The Botanist's Daughter

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Employing a dual timeline, Nunn seamlessly combines historical fact and fiction that centres on the unique role women played in the ‘forgotten war’, in The Last Reunion. Haeseker uses her art elegantly and boldly to communicate what really does threaten us – not phobias, not insects, but the demise of the “little things” in the natural world, on account of us thinking we are bigger and more powerful, more immune to destruction, than we really are. I absolutely loved The Last Reunion, I was completely engrossed in the book after reading a couple of pages and I didn’t want it to end.

But even she underestimated the greed associated with being the first botanist to bring a new and powerful plant out into the world. Thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted, so quotes may have changed. I am grateful to Kayte Nunn to drawing my attention to an aspect of the war that I was not previously aware of, despite having read such a wide range of literature around the WWII conflict.It was surprising to read about the sale value of this type of art – and this was in 1999, as well, so no doubt it would be more nowadays. At the time, she was training for a marathon and found the tactics she used in running came in handy with her writing too. The Last Reunion has a dual timeline it seamlessly flows between the jungles of Burma during WW II and England/Ireland in the late 1990’s.

If you would like to see the wonderful images inspired by the book, Kayte’s Pinterest page is at: pinterest. Olivia has no idea she will be caught up in the drama of fifty year old war time secrets and complicated friendships. for an independent art dealer who has sent her to find a particular piece of artwork that Beatrix has offered for sale. The spark between Olivia and a much older Bea was really enjoyable to read and I liked revisiting that moment in history where we all thought the world was going to go haywire because of Y2K.It is 1945 in Burma and we find women working near the front bringing food and other necessities to the forces fighting there. Although I don’t know why a dandelion should worry me, it does so, before I understand that it is somehow contaminated. The netsuke is in the hands of now elderly Beatrice, one of the Wasbies, and as we are taken back to wartime Burma we learn of how it came to be in her possession.

Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes. The Last Reunion by Aussie author Kayte Nunn is inspired by the women of the Wasbies – the women who were pretty well forgotten, except by those who served. The only problem we found with it though was that the story is fairly complete and wrapped up and exactly what it is meant to be, while this isn’t a bad thing, it didn’t leave much room for discussion on the book itself. Having lived parts of their lives in British colonies such as Singapore, India, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, they were well suited to the climate and living conditions. Pelham over Christmas holidays; she’s been invited to a New Year’s Eve party in Ireland and she asks Olivia to take her.Made of ivory, the ancient toggles used to attach items to men’s obi’s or the wide sash that wrapped around their kimonos. This particular novel is inspired by the women who served in WWII Burma; I'm going to be totally honest and say I had zero knowledge of this prior to this book so it was quite fascinating. Opening on the eve of a new century, a group of five women unite in their shared experiences of war and courage, reflecting on a challenging time in their past. The pair travel to Ireland for a reunion of the Wasbies, where some hidden truths must come to light and their friendships will be tested. The book follows two separate time lines and stories; in Victorian England headstrong Elizabeth takes up her fathers quest to travel to Chile and track down a rare and potentially dangerous plant.

I read a bit about plant hunters in the 19th century, and some of their experiences made for terrific stories.

More so though, the knowledge about the power of plants, because it’s one thing to have a plant that has useful properties, but it’s entirely another to understand its uses. Add to this the story of five women blazing a trail by running a mobile canteen on the frontlines of Burma during WWII and you have a book that includes all of my favourite things: art, female friendship and courageous women discovering their true heart and soul against a backdrop of war. I honestly didn’t even know there were canteens in operation during the war either, much less that they travelled from battle to battle, entirely run by women who had volunteered for the service. Delicately sewing together a wartime narrative thread with a timepiece set in 1976, along with a visit to more recent times in 1999, The Last Reunion covers a expansive territory. To find love and friendship amongst such danger and death is what makes this story so incredibly moving.