Hope Farm

Hard subject matter in this coming of age tale -- made worse if you know anything about the "unwed mother" homes that stole women's babies and coerced them into adoption through shame and cruelty. This is very realistic, and Ishtar's reaction follows throughout her life. But this isn't her story; it's Silver's story, and what a childhood, marked by nomadism, communal living, and violence. This is a difficult read in some unusual ways. It's also beautifully rendered and Frew's writing style is highly effective. I would read more from this author.

Silver is 13 when her mother disappoints her for the last time. The plan had been for the two of them to go abroad and see the world. Instead her mother is taken in by Miller, and the three of them relocate to Hope Farm, a failing commune. At Hope Farm Silver sees things no 13 year old should, but also finds a friend, and finally starts to feel for the first time she has a home.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat, hoping that Silver would be okay. Although this book has very little actual violence the threat and fear is always there, and this story spoke to the mother and daughter in me.

The novel ‘Hope Farm’ by Australian writer Peggy Frew was originally published in 2015 and it appeared on a number of book award lists. It’s being re-published in August 2019 and is certainly deserving of more attention.

This is a well-written story about a mother who gets pregnant as a young teen and is disowned when she decides to keep her baby daughter against her parent’s wishes. Renaming herself ‘Ishtar’ and naming her daughter ‘Silver’, she struggles to survive over the years in various share houses, alternative ‘enlightened’ groups, and eventually hippie communes.

The story is constructed as a coming-of-age journey narrated by Silver who has been subjected to her mother’s transient lifestyle that includes show more poverty, a string of unreliable men, drugs, and eventually a heart-breaking collapse of the parent-child bond between Ishtar and Silver. When they end up following a charismatic (but horrible man) named Miller to a hippie commune called “Hope Farm”, it seems like their life might improve and Silver even finds an interesting friend her own age. But over time, the center will not hold and everything devolves into a powerful, dramatic conclusion.

This is both a difficult and captivating story about alternative lifestyles and relationships in a communal group, perhaps a bit stereotyped but still interesting. But more importantly, it is a very intense story about a parent and a child and the critical impact that each decision can make in building or destroying a family. The author did a great job of creating Silver and Ishtar as real, memorable characters. show less

Isn’t the cover of Hope Farm gorgeous? I love the way it looks almost 3D and the earth/leaf litter motif is quite symbolic of many people in the book, trying to return to what they believe a natural existence to be. But the real bonus is that the contents of Hope Farm are just as brilliant. I loved this mesmerising story of Silver and her mother Ishtar, who lead a somewhat unconventional existence in the mid-1980s.

Some would call Ishtar a hippie, as she’s lived in ashrams on and off since Silver was born, plus she’s into the whole free love thing. She did vegetarianism and yoga before it was cool. But to Silver, Ishtar is somewhat of a mystery. Silver, now a teenager, longs for somewhere to be call home and be settled instead of show more moving from place to place. When Ishtar announces they’re moving from Queensland to Hope Farm in Victoria with her new boyfriend, Silver gets a chance to stay somewhere for a little while. Sure, she still gets called ‘hippie shit’ at school and only has one friend (outside school only) in Ian, but there are good things. There’s the annoying little pseudo sister in Jindi, the mother figure of Val and the crush worthy Dan. It looks like life could be stable in the Hope Farm community. But then things start to get complex. Ishtar’s boyfriend Miller brings a wife to Hope Farm and things get more complex, culminating in a night of terror and devastation none of the community will forget. It’s the night Silver loses the last of her childhood and sends her off on a life path she never thought possible.

Hope Farm is beautifully constructed novel and expertly shows Silver’s hurt, confusion and pain as she grows up knowing she’s different and desperately wanting what the other kids have – a home, routine and stability. It’s a coming of age story where the final part is ripped off brutally like a Band-Aid. What I also liked was how the reader got to see what happened to Silver as she grew into adulthood and dealt with the fateful events of the final night at Hope Farm. Peggy Frew also let the reader into the world of Ishtar with interspersed sections ‘written’ by her, detailing her journey from pregnancy to Hope Farm. I loved these as they gave a voice and perspective to Ishtar’s life which Silver didn’t have. They’re also written in an immature, childish hand (complete with punctuation errors and spelling mistakes) which made me feel sorry for her, being thrust into an adult world before she was ready for it (somewhat like Silver).

The drama in Hope Farm builds slowly, but the reader is ultimately rewarded as the finale is frantic. All the small dramas tie together to form a huge event that affects everyone. I think it is made more powerful by knowing the characters intimately by this stage. There were some I was instantly worried about (Jindi who is cute, even though she’s annoying and continually dripping snot; Ian, Silver’s friend with a turn of phrase like a 50’s movie star and Dan, possibly the most ‘normal’ person at Hope Farm). Of course, I had to cross my fingers and hope (no pun intended) for Miller’s downfall. Miller was just plain creepy (the language Frew uses to describe him sent a shiver down my spine) and every move of his was questionable. It seemed like he had plans to become a cult leader (and probably would have if he wasn’t so damn lazy).

I found myself racing through the book once I got past the first 50 pages as there’s so many interesting characters with stories to tell and is written in such a way that you can easily visualise the story. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Scribe Publications for the copy. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less

Hope Farm is the story of a girl named Silver coming of age in a commune named Hope after growing up in one communal home after another. She is a self-reliant and mature girl whose mother Ishtar is shamed when people praise her for how mature and tough her daughter is. She knows it a reflection of her own unreliability. Since Silver was born, she has moved from man to man and community to community. Now there are at Hope, a rundown, decrepit farm with a few other residents, most of them dispirited and resigned to eking out a subsistence life.

How did it come to this? We get hints in interstitial chapters from a journal Ishtar wrote describing her parents’ insistence she give up her baby when she became pregnant in high school, her show more “rescue” by a commune of women. A poor student, without her birth certificate, she is dependent on men and communes, drifting from one to another. Silver never has real security and even at Hope Farm where she begins to imagine the possibility, Silver feels unprotected and afraid of her mother’s newest lover, Miller a loud and self-important wannabe commune leader.

Peggy Frew excels at creating a sense of place, not just in her dscriptions of the natural surroundings, but also of the communes and the suspicious community near Hope. It all feels so real and tangible. Her characters are also well-executed and complex. Even Miller is allowed to be vulnerable and sympathetic while also being a villain in Silver’s eyes. We understand Ishtar and even though her shortcomings as a mother are obvious, we also see her complexity and her deep love for her daughter.

The mother-daughter conflict that is the heart of Hope Farm will break your heart, but it feels so authentic and for that very reason. Sometimes when it is most important for us to understand and communicate is exactly when it is most difficult.

Hope Farm will be released on September 3rd. I received an ARC from the publisher through LibraryThing.

Hope Farm at Scribe Publications
Peggy Frew on Facebook

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/08/23/9781947534728/ show less

Extremely well written with thoroughly fleshed out, flawed, and realistic characters. Told in alternating views, the reader is able to gain insight into motivations, thoughts, and feelings of the characters. I really enjoyed this one & am looking forward to reading more by this author. This book would be a great selection to read and discuss with book clubs.

I received this book as part of LibraryThing’s early reviewer program.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written and I found myself caring for them. I liked the style; the narrator Silver had a distinct voice. It was generally sad, sure, but it felt real and that'e the important thing. The only issue I had was the "After" part was a little long, and maybe the ending would have had a bit more impact if it was closer to the climax.