The Hope Flower

by Joy Dettman

From the bestselling author of Mallawindy and the Woody Creek series comes a story of love and survival.Lori Smyth-Owen isn't your average teenager - as you'd expect from the only girl in a family of twelve. Or they were a family, until their father took his own life to escape his bed-bound wife, too obese to leave her room.But for Lori and the remaining brothers, there is no escape from their volatile, mentally unstable mother. They raise themselves away from the gaze of the authorities, realising that though abandoned, they are now in charge. They can control everything, including their mother's food intake.In time, their mother emerges, after losing two-thirds of her body weight. But does she bring with her the seed of hope for a better future, or will all hell break loose?'The texture of the writing as well as the mind-boggling plots give her books a fatally addictive attraction' Saturday Age

Genres: Australia

Audio CD

About the author

Joy Dettman was born in country Victoria and spent her early years in towns on either side of the Murray River. She is an award-winning writer of short stories, the complete collection of which, Diamonds in the Mud, was published in 2007, as well as the highly acclaimed novels Mallawindy, Jacaranda Blue, Goose Girl, Yesterday's Dust, The Seventh Day, Henry's Daughter, One Sunday, Pearl in a Cage, Thorn on the Rose, Moth to the Flame and Wind in the Wires. Ripples on a Pond is Joy's fifth novel in her Woody Creek series.

Reviews

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘You want to run so far and fast but you know that if you do, you’ll eventually have to turn around and come back, so why bother running?’

Lori Smyth-Owen, almost 15 years of age, is the only girl in a family of twelve: their mother Mavis had eaten herself into morbid obesity, their father is dead. Some of the brothers have left but Lori and those who remain have learned how to manage their lives without drawing the attention of the authorities in the (fictional) Australian country town of Willama.

‘It was a blur of life without a signpost marking the way.’

Because the children have reduced Mavis’s food intake, she loses two-thirds of her weight. This may prove to be a mixed blessing: a more mobile Mavis might be a more effective parent, but she is volatile and has mental health issues. And a mobile Mavis could undermine the coping strategies the children have in place to keep the family together.

‘Kids raised in that house had learnt early to put aside disappointment and to get on with life.’

Mavis (‘Mave’) emerges from her cocoon of fat, ready to tackle the world. Her increased mobility makes her difficult to manage, her self-absorption means that she has no time (or interest) in effective parenting.

What can I tell you about this bittersweet rollercoaster ride of a novel? It is unbearably sad in parts, while humorous and hopeful in others. I understand it is a sequel to ‘Henry’s Daughter’ (which I have now bought but not yet read). While I am in awe of the ingenuity demonstrated by the children and their survival skills, the parent in me wanted to walk into the book and intervene. Yes, these characters become real. The children are incredibly resilient (mostly) and while their family history may not be what they thought it was, there is some hope for the future. Eventually.
Heartbreakingly sad and ultimately hopeful.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and PanMacmillan Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hope Flower is a heart-wrenching story with a dysfunctional family at its centre.  Told from the perspective of fifteen year old Lori who is the glue that holds the family together. The only girl in the 12 siblings she is mature beyond her years and organises the family timetable and finances. The older boys protect their sister whilst the younger boys look to her as a mother figure. Their mentally unstable mother is the only thing that keeps them from being taken by the authorities.

The story is poignant and unsettling however their are moments of humour, all be it a bit dark they still gave me a laugh.
Unlike Bridge of Clay, a story of five male siblings left to raise themselves, the Smyth-Owen siblings rarely fought and I think only once did a disagreement turn to fisticuffs. I found this a bit unrealistic.

Mavis Smyth-Owen is well portrayed as the slovenly, mentally unstable adult who throws violent temper tantrums if she doesn't get her own way.
The citizens of the small town of Willama band together in an inconspicuous way by doing small acts of kindness; giving the older boys jobs and providing a safe house for the younger boys when needed. They are there but not interfering.

Through a couple of chapters from Mavis' viewpoint the reader learns that the dysfunctionality goes beyond this family to Mavis' own upbringing and brings a new perspective on why she is the way she is.

There is an underlying theme of hope. A wavering hope that their situation will change and their mother will return to the person only the older children can remember.

The Hope Flower is a difficult read although the power of courage and the driving force of hope that emanated from the pages had me completely engrossed.
*I received my copy from the publisher

[Leanne Cramond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy Dettman wrote Henry’s Daughter back in 2003 and while this new book is a sequel to that, you don’t need to have read the first one as there is enough information in the new book to explain what has led up to where we start in The Hope Flower.

