Bookseller Publisher Review
When Julia's elderly father, Don, finally agrees to move out of the family home and into an aged-care facility, Julia knows she has a lot of work ahead of her. Don doesn't like to accept help and the house has seen better days. Leaving her husband and 14-year-old stepdaughter in Melbourne, Julia travels to Perth to sift through the beloved objects and faded photo albums that make up her childhood home. She's prepared for the trip down memory lane and prepared to encounter ghosts from her former life. She's even semi-prepared for the intrusive questions from people she once knew : Are you married? Why don't you have children of your own? But when Davina, an old friend, tries to reconnect, Julia realises that there are some memories she isn't prepared to relive. The Glass House is an unsettling and moving exploration of family relationships and the secrets we keep from the people we love most. Brooke Dunnell expertly unpacks the complex dynamic between elderly parent and adult child, and skewers the toxicity at the heart of many teenage female friendships. This multi-layered story is slightly uneven at times; however, the characters are well drawn and engaging. The Glass House would make a great book club pick--there are plenty of interesting topics to discuss--and will appeal to fans of domestic dramas in the vein of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth. Coco McGrath is a freelance editor and former bookseller.
Library Journal Review
Dunnell's debut novel (after the short story collection Female(s and) Dogs) follows Julia, who takes time away from her husband and their physical-therapy practice to help her father move into an assisted-living facility. Beleaguered by nightmares about her stepdaughter, insecurity about her work, family obligations, infertility, and an unsure future, she prepares to face her hometown and mounting worries alone. Visits to old haunts and the unsolicited attentions of an overbearing childhood friend bring Julia back to the past. Though clouded by unreliable memories, childhood insecurities, and lingering feelings of unworthiness, truths come to light. Narrator Fiona McLeod deftly presents the complex blend of naivete and inattentiveness to others that have shaped Julia's life. Her depiction of secondary characters is excellent, including a stellar portrait of Julia's loud and often obnoxious childhood friend. The marked difference between these characterizations is startling but effective. Despite a realistic portrayal of Julia's fierce determination to forget the past, her willful blindness does become tiresome, and the predictable ending disappoints. VERDICT While listeners may piece together Julia's past before she does, those seeking to explore weighty topics, including repressed memories, aging parents, bullying, and unconventional families, will enjoy.--Lisa Youngblood
