Feast (Emily O’Grady, A&U)

Like her Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award-winning debut The Yellow House, Emily O’Grady’s Feast is a compelling but often uncomfortable work of literary fiction. In a secluded manor house in the Scottish Highlands, Alison and Patrick live in decayed splendour with a tiny spare room housing Neve, Patrick’s daughter, visiting from Australia on a gap year. Alison carries a secret in her belly as they await the arrival of Shannon, Neve’s mother and Patrick’s former wife. Shifting between the perspectives of mother, step-mother and child, Feast explores the effects of generational trauma and the poisonous effect of secrets. The group is ostensibly gathering for the titular meal in honour of Neve’s 18th birthday, but Shannon has her own secret that she is ready to reveal, while the last member of the triad, sullen and watchful Neve, is hiding her own internal darkness. The women are haunted by memories of Shannon’s stillborn second daughter and Alison’s deceased mother, which prevent the development of uncomplicated mother/daughter relationships. Unlike O’Grady’s debut, which was shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award, Feast shies away from the conventions of the thriller. There is no moment of reckoning; rather, secrets exposed to the reader are revealed to other characters off-page or remain hidden. Feast excels as a character study, gradually exposing the monstrosity of the inhabitants of the manor house. It is recommended to readers who enjoyed the tension of Evie Wyld’s The Bass Rock.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ilona Urquhart is a children’s and youth services librarian on the Bellarine Peninsula and has a PhD in literary studies. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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