“Everybody should know that Bellevue was inhabited”
- Book: Bellevue
- Location: New South Wales
- Author: Alison Booth
This is the second novel I have read by this author, and what a privilege it has been. The storylines have awakened my interest in all things Australian, with the wonderfully described scenery and well defined characters, having made the pages leap from the book, as if in 3D.
So, without further ado, and whilst desperately trying to avoid ‘spoilers’….
…
Although this story began back in the late 1950s, it has its roots set firmly in the early 1970s, when Clare inherits Bellevue House, in the will of her late husband Jack’s, Aunt Hilda, much to the chagrin and outright disbelief of that good lady’s own blood relatives, particularly Jack’s younger brother David. It had been Hilda who had taken in a distraught Clare and her young daughter Sophie, some seventeen or so years previously, when Jack had been killed in an accident, leaving them in unknown debt and penniless. She had patiently restored Clare’s faith in the world and mankind, with the beauty and tranquillity surrounding Bellevue and the warmth and affection of people who really cared about her, and had eventually sent a revitalised mother and daughter on their way back to a new life in Sydney, although they had continued to visit this haven of peace and calm whenever they could, and Hilda could tell the deep affection both of them held for Bellevue.
With Sophie, now in her twenties, off travelling in Europe, and she having served her time teaching primary school to repay some of their inherited debts, Clare decides to retire to Bellevue and make it her home permanently. Having been a regular visitor, she is known to many of the locals in the small township of Numbulla, so she has no problem fitting into her surroundings – at least not at first that is. After a short time however, bad things and small freak accidents begin to happen in and around Bellevue and to Clare personally, including some rather distressing and thinly veiled threats. At the heart of this campaign of harassment, is the fact that certain members of the towns business folk and local figureheads, are in favour of a motion by the Sydney authorities, to rezone Numbulla as a tourist destination, buying up prime retail sites, which includes Bellevue and its neighbours, to build hotels and holiday apartments, overlooking the Blue Mountains, a protected area of outstanding national beauty. Even more concerning is the part played in all the underhand wheeling-dealing, by someone she had hitherto thought to be beyond reproach, although their account of events surrounding Jack’s death had never really rung true to her, as hadn’t their version of the circumstances surrounding the vast amount of debt he had left her in.
Renovations to Bellevue forge ahead, making it obvious that Clare is planning on going nowhere. In truth, it is a well known fact that she is something of an environmentalist campaigner and conservation activist and has been front and centre of many previous protests against developers in and around the NSW region. She is therefore happy to be one of the leaders in the push to save Numbulla from development, as are many of her closest friends in town. She is surprised to discover one of her greatest allies is a young lad called Joe, who is suffering from abuse and bullying at school and lives a neglected life at home. Joe, apparently with Aunt Hilda’s blessing, had been using the coach house at Bellevue to pursue a passion which is close to his heart, but for which he is being soundly ridiculed by his family and peers alike. Clare takes Joe under her wing, even managing to win over his father, when he is banned from seeing her, or visiting the house again and together with her newly acquired canine friend, Mutt, Joe becomes part of the family
During the move, Clare has also uncovered some very troubling documents which relate to why Jack had left her with so much debt, however unintentionally and in his mind, for the best of reasons. When her solicitor throws even more light onto some very muddied waters, he leaves Clare momentarily stunned, although if she was truthfully honest, probably in retrospection, not totally surprised. The planning verdict when it is delivered, is for some a cause for celebration and for others a body blow from which they will never recover. For Clare though, the more personal outcome of the decision, together with the new information she is armed with, brings closure to her past with Jack, whilst giving her little joy or solace for the innocent lives which will be damaged irrevocably.
A surprise visitor is surely the icing on Clare’s cake, together with the possible early blossoming of a fledgling romance, which will help ease her road to peace and renewed happiness in the future.
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Rich in atmosphere, multi-layered and highly textured, there is a compelling and compassionate honesty and integrity in this immersive storyline. Written in short, well-signposted chapters, which always work so well for me when, like these, they have introductory titles which are relevant and well-considered. There is never a break in pace, although I never felt that I was being rushed through a storyline which couldn’t wait to be over. In fact I could have carried on reading until tying up one set of loose ends, would probably have resulted in creating another, so Alison probably pitched this one just about perfectly.
The writing is at times evocative, poignant and totally captivating. Yet at other times the harsh realities of life in this small community, are laid bare for all to see. There are also one or two moments of humour to be savoured, when the innocent joys of youth overcome the hardships of neglect and poverty, even if only for short and infrequent periods.
They do say that weddings and funerals bring out the worst in people and it would seem that those two events, coupled with some long held jealousies, have shaped so much of Clare’s life and the already rather intense relationships she enjoys with her brother-in-law. Aunt Hilda had been much more shrewd than anyone gave her credit for and knew that not only would Clare and Sophie cherish Bellevue and all the memories it held, but that they would hold firm against those who would destroy not only the house, but the beauty and heritage of the entire landscape.
The narrative is true to its time and the societal and cultural mores of the 1970s, when activist groups began to rally around the causes of saving the environment, cultural artefacts and what remained of an indigenous population’s ways of life and the wildlife they had managed to keep protected from the modern greed for land and wealth.
The characters were so easy to connect with, whether they were in the nice, or not so nice camp. I could almost tell exactly what they were thinking and how they were going to react to a given situation, that I was all ready to cheer for the ‘goodies’ and hope that the ‘baddies’ got everything they had coming to them. Clare had teacher written through her like a stick of rock, in her mannerisms, demeanour and the very way she spoke and that persona only slipped momentarily when the threats against her got too far out of hand for her to cope with alone. Her careful handling of the situation between Joe and his father was particularly poignant, as Clare could see fragments of her own and Sophie’s emotional freeze when Jack had died, another lesson she had learned well from the formidable Aunt Hilda.
I enjoy it when an author can also add that extra dimension to a storyline by taking me on an ‘armchair journey’ to the location. The Blue Mountains NSW Australia, are a real place, although the township of Numbulla seems to be a fictional location. However change just one letter and together with other nearby towns which were truly named, the area becomes easy to plot and a joy to discover, with its unique Aboriginal heritage transcending time. The superb attention to detail and descriptive narrative qualities, combined to showcase a vivid palette of images and colour, which was evocative and enticing.
What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by some amazing authors who fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions, and in this case also offered me a delightful cultural experience. This storyline over delivered on just about every front, so thanks for some lovely images to treasure, Alison.
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