Vanessa McCausland

While I enjoyed this novel by Vanessa McCausland, I didn't think it was as good as "The Beautiful Words" which I read recently. Although I was drawn into the mystery of Karin's death and loved the atmospheric descriptions of the river and the surrounding bushland, which almost became characters of their own, I didn't feel emotionally connected to the characters. It annoyed me how Phoebe and Jez, childhood sweethearts, rekindled their relationship when Jez was still married. Although I wasn't fond of his wife, I was still disgusted by how the two of them treated her.

However, I did love the closeness Phoebe shared with her sister Karin and the one that developed between her and Camilla, her youngest sister, as they searched for answers about the passing of their eldest sister.

Dealing with relationships, families, death, secrets and lost loves, overall, "The Lost Summers of Driftwood"" was an entertaining, well-written read.… (meer)

Written by Australian journalist and author, Vaness McCausland, "The Beautiful Words" was a fabulous book to read. At the heart of this novel is female friendships. Sylive and Kase were inseparable as teenagers until one night in 1996 a terrible accident occurred killing Kase's brother, Tristan, leaving Sylvie with a traumatic brain injury and destroying the friendship between the two girls. Now 23 years later, Sylvie finds she is invited to Kase's 40th birthday celebrations on a lonely Tasmanian island where secrets and lies will be revealed.

From the start, I was captured by the story that was unfolding. It was obvious that Sylvie and Kase shared a strong bond but the mystery was, why was it torn apart? Between chapters, the reader is given flashbacks of the good times between the girls and how the friendship that developed between their mothers, which was as strong as their daughters', unwittingly played a part in their demise. Gradually, the reader comes to understand why both friendships failed, and the reasons behind them were heartbreaking.

I loved this novel from start to finish. It was beautifully written, emotional, moving and full of literary references. It was also a wonderful tribute to the power of words. Each chapter was prefaced with a word and its meaning that was pertinent to what was to come. Sylvie also recorded her words in her notebook to help her remember. Vanessa's vivid descriptions of the rugged Tasmanian coast also gave the novel a strong sense of place.

Dealing with friendship, loss, love and betrayals, "The Beautiful Words" is a novel I would highly recommend. This is the first book I have read by this author and I have just reserved "The Lost Summers of Driftwood" at my local public library.… (meer)

This compelling, dual timeline novel has many fascinating elements.
It's both a contemporary look into the darkest emotional complexities of motherhood and friendship, as well as a carefully researched historical portrayal based on true events. Both timelines are drawn together in the backdrop of the extraordinarily beautiful and mysterious Capertee Valley, Australia.
Haunting, shocking and a bit disturbing. I don't know what kept me in suspense more - the mysteries in the story or the contemptuous frenemies. Either way, I found this well written book hard to put down.
However, the ending felt a bit rushed. It just didn't have the same fluidity as the rest of the story. And that was a little disappointing, but overall it was a great read.… (meer)