Bodies of Light: Winner of the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award

Thoroughly compelling. A slow, simmering thing of beauty.

Bodies of Light was an incredibly harrowing read. Most members believed that the author really did do justice the trauma and the author captured this with the power of subtlety. A great writer does not shout, they whisper. Although uncomfortable Jennifer in most parts is able to keep the book literary - the only let down was gratuitous language thrown in for what seemed to be effect. It is a book about the loss of connection and survival and this was picked up by most. We mostly anticipated different endings, maybe finding out why the babies died or reconciliation with D and his parents as there was a forgiveness needed there. She was not fair to either D or his parents. It would have been the right thing to do to give them some closure. Overall the author portrayed a sense of place and this would have taken very through research, this book was bleak and hard to read. The imagery is vivid, the emotions of Maggie/Josie/Holly are clear. An exploration of foster care, motherhood, multigenerational trauma and memory or what’s it like to live without shared memories or a collective past.

Too many dead babies in this book.