Lightning (Felicity Volk, Picador)

A road novel, a tale of magic realism, a story of two outsiders finding each other, and a search for identity saga. Lightning, an ambitious, finely written novel from first-time author Felicity Volk, is all of these and more. The story begins with Persia, alone in a house and trapped by a bushfire, giving birth to a still-born daughter. Grieving for what might have been and unable to part with her child, she embarks on a journey to find the perfect burial place for the infant. She chances upon Ahmed, a refugee who has deliberately muddied his story to avoid deportation, and together they begin an epic drive to the dead heart of Australia. They sustain each other with stories (think folktales), with their determination to find hope in the chaos of their lives, and with their shared desire to find the perfect resting place for Persia’s child. I occasionally wearied of Ahmed’s exotic tales, which were too drawn out for my somewhat impatient mind to enjoy completely, but many readers will be entranced by them. The climax of this impressive novel is moving and apt, closing a chapter on both their young lives but commencing another. Anyone willing to join them on their journey and its digressions should enjoy this well-wrought tale.

Max Oliver has enjoyed a lifetime of reading and selling books

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Category: Reviews