Alone in the Classroom

For a book about the horrible murder of one young girl, an attack on another, stalking, obsession, and numerous affairs and broken marriages, there's surprisingly little urgency. The whole thing felt very detached from events that I would expect to feel compelling, but from which the narrative kept......more

This is a tough book to review. I'm torn by the fact that Hay is a marvellous, compelling, powerful writer, but seems to have struggled with the focus of this novel rather unsuccessfully and inconclusively. Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist? You could make a case for at least two charact......more

I've never read anything by Elizabeth Hay before and I am glad I've picked up this book. It is a family history written in a slow-burning beautiful style. She writes without any desire to impress. And this actually makes the book very memorable. It reads almost like a biography, very personal. And i......more