Away with words

Toni Jordan is the author of three books and as the picture shows, she is loving being among keen readers. Toni’s first book was Addition, the story of a girl who counts everything including poppy seeds on a cake.

We are attending an event organised by our local library and featuring visiting authors. It’s held in the most beautifully renovated hall and there are lots of us who know just a few people. It doesn’t matter though, we all love books so we have something in common.

Toni talks about her beginnings as an author. She throws in anecdotes which gave her ideas for her stories, actual incidents which helped her identify characters she could use and a love of Melbourne and its history. For example, her book Nine Days came about because she learned that there were once thousands of horses stabled in and around Melbourne and many of them in Richmond.

Everyone is laughing so much it’s hard to break and enjoy the delicious supper prepared by the local ladies. Toni, however, manages to capture an audience even while sipping a hot drink and enjoying something sweet.

These evenings are very special to us. We’re only two hours from Melbourne, but it’s easy to feel isolated and can be difficult to find people with the same interests. Away with Words is just one program run by our library which has introduced me to many new authors over the years.

I immediately started looking for a copy of Nine Days. In the Author’s Note, Toni says that this novel was inspired by a photo of a soldier leaning out of a train carriage to kiss a woman who is being lifted up to him by another man and this is the photo used on the cover. The story is totally fictitious and takes place in the world around a 15 year-old boy named Kip.

Kip’s role starts when he is living at home and caring for a neighbour’s horse. By the end of the book, he has experienced whatever Richmond can dish up whilst being surrounded by the backdrop of World War II. Throughout it all is a strong love for his sister who offers his one refuge from all that makes his life miserable.

We meet delightful characters along with some really nasty pieces of work and Toni Jordan writes in such a way that you feel you are right there. In fact, you’ll find yourself laughing, crying, cursing and cheering. This book is a very special read.