I chose this book by Peggy Frew because I read that she had won one of The Age short story competitions and the comments on the story were about how succinct it was. I’m sorry I couldn’t find the story as I think it would have been much better than this drawn-out novel, yet another novel where I feel no empathy, let alone sympathy for the protagonists. We see how damaged Silver is by her mother’s selfish behaviour but then Silver’s own behaviour becomes equally selfish. Perhaps this is the point Frew is making but it doesn’t make for an enjoyable novel. Unfortunately it’s just another novel I’m glad I’ve finished and glad I didn’t buy. ( )

Good writing, interesting plot although not always fully realistic, believable characters. Worth reading more of Frew ( )

Really enjoyable coming of age story about a girl who grows up on various communes in Australia with her young mother. An interesting look into this world and time period. As you can imagine, the lifestyle of constantly moving from place to place, and never having a home of your own, is difficult for a child, and creates a complicated relationship with her mother (and the various men she gets involved with). I felt an attachment to the main character and wanted so badly for her to have a nice, happy life! ( )

Hope Farm, a hippy commune, embraces Silver and her mother Ishtar as one of their own. Drawn there by a man known as Miller, this is Ishtar's latest attempt to recreate her life by following a man. Pregnant by a married man as a teenager, Ishtar's parents send her to a convent in Brisbane to have the baby, put it up for adoption, and return home. While there, she is fascinated by a group of hippies giving out pamphlets about 'The Path'. She senses safety there and asks if they can help her. Once the baby is born, a girl, Ishtar (who changes her name once she joins the commune) knows both that she cannot give her up and that she is not going to be welcomed back home. So she follows the calm and free spirited women who help her to understand her baby, Silver, and the life she is now to live. Told from both Ishtar and Silver's point of view, the reader is carried away on the pain and longing of both journeys.....parallel as Silver is never able to feel connected to her mother. Beautifully written. ( )

HOPE FARM is a captivating coming-of-age story set in a commune in the 1980s. As protagonist Silver grows up, she starts seeing her free-spirited mother Ishtar in a new light and yearning for a life of her own. After some new arrivals make the commune a powder keg, Silver sets in motion the actions that will light the fuse. Interludes throughout the story illuminate Ishtar's past, helping the reader understand her in ways Silver never could. ( )