Joanne Provo

What Have I Been Reading?

A Far-Flung Life

My fondness for this work was likely influenced by recent travels to Perth and the profound impact of my teenage reading of The Thorn Birds. This is a beautiful and tragic story of the McBride family who has run a sheep station in the western outback for generations. Their long-standing lifestyle is threatened by present day challenges and secrets which change the course of their lives. These resilient characters are struggling with how to love, forgive and accept themselves as they forge a path forward.

1929

A comprehensive and well researched account of the 1929 stock market crash. The author presents the profiles of an extensive cast of characters who contributed or were victims of the speculation in the financial markets. The use of credit to make purchases on everything from automobiles to securities lured many unsuspecting people into a rising market that continued to fuel optimism when the evidence to the contrary was building. The lingering question is what have we learned?

Whistler

This book has certainly gotten a lot of attention as most of Patchett's books do. In this story we meet Daphne who has reconnected with her long-lost stepfather. The story is cleverly told in the slowly revealed memories of a car accident involving these two decades ago. In the process we are introduced to other people who are learning the details of this incident and wrestling with the consequences. The story makes the case for the enduring connections we have with people who appreciate who we are and how our memories reside within each of us.