Who or what is watching Jake Whyte from the woods?
Jake Whyte is the sole resident of an old farmhouse on an unnamed island, a place of ceaseless rains and battering winds. It's just her, her untamed companion, Dog, and a flock of sheep. Which is how she wanted it to be. But something is coming for the sheep u every few nights it picks one off, leaves it in rags.
It could be anything. There are foxes in the woods, a strange boy and a strange man, rumours of an obscure, formidable beast. And there is Jake's unknown past, perhaps breaking into the present, a story hidden thousands of miles away and years ago, in a landscape of different colour and sound, a story held in the scars that stripe her back.
Set between Australia and a remote English island, All the Birds, Singing is the story of one how one woman's present comes from a terrible past. It is the second novel from the award-winning author of After the Fire, A Still Small Voice.
All the birds, singing
We are each trying to control our shadow, that which we have not resolved from our past. Jake Whyte is no exception. All the Birds, Singing is her compelling story. It unfolds across two islands and 30 years. One is Jakes future, a rugged, windswept English island where she has built her flock of sheep along with her only real companion, Dog. The other island is from her past, the remotest pasts of Australia. Jake's journey has not been an easy one but she has survived, and she wont give in when she and her flock are threatened by a predator. This book carries you on a moving and, sometimes, startling journey through one persons life, losses, relationships and emotions. At all times, you want to understand Jake and what has shaped her. Author, Evie Wyld, does not disappoint you. She skilfully peels back the layers to reveal the source of Jakes shadow. It is clear why All the Birds, Singing is the 2014 Miles Franklin Award winner. A great read indeed. Reviewed by 20dv
QBD, 01/09/2014
All the birds, singing
A beautifully written story about a girl whose circumstances lead to life-altering changes. The author emphasizes the kindness but also the ugliness of strangers and animals. Set mostly in two rural locations spanning two continents the environments are harsh and unforgiving. The main character Jack a girl evolves from a naive adolescent into a life-hardened but hopeful adult. Leaping throughout her short history, the story keeps your mind active as though you're a participant. Evie Wyld's prose is smooth and flowing, begging the reader to finish in one sitting - if only we could have the opportunity As an added bonus All The Birds, Singing is this year's Miles Franklin Winner - excellent for book clubs or just to boast to your friends about being up to date with contemporary fiction As reviewed by 08mh
Toombul, 28/07/2014
