The Other Side of Beautiful

 The Other Side of Beautiful

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       July 7, 2021

 

Author  Kim Lock

Distributor:      Harper Collins
ISBN:                 9781867214915
Publisher:         Harper Collins/HQ Fiction
Release Date:   July 2021  

   Website:   https://www.harpercollins.com.au

FaceBook:    

YouTube:   

Instagram:   

X Formally Twitter:    

The Other Side of Beautiful needs to come with a warning. Do not begin to read if you are pressed for time; it is sooo hard to put down. From the dramatic beginning, where Mercy is in the street in pyjamas, watching her house burn down, to her journey afterwards, the story moves swiftly. How fantastic to have her tale set in Adelaide. Mercy’s subsequent travel should be noted by the Tourism Board of Australia. Kim Lock’s descriptions of the outback journey are quite marvellous.

As the story unfolds, we find the young woman with many dilemmas and problems to solve. As often happens in times of great strife, people make uncharacteristic decisions. In this case, a desperate whim sees her purchase an old Daihatsu Hijet Van. She begins to drive north of Adelaide with her dog and as she travels, we gradually begin to understand why she is so unhappy. This journey has just begun, and it is the progress along the highway, as well as the inner thoughts of Mercy that keep us intent.

North seems to be a fine direction to travel for the young woman. Arriving at Coober Pedy, Wasabi, her much loved dog, is happy to stretch his legs, while the signpost to Darwin seems to draw her forward. Most nights she stops with friendly grey nomads at Caravan Parks and as her routine becomes easier, she begins to allow her thoughts to centre on the times in her life which prompted her to this dramatic escape. With so much time on her hands she reflects on her mother whose focus in life was to be beautiful at the expense of her daughter.

The remarkable sights of the outback skies, the peace and the natural beauty of the countryside gradually begin to allow Mercy to put her life into perspective. For some time the reader will travel alongside Mercy, sharing her anguish and willing her to start again. Not a book to put down!

Fiction