After She Left

by Penelope Hanley

When Irish artist Deirdre Wild emigrates from the remote Blasket Islands to Sydney’s The Rocks in the 1930s, she makes an indelible mark on conservative society with her surrealist art and bohemian ways. Just after the Second World War, Deirdre leaves for Europe to be with her lover – leaving behind her estranged daughter and a family secret.

Years later, Deirdre’s granddaughter Keira is determined to discover the secret and her mother, Maureen, clinging to her own fears of the past and a desire to change her future, fights to stop her.

When the three women’s lives intersect amidst the emerging women’s liberation movement and political tension in 1970s Sydney, what price will be paid for the deceptions of the past?

Genres: Historical Fiction

300 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

Reviews

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘With her one mistake, it felt as if she had paid a high price for an uncertain future in an unknown land.’

This novel spans six decades and the lives of three women: mother, daughter and granddaughter. The grandmother, Deirdre, emigrates to Sydney from the remote Blasket Islands of Ireland. Her story starts in 1927. Deirdre, an artist, doesn’t settle easily into any domestic routine. Her daughter, Maureen, will pay a price for Deirdre’s inattention. Maureen’s daughter, Keira, is also artistic.

In the 1970s, as part of her study, Keira wants to learn more about her grandmother Deirdre. Deirdre left Australia for Europe just after World War II. She left to rejoin her lover, whom she had thought was dead. She left Maureen behind. Maureen resists Keira’s desire to learn more about her grandmother: there are secrets that Maureen doesn’t want to share. But Keira is determined.

I enjoyed the way in which Ms Hanley bought this period to life, with her depiction of convention and changing values and expectations. From the bohemian 1920s, through the conservatism of the 1950s and the emergence of the women’s liberation movement in the 1970s, her characters reflect their times.

While the reader knows quite early the secret Maureen tries to keep from Kiera, it’s the way the story unfolds that held my attention. I am old enough to remember the issues (including conscription, equal pay, birth control) which are included in the novel, old enough to have marched in protests for some of them. Each of the three main characters had an appeal for me, although I struggled at times to understand their actions. Will Deirdre be reconciled with Maureen? Can Maureen escape from the constraints of being a housewife in the 1950s? Will Keira find what she is looking for?

I enjoyed this novel.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much to enjoy in this story of three generations of women, that also captures three different eras and sets of social issues. The insight into the changes in Australia over the different generations was well done. It was an easy read, but progressively lost momentum and interest. After initially enjoying the descriptions of clothing and settings, they became irritating fillers that distracted from the story by the end of the book. The use of the three different 'voices' was also a distracting element at times. The characters were not particularly engaging and were mostly a vehicle for awkward stereotypes. Having said all that, it was not a bad book, I just wanted it to be better and live up to its early promise.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to @venturapress for sending me a copy of After She Left. After She Left is a multi-generational story set around Sydney from the 1920’s up until the 1970’s. This was an easy and entertaining read. I loved the historical setting of Sydney through the years. It gave a fascinating insight into some of the political issues of the past, like conscription, the election of Gough Whitlam and the baffling disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt, particularly with our current lead up to the Federal Election. I enjoyed the varied settings but would have loved a little more insight into the artistic scene of the 1920’s.

