
February 15, 2017
Violet Trench runs a café in Rotorua in New Zealand and is a charismatic character who collects people from all walks of life. The story is mainly set in the sixties but jumps around various years going back to 1943 and centres on the relationships and stories of the café customers, with various plots and intrigue
I always enjoy books more when they are centred on a place that I have visited and I loved Rotorua and surrounding area so find it easier to picture the settings. I enjoyed this book but felt that it jumped around between characters and times a bit too much so that it was a bit difficult to follow at times
I always enjoy books more when they are centred on a place that I have visited and I loved Rotorua and surrounding area so find it easier to picture the settings. I enjoyed this book but felt that it jumped around between characters and times a bit too much so that it was a bit difficult to follow at times
December 23, 2016
The book starts out with what seem like a bunch of little short stories, but I soon saw that they were all connected to the girls who work at the Violet Cafe, and the owner Violet herself. It was a bit rough for me at first, describing the tragedies in these girl's young lives and the men who believe women need to be “put in their place”. As the story went on and got more into the interactions of the people at the cafe, it became apparent that it was necessary to explain each back story. The book continues through the lives of these girls and what they make of it.
I couldn't find myself feeling anything but neutral about this story. Their lives were believable, and filled with some scandal and harsh reality. While I think it's important for there to be books about reality and realistic characters and not only unrealistic fantasies, there are going to be some that enjoy this kind of read and others that don't enjoy it as much. I see plenty of harsh reality in my day to day life, and so don't typically look for it in my reading journeys. It was not a bad read by any means. I still felt myself wanting to read it to its completion, but there are going to be people that this book is for and people that it is not.
Rating
I would give this book a 3 out of 5, and I would recommend it to people who enjoy reading about realistic, and sometimes hard, lives of characters that could have been real people. If that is not you, then I would skip it.
I couldn't find myself feeling anything but neutral about this story. Their lives were believable, and filled with some scandal and harsh reality. While I think it's important for there to be books about reality and realistic characters and not only unrealistic fantasies, there are going to be some that enjoy this kind of read and others that don't enjoy it as much. I see plenty of harsh reality in my day to day life, and so don't typically look for it in my reading journeys. It was not a bad read by any means. I still felt myself wanting to read it to its completion, but there are going to be people that this book is for and people that it is not.
Rating
I would give this book a 3 out of 5, and I would recommend it to people who enjoy reading about realistic, and sometimes hard, lives of characters that could have been real people. If that is not you, then I would skip it.
October 27, 2016
I struggled a little with their book. I found it a little hard to keep up with everything that was happening and I couldn't keep track of which year we were in.
That's said I did like the characters and I did enjoy the writing style.
At the start of the book I think the year is around 1940. A young women called Violet Trench has just had a baby but to keep him safe she crosses the lake Rotorua are leaves him with her friend Hugo hoping that he will have a better life. Returns home without him.
Violet opens up a cafe and hires herself some young women to work in her cafe. Violet makes the girls better people and leaves a huge mark on their lives. 60 years later a boat is ritually set alight in the river Rotorua.
A sweet story about love and friendship, sacrifice, religion and culture. A book that shows no matter how much old someone is from you or how much younger they are a beautiful friendship can form that spans the rest of time.
Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Kidman, and Gallic books for the opportunity to read this touching book in exchange for an honest review.
That's said I did like the characters and I did enjoy the writing style.
At the start of the book I think the year is around 1940. A young women called Violet Trench has just had a baby but to keep him safe she crosses the lake Rotorua are leaves him with her friend Hugo hoping that he will have a better life. Returns home without him.
Violet opens up a cafe and hires herself some young women to work in her cafe. Violet makes the girls better people and leaves a huge mark on their lives. 60 years later a boat is ritually set alight in the river Rotorua.
A sweet story about love and friendship, sacrifice, religion and culture. A book that shows no matter how much old someone is from you or how much younger they are a beautiful friendship can form that spans the rest of time.
Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Kidman, and Gallic books for the opportunity to read this touching book in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2017
This book follows a number of characters who work at a Cafe in New Zealand. A lot of the ladies are 'troubled' and the book ambles through the decades and spends time in Cambodia. I will admit that I found the rambling quite difficult to follow at times and I was expecting a totally different read. I did find the settings in New Zealand and Cambodia fascinating and enjoyed reading about them.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a book out of my comfort zone.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a book out of my comfort zone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews