The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
bee_eviljoy36's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book holds a mirror up to Australia's racist past and present and the view is not pleasant.Â
It follows the stories of residents and staff of a nursing home called Cinamon Gardens in Sydney. Many of whom are refugees that fled Sri Lanka which was undergoing genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The stories unfold slowly in a gut wrenching and emotional tail of finding forgiveness for the decision made while under extreme trauma.
It follows the stories of residents and staff of a nursing home called Cinamon Gardens in Sydney. Many of whom are refugees that fled Sri Lanka which was undergoing genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The stories unfold slowly in a gut wrenching and emotional tail of finding forgiveness for the decision made while under extreme trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Genocide, Torture, and War
Moderate: Child death and Rape
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Genocide, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, and Sexual assault
linda3's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Child death, Torture, and War
e11en's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Racism, Child death, Racial slurs, and Hate crime
ree333's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Torture, Islamophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs
elsaschuster's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I am not a clever reader. I like fluffy books, mysteries with no real consequences and romances. Part of why I read is to escape the world around me. But every now and then I pick up a book that is clever and digs into the world around us and this book was that. It was not an easy read, but it was a very worthwhile one.Â
It started out quite slow but by the middle of the book I was hooked and I cannot stop thinking about it. What a delight to read such well written and rounded characters. What a delight to read such a variety of characters. This is an incredible portrayal of Australia, that calls our society out exactly as it should.Â
Graphic violence, depictions of racism, depictions of cis white men acting like cis white men. Also, lots of light spots, calm moments and quite funny one-liners.Â
It started out quite slow but by the middle of the book I was hooked and I cannot stop thinking about it. What a delight to read such well written and rounded characters. What a delight to read such a variety of characters. This is an incredible portrayal of Australia, that calls our society out exactly as it should.Â
Graphic violence, depictions of racism, depictions of cis white men acting like cis white men. Also, lots of light spots, calm moments and quite funny one-liners.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and War
Minor: Sexual assault
stefhyena's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ok first a warning. The title and cover make it seem like it's going to be a cosy feel-good read and it really isn't. Which mainly I liked (I hate bland) but there are some detailed and realistic depictions of violence in it and it's not a "leave your brain at the door" book either. Not escapism. There are oases of calm with turmeric in the paint or whatever that can lull you into thinking you are a tourist here but then the big themes come back.
The protagonist I would say is Maya, an elderly Tamilese widow who owns a nursing home that she built and is now a resident in. She is supported by many family and friends- carers, doctors, etc who help flesh out the vibrancy of her life. The other centre of the book, perhaps the (albeit reluctant) antagonist is Gareth, the white man who seeks to claw back his entitlements in a world where women and migrants no longer consider themselves below him in the pecking order (this is over-simplified but I think true. He is "not racist" he goes and eats curry cooked by his wife's best friend but his over-entitlement leads him to consistently say and do stupid things that legitimate the actual racists waiting in the shadows.
The actual racists in this book are ruthless, violent and without any moral compass whatsoever. They are two-dimensional and motivated purely by hate. I would like to say that they are an exaggeration but I guess the point of them isn't whether or not that sort of person is actually common (it would be naive to say they don't exist at all) but what words, actions and silences from politicians and others give them empowerment to escalate? In this book the white silences that allow other people to be racist are pretty clear. The book also has enough heart to give us a wealth of imaginary and real white people who are anti-racist ...so while it definitely calles out whiteness and coloniality (Cook gets specifically targetted as he should) there is also some ability to see nuance and not generate polarisations. Although as the book makes clear it's a bit unfair that it is always the Brown people who have to do the diplomatic work of showing they are not racist. I feel that there are a couple of scenes with Gareth where Anji is being too kind, too understanding, too "emotionally intelligent" and I feel relieved when we finally see her anger. Nonetheless when Ruben punches him I find that excessive and as unwise as something Gareth would do. I would have liked something terrible to happen to Davidson in the book, I know that would be unrealistic but so are some of the other scenes. I felt the last big catastrophe was too much. I didn't want to go through that I was unhappy with it...but I guess as a book about racism (mostly) it has to show that there's a relentlessless to the awfulness of it.
It's a positive book. It has easter-eggs, famous people who have given the author permission to pop them in in Twitter cameos and such. It has interesting reflections on fiction and non-fiction writing. Stories and histories and language itself. I also do wonder about turmeric in paint. Should that be a thing?
The protagonist I would say is Maya, an elderly Tamilese widow who owns a nursing home that she built and is now a resident in. She is supported by many family and friends- carers, doctors, etc who help flesh out the vibrancy of her life. The other centre of the book, perhaps the (albeit reluctant) antagonist is Gareth, the white man who seeks to claw back his entitlements in a world where women and migrants no longer consider themselves below him in the pecking order (this is over-simplified but I think true. He is "not racist" he goes and eats curry cooked by his wife's best friend but his over-entitlement leads him to consistently say and do stupid things that legitimate the actual racists waiting in the shadows.
The actual racists in this book are ruthless, violent and without any moral compass whatsoever. They are two-dimensional and motivated purely by hate. I would like to say that they are an exaggeration but I guess the point of them isn't whether or not that sort of person is actually common (it would be naive to say they don't exist at all) but what words, actions and silences from politicians and others give them empowerment to escalate? In this book the white silences that allow other people to be racist are pretty clear. The book also has enough heart to give us a wealth of imaginary and real white people who are anti-racist ...so while it definitely calles out whiteness and coloniality (Cook gets specifically targetted as he should) there is also some ability to see nuance and not generate polarisations. Although as the book makes clear it's a bit unfair that it is always the Brown people who have to do the diplomatic work of showing they are not racist. I feel that there are a couple of scenes with Gareth where Anji is being too kind, too understanding, too "emotionally intelligent" and I feel relieved when we finally see her anger. Nonetheless when Ruben punches him I find that excessive and as unwise as something Gareth would do. I would have liked something terrible to happen to Davidson in the book, I know that would be unrealistic but so are some of the other scenes. I felt the last big catastrophe was too much. I didn't want to go through that I was unhappy with it...but I guess as a book about racism (mostly) it has to show that there's a relentlessless to the awfulness of it.
It's a positive book. It has easter-eggs, famous people who have given the author permission to pop them in in Twitter cameos and such. It has interesting reflections on fiction and non-fiction writing. Stories and histories and language itself. I also do wonder about turmeric in paint. Should that be a thing?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Genocide, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Hate crime
danajoy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The beautiful, whimisical cover and cosy sounding name makes this novel appear to be a light choice. Based on those you'd likely be forgiven in believing that this was a warm, safe, story about a nursing home.
This is instead a deeply important but difficult and confronting story about survival, racism and violence. The content is highly confronting.Â
The Sri Lankan civil war is not a topic I was very aware of.Â
This story is brutal and important.
This is instead a deeply important but difficult and confronting story about survival, racism and violence. The content is highly confronting.Â
The Sri Lankan civil war is not a topic I was very aware of.Â
This story is brutal and important.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Genocide, Death, War, and Racism
Moderate: Rape
katiiekhaos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is beautifully written and has a rich world and characters, however I found myself getting confused with the multiple time lines and so many main characters. I wanted to love this one more, however I can tell the author is incredibly talented and will definitely pick up more of their books in the future.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, War, Genocide, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child death, and Death of parent