Becoming Liz Taylor - Elizabeth Delo

Love Loss, and Optimism dominates this immensely readable debut   

Elizabeth Delo's Becoming Liz Taylor is a touching tale of love, loss and fractured family relationships. I was lucky enough to win a proof copy and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Val as she travelled around the country both literally and metaphorically.  

Blurb:

Val looked around. The baby appeared to be all on its own. There was no sight of a mother. No sign of anyone. 

Val didn't think aout it. She didn't even break her stride. She kicked the brake off the pram and pushed it as if she did it everyday.

My review: 

  

The intrigue in the premise is followed by a routine yet unusual scene in the opening chapter that pulls the reader in, straight away. The reader learns more about Hal and her journey, her reasons for the impulsive act and how she ends up where she does. The reader feels invested as she follows the travels of the unlikely pair all over the country.  

Delo delivers a convincing character in Val, and although she introduces Val to the reader in an unusual situation, she immediately garners sympathy.  Val's actions are impulsive and yet she acts with a conviction that is justified, driving the story forward and opening up a range of possibilities. 

The story moves back and forth in time and Delo's skill comes to fore as she maintains a good balance of nostalgia and emotions in the face of real life situations. This well judged balance makes for an immersive reading experience.

There is also Rafe, an interesting character with a story of his own. Once at the top of his game, Rafe now exists on benefits, living on the fringe of poverty. Just as the reader is wondering how the two different stories will come together, Delo skills comes to fore as she turns the story in a way catching the reader offguard. As both their individual stories merges into one narrative, Delo delivers a compelling story that explores ordinary lives and injecting it with an optimism that is desperately needed in today's world.    

It is a heart warming story that reflects life in its varied colours and hues. Delo brings out dynamics of a family, the imposed loneliness as a result of a fractured past yet laced with underlying optimism. 

That for me, really worked in this compelling debut novel and why the story stuck with me much after turning the last page. 

A feel good read that would make an immensely watchable TV series!   

 

 

Elizabeth Delo's debut novel Becoming Liz Taylor is published by Allen and Unwin and is out on August 3, 2023