The Book of Ordinary People

by Claire Varley

Three things different. Three things the same.

Meet Evangelia, a grieving souvlaki shop owner; Rik, a news hack haunted by his past; Nell, a lawyer who worries over her soul; and Ben, a young father desperate to measure up - four people who have everything and nothing to do with one another.

But each of their lives is about to be changed forever by Aida, a woman who never wanted their help, nor their sympathy. A woman with her own tale to tell...


PRAISE FOR THE BIT IN BETWEEN
'Tragic, mysterious, insightful, sometimes humorous and often heartbreaking.'- Daily Telegraph
'Varley writes with confidence and brio, and her main characters are believable and loveable.' - The Age
'Full of heart and humour.' - The West Australian

Genres: Book Club

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2018

About the author

Claire Varley grew up on the Bellarine Peninsula and lives in Melbourne. She has sold blueberries, worked in a haunted cinema, won an encouragement award for being terrible at telemarketing, taught English in rural China, and coordinated community development projects in remote Solomon Islands.

Her short stories and poems have appeared in Australian Love Stories ('A Greek Tragedy'), Australian Love Poems ('Beatitude'), Seizure online ('Poll', 'Hallow'), page seventeen ('Once', 'Hamlet, Remus and Two Guys Named Steve'), Sotto ('in the name of') and [Untitled] ('The Nicholas Name', 'Behind Tram Lines').

The Bit In Between is her first novel.

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best things about books are the glimpses into other people’s lives, and the more vivid the characters, the better the experience. The Book of Ordinary People is just that – a glimpse into the lives of five ordinary city dwellers living in Melbourne. Except, ask yourself this: what is ordinary? Doesn’t everyone have a unique story to tell, their own trials and tribulations, triumphs and failures, joy and pain?

Here we have Aida, an asylum seeker from Iran, anxiously waiting for her visa to come through; Evangelina, a Greek-Australian, who is still grieving the recent death of her mother; DB and Nell, who are both working for the same law firm but whose lives are just about as different as they can get; and Patrick, an unemployed ex-journalist who is still reeling from a traumatic experience on his last deployment. All five people are connected in some way, even though they are not aware that their paths have crossed, their lives intersected. Each of them is beautifully drawn, the glimpses into their lives so well chosen that we get a feel not only for their current predicament, but also their rich pasts that have led them to this very point in time. Five ordinary people, going about their ordinary lives. But, as Evangelina discovers when digging into her mother’s ordinary past, even the most unassuming person has a unique story to tell and their life will touch that of others and change it in some unfathomable way.

One only has to read Varley’s own history to see that her life has been far from ordinary, and that she brings with her a rich background of travel and working in different industries that have shaped her understanding of what makes people tick. That, combined with an eye for detail and the ability to create a rich, moving tale out of five ordinary lives, makes for a wonderful reading experience. It was like walking down Melbourne streets and peeking through windows (not that I recommend doing that), watching people go about their day. For me, a reader who usually prefers intricate plots and killer twists, it provided a palate cleanser from a fare of dark mysteries, like a breath of fresh air. Out of the five main characters, Aida most stole my heart. However, there are also many wonderful supporting characters who touched me deeply, like Madeline, who may feature only briefly but whose message lingered – not only for Nell and DB, but also for me. And of course little “naughty Nikki”, who puts the ongoing issue of the treatment of refugees in Australia into a whole new light. Varley’s work with refugees and asylum seekers, and her advocacy for victims of domestic violence offers a background here that makes this story not only richer, but also very relevant.

In summary, The Book of Ordinary people is an extra-ordinarily beautiful and touching book, offering glimpses into the lives of five random strangers. Incorporating many topics relevant in Australian society today, the story gave rare insights into the plights of the people around you, that stranger on the train, the girl serving you coffee in a shop, the woman dropping her kids off at the school gates. I found it both interesting and thought provoking, and thoroughly enjoyed the journey into the hearts and minds of these characters.

Thank you to the publisher Pan Macmillan Australia for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

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[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Because I might just be one person, but I’m me, and that matters. My voice matters. My story matters. And every single other person out there — they’re “me” too. And we all matter. All of us.’

Every now and again I’ll come across a novel that is so profoundly insightful, so affecting in the most subtle of ways, with a message of such importance that I want to jump up and down with the book in my hands shouting, “Read this book!” Consider this review the equivalent of me doing this. Because I really, REALLY, want every one of you to read this novel.

