Monica’s Memories

Paula Xiberras

When we spoke on the phone last week, Monica McInerney told me she always has her book launches at the Hobart bookshop. This tradition goes back to Monica’s own time as a book publicist when she first encountered the bookshop and the ensuing three years when she lived in Tassie. The proprietors Janet and Christopher became firm friends with Monica and she continued to honour the tradition of launching her new books there some 10 books later! Nowadays, Monica lives in Dublin but is excited to return to Tassie this week for her latest book launch, it’s a very quick visit but after her three week book tour is over Monica plans a drive around Tassie holiday with her husband and other family and friends. Among her visit highlights will be seeing Swansea and living out a dream of spending some time in luxury as an actual guest at the Wrest Point Casino.

Monica loves both Tassie and Ireland and says ’if Australia and Ireland had a baby it would be Tasmania’ as the state has elements of both parent nations!

This time however Monica’s novel is mainly set in the UK. Her main protagonist Ella is like the famous fairy-tale Ella, a child brought up in a blended family, and it is the relationships in this structure that Monica explores in her new novel.

Ella’s slightly eccentric uncle, the bookish Lucas Fox is one of the family members she feels a strong kinship with and it is to him that she turns in troubled times. His magnificent but disorganised house, populated by a pool of pupils is a perfect analogy for life itself, magical, a place to learn and interact with others but very often messy and confused.

Monica’s mum was a librarian so it seems the love for books is genetic. The photo of the house on the cover of this book is of a real house in Gloucester, Paddington and is exactly what she envisioned it to be.

A couple of incidents from real life are dramatized in the novel. You will find too that this novel will take you on an outward journey between Australia and England and an internal journey of emotions that range from sadness to happiness, rejection to acceptance.

Monica McInerney is in Tasmania for the launch of ‘House of Memories’ 5.30pm Tuesday 9 October at the Hobart Bookshop.