For Friday Fiction I am reviewing Wish Me Gone by D.J. Blackmore
“Up close, the heritage listed house is nothing but a beautiful disaster, but while there are acres of orange trees to lose herself amongst, Isabella realises there’s no escaping the new school. But when intolerance towards Damaska and her family—whom Isabella’s family has hired to help—opens the homestead gates, the threat to both families becomes real. Four lives in Australia become intertwined by one orchard, as they all try to find a place they call home.”
Thus is the premise of Wish Me Gone by D.J. Blackmore, a contemporary YA novel set around Wagga Wagga, NSW. After recently reading a number of historicals, rom-coms and contemporary romances set in North America I found this a refreshing book, especially as it’s set in a part of the country I feel a little familiar with, with issues that resonated and felt realistic. The author’s family connections to the army help ground the portrayal of army training life. The challenges of racial prejudice are shown through multiple points of view, which is really helpful in understanding the different reasons that motivate different characters. I enjoyed discovering the way Wish Me Gone demonstrates we all have hidden stories.
If you enjoy Australian stories that don’t shy from some of the nitty-gritty of rural life, then make sure you check out Wish Me Gone.
From the back cover:
A heritage listed home in the Riverina is up for grabs and Isabella’s Mum falls hopelessly in love. Isabella feels the pinch of new shoes in another school and feels she’s the only one in town who’s being stepped upon.
Yet it seems the immigrant family who come to pick oranges at the orchard become a target for intolerance too. But when her brother Abel takes leave from the Army barracks to disappear without a trace, the family’s tree-change plummets them into their worst fears. As the hours march irrevocably on, hope is the only weapon they possess, as each of them learn that a hero is made, not born.
Get your copy at Amazon | Rhiza Edge
(The author was given a complimentary copy of Wish Me Gone but was not required to leave a positive review)
Hi Carolyn, Thanks for sharing your book recommendation. Deirdre’s book sounds like a good read. 😊