‘It’s not what history makes of you that matters, but what you make of your history.’

The Book of Ordinary People is exactly that, it’s a book about ordinary people. Five of them, to be exact. And in this book, they do ordinary things, every day things, like you and I. Carting around their worries, big and small, shouldering their baggage and trying to just get on with things while all of the ordinary road blocks of everyday life keep getting in the way. Some days are good, some less so, but these ordinary people keep on pressing on. Much like you and I. Why is this not boring? Well, for a start, Claire Varley is an exceptional writer with a style that gobbles you up. She’s funny, profoundly insightful, compassionate, and intimately aware of her characters, resulting in a wholly unique voice for each and subsequently, an incredibly moving story.

‘You know, the problem with victims, Nell, is it’s a status that takes away people’s agency. Their complexity. The nuances that make us human. They exist in shades of grey, which isn’t the easiest colour to capture. None of us are sympathetic in real life because that’s what it is to be human. But none of that negates our right to live safely, to command respect, to access the full extent of the law. There’s a reason Lady Justice has that blindfold.’

In a six degrees of separation kind of fashion, we see as each chapter unfolds just how these five people are connected. It’s clever storytelling and I love the web Claire weaves as the novel progresses. In some ways this is five stories, but in others it’s one. Whatever way you choose to look at it, The Book of Ordinary People is impressive, the kind of novel you lose yourself in and never want to finish. Each of the characters have something to say, or something to realise, which is the overall point of the novel. Some stories may seem more important than others, and some characters may be more relatable, but I enjoyed walking in the shoes of each of them and have had my eyes opened wide and my mind stretched to contemplate things I have not previously given a lot of thought to. I particularly appreciated Aida’s journal. Her words of reflection provided so much insight into what life is like in Iran and punctuated her present experiences as a refugee in Australia. Evangelia pushed her way into my heart with her grief and I had so much affinity for her quest to make meaning of her mother’s life. DB was hilarious, but in that “I’m laughing at you not with you” fashion. He typified the very definition of a try-hard. Nell was earnest and I admired her a lot as she navigated her way through working out just what type of lawyer she could live with being. And Rik was a bit tragic, a very sad story there, which once again draws much needed attention to the way in which PTS still falls through the cracks.

There’s an important message at the forefront of this novel, about looking past the window dressing of people, past the outer layer, the status and the labels, past the stereotypes and pre-conceived notions, right into the very heart of your fellow ordinary people. Because they, like you, are all doing extraordinary things in their own ordinary way and their stories matter. They deserve to be heard.

‘History tells us to seek out the extraordinary people; to find exceptional people who altered the world in monumental ways. But in doing this alone we forget the ordinary ones who were extraordinary in their tiny circles and created miniscule ripples that made the world better in uncountable ways.’

I can’t even begin to recommend this novel highly enough. So here I am, jumping up and down with my copy in my hands, shouting as loud as I can: “Read this book!”


Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of The Book of Ordinary People for review.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Varley’s second novel The Book of Ordinary People (Pan Macmillan 2018) is a work of fiction informed by her experience with refugee and asylum seeker communities. In a clever and engaging structure, Varley tells the stories of five ‘ordinary’ people in a series of chapters that resemble short stories, in that each is self-contained and concerned with one main character. But as the narrative progresses, we begin to see the connections between these people, the commonalities of their lives, and the circumstances that account for their rather extraordinary lives. And that is really the message of this book: the hopes and dreams and accomplishments and struggles and kindnesses of all of us, as ordinary people, that elevate us to a higher level; a celebration of the small details of a life that come together to create a sum that is so much greater than its parts.
We are introduced to the main protagonists of each section through strong characterisations and vivid paintings of each of their situations. The opening prologue depicts a traffic jam on the morning Melbourne commute, and how it affects each of the characters. Aida Abedi – one of the most sympathetic characters – is an asylum seeker awaiting news from her case worker about her status in the country. Aida shares a house with Elham and her young daughter Niki, also waiting in that no-man’s land, caught between hope and despair, desperate for an outcome which will allow them to set down roots, to work and to begin – finally – to live in this new country they wish to call home. In her previous life, Aida was a journalist, and throughout the book she writes her own story, her memories of home in Iran, her beloved family from whom she was forced to flee, her feelings of being torn between her desire to return to her homeland and her fear for what might become of her if she does. Aida is the face of the refugee who, although educated and talented in her own country, is bound through a lack of English language skills and / or a lack of the right legal papers, to exist in some sort of limbo while her case is assessed, unable to contribute in a meaningful way or to begin to feel settled in her new country.
The second main character, Evangelia Kouros, is an Australian woman of Greek heritage who is struggling to write the story of her mother’s life. Since her mother passed away a year earlier, Evangelia has felt the weight of familial and cultural expectation fall on her shoulders. She despairs at her children’s appalling lack of Greekness, in language and culture and even in their interest (or disinterest) in their heritage. She desperately wants to achieve something to memorialise her mother, but she is not even sure what that something might be.
We meet DB Arnolds as he swims his regular morning laps, his head full of dreams of his much-hoped for promotion, and his heart weighed down with worries about his job as a lawyer, and the needs of his wife and their young son. DB has very high expectations of himself and his ability to provide for his family and to achieve for his law firm, but as the story develops, he begins to reassess his need to do either in just the same way.
The fourth character is a failed journalist who has been reduced (he believes) to writing pieces of profile fluff about people that don’t matter, to be read by other people that don’t matter. This is perhaps one of the most interesting characters, as he has a backstory that is at first only gently hinted at, but which gradually comes to light as his recently traumatic past is revealed. By the end of the novel, we understand him a lot more, and have greater insight into the reasons behind his strange behaviour.
And the final character is Nell, a bright young professional who is keen to make a difference in the world, but who discovers that all is not what it seems, and that doing good might happen in a rather more roundabout way than she at first imagines.
The wonderful aspect of this book is that the lives of all of these characters are drawn together subtly, gradually and incrementally through the narrative, until each of their stories begins to overlap. The main character in one section becomes a minor character in the life of another. The actions of one affect the life of another. The Butterfly Effect – where the miniscule flapping of insect wings can cause a tsunami on the other side of the world – is demonstrated throughout this story.
Varley writes characters that are authentic and believable. She writes about situations that are ordinary and everyday. But yet it is in this very banality that the power of her writing blossoms. We see average people with non-descript lives in a new light – we recognise sparkles of gold amongst the dust, linings of silver behind the clouds, the rough glint of diamonds in the dirt. Above all, this is a story about stories – about the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we tell others about ourselves, and the stories we remake and retell in order to create change. Stories are at the very heart of this book – a memoir by a family member; the details of a marriage revealed through a Family Court case; the biographical article in a newspaper; the recounting of past trauma as evidence for the seeking of asylum; the rosy way we present our lives to friends in order to represent our life as something other than – or more than – it is.
This book is full of heart and hope, full of desire and anticipation and longing, full of waiting and planning and ambition. It is full of love and friendship. It is full of the everyday, ordinary lives of people around us, with their everyday, ordinary circumstances, and yet when it comes together as one story, it transcends the ordinary and indeed becomes an extraordinary account of the tender fragility of life, the careful promise of optimism, and the savage truth of courage and resolution.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Ordinary People was a pleasure to read. I loved the way Varley wove together these separate stories, creating a connection of which the characters were mostly unaware but which we, as readers, could appreciate. The book speaks to a number of contemporary topics, looking at each with a frank yet sensitive eye, and it is a timely work, considering all the things going on in the world at present. For me, this was a four-star read. I enjoyed it both for its interesting plot and characters and its clean, easy prose, but I would have liked to have established more of a connection with the characters. As the story progressed, I was interested in them, and what would happen to them, but that interest remained more academic than emotional. Nonetheless, this is a work of contemporary fiction that is certain to have wide appeal, and if you like literary fiction in which the characters are the main focus, I recommend checking out The Book of Ordinary People.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.

[Pan Macmillan Australia]

I so enjoyed The Book of Ordinary People. This is a thoroughly modern Australian story. It is set in Melbourne, and follows the everyday lives of unremarkable people whose ordinary lives are, in the viewing, quite special after all.

Some of the characters are familiar: their marriages, kids, swimming laps, careers, disappointments and social media disasters are routine in suburbia; the sassy second and third generation Greeks are also nothing new. There are other characters, however, who are new to me: the new ‘new Australians’ -- our current refugees. Theirs are stories of uncertainty as they await visa reviews, desperately missing family far away, being underpaid at the cafe where they work, trying the blonde hair dye, working out how to cook here.

Claire Varley is such a talented writer. She draws and interweaves with such compassion, warmth and humour, that I recall parts of the The Book of Ordinary People thoughtfully in the following days. As a Rosalie Ham novel engages us with the nostalgic, quintessential country Australia, Claire Varley introduces us, with great care, to the new urban reality of our country. - Jenny

[Janelle Varlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I wondered why a friend whose taste in books I admire recommended this book. Reading the book in fits and starts made it difficult to create a sense of the characters. Each major character had a number of minor characters who enriched and explained their story. It required a big grab of time to sort everyone out before you really felt part of the story. I loved the twists and turns of the story line as each character came to life and you made sense of the complexity of each character. Many times throughout the novel I wondered how long it would be before the characters and their lives would become interwoven. It was much later in the novel than I had anticipated and that only added to the intrigue of this well written novel. It was a very enjoyable and satisfying read.

[Reene's Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The book of ordinary people"

by @clairevarleywriter

🪶🇬🇷🪶🇬🇷🪶

Thank you @soul_of_frida for this book read.

Was a very interesting read, it shows how everyone no matter who they are faces life challenges and struggles in any form but most importantly how all these experiences are shared can also teach us as well as bring us all together.

Brought be back to some parts of my greek heritage 🇬🇷.

⭐⭐⭐/5

@reenes_library

#bookreader #bookworm🐛📖 #books #bookinsta #bookstagram #booklover #books #clairevarleybooks

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most exceptionally beautiful and carefully crafted book I have read all year (at least).
It took a while to align with the cadence of the story but when I did I could not escape the rhythm.
The book tells the story of four people with varied but intersecting stories. The language is lyrical and poetic. I cried, a lot, in the last few chapters.
Read it.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. A great 'all rounder'. There's some very important topics tackled here, and works as an introduction to these issues for people who may not have read or considered them before. Claire Varley has done a great job with this idea of ordinary people having stories worth telling.

[Mel Nisbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely glimpse into the lives of 'Ordinary People', reminding us that we all have challenges in life, but our shared experiences can bring us together.

Also a reminder of the human impact of Australia's policies towards refugees, and the terrible impact these policies are having.

[Bree T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an absolutely beautiful book and I loved it!

It’s the story of, as the title says, five ordinary people. They’re all living in Melbourne, in close proximity to each other and at first glance, as you meet each of them, they don’t seem particularly connected, with the exception of the two lawyers. But the further you read, the more you realise how their lives are intersecting, without them even knowing it.

Aida is a young asylum seeker from Iran, waiting. Waiting for the news of a letter that will tell her that her application to extend her visa has been approved. After having been in camps, released into the community, a large amount of asylum seekers were suddenly told that they had to reapply. Now their lives are in limbo, waiting for that piece of paper that tells them yes they can stay or no, they cannot. Aida lives in a small 2 bedroom house with Elham, also an asylum seeker and Elham’s daughter Niki who attends the local kinder and is struggling, perhaps because of her disrupted upbringing. Aida and Elham are not really friends at first but their bond strengthens. Aida’s story was without a doubt the one that I found the most powerful in the book, her chapters were always the ones I looked forward to the most because she was the one that I really felt had the most to lose in the book. She’s well qualified in Iran but here she finds herself taken advantage of, paid minimal amounts cash in hand because who is she going to complain to? Aida soldiers on, day by day and I just wanted her to get her letter telling her that her application was successful already.

Although I think I connected the most with Aida’s story, I enjoyed reading about the other characters too – Rik, a disgraced journalist who has isolated himself from everyone he knows, writing puff pieces on residents who “love living in the northern suburbs”. Rik is clearly suffering some sort of PTSD and you don’t realise his true identity right away. And then it becomes about discovering what happened to him, why he’s doing this to himself. Evangelia is a Greek Australian who is still mourning the death of her mother and wants to desperately write her story only she can’t seem to find her mother anywhere she looks. Evangelia’s story included a really in depth look at the Greek mourning traditions, the stories and the responsibility and role of the eldest woman in the family. She struggles in comparison to her elder sister Lydia, the two constantly at odds and bickering about everything. Evangelia and her husband own a gyros shop which is a constant source of stress for many reasons. And then there’s Nell and “DB” – they both work in a law firm. Nell is young and being mentored by DB, who dreams of a promotion and writes breezy, humblebrag letters to someone called “Jonesy” about how amazing his life is even as it starts to fall down around him. DB becomes obsessed with money, status, class and impressing the boss. Having a big house in a particular area, despite the fact that it makes life harder when his wife wants their son to attend a community kinder closer to her parents place in order for them to be able to care for him while DB and his wife are still at work. When Nell comes up with a partnership idea with a community legal firm, DB learns a lot about what he’s prioritising and how it’s affecting his life.