It is written from the perspective of Lori, the only girl of 12 children in a very dysfunctional and poor Australian country town family. Her mother 'Mave' (Mavis) is a hugely obese bully who alternately verbally and physically threatens her offspring, and Henry, an insipid mouse of an older father who tends his orchids better than his brood. They are well known to both the police, doctors and family services departments of the town as a result. Lori is only 12 when circumstances force the children to take drastic measures to lock their mother in a room and put her on a diet and set about fending for themselves.

This all takes place in the first book and The Hope Flower begins about 12 months after the end of Henry’s Daughter where Lori is now almost 15. Mave has lost an immense amount of weight and undergone an operation to remove the massive folds of skin left behind. The children tentatively hope that the new physically and seemingly mentally changed Mave will be permanent but again events take a dreadful turn and they have to desperately pull together again.

I find it difficult to separate these books in my mind as both are part of a much bigger story. Henry’s Daughter is a slower more detailed look at the children as individuals and their separate strengths and weaknesses that are a result of the nurture/nature experience. In an interview Joy Dettman said the book came out partly because of her interest in the resilience of children to survive and adapt in even the most horrible early life experiences. The Hope Flower is faster paced as the reader gets snapshots of what has led to the children being where they are currently and events unfold at a quicker pace as a result. There is also the mystery of both Mave and Henry’s own family history running through both books as well which adds another dimension to the study of their own character and situation.While I got a deeper understanding of the characters and events in The Hope Flower having read Henry’s Daughter before, I feel a reader who is introduced to these children for the first time in the new book will not see anything missing.

You might think the whole premise of this story sounds depressing; it is far from that. Joy’s writing and depth of character and description absorbs the reader from the beginning. There is lots of humour as well as pathos and I found myself cheering the kids on as they discover very ingenious ways to survive and stay together with some help from their neighbours. Joy also understands that Australian country town mentality extremely well having grown up in country Victoria herself and we all know that the welfare system is underfunded and over-loaded and nowhere is this more obvious in country areas. Having read all of Joy’s books after adoring the first book, Mallawindy, and loving all of them for their individual uniqueness; from historical to murder mystery to contemporary (even one post-apocalyptic novel) this easily stands as one of her best. It would make an excellent book club book too.

[Tien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joy Dettman is a well-known Aussie author but I've yet to read any of her books until this one. A few are on my TBR but I guess they're not my particular comfort reads so they keep getting pushed back. As this was a review copy courtesy of the publisher, I pushed myself a little to reading this. I must admit that I wasn't particularly keen on cover nor description but once I started, it was pretty easy to keep going. Noting my reading mood this year, the fact I managed to finish the book speaks well of its readability.

The Hope Flower is told from the perspective of a 15 year old girl, Lori Smyth-Owen. The only girl of 12 children and currently, she rules the roost. The house is a busy one (even as their mother does nothing all day) but routine is well regimented and chores shared all around. This time, Eddy came up with another scheme to get their mother to shape up. When she did shape up, however, the only to benefit was herself but she did go out in style.

While the story is actually quite sad and heartbreaking (how can your heart not hurt for these neglected children?!), I didn't find the read depressing. Lori is one feisty character; full of gumption and yet, beneath all that hard rock is a soft spot where seedling of hope is still being kept alive. All these children are such amazing characters; resilient and resourceful! Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for any adult characters here.

I just found that The Hope Flower is not the first book by this author to feature Lori but I don't think I can go back to read the other one, Henry's Daughter. I can't tell you if you'd miss anything if you read this without reading the earlier one because this truly reads like a stand-alone for me. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed reading The Hope Flower as it has definitely exceeded any expectations I had for it.

My thanks to MacMillan Australia for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hope Flower is unique, gritty and raw. It tells the tale of a family removed from society in order to stay together, trying to survive.

This book is slow paced, usually that is something that would deter me, but it adds to the overall feel of the story. It is heartbreaking to see what Lori and her siblings must endure, what they must do to survive, to eat, to have a roof over their heads.

The further you read into this book, the more heartbreaking it becomes. Eight lives shaped by one woman's desire for control and power. These eight lives were so deprived of anything good that they held on to one another, onto any scrap of happiness and joy that they could find.

Through the entirety of this novel, I was constantly disgusted by Mavis and how she treated her children. I wanted to take all of them and give them somewhere kind and warm and safe. Dettman has a way with words, she so cleverly describes the poverty that Lori and her siblings live in, without prejudice or judgement. Just honest writing and authentic expression of what it is like when you truly have nothing other than eachother.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I feel like it led to nowhere. It was great to see the Smyth-Owen children grow and learn and change, slowly breaking the cycle of poverty. But they ended where they started, only now they have a slightly better chance at changing their lives.

Written in a meaningful way, honest, poignant and raw. The Hope Flower is a tale of humanity, Human nature and survival.

Thank you to PanMacmillan Australia for sending me out a review copy of this title. All thoughts are my own.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start but once again I disappeared into another world, another life. I find when I finish Joy's books I have to come back to the real world and leave her characters behind. It is hard to find a new book to absorb me.

[Laurena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Grim read that made me angry and frustrated with the abuse and neglect, and emotional power a parent may hold over a child. However, writing was strong and characters were believable, especially Lori as the only girl protective of all her brothers.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the writing I love from Joy Dettman. The storyline is fantastic. It takes a while to get all the characters in your head and get each of their stories however, once that is clear in your mind it is just simply enjoying the read. What a complicated family and how amazing are the kids what life has thrown them. I kept thinking about what each of them deserves in the adult life. Well worth the read.

[Maria Magdalena · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a huge fan of all Joy Dettman's books, I was a bit disappointed with this latest, a sequel to Henry’s Daughter written back in 2003.
The same problem I had with the latest instalment of the Woody Creek series.
The writer here too repeats over and over things that happened it the previous books.

[Jayne Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant characters, great plot, intense - but Joy Dettman's novels always are! I really enjoyed this one and ending was satisfying although, like most of her books, I would have liked to have known more - but maybe there will be more to this story?

[Tracy Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Sisters in Crime Australia and Macmillan Publishers for my copy.

The Hope Flower is the sequel to Dettman’s Henry’s Daughter which was published in 2003 and is not part of the Woody Creek series. I haven’t read Henry’s Daughter and found The Hope Flower was easy to read as the author fills in parts of the story as you go along. I will admit I did find the hardest part to get my head around was all the children as there are twelve of them!
The main character of the story is fifteen year old Lori, the only girl in the Smyth-Owen family and the story is told mainly from her perspective. The ages of the children range from early twenties down to five years. Lori is tough and wise, way beyond her years and she has to be because her mother, Mavis is a lazy, cruel, vile creature. The story takes place in Willama around three years after the children’s father Henry dies. It is set in the same house which is on a quarter acre block and also the family has use of their big vacant block next door. The whole street used to be filled with old houses on quarter acre blocks but progress is coming to the area and residents are slowly starting to sell and townhouses are being built on the blocks after the houses, beautiful gardens and big trees are demolished. At home, nine of the children are still living there with the obese Mavis locked away in the hand built room at the back of the house. Mavis was already lazy, nasty and overweight when her husband Henry was alive and when Henry died she got worse. The children take matters into their own hands and make Mavis a prisoner in the out room and restrict her food, alcohol and cigarette intake until she loses two-thirds of her body weight.
While Mavis is imprisoned in the out room the children take control of everything, even Mavis’s bank account and credit card and completely fend for themselves. Their biggest fear is that the authorities will find out their situation and take the kids away from Mavis and everyone will end up in foster care. Once Mavis loses weight the children let her out and their carefully controlled world starts to crumble as Mavis now has access to the house and food. The kids improvise and constantly evolve to keep Mavis under control and have to resort to drugging her on the sly just to avoid her violent temper tantrums and things going back to the way they were.
To me reading about the children and how they did the cooking, shopping and handling of their mother, reminded me of how an ant colony operates. There was often no communication, they just all pitched in and did everything.
I found it hard to choose a favorite Smyth-Owen character as all the kids had different strengths and qualities, but Lori is so tough and resilient so is the stand out. There are two older neighbours, Bert and Nelly, who pitch in and help as much as they can while trying to avoid the nasty Mavis. I also liked the solicitor, Watts, who started out a bit pompous but really comes to the party near the end of the story to help the children. I really enjoyed the story and describe it as a survival story with an underlying theme of hope. There is a bit of humour, some dark, some politically incorrect which I really liked. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions, heartbreaking in some parts and uplifting in others. I found after around page fifty when I got my head around all the characters that it was hard to put the book down.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hope Flower is the sequel to Henry's Daughter. Written 15 years or so after the first, this book continues where it left off, simply the dawn of a new day. Both novels are standalone but do yourself the honour of reading one after the other as this story and the characters within will never leave your mind.

