Drowning Rose by Marika CobboldMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first read Marika Cobbold a while back when a publisher recommended her to me. I had yet to care for someone with dementia. When I had come through that life experience, ‘Guppies for Tea’ became all the more poignant for me. Simply, Marika Cobbold writes real people, beautifully, and always balanced with just the right amount of humour. People you can identify with and recognise your own strengths and weaknesses through. I always feel as if I’m settling down with a huge box of chocolates when I pick up one of MC’s books. But unlike Forrest Gump’s Momma, I do know what I’m going to get: a hugely satisfying read. I wasn’t disappointed when I read Drowning Rose – in one sitting. I was delighted by the switch of point of view from (present) forty-one year old Eliza, to Eliza at sixteen, the story narrated then by new girl to the school, Sandra/Cassandra, who is desperate to be seen as one of the inner circle of a group of more-privileged peers. A rather unique twist in the telling, then, and not easy to do, but Marika Cobbold pulled it off without a hitch. I’d rather not throw in spoilers – the book has to be read, so I’ll just say that the story looks at the cracks beneath the veneer (Eliza’s job as a ceramic restorer being a perfect metaphor). It examines how a traumatic event can shape one’s future, the tragedy, which is the drowning of Rose, rippling out to touch and transform the lives of all those who loved and lost her. It looks at guilt, at grief, the burdens we carry and the impact on future relationships. It looks at ‘what ifs’ and whys. I loved it, truly. Anyone aspiring to write should read it. Anyone who loves reading – you are in for a real treat!
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