Blindsight by Maurice Gee

Review by Book Club member Trish Simpson: As a Kiwi, I’m ashamed to confess this is the first of oaurice Gee’s books I have read. But I enjoyed this novel so much, I’m keen to acquaint myself with some of his previous works. I found the first two or three chapters of this book difficult to read, until I connected with the slightly disjointed style of writing. Having done that, I found it hard to put the book down. The characters ,Alice and her brother Gordon, have a solid upbringing in New Zealand in the days following WWII. I also knew those times and could identify strongly with the Ferry family. Alice as the storyteller is a likable eccentric in adulthood and Gordon a somewhat shadowy, gentle man. The weaving through of family ties and relationships create a divergence in the paths taken by Alice and Gordon, with Alice becoming a successful oycologist. I’m astounded that I failed to foresee the twist in the tale of this well-told story. I like to think it was more to do with the author’s expertise in his craft than my naivety as a reader! I was suitably surprised by the ending. It is easy to see why this book claimed the Montana Book Award.