JUNE Book of the Month
Medea Sang Me a Corrido
By Dahlia de la Cerda
Translated by Julia Sanches and Heather Cleary
Dahlia de la Cerda’s latest novel reimagines Medea as a punk, ‘Mexican, anti-angel of birth and death’. A collection of interconnected short stories, Medea Sang Me a Corrido follows its namesake anti-angel as she shepherds ordinary people trying to survive in the crossfire of state and cartel violence. As Medea guides them through everything from abortion and births to burials and searches for the lost dead, De la Cerda masterfully elucidates the complex lives of those caught in the web of violence, corruption, poverty and war. She also elucidates the everyday acts of solidarity and resistance that so often go unnoticed.
This collection is incisive, gritty, laced with humour, and brimming with compassion; reading it was as moving as it was rallying. De la Cerda also does not disappoint on the punk revival front; there’s something deeply satisfying in reading about a tatted Medea, cloaked in black, cruising through the Chihuahuan desert skies in a modded Volkswagen Jetta.
JUNE ILF Book of the Month
Song of the Shadow of a Seed
By Luisa Mitchell
This collection, Mitchell’s debut, is a delicate articulation of Nyungar identity and language. Structured around the life cycle of a seed,
Song of the Shadow of a Seed reflects on history, Country, nationhood and futurity with earthiness and sincerity. The poems are full of ‘crimes so ordinary in their ugliness/they become acceptable taboo.’ Nonetheless, seeds are sacred; and life is sacred.
– LEONA –
JUNE Kids Book of the Month
The House That Walked Away
By Simon Howe
When the publisher put Simon’s book in my hand, I knew I was holding a future award-winning picture book. The story follows the journey of a house as it walks through the world trying to find its place. When a family in search of somewhere to live starts to follow the house, will family and house finally settle and find home?
JUNE Cookbook of the Month
Smoke, Rice, Water
By Kishwar Chowdhury
The fabulous books from MasterChef Australia alumni just keep on coming! And this one by 2021 second runner-up Kishwar Chowdhury is no exception. This gorgeous and heartfelt book is a tribute to not only Kishwar’s Bengali heritage, but also to her parents, Laila and Kamrul, who were integral to Kishwar developing a love for Bengali food – a love that shines through on every page.
Here, Kishwar records and passes on exceptional recipes in a way that we can all relish. Recipes include Jewelled pulao, Nagisi Kofta (Narcissus Scotch Eggs), Prawn Do-plyaza, Mula Shukti (Radish with Dried Shrimp), Doi Begun (Eggplant in Spiced Yoghurt), Chocolate Cake with Nolen Gur, and many more. Smoke, Rice, Water delights the senses and will transport you to another, very delicious, world.
– SYLVIA –
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