Jane Caro
Author of The Mother
About the Author
Jane Caro was born in 1957 in London. She attended Macquarie University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in English literature in 1977. She soon moved into the field of advertising. She appeared on the T.V. show Sunrise, ABC television's Q&A and as a regular panelist on The show more Gruen Transfer. Caro has worked in the advertising industry and lectures in advertising at the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at University of Western Sydney. She is an author. Her books include The Stupid Country: How Australia is Dismantling Public Education, along with Chris Bonnor, The F Word. How we learned to swear by feminism, along with Catherine Fox, Just a Girl, What Makes a Good School? Along with Chris Bonnor and, with Pan Macmillan, For God's Sake! An atheist, Christian, Jew and Muslim battle it out, along with Antony Lowenstein, Simon Smart and Rachel Woodlock, and her memoir Plain-speaking Jane. In 2018, she won the Walkley Foundation's Women's Leadership in Media Award for the nonfiction book she edited Unbreakable: Women Share Stories of Resilience and Hope. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Jane Caro at the 2010 Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne, Australia Created 13 March, 2010
Works by Jane Caro
Associated Works
Just Between Us: Australian Writers Tell the Truth About Female Friendship (2013) — Contributor — 11 copies, 2 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1957
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- novelist
social commentator
lecturer - Nationality
- England (birth)
UK (birth)
Australia - Birthplace
- London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Associated Place (for map)
- London, England, UK
Members
Reviews
Jane Caro does it again. While "Lyrebird" isn’t quite as good as The Mother, it’s still a good read with a compelling and unusual premise that immediately caught my attention. The idea that lyrebirds, brilliant mimics, could unintentionally record the echoes of a murder is both eerie and fascinating. When Jessica Weston, an earnest ornithology student, captures one reproducing the chilling sounds it heard the time a woman was killed, she brings the recording to the police. Megan show more Blaxland, a young detective determined to make her mark, takes the case seriously, but without a body or clear evidence, the investigation stalls and eventually goes cold.
Fast forward twenty years, and a body is finally discovered. Megan, now recently retired, is asked to return and pick up the threads of the case that has haunted her for decades. This is where the story deepens into something darker, a twisted tale of kidnapping, sex trafficking, and long-buried secrets. Caro tackles these difficult themes with sensitivity while still keeping the narrative gripping and fast-paced.
The characters are interesting, and the strong female representation is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Megan is especially compelling as the main character. She’s determined, hardworking, strong without being hardened, and compassionate without being naïve. Watching her navigate both the professional challenges of the case and the emotional weight of her past gives the story a grounded, human cornerstone.
Caro’s atmospheric writing shines throughout, particularly in the scenes involving the bushfire. Her descriptions are scarily real and incredibly immersive. I could picture the flames racing through the bush, devouring everything in their path, the heat and smoke closing in with terrifying speed. These moments heighten the tension and showcase Caro’s skill at creating vivid, cinematic settings.
If the novel falters anywhere, it’s in the ending. The culprits are revealed a bit too early, which robs the final chapters of some suspense and lessens what could have been an even more powerful resolution. Still, despite this minor letdown, "Lyrebird" is an engaging, original, and thought-provoking read. show less
Fast forward twenty years, and a body is finally discovered. Megan, now recently retired, is asked to return and pick up the threads of the case that has haunted her for decades. This is where the story deepens into something darker, a twisted tale of kidnapping, sex trafficking, and long-buried secrets. Caro tackles these difficult themes with sensitivity while still keeping the narrative gripping and fast-paced.
The characters are interesting, and the strong female representation is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Megan is especially compelling as the main character. She’s determined, hardworking, strong without being hardened, and compassionate without being naïve. Watching her navigate both the professional challenges of the case and the emotional weight of her past gives the story a grounded, human cornerstone.
Caro’s atmospheric writing shines throughout, particularly in the scenes involving the bushfire. Her descriptions are scarily real and incredibly immersive. I could picture the flames racing through the bush, devouring everything in their path, the heat and smoke closing in with terrifying speed. These moments heighten the tension and showcase Caro’s skill at creating vivid, cinematic settings.
If the novel falters anywhere, it’s in the ending. The culprits are revealed a bit too early, which robs the final chapters of some suspense and lessens what could have been an even more powerful resolution. Still, despite this minor letdown, "Lyrebird" is an engaging, original, and thought-provoking read. show less
I picked this one up on a bit of a whim. I loved the idea of an ornithology driven thriller/ murder investigation. And it didn't disappoint. I didn't quite expect as crazy of a plot as was presented, but despite how horrifying it was, it was an enjoyable reading experience. Some parts were maybe a bit more convoluted than they should have been (and I don't mean in a "building up mystery and suspense" kind of way although there was also a lot of that) but it didn't detract from the story too show more much. I also loved how climate change and Australian wildfires were woven into the plot without detracting from the main events.
Also, this isn't really related to everything but Brydee (I listened to the audiobook so sorry if I misspelled that) gave me strong aroace vibes and I loved that! I think she's probably the character that grew on me the most, especially as she grew. (Okay, I also loved Jessica because yes, ornithology and discussions of how global change impact birds! Massive area of interest to me and I'd definitely be interested in working with her if I ran across her in real life).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own. show less
Also, this isn't really related to everything but Brydee (I listened to the audiobook so sorry if I misspelled that) gave me strong aroace vibes and I loved that! I think she's probably the character that grew on me the most, especially as she grew. (Okay, I also loved Jessica because yes, ornithology and discussions of how global change impact birds! Massive area of interest to me and I'd definitely be interested in working with her if I ran across her in real life).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own. show less
To afficionados of the ABC current affairs program The Drum, Jane Caro’s Accidental Feminists is exactly what you might expect of the author: forthright, amusing, full of pithy anecdotes to illustrate a point, and witheringly authentic.
