tamarind book club newsletter...we wanted to get our hands dirty. little did we know that with the...
TRANSCRIPT
ISSUE #14 www.tamarindbookclub.com MARCH 2017
Tamarind Book Club Newsletter
An itch. Not a seven year itch, or an allergic reaction, but a desperate
need to get out, move on, start a life somewhere new, somewhere not so
heart-wrenchingly cruel.
Around me barren plains stretch endlessly to distant horizons, broken only
by the skeletal remains of livestock we fought so hard to keep alive. Foolishly we named some of them, something a real
farmer never does. Never get attached - too much heartache.
A zephyr-like breeze tosses my hair as a I look around the homestead, walls bleached and baked by the sun, grass that
innocently poked its head through the surface, baked so crisp it hurts daring feet that walk bare across its surface. All around
me dreams lay shattered.
Dreams that teased us away from city life to the uncluttered temptation of life as hobby farmers. We knew it all, so we
thought, after all I had grown up on a farm. This itch began as wholesome fantasies luring us away from city lights, the relent-
less buzz of traffic and the loneliness that comes from being one in a seething mass of people. We wanted to get our hands
dirty. Little did we know that with the ease of flipping a coin dreams turn to nightmares, nightmares that don’t just haunt
sleepless nights but the long back-breaking days.
A connection with the land that’s what we craved, to be one with nature. Oh nature what a cruel hand you dealt us.
A small property, a few acres, a quaint cottage homestead, yes that’s it, our new life. A life where our children will roam
safely, where we can raise a few head of cattle, harvest mangoes and grow a veggie or two. A country school, that has to be
good, we’re sure to fit in.
And we did.
We set about decluttering to fit into our new downsized home. Decisions had to be made- paintings, furniture, heirlooms I
loved had to go. We were happy, joyful to pass these to others.
On arrival vibrant blue skies welcomed us. There was no doubt the beginnings were great.
We cleared excess growth to make our home bushfire safe and snake proof. We planted gardens, mangoes and passion
fruit. Chickens came and we joyfully created pens then sat and watched as they scrounged around gardens full of spaces for
their explorations. Next a couple of sheep to keep the grass down, then a few head of cattle. Friends and family visited and
delighted in our joy. Why don't they come anymore?
Oh I know the answer. Even they can’t stand the heartache.
Glasses of wine in hands we’d walk beneath the canopy of trees. I’d delight in pointing out all the mysterious plants that
popped up as a result of our loving care. Climbers drooped mystically over tropical dragon fruits creating an illusion of bliss
and plenty. Dams twinkled as moonlight flittered over their surfaces. Full to the brim, who could imagine their now crisp,
cracked empty surfaces, landscapes resembling some uninhabitable planet. Not my home, this was not in my dream.
First came the dry, not really a drought. Just a test really, how tough were we? We lost some plants and the dams got pre-
cariously low. But through sheer determination we kept our cash crops and animals alive. As is nature’s desire to be equal this
was followed by flood. Dams were full and we were isolated for a week. No school, no beer and in the end no food but for SES
drops. To us a new and exciting adventure.
Green grass, flourishing gardens and happy family followed.
Then came the real drought. Two years-no rain. Staring vacantly at an equally cloud vacant sky. Praying to a God I wasn’t
even sure existed to no purpose. Dams dry, trees whose branches snapped under the twist of a finger, sheep and chickens
dying from parched earth and baking sun. Foxes and dingoes preying on the vulnerable, leaving us heartbroken when we
found carcasses each morning..
ISSUE #14 sharing stories under the tamarind tree MARCH 2017
Requiem for Dreams
By Jane Tozer
ISSUE #14 www.tamarindbookclub.com MARCH 2017
Writer’s Tip #7
Don’t wait for inspiration. The muse is fickle.
Instead, grab a kitchen timer and set it on 33 minutes
and sit down. Make a deal with yourself that you won’t
leave your desk until the timer goes off. Eventually after
sharpening your pencils, or the like, you’ll make a start.
Ding! Take a short break, stretch and go again.
Mary Barber, Freelance Journalist and Copywriter
You are invited to submit a fast fiction piece for our next issue.
Please send your story to [email protected]
Details:
Maximum story length: 800 words.
Submissions close: 20th of each month
Please send your stories in a Word document attached to an email
Preference will be given to Sunshine Coast writers
Be Part of the Magic, Write
Hungry for
Thai?
When your story gets published in this newsletter,
you receive a $50 voucher from the award-winning
Blue Orchid Thai Restaurant in Caloundra.
So, go ahead ... Send your stories to
Then fire licking the boundary fences. Brave fire-fighters standing in full uniforms in hellish heat trying vainly to block the
hungry tongues of flame. Those few animals we had left cowering, trapped against fences wide-eyed with fear.
Oh my love, glorious in your gear, how brave you were to stand in defense. Pushing back flames as trees exploded around
you, choking so hard on smoke that your face turned crimson to match the sky. Fighting an enemy so callous it broke you and
ultimately all of us.
The itch is so bad now I want to claw it out. Alone, I turn to pack the car. The fire-bloodied horizon beckons and I know
once I turn the key I will never return.
