Verandah People

Susan Patrick is a librarian at Ryerson University in Toronto.

These short stories are basically slices of life in small-town
Australia—or perhaps more accurately, slices of death, as nearly every
story centres on death, some of an unexpected, violent kind. Family
relationships form the basis of the stories, which often convey a sense
of childhood nostalgia for the past contrasting with the harsh realities
of life (suicides, accidents, murder, marriage breakups, infidelity,
unwanted pregnancy, bullying).

There is a poetic quality to the writing, and nature functions almost
as a character in the stories. Bennett’s detailed descriptions and
imaginative imagery vividly capture the local colour and atmosphere of
Australia. The flora and fauna, the heat and the sun, the way of life
and the “Strine” lingo are important elements, and few concessions
of explanation are made for those not in the know (drinking Bundy,
eating lamingtons, beetroot juice oozing out of a hamburger, surfing and
swearing terms). These beautifully written stories leave the reader with
a sense of sadness.