Time has been tight for me this last month so I’ve rushed this month’s Six Degrees a bit, but I hope it satisfies my regular readers’ different needs! So, let’s just get to it … the Six Degrees meme, I mean. If you don’t know how this meme works, please check host Kate’s blog – booksaremyfavouriteandbest.
The first rule is that Kate sets our starting book. In November we are back to books I haven’t read. Indeed, this is one I hadn’t even heard of, Chetna Maroo’s Western Lane. It’s a debut novel that was shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize. GoodReads starts its description with “a taut, enthralling first novel about grief, sisterhood, and a young athlete’s struggle to transcend herself…”
I could go with books about sisters, or athletes, as I’ve read a few of those on my blog, but I’m going in a different straightforward direction instead, to another debut novel by a young writer, albeit this one a century or so ago, Louise Mack’s The world is round (my review). It’s not about a struggling athlete, but it is about a would-be writer.
Now, I don’t want to go down the content path though that would be easy – and, you never know, we might meet a would-be or struggling writer or two a bit later in this chain. Here though I’m going for a word in the title, and so it’s to Michelle Scott Tucker’s biography, Elizabeth Macarthur: A life at the edge of the world (my review) that I’m linking next. Round worlds, edges of worlds, where to now? Not to worlds, in fact … but to …
Another strong woman. Elizabeth Macarthur had to be strong to keep the family farm going in colonial Australia while her husband spent months if not years travelling to and from England. Freya Stark was another strong Englishwoman who made her way in a man’s world, a century or more after Macarthur. The book I’m linking to is Jane Fletcher Geniesse’s biography, Passionate nomad: The life of Freya Stark (my review).
Geniesse’s biography was published in 1999, as was the wonderful Amy Witting’s gorgeous novel, Isobel on the way to the corner shop (my review). Here come the would-be writers! Isobel is a young woman who is struggling to be a writer. Poor, starving and isolated, she ends up contracting TB and, after a dramatic collapse, is admitted to a sanitarium, where she starts to recover in more ways than one.
From Isobel I am taking us to my most recent post, Rebecca Burton’s Ravenous girls (my review) which is about another young woman – starving for different reasons – who ends up as a long stay patient in hospital. Justine is a different person to Isobel, and the story is from her sister’s perspective, but the link still works!
And now, I’m going to do something I don’t usually do, which is to close the circle. Maroo’s book is apparently about sisterhood, and so, in a large way, is Burton’s Ravenous girls, so it’s on sisters that I’m going to conclude, but with sisters at the older end of the spectrum. John Clanchy’s Sisters (my review) are not struggling to find themselves, or to make their way in the world. Instead, they are needing to resolve secrets from the past, which just goes to show that when you solve one of life’s challenges, there’s sure to be another waiting! In fiction, at least!!
I’ve spent far more time in Australia than I usually do, but we did make a quick foray to the middle east, and we have traversed Australia from its early colonial days to through to the present. I have also been, as last month, rather one-sided in author gender, with just one male author again bringing up the rear.
Now, the usual: Have you read Western Lane? And, regardless, what would you link to?
Whispering Gums 
Pas mal, even though rushed. A bit vague for my preference; but if you had to cater to that you’d go bonkers very quickly, ST ! 😀
I guess I can accept “pas mal”! Perhaps, even, take it as high praise – haha.
Nice to see Michelle’s bio of Elizabeth Macarthur in your list. Did you see she’s writing a new one, which is going to be about Louisa Lawson? I am excited about this on two counts, obviously the subject of the bio, but also because I just love MST’s writing style and her intelligent interrogation of women’s lives in the past.
Mine is here: https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/11/04/six-degrees-of-separation-from-western-lane-to/
Yes … I have heard about that. Should be great as I agree re her writing and approach.
Nice way to end your great chain! I like the sound of Isobel on the Way to the Corner SHop, which I hadn’t heard of before.
Thanks Cathy … it’s worth checking out, but I know, there are so many books worth checking out. Impossible to choose.
I do tend to read more female authors, so my chains are usually female heavy as well! Lovely chain!
Thanks Davida … I think I’ve noticed that too.
WG: I operate on the understanding that there are no more than one or two degrees of separation – and though my comment is therefore not exactly related to this regular connectedness column of yours – always fascinating anyway – Joan Austral Fraser – later Levick – with marriage – or as with her pseudonym – Amy Witting – was a kinship connection – as I discovered over 20 years ago. I read I for Isobel and Isobel on the Way to the Corner Shop. And thinking back to those readings – yes the realism – both of Patrick White’s The Tree of Man – and of Helen, Garner, Thea Astley, too. Thanks for this. (I am writing to you from Salt Lake City, Utah.)
I think you are right much of the time Jim. Witting is a great isn’t she, though I’ve only read a couple of her novels and a short story.
l’ve been to SLC but 40 years ago. How can that be?
Perhaps you were a babe in arms? In someone’s arms? I have the same kinds of thoughts. My wife and I will be in Melbourne next month both sides of the date of our nuptials on December 15th in the then Independent Congregational Church (polychromate brick) on the top side corner of Collins and Russell streets – 50 years ago! How can that be? Surely it was only a few years ago… that’s the thing – looking back – foreshortened vision – looking forward – can’t see anything at all – though living with hope. To-day was spent with a cousin half my age driving up to Logan to check out the beautiful LDS Temple there designed by one of the cousin’s ancestors – who also built the LDS Temple in downtown Salt Lake City. And then a circuit through the mountains on the return from Logan – alas – all the shimmering shivering golden aspen leaves fallen – but their ghostly whitened trunks a vision splendid nonetheless! In a few days on to Vancouver.
Someone’s perhaps!
Congratulations on the 50th. We are nearly there but a handful of years to go. When my grandparents had their 50th in 1966 I thought that was impressive but now we are all getting there it seems just astonishing. You are right about looking forward …
Logan adventure sounds great. I’ve never been to a Vancouver. Vancouver Is yes but we skirted Vancouver itself and headed north to Jasper. That was 32 years ago.
A fascinating chain! The only one I’ve read is Elizabeth Macarthur, but I like the sound of Isabel on her way to the shops – an intriguing title, and I’ve wanted to know more about Freya Stark for years.
Those are two great but very different books Margaret. I’m glad you’ve noted them.
I like how different your chain turned out. The Freya Stark bio looks interesting, though I see from your review that I should look for a physical copy over an e one.
Thanks Mallika … yes, some books just aren’t converted well into e-books it seems. That is, no effort is made to tailor their design to the e format. It can be frustrating my Bookgroup has found.
I agree; Footnotes are something they need to work on too- they just pop up midpage with no context sending one scrolling.
Your foreshadowing made me laugh 😀
I love it when I can make you laugh Stefanie. Thanks for appreciating my little attempts at lightness.
I’ve not read any of these but I like the sounds of Witting’s novel (for some reason, maybe because I was a sickly child, I’ve always found confinement in a TB sanitarium a fascinating setting for a novel).
Western Lane is the group choice for NovNov’s readalong this month. I’ve not been able to get a print copy, only audio, which doesn’t suit me just now, but it does sound like an interesting story, and reading along might appeal for some who’ve wanted to get to that one sooner rather than later.