2017 Book Club Days
If you are finding that the time your group meets
doesn’t suit you anymore, please get in touch.
There are plenty of choices.
So, don’t miss out on golf or grandkids, just ask
me what’s available and we’ll get it sorted.
Mary 0404 266 665
Did you know that we have a Facebook page? Where you can ...
Tell us about the next Book Fest in town or rave about that book you just finished
So, go ahead. Pop over to Tamarind Book Club and say hi.
ISSUE #14 www.tamarindbookclub.com MARCH 2017
Blokes Book Club Open to
New Members
Hey guys,
If you are a keen reader and have some time on
Monday mornings, drop into the Blokes Book Club.
The group meets on the 2nd Monday of each month .
There is no set book to read, just bring along some-
thing that you’d like to tell others about.
NEXT MEETING...
DATE: Monday 13th March
TIME: 10. 30am start
LOCATION: Caloundra Powerboat Club,
2 Lamerough Parade, Golden Beach
RSVP: For more information call
Mary Barber on 0404 26 665
Or just call in and say hi.
The 2nd Tuesday Book Club Starts
— Just 3 Spots Left
The Second Tuesday Book Club
starts on March 14th at 10.15am.
This women’s group will discuss
one book a month that everyone
reads. Come along and be part of
choosing the first novels.
For the March meeting, please
read Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult.
To join or visit for a morning, please contact Mary
Barber on 0404 266 665.
Here’s all the details:
DATE: Tuesday March 14th
TIME: 10. 15 am start
LOCATION: Caloundra Powerboat Club,
2 Lamerough Parade, Golden Beach
RSVP: Numbers are limited, so please call
Mary Barber on 0404 26 665
Polar Bears, Stripping Away the Myths
Dear Readers,
I have had an email from Michael Engelhard, an author and wilderness guide from Fairbanks,
Alaska. He has kindly offered to discuss his book Ice Bear The Cultural History of an Arctic
Icon with any book clubs who choose to read it. You can email your questions and comments
to Michael and he will reply to your group.
Ice Bears was released in November 2016 by the University of Washington Press.
Here’s a taste...
“Deeply held preconceptions keep us from seeing the true nature of some animals. The polar bear is a prime example. Over the past eight thousand years, we have regarded it as food, toy, pet, trophy, status symbol, commodity, man-eating monster, spirit familiar, circus act, zoo superstar, and political cause célèbre. We have feared, venerated, locked up, coveted, butchered, sold, pitied, and emulated this large carnivore. It has left few emotions unstirred.”
And this is what the New York Journal of Books had to say...
“The product of Engelhard's exhaustive research is an eclectic, comprehensive, compelling, and very readable cultural
iconography elevated to a level of art form by the inclusion of well-chosen and often stunning illustrations on almost
every page. Ice Bears is a visual National Geographic with real verbal punch!” Marilyn Gates. See the full review here.
You can contact Michael Engelhard through his website. Just say you are part of Tamarind Book Club.
ISSUE #14 www.tamarindbookclub.com MARCH 2017
Your Book Reviews
Antidote to Murder
By Felicity Young
This is the second book in
the five book (so far) series
set in Edwardian London
featuring Dr Dody McCleland,
a female autopsy surgeon, a
rare creature in those days.
In this book someone has
framed Dody for the murder of a maid who has
been found dead from a bungled abortion, and she
must find out who to avoid being embroiled in a
criminal trial.
Besides being well-plotted and expertly written,
this book gives a fascinating insight into life in Lon-
don in the early 20th century.
As an author myself, I can appreciate how much
research must have been involved to get all the
correct details, especially the medical procedures,
that create such an authentic setting - I could
almost smell the garbage in the streets!
The characters are excellently drawn, believable
and sympathetic, yet each with his or her flaws.
The romance between Dody and her love inter-
est Inspector Pike is handled with a deft touch. It’s
moving without being mawkish or sentimental.
I can thoroughly recommended Antidote to
Murder if you like crime with a difference.
Reviewed by Robin Storey Sunshine Coast Author
Out Stealing Horses
by Per Petterson
Although a best-seller, I knew
nothing about this book or its
author when I started reading it.
The title intrigued me. I was easily
pulled into a slice of time at each
end of the narrator’s life: in his
boyhood and in the present when, in his sixties, he has
gone alone to live in a rural, isolated part of Norway
he knew as a child.
The role of a particular landscape, the challenge of
existing in a cold climate, and the newness of a Nor-
wegian setting all interested me.
I enjoyed the descriptions of nature and the way
the simple style and language of the writing were in
contrast to the complexity of feelings, and human
relationships underlying the story.
While reading the novel, there were times when I
felt frustrated at not knowing more about the narra-
tor’s life and his choice of solitude. Indeed I never felt
I knew any of the characters very well beyond the uni-
versality of emotions. However, the writer involves us
in some major questions about our existence, about
our decisions and about how little control we may
have over events that shape our personal journeys.
For me, this is a memorable book.
Reviewed by Gillian Read
It’s Fun ...
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Individuals or small groups
Caloundra area
Call Lesley on 0417 733 724
Book Reviews Welcome
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Please tell us about it in less than 200 words.
Why did you like it so much?
When was it set and where?
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