I loved the glimpses into these totally ordinary lives of ordinary people. People who are struggling with the day to day of juggling family and work, dealing with feelings of grief, isolation and even recovering from trauma. I love the connections between all the characters that kept appearing and how their circles intersected constantly over the course of the novel. But ultimately I kept coming back to Aida’s story and how it must be indicative of thousands of people at the moment who just want to escape a place of oppression and find somewhere to live freely. Her and Elham and Niki. I think the scene where they collect Niki from kinder and the nervous teacher tries to explain that Niki might need some assistance is the one that just stuck with me the most. Elham doesn’t speak English so Aida has to translate for her and there’s just so much fear and nervousness from Elham as she struggles to understand. I’ve had a child that needed extra assistance at kinder – occupational therapy was recommended for my youngest to help with his fine motor skills and it was over a 6 month wait for a public facility. To go private is expensive and there are many people who simply cannot afford that it when you’re struggling to make ends meet. Many times by the time the child gets into the programs, they are almost ready to start school or have started school and are no longer eligible and then you have to try other things. This complication must be amplified into the thousands when you don’t speak fluent English yet and are not skilled at navigating things like doctors appointments. Simple things like advocating for your child become an impossibility and this can be how children fall further behind.

This was a really thought provoking read and I enjoyed every page of it.

***Please note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

[Mark Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant, complex, hopeful, uplifting. Characters with depth, superb writing. A rare gem.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Ordinary People is not a happy book. It’s a serious story that explores a number of themes like loss, fear and war. There is hope at the end of the story, so it’s not completely dark and it’s very sensitively told. You won’t be looking at your fellow commuters in the same way again…

The novel is centred on five different people who live in the suburbs of Melbourne. They are linked, as the reader sees eventually, but fairly loosely. The story is told in the third person with alternating viewpoints of each of the characters. Aida is a refugee, forced to flee Iran. Now she is waiting for the fateful letter which determines whether she can stay in Australia. Living with fellow asylum seekers Elham and Niki brings experiences back – the island, the things that nobody should have to witness…plus Aida’s father is sick and there is no way she can go home. DB is a hotshot lawyer in his mind, but is drifting away from his family. Can he come back to grass roots level and become Ben again? Nell is his junior lawyer, not enjoying life in a big firm and with a pro bono case that is more complex than it seems. She starts to wonder what her path should be or if a fall from grace could happen as easily to her as it did her client… Rik is a journalist with a past he’d rather forget. Now he’s writing for a community newspaper and hiding from his partner. Can he make peace and move back into his old life? Evangelia is grieving at the loss of her mother. She’s trying to tell her story, but nothing is appearing that’s out of the ordinary. Where are her memories and why didn’t her mother leave any legacy?

Claire Varley deals with a number of sensitive issues in The Book of Ordinary People with grace. She explores the attitudes to asylum seekers, as well as the point of view from a number of asylum seekers. Knowing Aida’s background as well as the history of her country makes her story even more powerful as it brings a sense of real people with real issues to the reader. No longer is an asylum seeker someone on TV, but Aida. She’s real, she has fears and worries. She works, she has friends. Another issue that is covered is domestic violence. The reader hears Madeline’s story through the eyes and hear of Nell which strengthens the story. When you read Nell wondering if that could happen to her, you wonder if you would react in the same way. It’s all about giving a face to issues and making them personal. This is something Claire Varley does very, very well.

The only character I found slightly irritating was DB, and I think he’s meant to be portrayed that way. He’s the guy with the sports car, the house in the right suburb and the right connections. Except he’s not really that good at it, which makes him more human, particularly when he realises that life isn’t about zany nicknames and being the best of paper. DB was most honestly portrayed through the eyes of his family, who saw him as a good guy essentially who has lost his way.

Overall, this story is quietly powerful. While we might be ordinary, we all have a story of our own to tell.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to think about this book before writing my review. The book started off slowly and I found myself getting itchy feet. But I persisted, and by the time I got to just past the last quarter, I was very glad I did.

