Being here by Barry Jonsberg

This book looks at the need for us to make our mark on the world and tell our story so that others will pass that story on to the next generation. Leah Cartwright is living in a nursing home and is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. When 16 year old Carly comes to talk to her about oral history, Leah sees it as an opportunity to tell her life story. A fond and respectful relationship develops between Leah and Carly and they both gain from the talks they have. Leah’s story is unusual as her father, a WWI veteran, takes his own life and her mother, becomes fervently religious as a result. She cuts off all contact between herself, Leah and the outside world and Leah’s only solace is her dog Pagan and the boy Adam who she invents as a friend. This may sound weird but as a device for explaining how Leah is able to cope with the harshness of her real world it works. Through imagination Leah is able to find an inner strength and calm which helps her deal with her harsh mother and a way to nurture her own spirit which would have been squashed by the darkness of her mother’s outlook. Carly’s story is also there, not as strong but an important part of the fabric of the novel and important in terms of the friendship that develops between Leah and Carly. Leah is a complex character who is forthright, honest and is able to find wry humour in her situation. She comes across as a bit grumpy but Carly gets under this outer shell revealing the person beneath.

As much as anything else this is a book about death and how we all deal with death, whether as the person dying or those who are left behind. We see Leah in hospital after she has had a stroke and the view of the world is through Leah’s eyes, of the visitors, staff, Carly and herself. We get a view into her thoughts and they are ones we all can relate to. It is also about reaffirming the life and worth of a person through their life and stories even when they are no longer able to articulate the story themselves, somewhere deep inside the person is there still.
This is an interesting and unusual book which is life affirming.
Rita@ Hawthorn