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Bel Mooney

Author of The Voices of Silence

47+ Works 639 Members 5 Reviews

About the Author

Includes the name: Bel Mooney

Works by Bel Mooney

The Voices of Silence (1997) 58 copies
I Don't Want To! (1985) 37 copies
It's Not Fair! (1991) 27 copies
I Know! (Kitty & Friends) (1992) 26 copies
Mr Tubs is LOST! (2004) 25 copies
It's Not My Fault!: No.11 (1999) 25 copies
I'm Bored! (1997) 23 copies
The Stove Haunting (1988) 22 copies
Devout Sceptics (2003) 21 copies
Why Not? (Kitty & Friends) (1990) 17 copies
I Wish! (Kitty & Friends) (1996) 16 copies
Why Me? (Kitty & Friends) (1997) 15 copies
So what! (1823) 14 copies
The Penguin Book of Marriage (1989) — Editor — 13 copies
Promise You Won't be Cross (1999) 13 copies
Who Loves Mr Tubs? (2006) 12 copies
Lost Footsteps (1993) 10 copies
The Fourth of July (1988) 9 copies
I Don't Want to Say Yes! (1998) 9 copies
The Anderson Question (1985) 8 copies
Intimate Letters (1997) 8 copies
Bad Dog Bonnie (2008) 7 copies
Oh Kitty! (1992) 6 copies
Big Dog Bonnie (2007) 6 copies
The Invasion of Sand (2006) 5 copies
Best Dog Bonnie (2008) 5 copies
Bel Mooney's Somerset (1989) 4 copies
Brave Dog Bonnie (2009) 3 copies
Busy Dog Bonnie (2009) 3 copies
The Year of the Child (1979) 1 copy
Bright Dog Bonnie (2010) 1 copy
Scary Stories (1997) — Contributor — 1 copy

Associated Works

The Mill on the Floss (1860) — Introduction, some editions — 8,670 copies
Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) — Introduction, some editions — 8,407 copies
Chatterton Square (1947) — Afterword, some editions — 189 copies
First Light: A celebration of Alan Garner (2016) — Contributor — 29 copies
Slightly Foxed 47: Curioser and Curioser (2015) — Contributor — 14 copies

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Members

Reviews

Another random 'Aussie' novel from the library, which I'm not sure how to rate. Maybe under 'Marmite' (or Vegemite), because overall I didn't enjoy the experience and only read the whole thing to move onto a better book, but some readers will no doubt find the cliched characters and woman's weekly prose entertaining enough. After getting to the end - finally! - I discovered that the story is based on true events, and that the author is actually English and writes for the Daily Mail. So.

'Tough nut' Irishwoman Bernie Malloy is living in her parents' old house in the outback, trying to get her life back together after trying but failing to destroy herself for twenty years. She takes on two lodgers, a young drifter called Eddy and a strange loner called John, who has emigrated to Australia to fulfil his dream of becoming a pilot. And that, bar a few clues that John is one stripe less than the full epaulette, is the whole book. We get backstories ad nauseum, including John's 'nan' back in Liverpool. and Bernie falls into bed with Eddy, but I was starting to despair until John cracked. I had to wade through a camping trip with the two lovers and a weird Aboriginal ritual over a dead baby, but the final few chapters were worth reading.

If you're into tortured souls, I'm sure this might read like a nuanced study of love, loss and lies, but I can't stand romance novels for this very reason. The three characters were all miserable, with deep dark secrets, but only John's was of any interest (perhaps because he was based on a real person). I couldn't stand their whinging, but was determined to see their story through to the end.

On a side note, I have ordered My Place by Sally Morgan, recommended by the author in her notes. Hopefully the source material will be a better read!
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AdonisGuilfoyle | Aug 21, 2019 |
A book covering two BBC series in which the author interviews twelve people about the way one particular death affected their lives. These conversations remind us powerfully that loss is both unique and universal, and that grief and love are two sides of the same coin.
 
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LibraryPAH | Nov 9, 2017 |
 
Flagged
Impossibilist | Oct 6, 2017 |
Bought it for obvious reasons. Not a particularly wide spread of authors, and a bit fusty in scope. Went back to a charity shop.
 
Flagged
sometimeunderwater | Sep 12, 2016 |

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Associated Authors

Terrance Dicks Contributor
Malorie Blackman Contributor
Vivian French Contributor
Robert Swindells Contributor
Julia Jarman Contributor
Julia Bertagna Contributor
Susan Hellard Illustrator

Statistics

Works
47
Also by
5
Members
639
Popularity
#39,445
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
5
ISBNs
168
Languages
5

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