My first ready by Mary-Anne O'Connor, and it definitely won't be my last. Such a wonderfully written novel, that highlights the highs and lows of Australian history.
Iris is an extremely talented 17 year old young lady, who has hopes and dreams of perhaps one day exhibiting her beautiful dress designs.
The novel starts with an introduction into Iris' family and her home life. Iris is one of six children, being the 2nd eldest. They are all raised as Catholic. It is the 1940's, times are tough, it is the great depression, they are living in a make to shanty/shack in Newcastle. The shanty has dirt flooring, the walls are made from hessian bags. Their mother Agnes does the best she can to keep the family fed and dressed. Agnes makes soup for their dinner consisting of ham bones discarded by the butcher and bread and lard, the bread she bakes herself in their outdoor oven, which is located in the ground inside a termite mound. The children's clothes are all hand me downs, their shoes are so worn out that the children need to put cardboard in the bottom of them, in place of soles, on the rainy days in an attempt to keep their feet and stockings dry.
Iris is a beautiful young girl, with eyes the colour of a purple Iris flower. She is in love with John Tucker, a local Protestant boy. John gifts Iris a beautiful purple ribbon on her birthday that is edged with fine lace. Iris with her crafty creativeness uses the ribbon to create a rosette on a beautiful felt cloche hat that is gifted on her birthday from her father. The cloche hat becomes the talk of the town and not long afterwards, Iris is taking orders from the local town women to have similar designs made on their own garment in an attempt to brighten them up and give them a new lease on life.
The relationship between Iris and John is not an easy one, and has been kept in secret as it is frowned upon for two people of different religions to be dating/and or in a relationship together.
Iris' elder brother Jim receives a job opportunity working on the construction of the new Sydney Harbour Bridge. At the same time John receives a scholarship opportunity to a Melbourne University, an offer to good to turn down in these tough times.
In Sydney the Mitchell family life changes dramatically, Iris has a job cleaning a local department store. Jim's job at the Sydney Harbour Bridge is coming to an end, and he finds another job opportunity as a local bookie, Phar lap is winning the horse races. They are surrounded by the heavy Sydney underworld crime lords, and come in contact with lots of interesting and unsavoury characters.
5 Stars: It was amazing. It was compelling, well-researched, entertaining and/or moving and often complex. I will definitely want to read more books by this author.
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