Holly Ringland

When a fire destroys her Australian coastal home and culminates in the death of her parents, Alice goes to live with her grandmother on her flower farm which is also a refuge for women. As Alice grows older, she finds she has a certain connection with flowers and that she can use them to say things she cannot voice. But then a sudden turn of events has Alice on the run into the desert in search of a different life.

I very much enjoyed this story, the first half maybe more than the second. I show more love the idea of the language of flowers voicing words you cannot say in person. Fire and butterflies are also used as a way of symbolising change and metamorphosis. Alice is like a phoenix rising from the ashes in many ways as she opens her wings and develops into a beautiful butterfly. Some of the events in the second half of the book felt a little convenient at times as if they were trying to push the story along, hence my reason for it not being a 5* read. It’s a lovely story all the same. It’s well written and meaningful with a sort of fairytale feel about it. It’s a story about family secrets, finding yourself again and the meaning of home, an engaging and worthwhile read. I was sad when I turned the last page. show less

The moving and exquisite tale of a young girl, Alice Hart, navigating her way to womanhood through a miasma of domestic violence and family secrets, The Lost Flowers is an impressive debut novel.
In particular, the first half of the novel is captivating. The use of the language of flowers is a clever concept to tie elements of the story together, but a couple of times it seemed a little forced.
The book is presented beautifully, and somebody (or somebodies) at the publisher deserve resounding show more congratulations for the cover art and the detailed illustrations of flowers inside. Simply for the pleasure of holding this book in your hands, it's very much worth reading.
The first sentence! Such an attention grabber!
There is, of course, a dissonance between the beauty of the flowers and the horror of the domestic violence, loss, damaged relationships, grief and guilt at the heart of the novel. I always cringe when reading these scenes because I know it's going to end badly - especially for the dog - more than once in Alice's life. Like many children of abusive fathers, she enters a relationship with another abuser, and that is a situation that is unresolved. Violent but gorgeous Dylan gets away not only with knocking Alice about, but also (like many bullies) with turning the tables on her by reporting her for domestic violence. I felt that, for Alice and for many domestic abuse victims, there really is no getting away from it.
Towards the end of the novel, it seems that the carefully crafted story-with-flower-language hurries on to a conclusion, and that was a little disappointing. The sudden recovery of the lost brother after the death of June (the alcoholic grandmother with the magnificent flower farm) felt a little forced - and Sally, much as I loved her and wondered what had become of her, is really too good for the tenor of the rest of the novel, in that she doesn't display human flaws (apart from stupidly having a one night stand with Alice's horrible father Clem Hart. Ugh.).
I found I could enter the mindset of most of the women in this novel, which is no mean feat. I found it more difficult to engage with the male characters, either because I am predisposed to think that there is no excuse for domestic violence, or because the author actually places the reader in the position of the abused - we don't understand, we just suffer.
All in all, an intriguing novel and one which will repay the reader with much to think about and talk about. If you are part of a reading group, definitely put this on the list for 2018! show less

“This is the story of 9yo Alice Hart through to adulthood, as she learns that the most powerful story that she will ever possess is her own; and includes a language of Australian native flowers as a way to say the things that are too hard to speak” - Holly Ringland.
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This novel is equally devastating and inspiring. It is a truly beautiful read.
The book touches on many stories of male perpetuated violence and the women that survive it, as well as how hard that pattern & show more generational cycle can be to break.
There are beautiful tributes to the essence of outback Australia and it’s unique flora; and to the traditional owners. While the aboriginal stories mentioned are fictional, the relationship to the land and the fight to educate and earn respect for traditional values rung very true.
I have nothing but praise and admiration. .

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I've seen a few reviews criticizing or expressing concern over the Domestic abuse and the flowers aspect, I will briefly address below- (there is what you may consider spoilers nested in these notes below)

FLOWERS
The book mentions flowers consistently throughout, there is a language of flowers influenced by the Victorian era but reinvented here in an Australian context. These flowers tie this family together, are use express ideas and feelings throughout out the books, specifically for the main character who has experience intense childhood trauma and is a selective mute. It serves to create a strong visual. I cannot comment on its likeness to another book about the language of flowers but from what I've heard its not the same.

ABUSE & TRAUMA
I've run a program in a Domestic & Family Violence Center and have training on the subjects, as well as the affects of trauma. My comments all come from me experience in this sector in Australia.
If you feel that the representation in this novel was unrealistic you may not be aware of the true extent of this issues in today's society and I do encourage you to look into it. It is a huge topic with many layers and factors.
Male perpetrated violence is the majority of domestic abuse incidents (this includes male and female victims).
There is a pattern of abuse that is made very clear in this novel with more than on character. There is also the generational cycle which is a very real thing. Statistically many children of abusive households will go on to be victims again as adults or become perpetrators themselves. Many take to substance abuse as a coping mechanism, as another character does in this book.
Manipulation is abused in most relationships - including friendships and this is not limited to DV relationships.
Trauma is different for every person. PTSD is not limited to veterans. Sometimes a person experiences a large situation and walk away 'fine' and then what you may consider to be a small issues will be the breaking point.
Childhood trauma is especially nasty and deep rooted, particularly if the child does not get counselling to deal with these issues. Trauma will be displayed in a very physical reaction when not addressed in some people.

I'm sorry to report I have worked with women who have experienced horrific things, and I was not at all surprised by the character portrayals in this book, and find them to be accurate and not at all exaggerated. I do realize for the typical person this may seem far fetched but from experience I'm saddened to say its not unbelievable in the slightest.

Sorry for the "rant" but things needed to be said. I also recommend "But He Says He Loves Me" by Dr Dina L McMillan if you are looking for a non-fictional educational tool about domestic violence and what to do about them. show less

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: A haunting, magical novel about joy, grief, courage and transformation from the international bestselling author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.

‘On the afternoon that Esther Wilding drove homeward along the coast, a year after her sister had walked into the sea and disappeared, the light was painfully golden.’

The last time Esther Wilding’s beloved older sister Aura was seen, she was walking along the shore towards the sea. In the wake of show more Aura’s disappearance, Esther’s family struggles to live with their loss. To seek the truth about her sister’s death, Esther reluctantly travels from Lutruwita/Tasmania, to Copenhagen, and then to the Faroe Islands, following the trail of the stories Aura left behind: seven fairy tales about selkies, swans and women, alongside cryptic verses Aura wrote and had secretly tattooed on her body. The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding is a sweeping, deeply beautiful and profoundly moving novel about the far reaches of sisterly love, the power of wearing your heart on your skin and the ways life can transform when we find the courage to feel the fullness of both grief and joy.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Pretty, pretty chapter-opens and lovely sentences to console and condole the woman in a time of loss, particularly effective if the loss is a much loved sister.

Doesn't sound like me, does it? It's not me, I'm not the target audience. It's not me, my sisters aren't close this way, either to me or to each other. It's not like I'm someone particularly sentimental...but many, many are, and I think the fact that I read many, many, many pages of this book speaks loudly of its merits.

Has one of your giftees lost a sister, or (worse) a friend as close as a sister? Is there a abig grieving hole in your life for someone you shared a big part of your life with? These "skins" or fables (re)enacted in search of an involuntarily severed connaction with a fellow woman might offer some balm for the wound.



Not incidentally, the tales offer some very useful and constuctive perspective on loss. See below.


This is a terrific book, since it kept me reading. I recommend it happily. show less