The characters in the novel are diverse and memorable. We see three strong women from three different generations, each fascinating in their actions and motivations. It can get a little confusing at the beginning with the three different characters across three different time points so I would recommend, at least at the beginning, dedicating a good amount of time to reading it in one sitting to get your head around these women. The chapters are nice and short, which is great for the pacing of the novel, but it can be easy to lose your grasp on the story at the beginning. Once you have it the story is easy to immerse yourself in and before you know it you have read fifty pages. The language is easy to grasp and follow and many will find this an enjoyable read. I would recommend this one if you enjoy multi-generational stories that are easy flowing and fun.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy recieved from Ventura Press, all thoughts are my own.
I found the narratives thoroughly enjoyable and really enjoyed the structure of how this story was told from each of the perspective of these three women, Deirdre, her daughter Maureen, and the latter’s own daughter, Keira, each chapter told from a different point in their lives, intersecting more often than not, which I thought was really engaging and well done!
I liked each of these characters, though I feel like there wasn’t a great deal of character development for say, Keira. Whilst we read about the tribulations of her mother’s marriage, we see her (Maureen), defending their rebellious son (which was great, he didn’t want to do what his dad expected of him, he opposed the war), and it was fabulous actually hearing Maureen actually standing up for her son, and still wanting him in her life, whereas her husband literally abandoned him.
Speaking of, I did enjoy the dynamic between Maureen and her children, it was definitely a contrast to Maureen’s own childhood where Deirdre literally had taken off, leaving her own daughter in the hands of her then boyfriend and her friends, but it happens I guess.
I only wish Keira had more page time to grow, I mean, I always enjoyed her passionate ideals about not wanting a domesticated lifestyle (preach it, sister!), but her relationship with one Alan definitely was puzzling to me, but good on Keira for putting herself first, even if it took her a while to get there, in my opinion. I must praise her though for seeking all the information about her estranged Grandmother, I definitely felt like her passion for finding out about Dierdre’s artwork and life was one of my favourite aspects about this book! It’s what really kept the narratives engaging, seeing everything intersect together too, as secrets from the past came to light.

[Kristy (sometimes_i_read_books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

After She Left details the lives of three generations of women. From the grandmothers’ early years as a pregnant Irish immigrant in Sydney, to the 1970’s where her granddaughter is determined to discover the secrets of the past.

This is a wide sweeping story, spanning three generations from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. It is rich in Australian history, and I liked getting a glimpse into the early and mid 1900’s in Australia.

With three different voices, a chapter each, it was sometimes a little hard to follow as the first half of the book jumped quickly through the years. The character development wasn’t strong, but I enjoyed the story and it was an easy read.

I recommend this book for those with a love for Australian history novels. After She Left is released tomorrow, 1st May.

Thanks to the publish for this review copy.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. It was entertaining and told a good story but it didn't wow me. There were parts of it I loved, the Australian history woven throughout the tale, the Sydney setting and the commentary on the art world, particularly a woman's place in it. I think the thing that didn't quite grab me in this novel was the characters. There are three main female protagonists and while they were all fine characters they felt a little one dimensional to me, it seemed their personality was set at the beginning and that's kind of the way they went for the rest of the novel.
Overall I enjoyed this book and found it a really pleasant read. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in Australian/Art history.

[Kalliste · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting of this book and reading about Sydney throughout the different time periods. I also enjoyed the changing perspectives of the chapters but it jumped around so much that I would get confused when we were.
There was also quite a lot of characters and it took some time to work out who was who.

Overall, it was an ok read. Nothing outstanding though.

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy received from Ventura/Impact Press for an honest review

I adore the colours on the cover of this book - they stand out among the books on the shelf.

I am conflicted with this review. There are things that I liked, and there are things that I disliked.

I liked seeing my home city of Sydney through the decades (I particularly like it through the 70s, though in the time line it all happened a couple of years before I was born).

I liked the changing political climates throughout the decades, and seeing the seeds of change planted and come to fruition.

However, I didn't like any of our 3 leading ladies. I found them all selfish, and man the apple did not fall far from the tree with any of them.

Most of the time I found myself yelling at my book, telling people to run far, far away from them all.

And I hated that I felt that way - however this could just be me.

I liked the writing, the imagery and their stories - just not the women!

This was my first Penelope Hanley read, but it won't be my last.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

After She Left is a multi-generational story, told from the perspectives of grandmother, mother and daughter at different stages of their lives: Deirdre (1930s), Maureen (1950s) and Keira (1970s). Themes of art, family, corruption, war and the treatment of women are woven throughout. Readers should note triggers for rape.

The three women of this novel are deeply shaped by both Deirdre and Maureen's pregnancies, and much of the narrative focuses on the ripple effects of motherhood. The women also have huge influences on one another down the generations - Deirdre's social freedom shapes Maureen's conservatism, which in turn shapes Keira's liberation. This is fascinating to read against the backdrop of Australia changing as a nation.

In terms of the plot's structure, I felt that the main crisis was revealed quite early on, and I had anticipated more of a build up, or an additional crisis later on. Once you realise that moment is actually the crux of the whole story, the focus shifts to the characters and the plot shakes out more naturally.

