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'My mother had morphed into versions of all kinds of boyfriends before Jason. She'd been a cowboy boot wearer and a biker chick and a Liberal voter. She'd been a person who went to raves in the bush and a person who watched horror movies and a person who had to sleep with the fan on. They'd come and go, and she'd snap back to herself. But no one had shattered her the way Jason did.
'When her mother falls for some guy that she met at the supermarket, sixteen-year-old Skye immediately senses danger. Jason is charming but secretive, prone to fits of temper. He comes and goes at all hours. He has strange friends. Soon he has convinced her mother quit her job and come to work with him... whatever he does.
'When Jason persuades Linda that she and her kids should move into his place in Port Flinders - a struggling town in South Australia's Gulf region - Skye and her brother Ben do their best to settle into a new routine. But as Jason's behaviour becomes more unpredictable, and their mother increasingly absent, Skye finds herself forced to make decisions that will change all of their lives for good.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Notes
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Author's note: I would like to show my respect for and acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which I write and love and breathe, and recognise Elders past and present.
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Dedication: For my mum, in gratitude for her wisdom and courage
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Epigraph: Galapagos tortoises are the largest of all living tortoises. They live on islands created by volcanos. The oldest Galapagos tortoise lived to be 170 years old. They eat leaves, lichen and even cactuses. When the sun goes down it gets cold, and they burrow into the mud to stay warm. Their only natural predator is the Galapgos hawk, an endemic bird that eats the hatchlings. Galapagos tortoises are very peaceful creatures. - Australian Zoological Magazine
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Heart and Hope
2017
single work
review
essay
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , September no. 394 2017; (p. 39)'Shortly after her son, Luke, was murdered by his father, Rosie Batty spoke of the non-discriminatory nature of family violence: ‘No matter how nice your house is, how intelligent you are. It can happen to anyone, and everyone.’ If Batty’s is an example of the less easily imagined site of domestic violence, Anna Spargo-Ryan’s second novel, The Gulf, presents us with a more conventional alternative: a disadvantaged environment, a mother (Linda) who loses herself in each man she encounters, and her children, Skye and Ben, who pick up the slack. But when Linda meets Jason, a shady bloke in ‘import–export’, and the three move from Adelaide to his home in ‘shithole’ Port Flinders, incipient violence turns overt, erratic mothering becomes neglect, and Skye is forced to protect herself and Ben, and to make decisions that will affect them all.' (Introduction)
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Anna Spargo-Ryan : The Gulf
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , July 2017; -
Young Adults : The Gulf
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Monthly Blog , May 2017;‘The Gulf’ explores the family dynamics of abuse and its effects on children.'
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Novel Paths to Self-help
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 27 May 2017; (p. 19) 'Raise your hand if you would rather read a novel than a self-help book. OK, hands down. Next question: can novels also show us how to parent, how to look after our parents, when to love and when to leave? Can they show us how to live a richer life?' (Introduction) -
Anna Spargo-Ryan on The Gulf and Domestic Violence : ‘Any Woman Can Find Herself There’
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 22 June 2017; 'Anna Spargo-Ryan’s debut novel, The Paper House, was an honest look at mental illness and grief – but it came at a cost. “[The book] was about a nervous breakdown and, when I finished writing it, I essentially had a nervous breakdown,” she says.' (Introduction)
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Anna Spargo-Ryan : The Gulf
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 10-16 June 2017; 'Coming-of-age stories about teenagers in peril are commonplace but Anna Spargo-Ryan’s delightful second novel, The Gulf, is exceptional in many ways. It’s the story of 16-year-old Skye, who lives in Adelaide with her mother, bank teller Linda, and adorable 10-year-old brother, Ben. The family is down on their luck and it’s a tough existence, but Skye enjoys school and she and Ben have friends.' (Introduction) -
Anna Spargo-Ryan on The Gulf and Domestic Violence : ‘Any Woman Can Find Herself There’
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 22 June 2017; 'Anna Spargo-Ryan’s debut novel, The Paper House, was an honest look at mental illness and grief – but it came at a cost. “[The book] was about a nervous breakdown and, when I finished writing it, I essentially had a nervous breakdown,” she says.' (Introduction) -
Novel Paths to Self-help
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 27 May 2017; (p. 19) 'Raise your hand if you would rather read a novel than a self-help book. OK, hands down. Next question: can novels also show us how to parent, how to look after our parents, when to love and when to leave? Can they show us how to live a richer life?' (Introduction) -
Young Adults : The Gulf
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Monthly Blog , May 2017;‘The Gulf’ explores the family dynamics of abuse and its effects on children.'
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Anna Spargo-Ryan : The Gulf
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , July 2017;
Awards
- Gulf of Carpentaria area, Far North Queensland, Queensland,
