The Buried Life

 The Buried Life

Reviewed By  Nan van Dissel       March 16, 2025

 

Author  Andrea Goldsmith’

Distributor:      Transit Lounge
ISBN:                 978-1-923023-25-3
Publisher:         Transit Lounge
Release Date:   1 March 2025  

   Website:   https://transitlounge.com.au/shop/the-buried-life/

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Award winning author Andrea Goldsmith has not disappointed her reading audience with her ninth book, ‘The Buried Life’, in which her three main characters, Adrian, Kezi and Laura have caused to evaluate their ‘buried lives’.

When the reader first meets the main protagonists, forty years plus Melbourne University academic Adrian Moore (renowned authority on death in the modern age), is ruminating about the end of his ten-year relationship with Irene, while his 28-year-old lesbian friend, vivacious Kezi is struggling with her fundamentalist upbringing and its community, which cannot accept her differences.

 Meanwhile beautiful 58-year-old Laura Benady, accomplished town planner, who is devoted to Tony, a mediocre academic believes that her long marriage is perfect. Despite their age difference, the three develop an unlikely deep friendship, which allows each of them to uncover his/her ‘buried life’.

Music can have a profound effect on people; after hearing Mahler’s music Adrian comes to understand himself differently. On the other hand, for Kezi, who is still troubled by faith and its complexities, it is a change in her circumstances, which allows her to review her relationship with her parents. For Laura it is cheese! The meeting with Adrian in a cheese shop, and a careless lie are the catalysts for her to reflect on what she believes to be a wonderful husband, and perfect marriage; can she live happily without him?

As the narrative unfolds the author gently explores Kezi, Laura and Adrian’s feelings, their relationships and the power of friendship.

In this novel the author exposes her readers to love, faith, coercive control and the power of art and music. No doubt some readers will find themselves chasing up the references to music, books and poetry.

Fiction, General