Harmony
Richard Yaxley
Publication Date:
1 Mar. 2021
Format:
Paperback / softback
ISBN 9781760973261
In 1914, Tom Stott falls in love with Gracie O'Donnell, but their love is thwarted by circumstance and war.
Tom finds himself part of the blood-soaked landings at Gallipoli, while Gracie marries another. A deception, born in a place and time on the brink of war, traverses the world as successive generations seek freedom in a century of change. It isn't until American teen Noah Clifford joins his mother Deborah, his grandfather Will and his great-grandmother Gracie in Australia that the secrets of the past are revealed, secrets that will take them back to the beaches of Gallipoli...
Information
Book Type: Junior HighAge Group: 14 years to Adult
Traffic Lights: Green/Amber
Class Novel: Yes
Good Reads Rating: 4.5/5
Literary Rating: 4.5/5
Review
From the day he was born, Tom Stott's mother knew he would never be satisfied with staying on the farm.
After Gracie O'Donnell--the girl he's in love with--tells Tom her father has arranged for her to marry another man, and the contract cannot be broken, he joins the army.
Despite the distress of his family, and his own misgivings about fighting back in light of his Methodist faith, 18-year-old Tom insists he must go to war. After a short time stationed in Cairo, they sail to Lemnos, and cross the silent, ancient seas to the Dardanelles where he loses his life on the first day of that ill-fated campaign to take control of the vital strait from the Turkish.
The loss of Tom drains the lifeforce from his already fractured family. His father dies not long after, and eventually the family farm lies vacant: forgotten "¦ abandoned.
In the meantime, Gracie has married Ray Clifford at her family's behest. Ray is a miserable man, who enjoys the misery of others. Their son, Will, is obsessed with Charles Kingsford Smith and dreams of flying, of freedom, and of escaping from his parent's loveless marriage.
Unbeknownst to him, his mother has been secretly scraping and saving to give him a nest egg that will enable him to leave. Will goes to London, where he gets a job as a copywriter and falls in love with an Irish girl called Aisling.
Years later, Maoliosa becomes aware of her parent's fighting over her father's desperate desire to return home to Australia. Aisling resents his longing for his family, while enjoying all the benefits of living in Galway where her large and colourful family are an ever-present part of their life.
They make the trip home, but it is not the panacea Will was hoping for. The damage to his body and soul is not so easily solved and the impact of past events on the generations to come continue"¦
Will's daughter ends up in California, alone with her own son, Noah. They live a very hand-to-mouth existence, until one day his mum goes to Australia and doesn't come back.
Three years later, Noah travels to Australia to join her and for the first-time meets his great-grandmother Gracie. Shocked at Noah's resemblance to someone she knew long ago, Gracie eventually shares the secret she has held close to her heart for decades, and the broken pieces of their family history begin to knit back together "¦
This is an outstanding read from a master storyteller. Spanning four generations, it showcases (amongst other things) the impact of family secrets and the undeniable need humans have to know who we are and where we belong. The story was inspired by the author's discovery that he had a great uncle, Sergeant Thomas Sydney Stott, who was killed in the Dardanelles, aged 20, but about who little else was known. The book is a fictional tribute to him in the hope he may have had the "whispering presence of love' to hold close as he faced that terrible battle.
Favourite quote: "Don't put your heart into a place where it will never be appreciated" (p. 94).
Themes
family, grief, loss, secrets, power of truth, belonging, lost love, Dardanelles, World War 1, faith, PTSD, freedom, escape, Methodism, calling, abandonment, family reconciliation
Content Notes
1. Language: bastard x 1 (p17), bloody x 2 (p20, 54). 2. Tom's brother Elvin has mental health issues. His family are aware there is something different about him, and intentionally keep guns (on the farm) away from him. When he does get a gun, he threatens to kill himself (p22) before giving the gun back to Tom and telling him they are wise to keep it away from him. 3. Very mild, completely non-graphic Inference that Gracie and Tom have sex (p43). She falls pregnant and thinks it may be Tom's the husband she marries shortly after, a secret she keeps for generations. 4. Tom is killed in battle (p57). 5. William is in a plane crash. The pilot was killed, and Will was left lame and suffering PTSD (p177). 6. Maoliosa goes missing, and is found by Ralphie Stott (Tom Stott's younger brother) a gentle soul who introduces her to the local wildlife and gives her food and drink. Elvin finds her with Ralphie and takes her home, knowing how people might misinterpret Ralphie's actions. He is completely harmless but he knows they won't think so. 7. Aisling brings a man into their home (Mr Finn) who starts grooming Deborah by telling her he is an agent and can make her famous. After she turns 17 and Mr Finn doesn't come for her as he had said he would she eventually leaves home and goes to London to find him, naively thinking it would be easy. Thankfully she makes some friends along the way who make it clear that isn't going to happen. 8. Deborah goes to California with a musician, to fulfil her dream of being a singer in a band. Oblique references make it clear he and his friends are using drugs, but Deborah doesn't get involved. However, she does fall pregnant and knows she and her son have to leave.
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