Joanna King is a kiwi by birth, but she now lives in Vienna and works as a journalist. This is her debut novel about four sisters who take a holiday together – but one goes missing.
I’m liking
The story is an intriguing one and it reflects how a family reacts to the sudden disappearance of one sister. I really enjoyed the way the text was intelligently constructed, and found it was quite unusual on the whole.
Elements of interest are added as the family begin to scrutinise each other and this leads to tension. For one sister, the bond to the missing sister is very close and there is pressure on her as the others think she is hiding something. You get drawn into the relationships, and find yourself wishing the best for each character.
Things that made me go hmmmm
In parts, the book is fairly slow moving and quite introspective. Some sections are complex, and you might find yourself analysing whether there are hidden meanings everywhere – which can be a little distracting.
The conclusion
Absence is a good, sophisticated read, and very clever. Throughout the book, there are insights into the culture of Vienna and how ordinary people can live very different lives in other countries. It would make a great Mother’s Day gift for mums looking for a new author and an engaging work of fiction to get into.
This book kindly provided for review purposes by Black Swan NZ.