It takes a while to get in to the first novel, Henry's Daughter; too many names, too much to remember. But take it easy, go slow, embrace the world of reality in a small town, where a very overweight mother regains her life when her children band together to save their own. An unforgettable novel, brilliant writing, thought provoking, shocking and poignant. One can't get enough of the pages, one can't unforget the images, visible in such a way as to trigger either tears or giggles.

Do not rush this book. If you cannot get into it put it away for another time. I absolutely promise that the wait will be worth it. I read five chapters on my first attempt and lost interest. So I've been there, I understand the frustration. However, by the time I finished the series I found myself missing the characters as they had become very real, memorable and loved.

There is mention of the granny, from the Woody Creek series, in The Hope Flower. Woody Creek, a neighbouring town to Willama, where this novel is set, is a series of 7 novels from the 1920s to the 2000s. To understand the relativity in full dimension one should read the Woody Creek series first. Typical of Joy Dettman, she wrote the last final book seven years after that series ended, tying storylines together in superb Dettman style.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to “Henry’s Daughter” but this book could be read as a strand -alone as it covers the previous history in some depth. I was just rapt in how those children coped and supported each other and even more so in this book. The mother is an absolute horror and how they worked around that with incredible initiative and self preservation was incredible. The responsibility of being one girl amongst the twelve offspring fell on Lorrie and at such a young age. She was just brilliant and glued that family together. Just one thing…. I’d love to have known what her English teacher thought of her poem about “Me”.

[Renee Hermansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for my copy to read and review.

At first I was lost as I couldn't remember who was who in this family consisting of 12 offspring. I got further into the book and really felt like I got to know each character.
I detested Mavis the mother, she was vile towards her kids.
Poor Lori, fifteen and the only girl in the family, looks after everyone the best she can under horrific circumstances.
It was well written and I really enjoyed it and am happy to know Joy Dettman has written many more books which I am now going to seek out.

[Krisz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sequel to Henry’s Daughter which was published in 2003. It can be read as a stand alone book but I recommend reading HD first. If they were published closer together it could have been one book as it was really repetitive at times. Having said that, I enjoyed it and am hoping for more sequels in this series to learn about how Lori and the boys’ lives turned out.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will confess to not finishing this book. I have read several of Joy Dettman's novels and have enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one. It was far too long and never went anywhere

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dettman knows misery, poverty and addiction. Another dysfunctional family saga. Although I enjoyed the narrators normal tone, her voice acting for the nasty characters is too screeching and grating (but highly realistic). Didn't know about the earlier book. Glad Lori gets an ending here.

[Prue · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Joy Dettman never disappoints me. The Aussie landscapes she described. The tragic yet toughness of events this family endure. I can never put her books down. Thanks Joy for another wonderful Australian read.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to Henry's Daughter.
Lori is growing up and facing her fears. A story of courage and overcoming a difficult start to life.
I found there was too much rehashing of the first book though. It's easy to read, but I only gave it 4 stars.

[Debi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Joy Dettman’s flawed and quirky characters and it was great to reconnect with Lori and her brothers ( from ‘Henry’s Daughter’).

[Abby Nancarrow grimshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't sure about this book, first time I have read this author but by the end of it I had quite a few unanswered questions.

[Jo Anna Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a few times where I just wanted to quit, but I made it and mam it was an excellent book!

[Danielle Nielsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so many questions. It kind of ends that way. It was a great book, but lots of leads to nowhere. I enjoyed the read, just hope there is a sequel.

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of an interesting family, with 12 children and an unfit mother. I love the audio version of this book.

[Mary Byrnes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really didn’t particularly like this book … not my sort of read !!

[Kylie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequel to Henry's Daughter.

[Lisa Glanville · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up this novel I had no idea it was the sequel to 'Henry's Daughter', a book I'd enjoyed reading years ago.
Loved this.

[Linda Broughton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't get into this one at all...

[Tanya Boulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got my head around Joy's writing style again and all the characters in the book. I actually really enjoyed it

[Marni Hickman · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most depressing books I’ve ever read!! There doesn’t seem to be one redeeming character in this book.