Mad Woman Rocking

by Farrah B Mandala

Women's experiences are unique. Our connections, our trauma and our strength all deserve a voice.
Rosie Lane has endured enough tragedy and loss for one lifetime. And yet her plans to live peacefully in the splendour of farm life and write her first novel are thwarted when an old box containing six envelopes leads her to discover a hidden family history. When the doppelganger of her deceased son arrives on her doorstep, Rosie further uncovers the mystery of her parentage and learns of a brother she never knew. As the seasons pass, Rosie tries and fails to write as she navigates her resurfacing trauma and grapples with the inevitable task of telling her children the painful secrets she knows. Set within the stunning landscape of rural Australia, Mad Woman Rocking is about the power of creativity, inner strength, friendship and dreaming big.

340 pages, Paperback

Published December 2, 2021

Reviews

[Pauline Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about Rosie Lane who endured alot of tragedy and loss, yet living on a farm and writing a novel you would think peaceful. No this wasn't the case when two things happened, one in the shape of a shoe box containing letters she's never read before and the other of a male human being she's never meet before. Where does this lead?
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We have the abCdeF's of coarse language through this book, which I'm not into hearing or using, but it was mingled inbetween flowers and gardening, so I had to close my blind eyes to these and go right past as you do with prickles, docks and stinging nettle.
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I really enjoyed the use of seasons in this book.

Quote
"Each paddock has a name, a purpose, a routine; ploughing, planting, harvesting and harrowing."

Cups of tea, scones, round shortbread were all mentioned and numerous flowers mentioned, daffodils (one of my favourite) and wisteria (another favourite).

No wonder the protagonist had regrets, as she said, coming up to her 70th birthday, if you read what she had gone through I can see where she was coming from. The big question is, can she let it all go? Not relive the past? You must read this one and see for yourselves.
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All in all quite a facinating read which kept me guessing till the end.
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Giving this a whole hearted 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mad Woman Rocking - Farrah B. Mandala (AustralianIndieAuthor)
Page count - 327
Genre - WomensFiction, AustraliaFiction
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Set within the stunning landscape of rural Australia, 
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Pauline Reid
Book Reviewer
New Zealand.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4 Stars⭐️
Mad Woman Rocking by Farrah B Mandala is a story written with descriptive prose and is about a woman’s experiences in life and living on her peaceful farm. Rosie Lane, sixty-nine is slowing down and planning to write her first novel when she discovers a box containing letters and photos, secrets of her family history! Rosie also has a love of painting, photography and poetry.

When a man who looks identical to her deceased son knocks on the door she is stunned. What she learns is very confronting and will change everything she thought she knew about her family.

This book is set in the beautiful rural Australian landscape and is a glorious reflection of Australian flora and fauna, friendships, family and loss. For those who love poetry there are verses woven throughout the book.

I savoured this beautiful story, it felt like it was written from the heart and I found the setting wonderfully Australian, atmospheric and creative. It’s also a story that highlights how loss can bring such a huge mental impact on us.

Head over to madwomanrocking.com to learn more.

Published 02 December 2021
Publisher The Kind Press

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of the book!

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Farrah for sending us a copy to read and review.
Connection is a powerful force.
The connection to nature, grief and fulfilling a dream are so powerful in this read.
Life has many twists and turns and the outcome of these can shape and mould how life is lived.
Rosie has suffered more than her fair share of grief.
She lost her best friend, her son and discovers family deception.
Her farming life style keeps her grounded and her desire to write a book becomes a burning passion.
Her love of gardening and nature brings joy and satisfaction and a reiteration of life’s cycles.
Having her son and grandson nearby anchors comfort as she still struggles that her other son is not with her.
A parent should not have to bury a child.
The discovery of a nephew with an uncanny appearance to her dead son initially shocks her on a few fronts as she discovers a past that wasn’t spoken of.
The silver lining being a new family member to dote on.
This was a reflective and at times sombre lament but one I resonated with immediately.
It was real.
I loved the natural descriptions, the farming calendar depictions and the poetry that was interlaced throughout.
A genuine freshness to this book.

