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ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Sometimes the drama occurs off the playing fields, and on the sidelines... Jonica is a stay-at-home Mum, though she is starting to resent her barrister husband's insistence that she need not work, as having teenaged twins who both play competitive soccer is truly hard work, without the pay. Alex and Audrey are good, but their father's expectations are they play for Australia. Jonica just wants them to enjoy themselves, but in the intense competition to make good teams, the fun is being lost. Audrey has felt pressured to play in a mixed team, but her arch-rival Carmen is also on it, and somehow Audrey keeps coming off second-best, despite being a more talented player. As the season goes by, no-one is happy, not least of all the parents on the sidelines who want their kids to shine. A skilfully told novel about contemporary life and the thwarted desires of the players and their parents, and how competition is not always as healthy as we’ve been told... Lindy
Karen Viggers is a writer, veterinarian, podcaster and literary critic who loves nature, bushwalking and animals. She is the author of four novels: The Stranding, The Lightkeeper's Wife, The Grass Castle and The Orchardist's Daughter. Her work is set in Australian landscapes and explores dying with dignity, displacement of First Peoples, wildlife conservation, clear-felling of native forests, and now, junior sport. She is co-host of the Secrets From the Green Room podcast, in which she interviews writers and other bookish people about books, writing and green rooms, uncovering the stories you don't usually get to hear. She is a literary reviewer and public speaker, and also a mother to two adult children and a dog. Her books have been translated into several languages and have enjoyed great success in France where she is a bestselling author and has won a literary award. Sidelines is her fifth novel.
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Sometimes the drama occurs off the playing fields, and on the sidelines... Jonica is a stay-at-home Mum, though she is starting to resent her barrister husband's insistence that she need not work, as having teenaged twins who both play competitive soccer is truly hard work, without the pay. Alex and Audrey are good, but their father's expectations are they play for Australia. Jonica just wants them to enjoy themselves, but in the intense competition to make good teams, the fun is being lost. Audrey has felt pressured to play in a mixed team, but her arch-rival Carmen is also on it, and somehow Audrey keeps coming off second-best, despite being a more talented player. As the season goes by, no-one is happy, not least of all the parents on the sidelines who want their kids to shine. A skilfully told novel about contemporary life and the thwarted desires of the players and their parents, and how competition is not always as healthy as we’ve been told... Lindy