While (of show more course) not everyone accessed higher education, Caro acknowledges that the Whitlam government’s abolition of university fees was pivotal:
However…
Caro attributes this to ‘flexibility’ — because (again backed up by her statistics) most women still do the ‘second shift’ i.e. the housework, the cooking, the childcare. Again there are also structural reasons like expensive child-care and high effective marginal tax-rates when moving from three to four days a week to full-time work due to the loss of family and child benefits. (p.75)
The take-home message of Accidental Feminists is this: there is a cohort of older women in dire financial straits because of structural and social impediments to financial independence that have affected their entire lives.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/02/18/accidental-feminists-by-jane-caro/ show less
What was revolutionary about our generation was that the generation born in the 1950s and 1960s is the first in history where most of the women worked for wages for most of their lives. And because money is power, this has changed everything.
While (of show more course) not everyone accessed higher education, Caro acknowledges that the Whitlam government’s abolition of university fees was pivotal:
If tertiary education was free, it was harder to rationalise preventing girls from accompanying their brothers, especially as so many of us had higher marks. More than that, however, our mothers also began to grasp the chance that was offered to them. It was female mature-age students who radically swelled the ranks at universities during that tiny window of opportunity…(p.71)
However…
[women] tend to be concentrated in lower-status industries and at the lower end of the pay scale. Even more depressing is the fact that previously high-status, well-paid occupations tend to fall in both status and pay when they become female dominated. General medical practice, marketing and human resources (the latter of which once meant a board position) spring to mind. (p.72)
Caro attributes this to ‘flexibility’ — because (again backed up by her statistics) most women still do the ‘second shift’ i.e. the housework, the cooking, the childcare. Again there are also structural reasons like expensive child-care and high effective marginal tax-rates when moving from three to four days a week to full-time work due to the loss of family and child benefits. (p.75)
The take-home message of Accidental Feminists is this: there is a cohort of older women in dire financial straits because of structural and social impediments to financial independence that have affected their entire lives.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/02/18/accidental-feminists-by-jane-caro/ show less
Lyrebird is the second novel from Jane Caro, a Walkley Award winning columnist, writer, broadcaster, documentary maker, feminist, activist, and author of The Mother.
When student ornithologist Jessica Weston records the human like screams of fear and pain of a lyrebird, a bird known for its ability to reproduce the sounds it hears, she feels it is prudent to report it to the police. New detective, Megan Blaxland, is concerned by the recording but is denied the opportunity to follow up until, show more twenty years later, the remains of a woman are discovered in the area.
With such a unique hook I was immediately drawn into the mystery of The Lyrebird. Jessica and Megan are both embarrassed that they let the matter lie, not that either had the power to do anything different at the time, so this time they are determined to solve the mystery.
Megan, brought out of retirement, leads the taskforce which discovers more young women strangled and buried deep in the bush on Barrington Tops. The plot is well thought out and I liked the procedural nature of the investigation as the police follow several lines of enquiry. Meagan is experienced and self assured and encourages diligence, especially among the younger officers on the taskforce, Samira Kumar and Josh Baker. The case becomes more complex as the police make connections between a missing Nanny, organised crime, and human trafficking.
Jessica, now an associate professor, is still haunted by the lyrebird’s screams and wants to help Megan however she can but she struggles with the renewed interest in the case on top of pressure at work and the rebellious attitude of her teen daughter.
Unfolding at a steady pace, Caro permeates the story with tension as the investigation unfolds. Action is largely confined to the last quarter or so of the novel as a massive bushfire roars down the mountain creating chaos as the case comes to a head.
Smart, atmospheric, and compelling I found myself absorbed in Lyrebird, and I happily recommend it. show less
When student ornithologist Jessica Weston records the human like screams of fear and pain of a lyrebird, a bird known for its ability to reproduce the sounds it hears, she feels it is prudent to report it to the police. New detective, Megan Blaxland, is concerned by the recording but is denied the opportunity to follow up until, show more twenty years later, the remains of a woman are discovered in the area.
With such a unique hook I was immediately drawn into the mystery of The Lyrebird. Jessica and Megan are both embarrassed that they let the matter lie, not that either had the power to do anything different at the time, so this time they are determined to solve the mystery.
Megan, brought out of retirement, leads the taskforce which discovers more young women strangled and buried deep in the bush on Barrington Tops. The plot is well thought out and I liked the procedural nature of the investigation as the police follow several lines of enquiry. Meagan is experienced and self assured and encourages diligence, especially among the younger officers on the taskforce, Samira Kumar and Josh Baker. The case becomes more complex as the police make connections between a missing Nanny, organised crime, and human trafficking.
Jessica, now an associate professor, is still haunted by the lyrebird’s screams and wants to help Megan however she can but she struggles with the renewed interest in the case on top of pressure at work and the rebellious attitude of her teen daughter.
Unfolding at a steady pace, Caro permeates the story with tension as the investigation unfolds. Action is largely confined to the last quarter or so of the novel as a massive bushfire roars down the mountain creating chaos as the case comes to a head.
Smart, atmospheric, and compelling I found myself absorbed in Lyrebird, and I happily recommend it. show less
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