Annie’s Day

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 5*
“An utterly compelling historical novel superbly steered by a memorable, female protagonist. Highly recommended!”

Reviews sell books—of that there is no doubt.

Which is why, when I read, or watch, interviews with hugely successful authors who I admire I wonder whether, when they say they do not read their reviews, that is true. I am not at that stage of my writing career, perhaps I never will be, so for now, I revel in the good, groan and sometimes weep at the bad. Fortunately there have not been many of the latter.
It takes a big gulp to ask well-known writers for a blurb for the cover of a book. They are all busy with their own stories, and so I truly appreciate the time these authors took to read Annie’s Day—Jane Johnson, Secret of the Bees; Katherine Mezzacappa, The Maiden of Florence; Deborah Swift, Last Train to Freedom; and Liz Harris, Jaipur Moon—all wonderful novels, should you be looking for a new book.
Each time I have a book published and I slavishly read the reviews on the ubiquitous websites, I am struck, and delighted, that certain lines appeal to them out of a book of around 90,000 words. It is unbelievably gratifying to know that a sentence over which I have a laboured, perhaps rewriting three or four times, actually strikes a chord.

Maryann 5*
“…The first chapter contains descriptive passages that bring everything to life, such as this when Annie is looking at a gum tree. “It’s a reminder of a life so long ago that some days it didn’t seem hers. The tree towered above, trying to surpass the church steeple on the other side of a garden wall held together with ivy and stinging nettles. A hint of September hung on the wisp of wind that rustled the eucalyptus leaves.”

Something with which many historical novelists struggle is language that can in current times is considered offensive. My publisher, Vine Leaves Press, and I have come to an agreement that if a word is used in dialogue, it may stand. For example, in Annie’s Day, which covers the Pacific theatre of World War II, when writing narrative about the enemy, I refer to the Japanese Imperial Forces. In dialogue, those same forces are referred to as Nips or Japs, colloquial words common to the day.

Lisa A 5*
“…It was very refreshing to read something that used language authentic to the era and, while some things are considered politically incorrect, I love that the correct language of the time was used…”

It can be easy for a novelist to sound a know-it-all, when in fact they might have just remembered a sliver of a quote from a famous philosopher or writer, then scrambled for the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations! If the character is not a pompous buffoon, and speaks in a self-deprecating manner, I think we can get away with it.

Gillian Gates 5*
“…I enjoyed reading the reference to the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche who said, “Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves.” Annie agreed with this quote saying “I don’t get bored because when I’m sitting, doing nothing, I’m scrolling through my memories. It’s like a film. A bit of a wobbly film, like it’s coming off a reel, because it jumps around a lot.”

Having lived in twelve countries, I consider myself a global nomad, so it is gratifying that the next reviewer latched onto some of the cultural references in Annie’s Day.

Mdmaurer 5*
“… There are many themes that reflect the views of individuals who have grown up in a multicultural world. From the hardships of the war and caring for soldiers from around the world to moving to various countries that were exciting and dangerous, to befriending a young Indian woman living in a time when the world was changing…”

My mother, an Australian army nurse during the war, inspired Annie’s Day. She was a strong woman, kind but with a feisty streak and, while the novel is not Mum’s story, her army postings provided the roadmap for Annie’ story.

Alison 5*
“Annie’s Day is beautifully crafted to highlight the much-neglected histories of those embroiled in WW2’s Pacific conflict, and Gidley specifically focuses on the experiences of Annie, a feisty Australian nurse, and her friends. I particularly liked this approach, as it recognises the contribution of women during times of war, a fact often ignored or minimised. The nurses confront the horrors they experience with bravery and sometimes even with humour, though faced with the tragedy of death and broken lives.”

Annie’s Day was published on November 18th – it’s early days, but hopefully there’ll be more reviews at which I can smile, delighted a phrase, and perhaps the story has given someone a few hours of escapism.