A Place to Call Home

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So there are two parts to the book, the first part-the past and the second-the present. The past was perfect. I really thought I was on to something and that I had made a good choice when I decided to read the book. The portrayal of this young innocent child in love was beautiful. I wasn't skeptic at all (which is somewhat of a surprise). Deborah really pulled her character off. I mean even the part when she first finds out about sex (I had to mention it). Yes I really loved her reaction because it reminded me of mine so I connected with this young child. What amazes me even more is how the author portrayed Roanie's feelings for Claire. Because they had a 5 years age gap (this mattered because she was 9 and he 14... you get my point don't you?), had Roanie felt anything sexual towards Claire, that would have been completely wrong in my book. The author takes a different spin on his feelings, they aren't brotherly but they aren't sexual either they have a hint of romantic but really she was the one person who saw beyond everything else and to him instead of all the other B.S.. so she meant the world to him, he would have done anything for her. Idato, Michael (15 October 2014). "New Place for A Place to Call Home". Sunday Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014 . Retrieved 15 October 2014.

What i appreciated was the how the writing style conveyed each characters personality. The chapters from Ayesha's (our main protagonist) POV were written in the simplest wordings which truely conveyed how much she felt left nehind and how much she had missed of her life and the world. It illustrated her simplicity really well. And her language improved as she improved herself and opened to the world from her previous imprisonment. Sabrina, Ayesha's daughter was also a delightful character who found her voice once more from her distress-caused muteness. My favourite character was Joy, the old woman. I loved her disposition, her tranquil, her willpower and her strength. She finally overcomes her fears of foreign foods and international journeys...which is nice i suppose. Although a romance, it was so much more, and I think it's the best of Carole Matthews' three I have read so far this year. The characters are likeable but Crystal tends to be over the top. The scene in the dance club is graphic and uncomfortable to read. I skimmed and was glad when it moved on. And for me, Ayesha does seem to recover too easily from her abusive marriage, and dear little Sabrina, is perhaps a little too good to quite believe. The impact of the violence she has seen leaves Sabina mute. Will she ever regain her voice? A Place To Call Home – Season 2 | Collector's Disc – New Final Episode". Sanity. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015 . Retrieved 6 May 2014. Blundell, Graeme (20 April 2013). "Home truths revealed in Bevan Lee's new family drama". The Australian. News Limited ( News Corporation). Archived from the original on 5 May 2013 . Retrieved 7 May 2013.They all help each other to reach peace and happiness. There are some surprising incidents in the book and I love the way Carole weaves real events into her fiction. Shortly after airing in Australia A Place to Call Home started broadcasting on TV One in New Zealand. [30] Cherokee Rose is a good story and a great way to learn about a historical event we would rather sweep under the rug.”–Lauraine Snelling, bestselling author of Amethyst

I have to admit to being just a little biased here because Carole Matthews is an all-time favourite author. I’ve read all her books and there isn’t one that I haven’t enjoyed. A Place to Call Home is a slightly darker read than usual in that it touches on the subject of domestic abuse but it still has her trademark lightness of touch and sense of fun. The house where Ayesha and Sabina find themselves is owned by Hayden, an ex-pop star who has suffered tragedy of his own. He keeps himself shut away from public life but through circumstance has found himself sharing his house with two other people, each damaged in their own way. Crystal, a lap dancer, has a tough exterior with a larger than life personality but also has a heart of gold whilst Joy, a former neighbour, is an elderly curmudgeon whose main enjoyment in life is the garden. Ayesha and Sabina have to somehow make a new life for themselves whilst recovering from the torment they have suffered and what follows is an uplifting and emotional read that tugs at the heartstrings and makes you realise the importance of friendship and kindness and the need to feel safe. The story isn’t all sweetness and light however, there is a little bit of suspense and danger to keep the reader on their toes! Sri Lankan born Ayesha ends up in a marriage arranged by her parents. But the handsome Suresh is not the man her parents Ayesha thought he was. It has been a marriage of abuse and pain. After years of abuse from him, Ayesha takes her daughter Sabina and flees. Ayesha desperately wants a new life for herself and her child. On the ship, Sister Adams is asked to care for the matriarch [Elizabeth Bligh] of a wealthy landed family returning to Australia with son and granddaughter as well as with newly wedded grandson and his wife, a marriage intended to blunt his desire for sexual relations with men. Acutely conscious of the privileges bestowed on the Bligh family, matriarch Elizabeth also embraces a set of traditions coiled around a social structure that is expected to ensure stability from the particularly harrowing experiences of a world war exposing country and people to assaults on all fronts including the ones at home. This is a book quite simply that highlights all that is good and all that is bad in the world today. I was in equal parts charmed and horrified as the story progresses. The story begins with Ayesha Rasheed felling her marital home in Milton Keynes with her daughter in the dead of night.

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With more than 35 romance, women's fiction and fantasy novels to her credit, Deborah's books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Among her honors is a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times Magazine and a nomination for the prestigious Townsend Literary Award. In 2003 Disney optioned Sweet Hush for film. In 2008 A Gentle Rain was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's RITA awards.