For those reviewers interested in Australian books set outside the mainstream, we have two titles by Jan Gross available for review: Journey Around My Family and Jam Dreaming.
Journey Around My Family, originally written as a creative writing thesis, is an intimate travel ‘memoir’ (mostly fact, part fiction) with an unusual premise and point-of-view. The protagonist is a mother in her sixties, who embarks on a lone trip around Tasmania’s coast and islands only a week after the loss of her ailing husband. Full of honesty and gentle humour, since its publication Jan’s memoir has been described as ‘a gem’ and ‘a warm, intimate journey’ that ‘evokes colourful vistas, tastes, smells and emotions’.
Jam Dreaming: From St Kilda to Naples, a tale of food and self-discovery is Jan’s first novel, and is a coming-of-age story set in the trendy, seedy, foodie streets of St Kilda, Melbourne. Eileen, our young, disadvantaged, Aboriginal heroine is given a job by the owner of a speciality food shop — holocaust survivor Mama Jocsdi. Eileen’s interactions with the older woman inspire her to find a purpose in her young life, and to embrace and learn about her own extraordinary culture. Full of colourful characters and uniquely Australian themes, Jam Dreaming is a novel about humanity, community and the power of food in bringing the most unlikely of people together.
Download: MR_Jan_Gross.pdf
Nell O’Bryan Book Publicist
