Audiobook Review: Outback Midwife by Beth McRae

Title: Outback Midwife
Author: Beth McRae
Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction
Publication Date: 13th July 2015
Narrator: Caroline Lee
Time: 9hrs 2mins
Book Source: Library borrow (Borrowbox)

Synopsis: Call the Midwife meets In the Middle of Nowhere in this heartwarming memoir of an adventurous Aussie midwife's life 'catching babies'.

Outback Midwife is the story of Beth McRae's 40 years as a midwife, from her terrifying first day witnessing a birth as a naïve student nurse to her training as a midwife – the days when the words ‘birth plan' were unheard of and what women wanted was a long way from being part of any plan - to the outback.

Beth's career of catching babies takes her from the city to the bush, bonding with people from all walks of life at one of the most important moments in their lives. But there was one more frontier she was determined to conquer.

At a time when most people are thinking about slowing down, Beth decides to move to a remote Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land to embark on a whole other adventure.

My Thoughts: 

I loved Outback Midwife. As a former nurse I'm drawn to nursing and midwifery stories, and not only is Beth's memoir an entertaining read with humorous and heartbreaking anecdotes but with 40 years experience as a midwife, it's like getting the history of midwifery in Australia without the dry history lesson. 

Beth's nursing training, the slow changes to prenatal care, birth and neonatal practices over the years made me both giggle and cringe in acknowledgement. I also identified with the tragic loss of her baby daughter at 26 weeks, it echoed how little had changed when my own baby died. 

I loved reading about her time in remote aboriginal communities, especially Beth's last posting to Maningrida in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. We lived in Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory for 5 years and briefly visited Maningrida so Beth's time there brought back memories ... 

The cultural differences, respect for ancestors and aboriginal family structures, friendships formed out of acceptance and respect. Beth was accepted by the community, included in "women's business" and learnt as much as she taught. 

Remote area nurses provide life-altering and often life-saving care in isolated and challenging conditions, their experience is invaluable but you can feel reading this that Beth feels the privilege is all hers, she is passionate, candid and humble. 

Beth completed her contract in Maningrida in June 2015, returned home to Wodonga planning to spend time with family and enjoy her grandchildren and she is now looking for her next adventure. 

Caroline Lee is a one of my favourite narrators ... brilliant in The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and The Lake House by Kate Morton. And her narration in Outback Midwife is just as compelling. 

Thoroughly recommend this one

Connect with Beth McRae

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Review: Happy Go Paleo by Irina Macri + Creamy Roasted Fennel & Tomato Soup

Title: Happy Go Paleo: Fun, healthy meals from my 80/20 kitchen
Author: Irena Macri
Genre: Cookbook
Publication Date: 23rd September 2015
Pages: 232
Book Source: Penguin Books Australia

Synopsis: A little paleo goes a long way

'Happy Go Paleo' is exactly what the name suggests: an easy-going, relaxed approach to the paleo diet. I love paleo as a lifestyle, a diet focused on whole foods, a simpler way of living, spending more time outdoors and getting fit through functional movement. I want other people to discover my 80/20 paleo philosophy and how fantastic it can make you feel.' 

In this book, internationally renowned blogger Irena Macri creates complete paleo meals to show how accessible healthy eating can be. Here are over 100 of Irena's best recipes of whole foods, good-quality protein, nuts and seeds. Fun to make, delicious to eat and using everyday ingredients, all recipes are gluten free and refined sugar free to help you craft your own paleo and healthy eating journey!

My Thoughts:

Regulars to my blog will know that this year I've been trialling gluten free/no inflammatory oils/no refined sugar/clean eating in the hope of decreasing inflammation and getting improvement in my nerve-damaged hands. Well, no improvement (worth a try) but I've come across some wonderful cookbooks and delicious recipes that anyone who loves food will enjoy. 

I love Irina Macri's 80/20 take on the paleo lifestyle. Now I still have dairy and I do not and will not EVER eat offal again (I was made to eat lambs fry and steak & kidney as a kid, a traumatising experience I tell you *gag*) and just the thought now makes me dry heave. Mind you I haven't eaten a weetbix since I left home either #40yearsweetbixfree but I digress ... 

