Maggie (Catherine Johns, Hachette)

In Catherine Johns’s debut novel, a 17-year-old Catholic school girl’s life is derailed when she becomes enamoured of her priest. It’s 1967 and Maggie is a straight-A student whose education depends on her scholarship. She puts in more time and effort than the other girls because she also needs a scholarship for university—going home after graduation isn’t an option. In her final year of high school she meets Father ‘call me Lloyd’ Nihill, a young, radical priest who digs rock music, recommends J D Salinger and believes in contraception. Lloyd has Catholic authority—with his students, with the nuns, with every person he interacts with. He’s not just a revered and respected figure in the community, he may as well be God himself. Maggie falls in love with him because he makes her feel special, because she comes from a family with an abusive father, and for many other complex reasons. This debut is well written and incredibly nuanced; Johns does an excellent job of creating a murky relationship that exists in shades of grey. The novel is also exceptional in that it’s incredibly realistic. No one gets their comeuppance, no one repents, no one became a better person because of a devastating experience. Exploring Catholicism, sexism, gaslighting and abuse, Maggie is a sad but validating story for anyone who grew up religious, came of age in the 60s or who was ever called a good girl.

Danielle Bagnato is a book reviewer and marketing and communications professional. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Reviews