Mini-reviews: Nine Days by Toni Jordan; Gold by Chris Cleave

Over the past month or two I’ve been reading many of the books by authors featured in my Morning Read sessions, and today I thought I’d share with you mini-reviews of a couple of the books you’ll be hearing about/from in MWF’s second big weekend:

Nine Days
Toni Jordan, Text Publishing, 9781921922831

Toni Jordan’s novels Addition and Fall Girl are what you’d call ‘damn good reads’ and her new novel Nine Days, doesn’t disappoint. Nine Days is structurally different from Jordan’s other novels, told from the point of view of several characters. It’s also partly set in the past: WWII-era Richmond, with its cramped spaces, factories, horses, trams, ‘funeral cakes’ and snobby neighbours. The Westaway family takes centre stage, beginning with the hardworking, misunderstood rascal Kip. In the next chapter, Kip’s daughter Stanzi underestimates the value of her father’s lucky shilling. Through each chapter—mother, lover, brother, grandson and more—the heart of the story is slowly, cleverly revealed. In the meantime the reader builds a picture of the family, being privy to traits and foibles the characters have inherited. Nine Days a heart-warming and witty tale of family, loss, obligation, remembrance, love, and finding out what really matters.

Gold
Chris Cleave, Sceptre, 9780340963449

Zoe, Kate and Jack are Olympic-level cyclists, lovers and rivals. Zoe and Kate are best friends who share a trainer (Tom) but whose lives have gone in very different directions. While Zoe pushes herself to extremes in the velodrome and in life, Kate is balancing the sport with caring for her sick child, Sophie. She has missed out on two Olympic games because of the child, but is still partly the envy of Zoe because she has people who care deeply for her. Zoe is scarred by events in her past and this is partly what has cemented her attitude, but also the drive that enables her to win. The tension between the characters and what might happen in the lead-up to the London Olympics provides plenty of drama. My favourite character was Sophie, the Star Wars­-obsessed superkid who would do anything to avoid worrying her parents. The chapters told from her POV are compelling, sweet and fun, and mean that we really feel for her when she takes a turn for the worse. Cleave obviously has had experience and has done much research into cycling, as the tense moments in the velodrome (and on the road) make you aware of your muscles, your breathing. The characters have enough dimension that your loyalty to Zoe, or to Kate, may shift and shift back again throughout the course of the novel. You really don’t know what they might do next. Gold is a page-turner, is psychologically interesting and makes you think about choice, commitment and sacrifice, not to mention the completely admirable physical hard-yards that athletes at the top of their game put in.

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Catch Toni Jordan at The Stella Prize Trivia Night on Friday 31 August at 7:30pm, the Morning Read on Saturday 1 September at 10am, and on the Father’s Day panel with Tony Birch, Deborah Robertson, and Patrick Gale on Sunday 2 September at 1pm.

Chris Cleave will be on that same Morning Read session on Saturday 1 September, he’ll be in conversation with Blanche Clark that afternoon at 2:30pm, he’ll be on a panel called Still Great Britain? on Sunday 2 September at 10am with John Lanchester, Susan Johnson and Jenny Niven. And with Susan Johnson he’ll be conducting a seminar called The Art of the Novel on Sunday 2 September at 2pm.

Five (or more) facts: Toni Jordan

Toni Jordan is the author of the popular, award-winning and internationally published books Addition and Fall Girl. Her latest witty, sweet novel, Nine Days, is the story of the most important day in the lives of four generations of one family. Jordan teaches creative writing at RMIT University in Melbourne and has lectured and presented workshops on writing around Australia. Her short stories and articles have been published widely.

Five (or more) facts:

When I finished my most recent book I went straight from the publisher’s office to the airport, where I flew to Beijing to start my AsiaLink residency. Never a dull moment.

My favourite cocktail is anything with gin in it, and I like it sour and lemony.

I’m currently reading Gerald Murnane’s The Plains. I loved the first half; it’s brilliant writing and very clever. The second half is also brilliant, but it’s clearly meant for people cleverer than me.

When I was a child I wanted to be Wonder Woman. The whole bit. Belt, boots, strapless top, magic lasso—she was kick-arse magnificent.

Last night I dreamt I had a bandaid stuck on my eyeball, and when I pulled it off, half my eyeball came off. I was left with this jagged hole like a broken boiled egg instead of an eye. I don’t know what it means but it can’t be good.

When I’m stuck, or need to take a break from writing, I take Myron the WonderWhippet for a walk. He’s vital to my process and should be tax-deductible.

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Catch Toni Jordan at The Stella Prize Trivia Night on Friday 31 August at 7:30pm alongside Cate Kennedy, Paddy O’Reilly, Emily Maguire, Susan Johnson, Jacinta Halloran and Ruby J Murray. She’ll be reading from her work at The Morning Read session on Saturday 1 September at 10am, and she’ll be discussing dads on Father’s Day, Sunday 2 September, with Tony Birch, Patrick Gale and Deborah Robertson.