AustLit

Clare Kennedy prefaces her review of Maureen McCarthy's new novel Somebody's Crying (Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults 17.1 (2009): 13) with an account of some of the events and experiences that have influenced McCarthy's writing. Kennedy includes some conversational quotes from McCarthy who grew up on a farm in Yea, 'the ninth out of ten children' and remembers her childhood as 'pretty bloody brutal' adding, 'I was very neglected'. (12)

McCarthy's narratives originate from actual events and Somebody's Crying was inspired by the case of a young man accused of his aunt's murder and released due to lack of evidence. As part of her research, McCarthy read up on psychology as well as visiting a number of small towns and found the drug abuse in one community particularly disturbing: 'A lot of people in this town are blowing their brains out with drugs. The psych wards are half-full of kids having psychotic episodes on very strong dope.' (12)

McCarthy has recently endured the breakdown of her twenty-five year marriage as well as 'suffering major health problems' however she is sure she will continue to write stories about human experiences and is 'moving to Darwin to reinvent herself.' (13)