Lilian's Story

by Kate Grenville

Paperback, 1997

Description

Listen, I told myself, and heard the waves against the harbour-wall, a gull being peevish, the white tapping stick of a blind man against the stones. Listen, I told myself, this is history. Loosely inspired by the legendary Sydney bohemian Bea Miles, Kate Grenville's much-loved debut novel recounts the life of the irrepressible Lilian Una Singer: from wealthy middle-class girlhood under the rule of a monstrous father, to outspoken independence in adulthood, and eventually sleeping rough on the city's streets in later years, her spirit undaunted. Bold, exuberant and richly imaginative, Lilian's Story was acclaimed as a masterpiece on its publication in 1985. It is unforgettable. Kate Grenville is one of Australia's most celebrated writers. Her international bestseller The Secret River was awarded local and overseas prizes, has been adapted for the stage and as an acclaimed television miniseries, and is now a much-loved classic. Grenville's other novels include Sarah Thornhill, The Lieutenant, Dark Places and the Orange Prize winner The Idea of Perfection. Her most recent books are two works of non-fiction, One Life: My Mother's Story and The Case Against Fragrance, and the bestselling 2020 novel A Room Made of Leaves. She has also written three books about the writing process. In 2017 Grenville was awarded the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. She lives in Melbourne. 'Dazzling fiction of universal appeal.' Patrick White 'Very moving and sometimes funny...Evocative and poetic.' Elizabeth Jolley 'A work of considerable beauty and power...An uncompromising vision...told with honesty and virtuosity.' New York Times Book Review 'One of the great Australian novels...Luminous...A triumph.' Australian Book Review.… (more)

Genres

General Fiction

Collection

Fiction

Publication

Allen & Unwin (1997)

User reviews

LibraryThing member CloggieDownunder

Lilian’s Story is Kate Grenville’s first novel. Lilian Una Singer was born on the first day of 1900 and we follow her life’s journey through childhood, maturity and into older age. Grenville weaves a tale around a figure whom all of us have encountered and probably tried to avoid (and whom

some of us may even encounter daily), the “bag lady”, the mad woman who seems to talk to herself in the street or on the bus/train/tram. She presents a highly plausible history for Lilian which helps explain how an eccentric young woman from a middle-class family becomes a Shakespeare-quoting bag-lady. Along the way, we watch Sydney changing during Federation, two World Wars and a Depression. Lilian tries to make her own decisions in life and ultimately brings a sort of happiness to others by being the type of person they can look at, remark upon and tell their own stories about. Grenville’s descriptions are vivid; her characters, compelling and convincing; her dialogue, credible. Perhaps Lilian’s Story will make the reader look at the eccentric bag-people in another light. An excellent read.

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LibraryThing member jody

This book brought about the knowledge of a new character for me. Bea Miles lived in the streets of Sydney during the 60s and 70s. She was a well known character who constantly jumped into cabs and trams, refused to pay and quoted Shakespeare. Grenville's Lillian may not exactly mirror Bea, but the

framework is there and it is a sensitive telling of a life that did not follow the well constructed pattern of the times.

Her childhood seems to be based on speculation, but for the purposes of this book it is a totally realistic set of circumstances that led Lillian to her life on the streets. And like many of her ilk, she was quite happy.

Homelessness is, in many cases, a sad and worrying social status that has many people looking the other way. Lillian's Story forces us to face this issue and give it a face, a human face that only needs a little understanding. But for the grace of God ...

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