history Archives -

The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams

How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Other Obsessives Unlocked the Secrets of the World’s Favourite Insect Guest Book Review by Ruby Rosenfield This book is a riveting read in which the reader, if not already a butterfly enthusiast, will surely become entranced by the wonderful world of Lepidoptera. The author Wendy Williams is an American ScienceContinue reading “The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams”

Burials Rites by Hannah Kent

Burial Rites is an historical fiction based on the 200-year-old story of the last woman executed by decapitation in Iceland. In 1829 Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s is sentenced to death but must wait for her killing at a farm at Kornsá with Margrét, Jón and their children. She had spent her childhood in this parish. Her motherContinue reading “Burials Rites by Hannah Kent”

My Brother Jack by George Johnston

Each read of this fifty-six-year-old classic reveals more nuances about the Australian identity. Set in post-war Melbourne suburbs, this seminal piece is a retelling by David Meredith of his life. His mother is a nurse who houses Gallipoli invalids including Meredith’s father. Suffering PTSD, he is a brutal alcoholic who displays unpredictability and weakness. TheContinue reading “My Brother Jack by George Johnston”

True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey

Papers transported to Melbourne inside a metal trunk are the basis of Carey’s story. Broken up into age brackets, it chronicles Ned’s life from his point of view. Events of his life show his humanity. After his father’s passing, Ned felt “there would never be a knot or a rabbit I skun or a horseContinue reading “True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey”