Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Have you ever turned on the radio and its in the middle of a new song and you like the song for all the reasons you like music: rhythm, beat, lyrics, voice… but you really don’t know what its about?  Like any of the songs from sgt.pepper, for example?  So you want to listen to it again thinking you will figure out how, say “Lovely Rita” relates to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” ? That’s what happened for me with Jellicoe Road.

I think when i read it again, i will break with affection for these characters. First time though, i liked them and felt for them, but i found it very challenging to map their experiences and relationships;  I felt always out of synch as a reader and it got in the way of the story, for me.

It is a remarkable story of love and grief and family and truth and the lengths we go to try to  protect those we love.  John  WLS