Review by Suzy - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

by Suzy Wilson

Barbara Kingsolver says that ‘You can’t beat Dickens for a good plot’ but after reveling in this tremendous, well crafted, utterly compelling novel, I would argue that it would also be pretty damn hard to beat Kingsolver for plot, or for nuanced characters and fabulous gritty writing. I loved my days reading this story. 

Echoing Dickens, Kingsolver takes the David Copperfield story to Appalachia. This is country that she grew up in; it is in her bones, and her love of this place provides the powerful backdrop that gives the novel its strength. 

Demon Copperhead is the reader’s hero. He is flawed - an orphan, a victim, a survivor - charismatic, and blessed with much artistic talent and sporting skill. I am not overstating it, I think, to say that Kingsolver makes in Demon one of the strongest lead characters in recent years. But there are other heroes in this story: some extraordinary teachers, a doctor, several members of the Peggott family and a couple of anti-heroes (Fast Forward and U-Haul) who are charismatic and ghastly in their own right. 

It is a storm of a novel. It rages against the effects of endemic poverty, but particularly against pharmaceutical companies (Purdue* and others) and the oxy (Oxycontin) epidemic they delivered to the most vulnerable communities of America. I suspect the Sackler Oxy story is going to appear with relentless regularity in books and films (even the new Ted Lasso series has Rupert Mannion on a cruise with the Sacklers).

It is the characters who drive and ultimately make this novel outstanding, and they are with me still. We are all watching eagerly to see which prize lists this novel may pop up on in 2023. 

*“Purdue Pharma has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges twice, in 2007 and in 2020, based ondeceptive marketing that downplayed the risk of becoming addicted to OxyContin’. Sackler familymembers maintain they were unaware of wrongdoing by executives at the company.” NPR, 2022.

buy the limited edition hardcover of Demon Copperhead for the same price as a paperback!

We Have Some Exciting News!

Dear Beloved Reader,

As a highly valued customer and supporter, I want to tell you about our exciting news.

Over the past 25 years Riverbend Books has been fiercely supported by so many. This is just one reason we treasure our place in the community.

In early 2023, Riverbend will commence a new chapter in its life. The next phase involves a new development of the whole block on which Riverbend sits, from Cambridge to Jamieson St. We believe this development will help regenerate business and community life in Oxford St. While our wonderful new space is being created, Riverbend will be temporarily relocating. As soon as we have confirmed this new local address we will be letting everyone know.

We are working closely with the developers, builders and the greater Bulimba community to ensure Riverbend will be able to continue to operate with minimal disruption during this phase. In time, we will have a wonderful new premise and be part of an iconic new development, ensuring Riverbend will be around for future generations.

For now, it’s business as usual. All book clubs and scheduled events will continue. We will still be getting all the latest releases in store and we can still specially order books for you.

We look forward to sharing updates with you as more information becomes available, including the local address of our temporary home which we are scheduled to move into for 18 months, from March or April of 2023.

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate this next chapter, and being part of the Riverbend Story.

Warm regards,

Suzy Wilson & the Riverbend team.

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FAQs

Where are you going?

We will be going to an interim premises before we move back into the new building, after which we will be on the same corner at street level.

Are you closing?

No, we aren’t closing. We will be bigger and better, ensuring Riverbend’s longevity.

Why are you closing?

We aren’t closing. We will be relocating somewhere very close while a great new space is being built for us.

Isn’t the development going to be terrible for the area?

Any short-term inconvenience will be worth the long-term prosperity of Oxford Street as a destination high street. The development will regenerate the whole precinct.

Will there be parking?

Yes, there will be multiple levels of parking and a lift in the building.

Isn’t this building heritage listed?

No, this building is post war and so isn’t heritage listed.

Is the shop going to be smaller?

No, the shop will be much bigger. More room for more books!

Will it be easy to access?

Yes, we will be on street level with no stairs and no ramp. The shop will be vastly more accessible.

Will you still have bookclubs in the interim?

Yes, we will still have book clubs. Vicky and the bookclub team are working on dates and interim venues and bookclub members will be informed at every step.

Will there still be a cafe?

The new building will have a cafe while our temporary shop location will be near a cafe.

Will the temporary shop still be on oxford street?

We are still finalising details of the new location, however we are aiming to still be on Oxford Street.

What will happen with Riverbend Staff?

All staff jobs are safe.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! You can contact us on 3899 8555 or shoot us an email at info@riverbendbooks.com.au

See What You Made Me Do

by Suzy Wilson

Dear Reader

Every now and then an author tackles a subject of deep concern to us all. 

Jess Hill's book, See What You Made Me Do  is intelligent, sensitive and insightful.  It is an incredible book and offers real and practical insights and solutions for a problem which is too often put in the ‘too hard’ basket. The subject is domestic violence.

It is a book which is hard to put down, horrifyingly compelling, beautifully written, and I believe everyone needs to read it. It is possibly one of the most important books published in this country in recent years.

