Summer reading… war, betrayal and all consuming love.

Many writers have turned their craft and skill to the topic of epic and all consuming love. The longing for love, its presence or its absence …. Our hearts and our lives are largely defined by love.

St. Valentine put his life at risk to wed young lovers in a time when love and devotion was seen as a distraction to the calling of men to war. All for love.

The below JW selection are some of our favourite summer tales of love: Epic love, in times of war, fame, tragedy and betrayal.

Find a comfy nook in some dappled sunlight with your favourite fresh cut flowers in reach (heady and intense with aroma), a glass of sparkling mineral and lime, a box of tissues and an open heart….

Louis de Bernières Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Louis de Bernières vividly paints a tale of intense love and heartbreak against the backdrop of war. The rhythm of the story builds slowly. The complexity and cruelty of humanity is juxtaposed with compassion, grace and courage. It is heart wrenching, brilliant and timeless.

Zadie Smith On Beauty

Contrasting life experiences and perspectives are beautifully captured by Zadie Smith in this accomplished work. She tells a tale that is all too familiar, of long suffering and acceptance… Yet somehow she manages to surprise and shock at every turn. The themes of love, family and devotion are unpacked across cultures and social expectations. Deeply stirring read, beautiful written… Will stay with you for a while.

Salman Rushdie The Ground Beneath Her Feet

The rock goddess and hopeless photographer, calcifying tragedy and spiralling momentum. Humanities obsession with fame and human ‘divinity’. In this masterpiece Sir Salman Rushdie outlines in enticing detail the journey and perspectives of the three protagonists. This book is an ode to love, in all its forms: desperate and pervasive… pure and enduring.

Death is more than love or is it. Art is more than love or is it. Love is more than death and art or not. This is the subject. This is the subject. This is it.

…

All for love.

Gallery

My island home and yours.

Beaches, national parks and hiking trails…. Australia is truly an island that spoils us with natural wonders and spectacular beauty. And it’s home.

The decision this month to award native title to almost seventy percent of the Eyre Peninsula is significant for the Barngarla people, South Australia and everyone who calls this island home. The decision was long overdue and followed almost 20 years of establishing evidence to support the claim, consideration and argument.

The idea that a connection to land can be proven to be extinguished astonishes and challenges. A sigh of relief was apparently heard when the implications of the decision became clear: the connection has not been extinguished, “we can still call this place of our heart and history ours…”

The anthropological and international significance of the culture, history and contribution of the traditional owners of this island home is remarkable.

It’s been a clumsy road, fraught with difficulty… But this decision opens a way for co-habitation to be acknowledged without undermining claim to native title. It’s one more step in the right direction. Hopefully the next one won’t be so overdue.