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'"It came one morning with the milk, and it seemed - at first - almost as innocent..."
'When Roberta "Bertie" Lightfoot is struck down with polio, her world collapses. But Mama doesn't tolerate self-pity, and Bertie is nobody if not her mother's daughter - until she sets her heart on becoming an artist. Through drawing, the gifted and perceptive Bertie gives form and voice to the reality of the people and the world around her. While her father is happy enough to indulge Bertie's driving passion, her mother will not let art get in the way of the future she wishes for her only daughter.
'In 1955 the family moves to post-colonial Port Moresby, a sometimes violent frontier town, where Bertie, determined to be the master of her own life canvas, rebels against her mother's strict control. In this tropical landscape, Bertie thrives amid the lush pallette of colours and abundance, secretly learning the techniques of drawing and painting under the tutelage of her mother's arch rival.
'But Roberta is not the only one deceiving her family. As secrets come to light, the domestic varnish starts to crack, and jealousy and passion threaten to forever mar the relationship between mother and daughter.
'Tender and witty, The Beloved is a moving debut novel which paints a vivid portrait of both the beauty and the burden of unconditional love.' (From the publisher's website.)
Notes
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Dedication:
For
my beloved
Fay, Syd, Peter and Alec
Affiliation Notes
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Writing Disability in Australia:
Type of disability Poliomyelitis. Type of character Primary. Point of view First person.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Braille.
Works about this Work
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Easy Read, Hard Work
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 15 May 2013; (p. 72) -
Kibble Award for Author After Memoir Takes on a Life of Its Own
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 26 July 2013; (p. 17) -
Female Shortlist a Fitting Tribute to an Early Feminist
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 19 June 2013; (p. 35) -
Literary Award Takes a Critical Leap Forward
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Australian , 18 June 2013; (p. 12) -
Ways of Seeing
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , June no. 352 2013;
— Review of The Beloved 2011 single work novel
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Pick of the Week
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 30 June 2012; (p. 30) The Sydney Morning Herald , 30 June-1 July 2012; (p. 34)
— Review of The Beloved 2011 single work novel -
Faith, Hope and Mortality Line the Path of a Mother and Daughter's Arduous Journey
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 28 - 29 July 2012; (p. 20-21)
— Review of The Beloved 2011 single work novel ; The Pilgrimage 2012 single work novel -
Take Three: Fiction
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: Sunday Canberra Times , 5 August 2012; (p. 26)
— Review of The Beloved 2011 single work novel ; Darkness on the Edge of Town 2012 single work novel ; Beneath the Darkening Sky 2012 single work novel -
Well Read
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 21 July 2012; (p. 22)
— Review of The Pilgrimage 2012 single work novel ; The Beloved 2011 single work novel -
Ways of Seeing
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , June no. 352 2013;
— Review of The Beloved 2011 single work novel -
Boy, Can He Tell a Story
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 7 September 2011; (p. 22) -
Beloved Memories Make an Award Winner
2012
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 21-22 July 2012; (p. 20) -
Easy Read, Hard Work
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 15 May 2013; (p. 72) -
Literary Award Takes a Critical Leap Forward
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Australian , 18 June 2013; (p. 12) -
Female Shortlist a Fitting Tribute to an Early Feminist
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 19 June 2013; (p. 35)
Awards
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Port Moresby,
cPapua New Guinea,cPacific Region,
- 1954-1961