Who We Were (Lucy Neave, Text)

Who We Were is a sweeping love story that spans multiple continents and decades. Annabel is just 17 when she meets Bill on a trip from Melbourne to her home town in country Victoria, but the encounter changes the course of her life. After Bill returns from the war, the couple marry and emigrate to New York, driven by their careers and a desire to start a new life. In New York, Annabel and Bill find new friends and work hard to develop successful careers as scientists, but not everything is as it seems. The dangerous politics of the Cold War are never far from the surface of this story and ultimately force Annabel to question her own identity, as well as her husband’s. While I enjoyed Lucy Neave’s almost cinematic descriptions of rural Australia—and their contrast with the seemingly unpredictable world of New York in the 1950s—at times this novel felt rushed; significant moments in the story were delivered quickly and too often, and sometimes it was difficult to pinpoint Annabel’s swirling emotions. Nevertheless, readers who enjoy 20th-century history will appreciate this debut novel, which rewards with a powerful and unexpected ending.

Eloise Keating is news editor of Books+Publishing

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews