With her third stand-alone novel Jenn J McLeod delivers another sweeping tale of family secrets and the healing power of the country.
If you’d like to know more about this book and its author see our interview
About Season of Shadow and Light
When her young daughter, Matilda, wants to know more about the grandmother who died thirty years ago, Paige seizes the opportunity to escape her disintegrating ‘perfect’ life and discover more about her dead mother’s past. Nana Alice, Paige’s adoptive mother, reluctantly joins the road trip, terrified the secret she promised to protect will be exposed. Her fears deepen when bad luck and bad weather see the trio trapped in the tiny town of Coolabah Tree Gully—because this town holds a secret that could destroy Paige and everything Alice holds dear.
My thoughts on Season of Shadow and Light
With Season of Shadow and Light, McLeod takes us away from Callingary Crossing, the setting of her first two novels, and creates another small country town with inquisitive locals more than willing to look after the strangers trapped in their small community due to rising flood waters. Primarily narrated by Paige and Alice, there are also point of view chapters from delectable chef Aiden, a kindred spirit with his own ghosts to bury, and the mysterious Rory. There is a lot packed into this novel and I occasionally lost sight of the main story line: the mystery of Paige’s mother. Still, as with any McLeod novel, it’s a pleasure to get lost in the words thanks to her descriptive powers and wonderful ear for dialogue. Paige is a sympathetic character and her daughter is adorable, yet it is Alice with her secrets and complexity I found most compelling. This is a novel in which to immerse yourself. There is plenty to keep you guessing and lots of lively characters to entertain.
Redolent with an Aussie culture and language fast disappearing beneath the flattening of cosmopolitan life, Season of Shadow and Light confirms McLeod is fast becoming an important chronicler of Australian life.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for an advance review copy.
Jenn J McLeod is dropping by Writers Block May 15 2015! Drop by, say Hi and comment to win a set of her wonderful books.
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About Jenn J McLeod
Small town stories from the country to the coast.
No stranger to embracing a second chance or trying something different, Jenn took her first tentative steps towards a tree change in 2004, escaping Sydney’s corporate chaos to buy a small cafe in the seaside town of Sawtell. For Jenn, moving to the country was like coming home.
After ten years running a B&B on her NSW property she now writes contemporary Australian fiction – life-affirming novels of small town life and the country roots that run deep. And she’s doing it grey nomad style – a wandering writer of no fixed address. Yep! She’s hit the road in a Ford and a fifth wheeler. (Check out her blog post on that.)
Jenn’s debut, House for all Seasons, was #5 Top Selling Debut Novel (2013).
Connect with Jenn
Read more: interviews and reviews
Read my interview with Jenn J McLeod about her debut novel House for All Seasons
Read my review of Simmering Season
Read my review of House for All Seasons
Read an exclusive article by Jenn J McLeod about her fourth novel Other Side of the Season
Read my review of Other Side of the Season
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