The chapters are all reasonably short, making for compelling reading, although I often found myself wanting just a bit more from each chapter before we switched perspectives - it felt as though we were just starting to really understand something about one of the three women as the chapter ended. This meant I didn't quite connect with the characters as deeply as I would have with just a bit more in each section

Thematically we cover a lot of ground, not least the questions of conscription (Keira's brother is a conscientious objector), reproductive rights and the way women are judged in society. The generational contrast between Keira and Maureen highlights shifting attitudes, and sees the conservative Maureen empowered to make previously unthinkable decisions. Keira herself goes through a personal crisis, forced to confront the question of career versus family, while Deirdre remains her free-spirited self throughout (although not without troubles). Ultimately the novel is about the relationship between these women, but they are convenient vehicles for the comment on each generation Hanley wants to make.

Hanely's writing is easy to read - she writes beautiful descriptions of Sydney, especially about The Rocks, and her prose grows lyrical when describing Deirdre absorbed in her art.

As regular readers would know, I'm partial to a multi-voice, multi-time period structure, and felt that once I got my bearings, this approach worked well. It did take a while to get my bearings, though, and and I had to go and check who minor characters were as we moved perspectives so frequently. As such, this is one I'd recommend reading in a couple of sittings, to keep track.

Overall this was an enjoyable read, although at times it missed the opportunity to develop real emotional depth, due to the short chapters and frequently shifting viewpoints. I discovered a lot about Australian political history and appreciated Hanley's commentary on women's lives across the generations.

Thanks to Michaela (@crazybooklady_), Jaclyn (@sixminutesforme) and Laura (@laura_reads_) for the great company buddy reading this book.

Recommended if you liked: The Passengers, The Biographer's Lover

I received a copy of After She Left from Ventura Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Infamous Sphere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three generations of women - two artists, and the housewife who is the daughter of one of the artists, and the mother of another. The premise and the plot was good, but unfortunately, Hanley's writing style left a lot to be desired. It was often clunky and embarrassing, with awkward phrases frequently taking you out of the narrative.
- Deirdre, the oldest of the women, a surrealist painter in 1930s Australia, is originally from a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Hanley gives her an eye-dialect. This would be bearable, if it weren't for the fact that at least 70% of her dialogue is said without any kind of indication of an accent at all, only for Hanley to apparently remember and then throw in an "an' I said" or something that's apparently supposed to be indicative of an Irish brogue. It's extremely inconsistent, and it would have been better if it were excised entirely.
- Then there are clunkers like this:
"They had found each other and they danced a journey through time, a dance of loving and laughing, dreaming and daring, a dance each of them hoped would never end."
This is a phrase said after Deirdre meets Owen for the first time, and decides to date him. Is this supposed to describe sex? The beginnings of a relationship? It's literally said straight after a paragraph describing them having a conversation! I groaned.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I just didn't like the way it was written. Apparently Penelope Hanley mostly writes nonfiction. Maybe she hasn't quite been able to smoothly adjust her prose style to something that works in fiction.

[Jennifer Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lives of the three.women at the heart of the story cover the time period in Australia from the depression era before World War 2 to 1989. The three women are grandmother Diedre who leaves Blasket island in Ireland as a pregnant unmarried girl who finds artistic expression along with complex relationships in Sydney. She remains a free spirit who leaves her daughter open to the same sexual abuse through neglect. Her daughter Maureen is seduced by a friend of Diedre and marries a man prepared to bring up her daughter Kiera as his own, along with 4 sons in a strong Catholic family. Kiera the girl unaware of her actual parentage searches for her grandmother's artistic past and in the process the truth of her family is revealed, along with a background of the changes in social mores in Australian society. Somehow these characters didn't develop as warmly as I hoped and the book reads a bit like an essay; too neat somehow as it ticks off the boxes of social change although of interest to someone who likes Australian history.

[Mel Davis-Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists, thoroughly enjoyed

[Maisie Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generational Family Saga
- Strong Gilmore Girl vibes
- takes place against the backdrop of the women's liberation movement.
- Bisexual Protagonist
- 3.9-4 stars.

[Erin Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flashes of good prose but so full of tropes (unwed mothers, Irish everything, neglectful artist parents). I was also often distracted by the oddly specific descriptions of clothes.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of three generations of women struggling to find their way in life is told through flashbacks and in different voices which sometimes confuses and distracts from the story line..