I don't need the label but I love the paleo philosophy of whole food, nourishing food and Happy Go Paleo is a more relaxed approach which most people find easier to stick with. Rigidity is misery-making so I particularly like Irina Macri's thinking "that a little paleo goes a long way ..."

Happy Go Paleo is well set out with useful categories, the photography is droolworthy and I love the nutrition notes included for each recipe and the substitution tips. 

Breakfasts & Lunches - yum ... my type of brekky

Nourish in a Hurry - speed & ease recipes. The Creamy Roasted Fennel & Tomato Soup I made came from this category. And Baked Salmon with Homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce will definitely be on the menu at some point.

Cheap Thrills - paleo on a budget

Favourite Feasts - feast and themed meals that require a little more time and effort but don't panic they're not difficult. There's even a Game of Thrones Feast HA

Treats - hmm maybe not treaty enough for me but I'd give the Honey & Coconut Caramel Sauce a go. 

Basics - like bone broth and activating nuts & seeds 

Two-Week Meal Plan 

Might try these Barbecue Grilled Prawns next. Don't they look yum?

photo: Happy Go Paleo

I made Kefir Chicken first because it looked delicious and I've been making my own kefir (probiotic milk) since April. It's chicken marinated in kefir or greek yoghurt and garlic, tumeric, cumin, cinnamon. Sounds good right? Meh ... bland, disappointingly tasteless.  

The next recipe was a winner, I wasn't even sure I liked fennel that much but this was delicious, it even got the tick of approval from the fussy son ;)

Creamy Roasted Fennel & Tomato Soup

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 35 mins 

2 medium bulbs fennel, thickly sliced

4-5 medium Roma tomatoes each sliced into 6 wedges

1 large brown onion sliced

1/2 long red chilli, deseeded and diced 

1 tsp sea salt

4-5 tblsp melted ghee

2 cloves garlic roughly chopped

3 cups vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

pinch of nutmeg (optional) 

1/4 cup coconut milk, plus extra to serve

Preheat oven to 220°C (conventional)

Place the fennel slices on a large baking tray. Top with tomatoes, onion and chilli, then sprinkle all over with sea salt and drizzle with melted ghee. Roast for 20 minutes, then scatter the garlic over the top and roast for further 10 mins. 

Transfer the roasted vegetables, together with the juices to a large saucepan and add stock, bay leaf and nutmeg. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. 

Transfer the soup, in batches if needed, to a blender and process until thick and smooth. Alternatively, use a handheld stick blender and blend in saucepan (that's what I did, easy and less washing up lol) Add coconut milk and stir. Serve with a swirl of extra coconut milk and a few basil leaves. 

Honestly none of the recipes are too complicated. Happy Go Paleo isn't just a lovely cookbook to browse but a very usable one. 

Irina Macri has a fabulous website Eat Drink Paleo with great recipes, articles and gorgeous photography. 

Connect with Irina Macri

Website

Twitter

 Facebook

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs.

Review: On Rue Tatin by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Title: On Rue Tatin - Living and Cooking in a French Town
Author: Susan Herrmann Loomis
Genre: Memoir/Non-fiction
Publication Date: 30th April 2002 (1st published 2001)
Pages: 320
Book Source: own purchase

Synopsis: Susan Loomis arrived in Paris twenty years ago with little more than a student loan and the contents of a suitcase to sustain her. But what began then as an apprenticeship at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine evolved into a lifelong immersion in French cuisine and culture, culminating in permanent residency in 1994. 

"On Rue Tatin "chronicles her journey to an ancient little street in Louviers, one of Normandy's most picturesque towns. With lyrical prose and wry candor, Loomis recalls the miraculous restoration that she and her husband performed on the dilapidated convent they chose for their new residence. As its ochre and azure floor tiles emerged, challenges outside the dwelling mounted. From squatters to a surly priest next door, along with a close-knit community wary of outsiders, Loomis tackled the social challenges head-on, through persistent dialogue-and baking. 

