Conversation Starters
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ALLEN & UNWIN’S Conversation Starters CONTENTS About the book 1 About the author 1 From the author 2 Conversation starters 2 Just for fun 3 If you liked this book 3 Recipes 4 About the book Suspense and family secrets surround a pair of estranged siblings in a compelling debut thriller. She knew she should talk to him. But what could she say? Once there had been blame to apportion, rage to hurl. Now she no longer had a sense of that. Who knew what the facts of them being here together like this meant. What was she to make of the situation? Scott lying unconscious here in this bed, unknown to her in almost every way. She a wife, a mother, but in her mind no longer a sister. Not a sister for a very long time now. Lori Spyker is taking her kids to school one unremarkable day when a policeman delivers the news that her brother, Scott Green, has been injured and hospitalised following a hit and run. Lori hasn’t seen Scott in decades. She appears to be his only contact. Should she take responsibility for him? Can she? And, if she does, how will she tell her own family about her hidden history, kept secret for so long? Twenty years before, when she and Scott were teenagers, their lives and futures, and those of their family, had been torn to shreds. Now, as Lori tries to piece together her brother’s present, she is forced to confront their shared past-and the terrible and devastating truth buried there that had driven them so far apart. Compassionate, wise and shocking, Life Before tells the gripping story of an ordinary family caught in a terrible situation. What if the worst thing you can imagine is only just the beginning? How do you go on? And what steps will you take to protect yourself from further pain? About the author Carmel Reilly is one of Australia’s busiest educational writers, with over 300 titles to her name. She has written a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction for ages five to teens, with subjects that encompass topics from democracy, global cultures and the solar system to everyday life, adventurous aliens and silly superheros. Outside of writing for children, she won the 2013 Partners in Crime Short Story Award for her entry ‘Another Life’. In 2016 she was awarded a Varuna Residential Fellowship, and was shortlisted for a 2018 Varuna Publisher Introduction Program Fellowship. Life Before is Carmel’s first novel for adults. She currently lives in Melbourne. Image credit Madi Connolly About the book From the author Suspense and family secrets surround a pair of estranged siblings in a compelling debut thriller. How the idea originated She knew she should talk to him. But what could she say? Once there had been blame to apportion, The story has no absolute genesis. It was in part inspired by newspaper accounts I’d read rage to hurl. Now she no longer had a sense of that. Who knew what the facts of them being here in the 2010s about young men facing court cases (generally dangerous driving causing together like this meant. What was she to make of the situation? Scott lying unconscious here in this death charges) in the wake of accidents in which a passenger in their car—invariably a close bed, unknown to her in almost every way. She a wife, a mother, but in her mind no longer a sister. friend—had died. Reading these set me thinking about the ramifications of these kinds of Not a sister for a very long time now. accidents; the ripple effects on not just the family of the deceased, but the other passengers and their families, the driver and his family, the police and emergency service workers, and Lori Spyker is taking her kids to school one unremarkable day when a policeman delivers the news the wider communities in small towns where many people are known to each other. that her brother, Scott Green, has been injured and hospitalised following a hit and run. I grew up in the country and my teenage social years were centred around a small town. Lori hasn’t seen Scott in decades. She appears to be his only contact. Should she take responsibility Car accidents were not uncommon and I knew people who died. The necessary use of cars for him? Can she? And, if she does, how will she tell her own family about her hidden history, kept in the country, the lack of things for kids to do and the easy access to alcohol at parties were secret for so long? (are still) all contributors. The rest of the story was really a ‘what if’ in the sense of what if the worst happened, that this accident triggered a snowball effect that overwhelmed those Twenty years before, when she and Scott were teenagers, their lives and futures, and those of their involved. family, had been torn to shreds. Now, as Lori tries to piece together her brother’s present, she is forced to confront their shared past-and the terrible and devastating truth buried there that had driven them so far apart. Conversation starters Compassionate, wise and shocking, Life Before tells the gripping story of an ordinary family caught The novel is set in the fictional country town of Northam in Victoria. If you have in a terrible situation. What if the worst thing you can imagine is only just the beginning? How do experience living in a country town what aspects of the author’s depiction rang true you go on? And what steps will you take to protect yourself from further pain? for you? If you don’t, do you feel the author gave you a window into life in a small country town? What aspects of living in a small town struck you the most? About the author The novel is told from the point of view of three characters and is set in two different time periods, Pam Green in 1993, her daughter Lori Spyker in 2016 and policeman Des Robinson in 1993. What do you think it is about the author’s writing and the way Carmel Reilly is one of Australia’s busiest educational she structured the book, that allows the narrative to so successfully move between writers, with over 300 titles to her name. She has written a characters and back and forward in time? wide variety of fiction and non-fiction for ages five to teens, with subjects that encompass topics from democracy, global Does your impression of Lori change between the two eras? If so, why? cultures and the solar system to everyday life, adventurous What do you think Lori’s real motivations were for cutting her brother from her life? aliens and silly superheros. Was it because she blamed him for the accident and what followed, or could it also be Outside of writing for children, she won the 2013 Partners in because she partly blamed herself and seeing him was a reminder? Crime Short Story Award for her entry ‘Another Life’. In 2016 Can you understand why she reinvents herself? Why do you think Lori was never she was awarded a Varuna Residential Fellowship, and was able to bring herself to tell her husband the real events surrounding her family? shortlisted for a 2018 Varuna Publisher Introduction Program Fellowship. Life Before is Carmel’s first novel for adults. She When Lori finally tells Jason what really happened, he reacts incredibly supportively. currently lives in Melbourne. Do you think you would have reacted in the same way, or would you have been angry Image credit Madi Connolly or hurt that your partner couldn’t share that with you? Do you think she’ll ever be able to fully reveal her secret? Do you think Pam’s decision to visit the Druitt family after the accident was the right one? Can you imagine what would you might have done if you found yourself in her situation? One of the themes raised by the author is around the apportion and acceptance of blame and guilt. On page 231, Pam questions whether the accident was ultimately her fault, that she should have been a better parent. Is she right to blame herself? Are parents in some part responsible for the actions of their children? Is it right for the Druitt family to seemingly place more blame on Pam than Scott? Do you empathise with them? Do you think Ray’s actions can ever be justified? Despite the outcome of the accident and its aftermath, should there be redemption for Scott? What did you think of Des Robinson as a person and policeman? Is he the kind of cop you’d like in your town? Which character did you most identify with and why? When you were reading Life Before, how did you think it would end? How did the actual ending compare to your prediction? Did any of the twists and turns surprise you? Just for fun Pick a passage that strikes you as particularly moving or interesting and read it to the group. If you could speak with any character from the novel, who would it be and why? What three questions would you ask them? Who would you cast as the main characters in a television or movie adaptation of Life Before? If you liked this book Suggested reading... • The Cry by Helen Fitzgerald • Bluebottle by Belinda Castles • Sign by Colin Dray • The Way Back by Kylie Ladd • Blame by Nicole Trope • The Children by Charlotte Wood • Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey • Little Gods by Jenny Ackland • Six Minutes by Petronella McGovern – Coming July 2019 Recipes Cocktail There’s no better way to talk about books than over a plate of something delicious with a To pair nicely with your dish, we’ve chosen an aptly named glass in hand.