The Turning Tide in Aussie Readers

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Aug 06, 2014 Brenda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-release, mystery, read-on-kindle, aussie-authors, own-read, historical-fiction, war-military

4.5★s

Living in Broome in WA as a child of the 30s was a great experience for Mike Whalen; his parents Danny and Lucy owned the lugger-building business in Broome; boats for pearl-shell fishing. Mike had moved across the country and was attending the University in Melbourne – he stayed with family friends in the semester breaks, the O’Briens, helping out on their farm at a little coastal town called Foster near Wilsons Promontory.

When the Second World War began Mike, on the advice of his father, 4.5★s

Living in Broome in WA as a child of the 30s was a great experience for Mike Whalen; his parents Danny and Lucy owned the lugger-building business in Broome; boats for pearl-shell fishing. Mike had moved across the country and was attending the University in Melbourne – he stayed with family friends in the semester breaks, the O’Briens, helping out on their farm at a little coastal town called Foster near Wilsons Promontory.

When the Second World War began Mike, on the advice of his father, was determined to finish his studies in Engineering; then in 1941 Mike’s parents were forced to relocate to Perth to Mike’s aunt – the dangers were too high for them to remain in Broome. Later that same year, Mike’s best friend Johnny Erikssen joined the AIF – just after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour in December 1941, Mike volunteered for the 2nd AIF…

Forty years after the war, Mike was on a nostalgic tour of the beautiful Wilsons Promontory when he bumped into a young lady who turned out to be the granddaughter of his old friend Johnny Erikssen. Lena was also a student at the university where Mike was a Professor, lecturing in engineering. The memories of the war; the past and the many secrets it held, came rushing back. The pain and grief of his years in Timor; the loss of mates; the memories of post-war Hiroshima and Betty – would it all be too much for Mike to come to terms with? And would there be peace in Mike’s future?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Turning Tide by Aussie author C.M. Lance. A gentle telling, the horrors of war aren’t told in a graphic way – they don’t need to be of course, as we’ve all read accounts that HAVE been graphic. The story is told in the two time frames, and it’s told beautifully. There was mystery, deep friendship between mates, love and sadness; but there was also happiness and profound passion. I found the ending extremely satisfying as well – The Turning Tide is a novel that I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
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