If readers like us look away and don’t attempt to understand DV, then we can’t hope to do something about it. For me reading this book provided a pathway to understanding the ‘How could they?’ And ‘Why do they?’ elements of DV. 

Hill concludes the book with some very practical actions for communities to take on board as proven pathways for dealing with DV. 

Our State member for Parliament, Di Farmer,  is proactively engaging with our community on the subject of Domestic Violence on June 2 at Lourdes Hill soon (details below). Hannah Clarke’s parents will be there.  If we want women to be safe in our community, we all need to be there.

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Date: Thursday 2 June 2022

Time: 6:30pm to 8.30pm

Venue: The Good Samaritan Centre (GSC),  Lourdes Hill College, 86 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne. Entry via Gate 2. Street parking only.

RSVP by COB Tuesday 31 May

Brisbane’s Very Own Ann Patchett, Suzy Wilson

How a bookstore makes a community 

by Alexandra Browning

After reading Ann Patchett’s latest collection of short stories entitled These Precious Days I could not help but compare the way Patchett described her beloved Nashville bookstore to our very own Riverbend Books. 

Behind the busy cafes and leafy parks along Oxford Street lies a little store by the name of Riverbend Books. 

For over twenty years Suzy Wilson has gifted Bulimba the love of literature, learning and a rich sense of community. 

Like Ann Patchett, Suzy has created a space for people, young and old; for writers to connect with readers and readers to connect with books. 

In an old postwar timber home filled from top to toe with books, Riverbend has a charm to it that makes one’s heart all warm and fuzzy. 

This space is more than just a bookstore, it has fostered a neighbourhood and a community; something so rare in these disconnected times. 

As discussed in Patchett’s latest book, a bookstore provides a place where everyone feels welcomed and understood.

When I think of Riverbend, I picture the warm summer evenings on the timber deck when friends gather to support a local author, or gush to hear a hilarious conversation between Suzy and Trent Dalton, or Laura Sweeny and Quentin Bryce. 

Or early Saturday mornings when the toddlers in their lilac leotards cross the street from ballet class at the church and skip hand in hand straight for the children’s section. They plop themselves in a row on the tiny timber bench buried in tulle and are taken to the world of Fancy Nancy or Alison Lester.  

Or hysterical laughter from the book clubs where women (and men) gather at the back table between the classics and crime to sometimes discuss all things books and sometimes nothing to do with books at all. 

Or on an October afternoon when the jacarandas are in full bloom and a thunderstorm is brewing and the children from Bulimba primary school come in in their blue check uniforms to buy the latest Anh Do or David Walliams with their very own pocket money.

Or when adults who once upon a time were those little children come and visit the store and reminisce on ‘these precious days.’

There is nothing quite like an independent bookshop. 

How lucky we are… to be a part of this wonderful community.

If you are reading this, I am going to assume you too share a love of the written word and I therefore highly recommend purchasing a copy of These Precious Days, which is in stock now. 

Not only does Ann discuss her love of writing and of her community, but she shares stories about her marriage and her relationships with her family. Perhaps most notably, she shares her life changing friendship with Tom Hanks’ assistant Sooki, and the long days they spend together in Ann’s home during the height of the lockdown. 

It is heartwarming, profound and altogether wonderful. Well worth a read, and of course, a visit to Riverbend Books!

Covid-19 Madness

We’re approaching the glimmering light at the end of the tunnel, and we at Riverbend wish to heartily thank our loyal readers.

This time of madness has been trying for many and we at Riverbend feel extremely lucky and heartwarmed by the local (and sometimes not-so-local) swell of good wishes and support. Our online orders have quadrupled, local delivery was a hit, and we’ve had so many customers make use of our handy ‘drive thru’. Schools are still thriving and our many bookclubs have graciously survived the transition to Zoom. We are fortunate in comparison to many other businesses who may not be able to see any light at the end of this long tunnel and who have suffered great losses.

If you are a regular attendee of our bookchats or events, you might have heard Suzy talk in detail about supporting local industry. One simple thing you could do to support our wonderful local businesses is to buy a GIFT VOUCHER from one (or more) of the businesses you love in the street. You will be giving practical help (to cash flow!) and will help keep our great high street alive and well. Head on over to our Facebook Page for recommendations — and make a recommendation of your own to go in the draw to win a $25 Riverbend Voucher.

Riverbend is open to the public from today, Friday May 22nd, and our Winter opening hours will be 8am to 5:30pm, Monday to Sunday. In accordance with continued restrictions we will only be allowing three customers in the shop at one time, with a sanitization station at the door. Up until today we have been cleaning the shop top to bottom and back to front to get it ready for the public. Bookclubs and group meetings will still happen via Zoom until restrictions are eased to allow group gatherings. We are playing it by ear, but hopefully by July we’ll all be back to normal!

We hope you are all well and safe, and that we will see you all in the near future!

Regards

Suzy and the Riverbend Team