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Jülie ☼♄ 's Reviews > Lyrebird Hill
Lyrebird Hill
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Jülie ☼♄ 's review
bookshelves: aussie-author, australian-historical-fiction, mystery, intrigue, 2014-release, 2015-aww-challenge, 2015-personal-challenge, 2015-summer-reading-challenge, netgalley-for-review, simon-schuster
Feb 04, 2015
bookshelves: aussie-author, australian-historical-fiction, mystery, intrigue, 2014-release, 2015-aww-challenge, 2015-personal-challenge, 2015-summer-reading-challenge, netgalley-for-review, simon-schuster
Lyrebird Hill by Anna Romer
In a nutshell...Brilliant!
What a great read this was! I was held captivated from the first page to the last and wanted to savour each as the story unfolded with such gradual, yet compelling ease...this book has it all.
Anna Romer has worked magic with her brilliant way of putting together a very complex story in a smooth flowing and uncomplicated manner.
The story of a modern day family struggling to come to terms with the tragic events of its own traumatic past and how their story crosses the borders of time to show historical parallels of those events in both dimensions of time and place. Do we carry certain traits of previous generations across time?
It is told from two different time frames...historical 1890's and modern 2013...each relevant to the other, and is imbued with loads of intrigue and mystery, romance, family history, deception and lies.
The settings are the beautifully portrayed landscapes of Sawtell on the coast of Northern New South Wales, Australia and the cold but stunning countryside of Tasmania, Australia.
Sometimes where different time frames are involved in a story it can cause an [often] irritating disruption to the flow as it jumps between era's or zones...Not so with this story, the two time frames worked together in perfect unison and never once felt distracting or like an interruption. In fact I came to look forward to each new shift as, each time the story made the "subtle shift" to the other time zone, it injected another crucial piece of a puzzle so seamlessly, as if slowly peeling back the layers and gradually exposing the bigger story...towards the ultimate complete picture.
So you keep getting those "aha" or "oh dear" moments that keep you wanting more.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this engrossing book and I look forward to recommending it to friends and fellow book lovers. It is a worthy addition to any bookshelf.
Anna Romer is an author I will definitely keep my eye on. 5★s
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for my copy to read and review.
In a nutshell...Brilliant!
What a great read this was! I was held captivated from the first page to the last and wanted to savour each as the story unfolded with such gradual, yet compelling ease...this book has it all.
Anna Romer has worked magic with her brilliant way of putting together a very complex story in a smooth flowing and uncomplicated manner.
The story of a modern day family struggling to come to terms with the tragic events of its own traumatic past and how their story crosses the borders of time to show historical parallels of those events in both dimensions of time and place. Do we carry certain traits of previous generations across time?
It is told from two different time frames...historical 1890's and modern 2013...each relevant to the other, and is imbued with loads of intrigue and mystery, romance, family history, deception and lies.
The settings are the beautifully portrayed landscapes of Sawtell on the coast of Northern New South Wales, Australia and the cold but stunning countryside of Tasmania, Australia.
Sometimes where different time frames are involved in a story it can cause an [often] irritating disruption to the flow as it jumps between era's or zones...Not so with this story, the two time frames worked together in perfect unison and never once felt distracting or like an interruption. In fact I came to look forward to each new shift as, each time the story made the "subtle shift" to the other time zone, it injected another crucial piece of a puzzle so seamlessly, as if slowly peeling back the layers and gradually exposing the bigger story...towards the ultimate complete picture.
So you keep getting those "aha" or "oh dear" moments that keep you wanting more.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this engrossing book and I look forward to recommending it to friends and fellow book lovers. It is a worthy addition to any bookshelf.
Anna Romer is an author I will definitely keep my eye on. 5★s
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for my copy to read and review.
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Reading Progress
February 1, 2015
–
Started Reading
February 4, 2015
– Shelved
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
aussie-author
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
australian-historical-fiction
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
mystery
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
intrigue
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
2014-release
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
2015-aww-challenge
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
2015-personal-challenge
February 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
2015-summer-reading-challenge
February 5, 2015
– Shelved as:
netgalley-for-review
February 5, 2015
– Shelved as:
simon-schuster
February 5, 2015
–
Finished Reading
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Veronica ⭐️
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Feb 04, 2015 04:22PM
Thanks for the recommendation Julie. Just the sort of story I love. I think this one will need to go to the top of my wish list
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You won't be disappointed Veronica ;)
Great review Jools:)
RitaSkeeter wrote: "My 'eyes' perked up when I saw the mention of Tas in your review. What parts of Tas get a mention?? (I like reading books set here!)."They don't actually say RitaSkeeter, as that part is set in the 1890's they mention travelling across by boat and then following the coast for many hours by horse and coach to the "large property" which is the setting for that part of the story. The descriptions of the country and its native plantlife are beautiful though :)
Brenda wrote: "Great review Jools:)"Thanks Brenda, I really enjoyed it :)
RitaSkeeter wrote: "☼♄Jülie wrote: "RitaSkeeter wrote: "My 'eyes' perked up when I saw the mention of Tas in your review. What parts of Tas get a mention?? (I like reading books set here!)."They don't actually say R..."
I also have her other book Thornwood House but haven't read it yet :0 ....I will certainly be bumping it up the list after reading this one! :)
Have you read Thornwood House? If so how would you rate Lyrebird Hill against it? (i wasn't much impressed by Thornwood House, but would be willing to try Lyrebird Hill if it was better)
Regina wrote: "Have you read Thornwood House? If so how would you rate Lyrebird Hill against it? (i wasn't much impressed by Thornwood House, but would be willing to try Lyrebird Hill if it was better)"Haven't read it yet Regina but have it at the ready, I really liked this one and TH sounds very good also...but this is my kinda book so ... :))
☼♄Jülie wrote: "Regina wrote: "Have you read Thornwood House? If so how would you rate Lyrebird Hill against it? (i wasn't much impressed by Thornwood House, but would be willing to try Lyrebird Hill if it was bet..."I read through all the comments after posting my question. Ooops.
TH unraveled for me as it progressed.
Regina wrote: "☼♄Jülie wrote: "Regina wrote: "Have you read Thornwood House? If so how would you rate Lyrebird Hill against it? (i wasn't much impressed by Thornwood House, but would be willing to try Lyrebird Hi..."Makes me glad I read this one first ;) I will get to TH though, now that I've had a taste.
Great review Julie. I actually tried to ignore your book recommendation earlier but after reading your review and the added bonus of some of the story being set in Tassie I just couldn't resist any longer!!! So thanks for an inspiring review and the rec. :)
Julie, I love the mention of the smooth, uncomplicated and flowing storyline. Sounds like a great read. Excellent review, thanks!
Elaine wrote: "Great review Julie. I actually tried to ignore your book recommendation earlier but after reading your review and the added bonus of some of the story being set in Tassie I just couldn't resist any..."Haha, I hope it lives up to my hype! :)
Suzanne wrote: "Julie, I love the mention of the smooth, uncomplicated and flowing storyline. Sounds like a great read. Excellent review, thanks!"Thanks Suzanne ;)