"On Rue Tatin "includes delicious recipes that evoke the essence of this region, such as Apple and Thyme Tart, Duck Breast with Cider, and Braised Chicken in White Wine and Mustard. Transporting readers to a world where tradition is cherished, "On Rue Tatin "provides a touching glimpse of the camaraderie, exquisite food, and simple pleasures of daily life in a truly glorious corner of Normandy.

My Thoughts:

If you're a regular on my blog you know I'm drawn to anything France & vaguely foodie related. On Rue Tatin may not be for everyone, some may even find the everyday minutia tedious but for someone dreaming of living in France it's a vicariously fascinating read. 

Seriously by the last page I was wondering who I'd have to kill bribe to make my dream a reality ;)

After doing a chef's apprenticeship in France, Susan returns to America but later moves to France with husband and son in tow to live the dream, while writing a book to celebrate French farmhouse cooking. 

Not just food related chatter, recipe testing (yes there are yummy/doable recipes included and I can't wait to try the famous Tarte Tatin) but all the details on their purchase and renovation of a dilapidated old convent in Louviers, Normandy, her son starting school, interactions with neighbours, friends and townsfolk, the cultural differences, surrounding countryside and life in general. 

Susan has written a number of cookbooks and her renovated convent home is also home to a successful cooking school. If I had a spare $3500 I'd do a 5 day class at On Rue Tatin. HA

A journal-style memoir highlighting Loomis' food passion, cooking locally and seasonally.

A book to be enjoyed with crusty bread and soft cheese *nom nom*

I'm also looking forward to reading Susan's new book In A French Kitchen, published May 2015

Connect with Susan Herrmann Loomis

Website

Twitter

 Facebook

Linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs.

Audiobook Reviews: The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty and Leaving Home by Jodi Picoult

Title: The Last Anniversary
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date: 3rd March 2014 (1st published 2005)
Time: 14hrs 55mins
Narrator: Caroline Lee
Book Source: Library borrow - Borrow Box

Synopsis: "I'll tell you something, something important. Love is a decision. Not a feeling. That's what you young people don't realise. That's why you're always off divorcing each other. No offence, dear."

So decrees the formidable Connie Thrum of Scribbly Gum Island. She is the chief decision-maker of a rather unconventional family and her word is law. It's been over 70 years since Connie and her sister Rose visited their neighbours and found the kettle boiling and a baby waking for her feed, but no sign of her parents. The 'Munro Baby Mystery' still hasn't been solved and tourists can visit the abandoned home, exactly as it was found in 1932.

But now Connie has passed away and the island residents ponder her legacy. Sophie Honeywell is looking down the barrel of her 40th birthday and still hoping for that fairytale ending. Her beautiful new friend Grace, the Munro Baby's grand daughter, can't tell anyone what she hopes for. It would be too shocking.

Meanwhile, a frumpy housewife makes a pact with a stranger, an old lady starts making her own decisions and a family secret finally explodes on an extraordinary night of mulled wine, fire-eating, and face-painting -  The Last Anniversary.

My Thoughts:

The Husband's Secret was a favourite read in 2013, I also really enjoyed What Alice Forgot and Big Little Lies, but The Last Anniversary ... not so much. Liane Moriarty is a fave Australian author so believe me I really wanted to like this one more. I think being one of her earlier novels it fell short in comparison to her newer work and my high expectations.  

I figured out the Munro Baby 'mystery' fairly early which didn't really bother me as I thought I'd be pulled in to the lives and relationships of this eccentric extended 'family'. Sadly, few held my interest. I normally find eccentric, odd, quirky quite endearing but many of the characters felt two dimensional and some were just plain horrid. 

What I did like was Moriarty's addressing of post natal depression and the crushing actions some inflict on those they purportedly love. 

As always, Caroline Lee does a wonderful job with narration but it pains me to say that just wasn't enough to get this one over the line. 

Don't let me put you off, from a quick look at reviews on Goodreads you either love or loathe The Last Anniversary and it won't put me off reading more of Moriarty's backlist while I wait for a new book to hit shelves. 

Title: Leaving Home
Author: Jodi Picoult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Non-Fiction/Short Story
Publication Date: 18th October 2011 
Time: 1hr 25mins
Narrator: Jodi Picoult
Book Source: Library borrow - Borrow Box

Synopsis: Leaving Home brings together three, previously published short pieces, each dealing with a variation on the theme of leaving home.

