Love like water
Love Like Water, the new novel by Meme McDonald was launched yesterday at the North Fitzroy Star Hotel. More than 100 people, including family, friends and colleagues heard writer Tony Birch, Aboriginal elder Joy Wandin Murphy and singer Shane Howard launch Meme’s ninth book. The story of Cathy, a young white woman who moves to Alice Springs and becomes emotionally involved with JJ an Aboriginal radio announcer, is beautifully written, involving and poignant. Love Like Water is populated by a cast of memorable and sharply drawn characters, showing again Meme’s perfect pitch for speech.
Love Like Water is initially being marketed as a young adult novel. Compared to Njunjul the Sun (with Boori Monty Pryor) it describes a more adult world: think Secret Life of Us in Alice Springs. But readers old enough to wonder what life might look like beyond the boundaries of school will find plenty to think about here. I suspect that is a very wide audience, including an international readership, for this novel.
Martin Flanagan (who also attended the launch) had this profile of Meme in Saturday’s Age newspaper.
