Meet Me at Lennon's
Ratings1
Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
As university student Olivia Wells sets out on her quest to find an unpublished manuscript by Gloria Graham - a now obscure mid-twentieth century feminist and writer - she unwittingly uncovers details about a young woman found murdered. Strangled with a nylon stocking in the mangroves on the banks of the river in wartime Brisbane, the case soon became known as the river girl murder. Olivia's detective work exposes the sinister side of that city in 1943, flush with greenbacks and nylons, jealousy and violence brewing between the Australian and US soldiers, which eventually boiled over into the infamous Battle of Brisbane. Olivia soon discovers that the diggers didn't just reserve their anger for the US forces - they also took it out on the women they perceived as traitors, the ones who dared to consort with US soldiers. Can Olivia rewrite history to bring justice to the river girl whose life was so brutally taken? Even if the past can't be changed, is it possible to undo history's erasure?
Reviews with the most likes.
Historical fiction is my jam and this book is everything you want in a novel. Well researched, intriguing, plausible and relevant, it ticks all the boxes for me. Probably my favourite book of the year so far.
I really enjoyed it and didn't want it to end. I wish it was a little easier to remember all the characters and their connections, because there are many.
It is an interesting mix of story, ‘research' and modern-day storyline that has a twist people don't seem to appreciate.
I expected more analysis of the key issues (systematic sexism and violence, cover-ups and allied relations) but this was more implied through the stories than discussed. Overall, a very worthwhile read for anyone who loves history, particularly WWII history.
I can't wait to read more from Melanie.