The first, "Weights and Measures," deals with the tragic loss of a child; the second is a non-fiction letter Picoult wrote to her eldest son as he left for college; and, "Ritz" tells the story of a mother who takes the vacation all mothers need sometime.

Jodi Picoult has the remarkable ability to portray an event's key moments and feelings in a potent narration that tugs at the heartstrings.

Leaving Home's three emotionally charged stories deal with a gamut of pain, regret, unconditional love, memory, motherhood, and friendship that the author renders almost palpably. 

My Thoughts:

Leaving Home packs a big emotional punch for such a small package. Three short pieces on the theme of leaving home in one way or another. At just 1hr and 25mins, it's a super quick listen beautifully narrated by the author.   

Weights and Measures: opens with "The loudest sound in the world is the absence of a child." This could not be more true. Parents grieving the loss of their child, there is no worse pain. I was in tears for much of this story, the loss of my daughter forever changed me. I thought the symbolism of growing from or being reduced by loss, interesting but with or without it, the pain resonated. 

Jodi Picoult's letter to her son as he left home for college was beautiful and very touching ... I shed a few more tears. She recalls his arrival in the world, her love, fears, hopes and dreams for him, advice and life lessons. You raise a child to send them off into the world but I don't think I was quite so brave when my youngest son moved out of home.  

Ritz: the story of a mother who runs away from home takes a vacation on her own, told from the perspective of her 15 year old daughter. I understood the overwhelmed, unappreciated feeling, wanting to escape responsibilities but the way this mother just upped and left was not a 'vacation' it was a little cruel. Everyone needs 'me' time and yes the family coped with her unplanned absence but for me the end didn't justify the means. And the father mentioned things that had me thinking there was more going on but the length of the story prevented exploration of it. 

Review: From the Feet Up by Tanya Saad

Title: From the Feet Up
Author: Tanya Saad
Genre: Memoir
Publication Date: 1st April 2014
Pages: 432
Book Source: Morey Media

Synopsis: Tanya Saad’s life wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t far off. Happily occupied with a demanding job, the competitive cycling she loved and the support of her irrepressible family, she wasn’t given to introspection. Then the thunderbolt hit. At the age of 30, Tanya discovered she had tested positive for the BRCA1 gene: a gene that meant her chances of developing breast and ovarian cancer young just increased exponentially. Worse was to come when one of her beloved younger sisters tested positive, too.

A resilient personality, Tanya was used to meeting challenges. Growing up as part of a Lebanese family in a small NSW country town then coming out as a gay woman in a conservative environment meant she was used to conflict. But there were tough decisions ahead — should she have her breasts and ovaries removed before the disease took hold? Still a young woman, yet to find a partner, would she have time to have children?

Told with great verve and humour, this memoir questions what it is that makes you a woman, shows how to meet adversity with courage and grace and offers some surprising revelations along the way. As Tanya says, ‘the profound moments in your life are not about getting what you want, they are about discovering who you are.

My Thoughts:

Tanya Saad's memoir is compelling, articulate, informative and moving. With the hereditary BRCA1 gene mutation and Tanya's family history it wasn't a case of if she got ovarian and/or breast cancer but when. Preventative treatment choices are confronting and life changing on both a physical and emotional level ... bilateral mastectomy, removal of fallopian tubes and ovaries but in terms of risk management, they're also life-affirming.  

Tanya's childhood and family recollections are woven through the adult narrative; growing up in the small, country town of Taree, her Lebanese heritage, bullied in school, work in the family shoe store, the bond between herself and sisters, Paula and Vivian, their 3 month holiday to Lebanon in 1990 just months after the end of the civil war, her beautiful relationship with grandmother Teta.  

As an adult Tanya moves on from Taree, to Canberra and a successful career and competitive sporting life. Following confirmation that Tanya, along with her sister Paula, had the BRCA1 gene fault, Tanya frankly shares the emotions, statistics, screenings, surgical choices, skin/nipple sparing/reconstruction options, and her ultimate decisions. 

