Silver Linings (Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books)

Following the multi-award-winning success of Katrina Nannestad’s World War II novels for younger readers, Silver Linings sees her move from the battlefields of Europe to post-war Australia, and a story spun from her own family history. On the north coast of NSW in 1952, five-year-old Nettie Sweeney and her three older sisters are about to get a new mother. Like a fairytale in reverse, her dad has remarried, and lovely Alice is coming to replace grumpy Aunt Edith as the woman of the house. Over the next few years, Nannestad depicts the highs and lows of rural life alongside historical events such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and her subsequent visit to Australia. Nettie’s young voice rings just as true when describing silliness and play as it does when addressing bigger, more complex feelings such as jealousy, fear and grief. The tragedy at the heart of the book is incredibly moving, and through the family’s response the book explores different reactions to loss in an empathetic way. The book also touches lightly on poverty and the aftermath of war in this slice of Australian history, opening up several educational angles. Given that the central protagonists are a white farming family in 1950s Lismore, Nettie’s social circle is as white as was perhaps likely at the time. Booksellers might like to recommend First Nations stories such as Sally Morgan’s abridged biography or Anita Heiss’s Bidhi Galing as companion reads to balance this perspective with other accounts of related events or timeframes. Press this book into the hands of readers aged 10 and up who have enjoyed Jackie French or Lenny’s Book of Everything.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Annie Waters sells books, writes about books and podcasts about books. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews