Let Her Go (Dawn Barker, Hachette)

Dawn Barker’s second novel, after her 2013 psychological thriller Fractured, centres on Zoe, a woman whose biological clock has begun to tick furiously but who is unable to conceive a child. Zoe enlists the help of her sister Nadia to act as a surrogate mother, but—and this is signposted painfully early—the sisters inevitably come into conflict over who should be considered the rightful mother of the child. While the set-up is promising, the story becomes secondary to Barker’s focus on the issue of having and raising children, which serves to portray women as little more than child-bearers.  Barker, I feel, has attempted to create a portrait of Australian family life and all of its moral ambiguities reminiscent of Christos Tsolkias’ The Slap. However, by focussing too much on Zoe and Nadia’s incessant whingeing, the novel fails to progress beyond the characters’ own selfish desires. Let Her Go discusses the intricacies of the human condition, but does so at the cost of compelling narrative. Those who have enjoyed the works of Jodi Picoult will appreciate Barker’s portrayal of justice, yet may be left wanting.

Megan Hancock works at the State Cinema Bookstore

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

Category: Reviews