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Loved the way this book is structured - in two parts, one set in the present and moving forward, the other one - taking turns - set in the past and unravelling events by going backwards. Something happened to Jake, the protagonist, that's all we know at the beginning, something that hurt her and made her distrust everyone and everything...
A gripping read.

Started its journey around half the globe on BookCrossing day - as a wishlist surprise.

what a wonderful surprise - thankyou so much for this totally unexpected package :)

this book won the miles franklin literary award last year (2014) - miles franklin is one of our most prestigious literary awards
my face-to-face book group reads long and shortlisted titles each year and we try to guess the winner - it may as well be a lucky dip because we rarely guess *the* winner
i did not get a chance to read this last year and now have the opportunity

thankyou so much for sharing this with me
;)

i did attempt to read this in 2014 for the book group when we were reading Miles Frankiln Literary Award short listed titles... I could not finish it and then it won! Much to my surprise and the surprise of many many others....

Anyhow I did read it all the way through earlier this year - it is not a long book in terms of pages, but it still seemed to take forever
So I have finished it and I am still perpelexed as to why it won - the author is British and apparently sets the book in Australia, but apart from some early references to Port Hedland, it really could be anywhere in the world... so much for representing Australian life in any of its phases. And I would question the 'highest literary merit'. It will be interesting to see if it endures this 'literary merit' in coming years and decades.

"The Miles Franklin Literary Award is Australia’s most prestigious literature prize. Established through the will of My Brilliant Career author, Miles Franklin, the prize is awarded each year to a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases."

This is the third award winner I have read in recent times where I remain perplexed about its win... so much so that I shall no longer be buying nor reading 'winners' unless they appeal to my reading taste.

That said I am sure others have enjoyed it and others may enjoy it.

here is a review - it starts with Wyld's win and continues on to discuss the other short listed titles

http://theconversation.com/and-the-winner-of-the-miles-franklin-award-is-evie-wyld-28522

A 34-year-old British-born writer has won Australia’s most prestigious literary prize. Evie Wyld’s All the Birds, Singing was named as the unexpected winner of the 2014 Miles Franklin Award tonight.

The shortlist of six novels featured four women authors. Yet four-time winner Tim Winton was favoured to take out the award for Eyrie, as was Richard Flanagan for The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The Award has attracted criticism, and inspired the creation of the Stella Prize, because of past “sausage-fest” shortlists.

Miles Franklin’s requirement that nominated works engage with “Australian life in any of its phases” historically lead to the exclusion of novels set overseas. Christopher Koch’s The Year of Living Dangerously, set in Indonesia, was considered ineligible in 1979. Likewise, in 1994, Frank Moorhouse’s Grand Days, which takes place in Europe, was also excluded.

In recent years, the prize judges have taken a wider view of what constitutes Australian life, with two of this year’s shortlisted novels, including Wyld’s, largely unfolding overseas.

Wyld’s novel begins by demonstrating the physical and mental strength of protagonist Jake Whyte, as she holds her own in a shearing shed. Yet this Australian past, tantalisingly revealed in reverse order alongside her present life as a resident in an isolated farmhouse on an island in England, shows that Jake is also a victim of a masculinist culture.

The novels in this year’s shortlist radically repurpose iconic Australian literary themes, particularly war and bush life.

Wyld offers an alternative view of the hard-working man labouring on the land who was romanticised in colonial Australian literature. Her novel shows that the Australian bush remains a masculine space. Yet it also celebrates the tenacity of an unconventional woman like Jake who must struggle for independence and contentment.

Sending to MzMay for the Southern Cross Book Exchange

Enjoy this wishlist title

happy reading
;)

happy reading mz may

;)

Another letter box surprise, appreciated

Loved this, and I hope you do as well

SCBE September for Sherlockfan

Thanks very much EdwardStreet. Despite the troubles I previously had getting onto this book's page this time there was no problem. Technology's difficulties continue to baffle me. Looks like a rather controversial book from the much appreciated journal notes here. Will be interested to see what I think. What exactly did you think?

I did find this very unusual and not something I would roundly recommend although I did quite enjoy it. Very fulsome words on the inside cover and back but lavish praise IMHO.
EdwardsStreet you did have a rather puzzled look on your face when you passed it to me and I guess they mirror my thoughts in a way.

Taking this to monthly meetup of Wellington -bookcrossers in Trax cafe at our city's main railway station.
Sorry it has taken me so long to release.
Travel safely little book.

Caught at Bxing meetup

I have mixed feelings about this book. There was suspense and tension and the mysterious past that is gradually teased out as the story progresses. But maybe I just missed something , as I just didn't get it at the end. What was, and what was the purpose, of the creature? I kept expecting to find out that she's been found, or some explanation of the killings.

That said, I enjoyed it to a degree, but agree with some of the other puzzled comments about why exactly it was a prize winner.

Left on a table in the 4th floor kitchen