[Emily Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

How refreshing to read something so relatable as an Australian woman! Set in the beautiful Australian landscape, the author’s ability to paint the scene is amazing, with every detail essential for the path of the story.
With a range of characters, there’s someone everyone can relate to, and experiences we know too well. The themes of family connections, resilience and empathy are strong. A powerful story you will be glad you read.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! An almost lyrical descriptions of the land, a place truely loved. Interwoven with passionate poetry, a love of art and the Australian bush. A story of tragedy, loss, grief, intrigue and finding happiness. One of friends and family loved and lost. A great Aussie summer read.

[read_ingbooks1 Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a lovely written book with poetry woven through it which made Rosie’s story come to life. As an Australian myself, I loved how it was set in the beautiful lands of rural Australia. I loved Rosie’s character and how strong she is through all her trauma and than more family secrets drop on her. I did cry when her dog died! Overall was a very enjoyable story that I was immersed in from the start. I highly recommend:)

[Katie Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book I would normally pick up, but I'm so glad I did. Was a brilliant story, and Rosie and the women around her all are unique. The grief life brings is very relatable. The beautiful poetry and description of Australian country life tops it off.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The wind, dancing through the old elm, spoke of her bravery; it whispered signs of success. A women who had always bitten off more than she could shew. Striving for brilliance." Rosie Lane

Mad Woman Rocking highlights the mental impact that loss takes on us, in the depths of foggy depression seeking help is nothing nothing to be ashamed of. While we learn to live in the love they leave behind, we need to let go of your guilt life is too short to carry that baggage. Women are mad and together we rock in the good times and in the sad times, we rock back and forward to the rhythm that connects us. As it is when are together we find our inner strength, our resilience's to keep stepping forward, to show ourselves kindness and kindness towards others.

While away for my Christmas holiday, in the incredible wilderness of the Upper Murray. Like my family and I have done for the past 4 years, My husband and I have been coming the Upper Murray of over 10 years now, it is such a special and beautiful place and we all enjoy our Christmas together being just a young family.


I stopped in to the Corryong newsagent to find a book to fill in my time. While I stopped at the end of the isle, reading the book titles. A gentleman yelled over the counter "Their all local authors" I was immediately captivated by the title "Mad Women Rocking" I honestly didn't read the blurb.

I adored the way Farrah B. Mandala writes about the Australian farming life and how she captures the beauty of the mountains, the early morning smell of the air, the sound of the Kookaburras, the heat in the suns ray, that surrounding the character Rosie. Farrah B. Mandala captured the passing of time though her novel, with the way she captures the ever changing seasons of the Australian landscape.

This made it so meaningful to me as I can see myself out there and the way I feel about the Upper Murray, holding it so close to my heart, I felt at it was home The main character in the story is Rosie Lane a women in her older years, living a peaceful life painting, reading and crocheting on her dairy farm now run by her remain son Tom and grandson Billy. As her body slows and her mind losses precious memories, she rushing against time to start her novel before they are lost forever.

When Billy discovers a mystery box with 'Daisy' engraved. Inside holds letters and photos unearthing a painful family secret, she needs to know, Questions needed to be answered, but where to start? Rosie seeks support from women in her life to fill in the gaps. Rosie knows what needs to be done but can she do it. Rosie needs to tell her family, the news. Will this bring up their past trauma and guilt they still hold on too? or will this help them all heal and forgive themselves?

Throughout the novel Rosie rereads her own poetry, poems she has been given or ones she has given to others. As Rosie searches for inspiration for her next journey, a novel, There is one poem in particular that makes me feel seen and valued as not only a mother but as a mothers creating and changing my own mothering path as days, weeks and years change. Warrior Women showed me the beauty and strength I have within myself, the strength I didn't realize until I read this one poem.

There is something for everyone in this book, you will cry, hold your breath and feel the passage of time move with every turn of the page. There is no another book this one, put this book on your 2022 To Read List you wont regret it.

Find this reviews and many others at www.aimeeauthor.com

[KylieAtkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, that cover is just gorgeous, very striking. Secondly, I love reading books by Australian authors, especially if it contains our flora and fauna. There were plenty of those in this book. It also had lots of Aussie slang, and it's always refreshing to read conversations spoken the way we speak it.

The plot was interesting but thin. I would have liked a bit more depth to the characters to really grasp who they were. They just felt like names rather than people I'm friends with (I love coming away from a book fully invested in the characters, wanting them to fall in love/find themselves/leave the bad relationship/finish off better than they started/find happiness. I want to feel like I know them).

There's a lot of in-between the significant events that is just the daily grind. (I have my own daily grind and I want to escape that. 😄) Get up, have a cup of tea, read some poetry, spot the kookaburra, have a cup of tea, chat with grandson, go for a walk, have a cup of tea, start some writing, give up, have a cup of tea, do some gardening, go to the neighbours where they have cup of tea...I felt a lot of this was a tad waffle-y. A bit more of the family dynamics and some insight into prior events would have been preferred.

The use of the poetry was interesting for the most part. It was definitely an outlet for grief and sorrow for a few of the characters. I found that poetry impacted the rest of the author's style of writing as well. Lots of choppy sentences. Short and sweet. Noticed it on the first page. Not sure if I liked it. Sentences could be joined. To make it flow. Better.

Lastly, it's always a thrill to read the titular line in the story, however, it was repeated so many times that I felt it lost its significance.

Thank you to Farrah for sending me a copy of her book. I said I would review honestly and I hope I can pass it on for others to read and review aswell. ❤️

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot believe that I bothered to persist with this book until the end. Somehow I did though, which means it must have some redeeming features. Here goes: The cover is bright and cheerful. There are some sections that show some insight into grief and trauma. There is an attempt to try something new in the narrative construction. It is short. It is set in the mountains near my current hometown.

Now for the main disappointing bits. There is basically no plot. Well, to be fair there is an extremely weak plot. The characters (of which there are too many for a book of this length) lack depth. The use of poetry had potential but it mostly results in the story becoming disjointed. Some of the poems were ridiculously long and most were childish/naive. The switch between the narrator and the stream of consciousness of the lead character also had potential but was mostly repetitive and did little to help explore the motives and feelings of the main protagonist. The most annoying part is that the title is extremely overused within the story (the inference would have been enough, why actually use the phrase so often) and please don’t offer me a cup of tea!!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was kind enough to send me a copy of Mad Woman Rocking to read and review. I spent a good two weeks with the novel, following Rosie and taking in the very detailed descriptive and rich imagery of the Australian bush. I enjoyed the premise of Rosie's connection to the bush through her femininity (a woman and Mother Earth, etc.), and given the various trauma she's endured it's remarkable she remains so positive for her grandson, other family members, and friends. To get nitty-gritty, it was a bit too heavy on religion for me. I can't tell if Rosie is just written as religious or if the author themselves is religious? "I could not think of a better way to enjoy celebrating the birth of our saviour" (p290), among other things. Whilst this kind of language may not bother other readers, personally it left a sour taste in my mouth purely due to my own personal beliefs. Also I feel Rosie could've given up the writing dream and just been a landscape painter instead? Her devotion to colour-matching the earth around her and the visual inspiration it evokes read more naturally than her efforts at poetry and starting her own novel. The plot is interesting but almost takes a backseat in comparison to Rosie trying to understand her position in the world after all the hardships (a lot of loss) her life has been subjected to.

To talk technicalities, I find it interesting the author chose to write Rosie's story in third-person, when a good majority of each chapter takes place in the first (via Rosie's deep reflections). The story flits between perspectives, then-- we are watching Rosie move across her property and then suddenly we're inside her head; nothing was left for me to imagine. I am told literally everything Rosie is thinking, feeling, etc. I found the constant glimpses into her mind upset the narrative flow. Upon finishing the novel I did a test (out of curiosity) and re-read a handful of chapters, skipping the italicised reflections. Without being bombarded by Rosie's every fleeting thought, the book took on a newfound strength and sharpness otherwise lost.

All in all, I'm very appreciative of the author's kindness and was happy to tackle Mad Woman Rocking. I love good ode to the bush and how in this instance it complements creative inspiration. The descriptive prose made me miss home, but I just feel if more was left to the reader's imagination, the writing would be more hard-hitting and relentless with the our attention.

[Pru · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mad Woman Rocking sees Rosie trying to live out the rest of her days at her rural farm and write her book. But an old box with six envelopes leads her on a path to discover her families secrets.

I've been trying to write this review for a month or so. I wanted to love it but while it could've been a beautiful story, I found it  disjointed and random. I think there were too many sub-plots, a lot of unnecessary descriptions of the scenery and then poems slotted in in random places. The writing, while beautiful in parts became too detailed and at times confusing. The characters were shallow and unrelatable.

I was gifted a free copy of this book for my honest opinion and I am sorry to say that it could be so much better. However the cover is pretty!