I think my reasons for thinking it was starting off slowly was because the perspectives that provided the most detail were those with whom I was most familiar. Their angst, alienation and diffuse dissatisfaction is a well worn subject for those that clearly have a voice in society. It is for this reason alone that I gave 4 stars instead of 5. I think combining two of these characters would have given the book a much better pace, a bit more oomph.

The book really turned when the author turned her attention to those that don’t have a voice, refugees. Their stories are really those of ordinary people just like us dealing with extraordinary circumstances.

In hindsight, the presence of those familiar characters probably helped to underscore that our experiences of alienation, dissatisfaction, happiness, sadness, hope and helplessness are universal.

In drawing this out the book is akin to a plea for empathy for not only those that we most readily identify with, but also those that we don’t, either because they look different to us or they have been nominated as different, labelled as the other and so not deserving of our empathy. It is this assumption that this book very eloquently challenged.

[Kate Jennings LLL · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 I don’t say this often, but this book is a MUST read. Truly🙏 . I was so moved by this book, I can’t stop thinking about it. I had tears in my eyes a few times. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND why this book didn’t get more hype!!! And an Aussie author too, wow I’m so proud!! It’s a beautifully woven story of five ordinary people living out their quietly extraordinary lives. Complex, nuanced people, richly drawn characters, human nature extrapolated so sharply 👌.

There are themes like asylum seekers and refugees, domestic violence and the mother/daughter relationship. It’s eye opening, gentle, thoughtful and insightful BUT never preachy or overly simplistic. Just a window into complex lives. Do you know how hard it is to find writing like this!?

The sense of place is so familiar and so australian. The writing is beautiful. Just beautiful. Tender, evocative, layered, poetic and also laugh out loud funny at times. Humanity, what a beautiful mess 😭. To write like this takes skill and you are in the hands of a truly talented writer here. Several times I had to pause and just soak up the story and the turns of phrase. The yearning, the pain, the stories. Wow. I have to say it again… this is an important read, seek it out and soak it up! 🙏👌 Can’t even remember how I stumbled across this one but so glad I requested it from the library. Just 🤩 a truly beautiful read .

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant novel touching a lot of important themes in today's society: asylum seekers, domestic violence, shortcomings of the legal system, racism and identity. Really enjoyed all the stories and characters; how they were peripherally connected. Although I thought Patrick didn't add value.

History tells us to seek the extraordinary people; to find exceptional people who altered the world in monumental ways. But in doing this alone we forget the ordinary ones who were extraordinary in their tiny circles and created miniscule ripples that made the world better in unaccountable little ways".

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Iranian refugee, a Greek-Australian, a stressed-out journalist, an idealistic young lawyer, and an ambitious young man. These are some of the ordinary residents of Melbourne's northern suburbs whose stories Varley intertwines in this empathetic and very human novel.

Varley's concept is that history is written in the books of kings, heroes and great men, but exists just as much in the stories of ordinary people: women, the downtrodden and the desperate. The lives of her characters illustrate how the memories and experiences of even the most ordinary and humble people are worth treasuring and preserving.

[Bronwen Heathfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of hope. A book of connection. A book where the characters could be the person sitting next to you in a coffee shop or on the train or running past you on the bike path. This is a fabulous journey which makes you reflect on your own life but to also rejoice in our shared humanity. Highly recommended

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book that moved along quickly but still deep-dived into each characters’ story. The lives of each character are inter-connected in ways that become apparent in a clever and non-cliched manner.
Excellent read

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best pieces of fiction I've read so far in 2018. For my review go to https://bookbloggernz.blogspot.com/20...

[Jennifer Rolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the 'six degrees of separation' theme in this book and that everyday people are important and can others. Not always the rich and famous.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved in bits - didn't love so much some of the flashbacks. But a generally lovely book.

[Sue Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Contemporary Australian Novel

[Dawn O'Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A snapshot of of Northcote, Victoria, and the ways their lives interact. A story of pain, grief, and yet optimism for a better life

[Andrew Scoffern · Rating 4 out of 5]

The exploration of characters and how they intersected and impacted on the lives of other people was beautifully written and explored. Beautiful piece of writing.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are sad and interwoven, the kind of melancholy we all know and desperately try to ignore in the World and our own lives. We are all ordinary in extraordinary ways and that is what this book reminds us, we are all the same but totally unique. 3.5 stars

[Kerrie Dodds · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me too scattered

Possibly apeal to some sort of genre. Good topic. Too much waffle for me. I generally read a good book in 2 days this one took 5 weeks and was great for falling asleep quick.