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Review: The Long Shadow – Anne Buist

The Long Shadow

Anne Buist

Text Publishing

ISBN: 9781922268709

 

Description:

Write down something about yourself, as a mother, that worries you.

 

Psychologist Isabel Harris has come to the outback town of Riley because her husband Dean is assessing the hospital—the hub of the community—with a view to closing it down. Isabel, mostly occupied with her toddler, will run a mother–baby therapy group. But on the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the mothers:

 

The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.

 

Then a series of small harassments begins.

 

Is it an attempt to warn Dean off? Or could the threat be serious? A child was murdered in Riley once before.

 

As Isabel discovers more about the mothers in her group, she begins to believe the twenty-five-year-old mystery of a baby’s death may be the key to preventing another tragedy.

 

My View:

What did I love about this read? So much to enjoy if you stop and take the time to absorb the many themes presented in this read; motherhood, what is home, domestic violence, family violence, racism, small town attitudes, family dramas, sins of the past…for me this was a slow burn with so many fascinating aspects. I particularly liked hearing the voice of the protagonist – her many views on life in the town – as a psychologist  dealing with her clients, her insights into their issues are fascinating, as  an individual suffering her own stresses – again interesting, as a “new comer” to town she has a unique perspective.

 

Now I’ve sampled the thoughtful writing in this standalone I am very keen to read the Natalie King series of thrillers that Anne Buist is well known for.

 

 

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Post Script: The Energy Guide – Dr Libby Weaver

“…it is what you do every day that impacts on your health, not what you do sometimes.” P.76

The Energy Guide

The Energy Guide

Dr Libby Weaver

Pan Macmillan Australia

ISBN: 9781925481495

 

Description:

‘Every day in my practice I’m seeing otherwise healthy people telling me that they feel exhausted and overwhelmed. It doesn’t have to be that way.’

 

Dr Libby Weaver, an internationally acclaimed nutritional biochemist, believes that our energy level, not our weight, is the most important benchmark of overall wellbeing. When we diet, we inevitably put the weight back on, but if we use energy as our wellness currency, we gain powerful insights into achieving good health for the long-term.

 

Drawing on years of academic and clinical experience, Dr Libby shows how to reboot your diet, improve your sleep, understand your hormones, reduce your stress and manage the demands on your time. She also provides over 100 recipes and meal ideas packed with energy-giving goodness.

 

Authoritative and compassionate, The Energy Guide will transform the way you think about your wellbeing, helping you make genuine and long-term improvements to your life to leave you healthier, happier and more productive.

 

 

My View:

“…it is what you do every day that impacts on your health, not what you do sometimes.” P.76

 

This book is much more than a cook book or a book on health, this is a book about “flourishing”, a book about listening to your body – “it will tell you when it’s time to slow down, rest, better support and enhance detoxification pathways, repair, replenish and restore.”(Introduction) Chapter One looks at how what we eat affects our energy levels and focusses on eating real wholefoods and the importance of hydration.  Chapter Two is about the importance of sleep – and as a long tern sufferer of Periodic Limb Movements (I do a kind of synchronized swimming in my sleep that means I don’t get good quality REM sleep most nights) – I know all about how poor sleep quality affects every aspect of your life. Chapter Three looks at the role of movement in promoting energy and wellbeing.  Chapter Four – is all about stress- do I hear a collective sigh hear?  Stress is a huge issue in our modern, busy, busy always in touch world. Dr Weaver shares the most effective science based strategies for managing stress (and yes I have started doing yoga, I am more aware of my “breathing, I am learning to say “no”, I eat wholefood and almost no processed food – unless I do the processing, and I am enjoying lots of “moments” in my day… and probably the painting I have just started doing is helpful, I certainly am enjoying it  J ) Chapter Five – talks about some specific health challenges.

 

I think there is information in this book that we can all benefit from.  And there are the recipes to support the restoration of energy to our body systems.  This is worthwhile reading.