I love Paula and Tanya's  'mantra' adapted from the movie Cool Runnings ..

I have pride, I have power. I'm a badass mother that don't take no crap from nobody.

A read rich in culture and courage, a tribute to the ordinary - extraordinary women (and to a lesser extent men) faced with harmful BRCA gene mutations. 

Knowledge is  Power

Connect with Tanya Saad

Twitter

Purchase From the Feet Up

@Harlequin Aust

@Amazon only $3.60

Review: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Title: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Author: Anthony Bourdain
Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction
Publication Date: 7th February 2001
Time: 8hrs 21mins
Narrator: Anthony Bourdain
Book Source: Own audio

Synopsis: A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—now with all-new, never-before-published material.

New York Chef Tony Bourdain gives away secrets of the trade in his wickedly funny, inspiring memoir/expose. Kitchen Confidential reveals what Bourdain calls "twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior and haute cuisine."

My Thoughts: 

An entertaining, often laugh-out-loud, sometimes cringe-worthy read about the overtly depraved world of chefs and cooks from master of crass, Anthony Bourdain. Not so much shocking, but ugly, irreverent, honest and ... hilarious; well I thought so ;)

It's as much about rails of coke and humping in the dry goods area, sexual misadventures, as it is about Anthony's highly contagious love of food and the day-to-day adrenaline rush of running a kitchen - from his first oyster as a child in France to executive chef at NYC's Les Halles. He's abrasive and vulgar, but his loyalty and self-deprecating humour and honesty is almost endearing. 

"We were high all the time, sneaking off to the walk-in at every opportunity to conceptualise. Hardly a decision was made without drugs; pot, Quaaludes, cocaine, LSD, Psilocybin mushrooms soaked in honey and used to sweeten tea, Seconal ..."

There were no particularly shocking "trade secrets"  ... 

don't order seafood on Mondays

stay away from "specials of the day" 

skip the mussels

if you're thinking of opening a restaurant ... don't

but the drug culture was an eye-opener. Anthony's gravelly voice is an easy listen so if you're up for a few hours of entertainment and don't mind your politically correct senses (and ears) being assaulted then you might just enjoy this wild, if slightly dated ride.  

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs.

A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley

Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction
Publication Date: 24th June 2013
Pages: 288
Book Source: Penguin Aust & NetGalley

Synopsis: When Saroo Brierley used Google Earth to find his long-lost home town half a world away, he made global headlines. Saroo had become lost on a train in India at the age of five. Not knowing the name of his family or where he was from, he survived for weeks on the streets of Kolkata, before being taken into an orphanage and adopted by a couple in Australia.

Despite being happy in his new family, Saroo always wondered about his origins. He spent hours staring at the map of India on his bedroom wall. When he was a young man the advent of Google Earth led him to pour over satellite images of the country for landmarks he recognised. And one day, after years of searching, he miraculously found what he was looking for.

Then he set off on a journey to find his mother.

A Long Way Home is a moving and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. It celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit – hope.

My Thoughts:

I recently watched Saroo's inspirational story on 60 Minutes and was so emotionally moved that when I saw his book on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. 

In 1986 a 5 year old Indian boy became lost, a train ride and 1800 kilometres separating him from his family and home town. Surviving the streets of Calcutta at such a young age was nothing short of a miracle but Saroo was blessed with more than one miracle. Taken in by Mrs Sood of the Indian Society for Sponsorship and Adoption (ISSA) and adopted by the Brierley's a remarkable Australian couple from Tasmania. 

The motto of the ISSA ... is: "Somewhere a child is waiting. Somewhere a family is waiting. We at ISSA bring them together."

Encouraged by the love of his Australian family, his own belief, unwavering tenacity and Google Earth, Saroo was reunited with his dear mother and Indian family, 25 years after being separated. 

I found the television piece particularly touching, obviously time constraints limited coverage so it was interesting, although not quite as emotionally compelling to read Saroo's detailed story. A Long Way Home is a very simply written recount of Saroo's memories and amazing against-the-odds journey. What a truly joyful outcome!
  

Connect with Saroo Brierley 

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Website