Two road trips. Twenty years apart. Can the memories of a troubled family past finally be put to rest?
When Tara Button’s mother asks her to drive the bright yellow family caravan from one end of the state to the other, it’s her charming but unreliable brother, Zac, who convinces her it’s a good idea. Besides, the road trip might keep Zac out of trouble – and that’s always been a second job for Tara.
Tara doesn’t expect Zac’s enigmatic friend Danh to come along for the ride. Or the bikies that seem to be following them up the coast…
As they travel along the open road, memories of the Buttons’ last trip in the caravan engulf Tara, while a rediscovered love for the wild, glorious ocean chips away at her reserve. When forced to face her past, will she find the courage to let go and discover her dreams?
BR readers will likely remember Perth-based author Sasha Wasley’s previous novels including Spring Clean for the Peach Queen, and Love Song. She is an accomplished writer whose talent for writing moving family stories is made abundantly clear with her latest novel, A Caravan Like a Canary. This novel is funny and light-hearted, whilst also touching on sensitive themes of family violence, loss and grief. It’s impressive that Wasley has combined such themes into an ultimately uplifting read.
Set along the stunning WA coastline, this is a road-trip story at heart. In fact, it’s multiple road-trip stories – the present-day journey of siblings Tara and Zac is interspersed with flashbacks to their childhood, in which they travelled in their grandmother’s canary yellow caravan. These memories slowly unveil traumatic incidents from their childhood which continue to impact their lives today. The sibling relationship is particularly endearing, with the more straight-edged Tara doing her best to understand her free-spirited brother Zac. Wasley builds suspense right until the end of this novel. You’re sure to smile, laugh and maybe even shed a few tears too, such is Wasley’s ability to write a moving, complex family story.
A Caravan Like a Canary is sure to appeal to readers of Fiona Lowe and Rachael Johns, as well as anyone who enjoys road-trip stories, big-hearted family dramas and novels set in stunning WA.
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